2025 Day 238

2025 Dedh Dew Cans Etek warn Ügens

De Meurth, wheffes warn ügens mis Est
Tuesday, 26th August

Our Daily Bread

A line from the Lord’s Prayer says,

“Ro dhe nei an jorna-ma agan bara pub dedh.”

Give to us this day our bread every day.

In the past Cornwall had to be self-sufficient for all food, not just for fish. Can place names tell us what were the important locations? Corn in general is “is” and grains is “greun”. Today’s grains are barley “barlys”/ “heydh”, wheat “gwaneth” and oats “kergh”, though wheat was not widely grown in the past. An ancient variety of naked oats or “pilas” was grown, which is now extinct.

“cove by a small barley plot” PORTHCOTHAN 

(Porthgohedon c1250)       > Porth Gohedhen

“the downs of naked oats”    NOON BILLAS 

                                           > an Woon Bilas

“grain farm”                           TREWORNAN 

(Tregronan 1303)               > Trewreunen                

“corn-rich cove”                     PORT ISAAC 

(Porthissek c1540)             > Porth Isek

 

To produce "bleus"  flour/meal it needed a mill "melin" (with water either over-shot, under-shot or tidal).         

Several place names indicate a mill located near the sea, e.g.

MILLENDREATH  “beach mill” Melin Dreth

TREESMILL (Melyntrait 1150) “sand mill” Melin Dreth

Some mean “mill cove” with various spellings, e.g.

PORTMELLON (Porthmelyn 1539) Porth Melin

MULLION COVE: (Porthmellyn C18) Porth Melin   

 

Some mills were in a “mill valley” with a stream or leat, e.g.

LAMELLION (Nansmelin 1298) Nans Melin             

LAMELLYN (Nansmelyn 1296) Nans Melin    

NANCEMELLIN (Nansmelyn 1317) Nans Melin

Did a “new mill” replace an old mill in feudal times, 

was it additional or did it set up in competition with it?

NEW MILLS (Ladock) (Melynewyth 1364) Melin Nowydh

NEWMILL (Kenwyn) (Melynneweth 1366) Melin Nowydh         

VELLANOWETH (Ludgvan) (Melynnoweth 1520) Melin Nowydh       

 

The “mill house” was an important feature in a village, as the miller was a vital person in the community. We find the name, with variations, repeated in several locations across Cornwall, e.g.         

MOLINGEY (Mlyngy 1302) Melinjy

MELINSEY Melinjy

MELLINGEY (Cubert)  Melinjy

BOLINGEY (St Mawgan) (Melyndy 1216) Melinjy

CHYVELLAN Chivelin

 

A household without its own oven might need the bake-house, e.g.

TREVORNICK (Trefornek c1350) Trefornek “bake-house farm”

In a village or town you will still find at least one bakery 

“chei pobas” or “chei vorn” to buy your bread 

“bara” or your pastries/pasties “hogednow” and cake "tesen".