2025 Day 238
2025 Dedh Dew Cans Etek warn Ügens
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".
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