| Cornish Family History Research: Triumph and Tragedy |
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Page 1 of 3 Triumph and Tragedy In the last issue we looked at some Cornish folk who have made a name for themselves but whose exploits are not well known or well documented. Following that article, I received a number of letters and emails adding to my knowledge of these folk and expanding on their stories. My thanks go to those Cornish World readers who have contacted me following my articles on family history topics. Down the centuries Cornish men and women have faced triumph and tragedy in their lives both here and on their worldwide travels. Some are quite well documented events whilst others are very little known. I would like to offer a couple here that I have come across over years of tracing family histories. If you have Eddy, Edy or Edey in your family tree then you are almost certain to track your ancestry back to west Cornwall. Over 70 per cent of the Eddy families listed on the 1861 census live in the Penzance district. Eddy men were miners spending their lives many fathoms underground working ore seams that often stretched out under the Atlantic. It was a harsh environment and one littered with tragic accidents. Mines such as Crowns and Wheal Owles, with their long redundant engine houses clinging to the cliff side near Botallack are stark reminders of these times and monuments to the sacrifice of the miners.  January 10, 1893, is a date firmly fixed in Cornish mining history. It was the date when many miners died in the watery depths of Wheal Owles (pictured above). Picturesby Bob Richards. As The Cornishman newspaper of January 12, reported: “Nineteen men and a boy died in the watery darkness of Wheal Owles, at St Just in Penwith. A terrible roar was heard by the forty men and boys working deep underground at Wheal Owles mine. On the morning of Tuesday January 10, the miners had broken through into the workings of the flooded neighbouring Wheal Drea. As the torrent rushed into Wheal Owles it pushed the air before it, creating a great wind which blew out all the lights, plunging the terrified miners into absolute darkness. Those working on the upper levels narrowly escaped with their lives.” |
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