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Emigration

In the mid to late 19th and early 20th centuries many families from the Penwith area of Cornwall left to make new lives for themselves as either the mines closed or the three life leases on their farms came to an end. Some made their way to Canada by sailing on ships that had come to Cornwall  bringing timber for the mines. Rather than returning empty Ships Masters were willing to take paying passengers. Others went to America via Liverpool and still others to Australia, New Zealand and other places half-way round the world. 

Many returned to Penwith and invested the money they had made in land and houses. It is interesting to look for properties with names like Dakota, Wyoming & Tennessee and to imagine these were built with the  hard won proceeds of their foreign travels. 

The St Just of the 1860's was a place of great depression. In May 1867 the West Briton newspaper reported:

"During the last twelve months, Cornish miners to the number of 7,380 have left the county, 1,155 of whom settled in America, 670   in Australia and New Zealand, 450 in California, while the iron mines of Scotland and the coal and iron mines of the North of England have absorbed 1,090; 1,390 have left Gwennap, Stithians, Illogan and Phillack; 1,590 the district of Lelant, St Ives and St Just; 80 Wendron and Sithney; 205 the district of St Agnes and Perran; 220 the district of St Austell; and 1,200 the district the districts of Liskeard and Callington. The returns from other districts are not so correctly ascertained, but must fall little short of 2,000. "

West Briton 17 May 1867.  

and again in August:

"At Wheal Owles meeting on Friday last, Mr R Boyns has beheld a sight a day or two ago he had never seen before, and one he hoped he would never see again in St Just.On his way to Hayle, this side of Penzance, he had overtaken 15 women – all on their way to the workhouse. He knew the faces of many and believed that genuine penury had driven them to seek parish relief."

  West Briton 23 August 1867

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in other parts of the UK

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in Canada

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in the USA.

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in the South America.

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in the New Zealand.

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in the Australia.

Below we list the names of those members of the extended tree who moved from Cornwall to settle in the South Africa.