CARADON
Quiet
Hamlet with a Notorious Past?
Today Caradon Town is a small hamlet with no more than a handful of dwellings. Is this the Caradon that was so notorious? In 1966 Jenkins wrote:-
“On Saturday nights after pay-day, the populous villages of Caradon Town, Pensilva, Minions and Crows Nest were crowded with men, and resembled in character the mining camps of Colorado and the Far West.
Among the many notorious drinking places was one known as ‘The House of Blazes’. The story is told that on one occasion a certain Camborne miner had been secluded in this house of ill-fame for several days and nights. News of this being sent to his wife, she immediately set off on foot and on reaching Caradon dragged out her husband by the scruff of his neck, gave him a sound thrashing and took him back with her to Camborne, never more to go ‘to that Hell up there by Liskeard’. As time went on the district, generally, sobered down. “
CARRATON 1660
In 1660 the Poll Tax revealed that there were 11 persons eligible to pay the tax. The usual rate of 1/- was paid by Jane Crabb, Elizabeth John, George Knight, Jane Dawe, John Rawlinge, Sarah Jackman and Christian Bickton. Wealthier inhabitants were the two Richard John’s, Richard & John Crabb and Digory Coombe.
The Book of 1727 describes Caradon thus:
“Carraton lyeth between the two aforesaid brooks and bounded on the South with Darkcoombe Well Brook, and on the West with South Yolland and Ley, on the North with Chapnawell brook, and on the East with Plushays and Dwellamill. The particular estates are as followeth: Jonathan Johns valued in £12 yearly, rent yearly 12s 3d. John Knight valued £14, rent 17s 6d. Richard Johns valued £21, rent £1 19s 7d. Digory Coombs valued £15, yearly rent £1 3s 8d. John Crabbs valued in £12 yearly, rent yearly 18s. The village lyeth against the South, and the part of the ground which lyeth that way is an indifferent good soyle, but the North side for the most part cold, coarse and barren. There was anciently a chapel with a very fine well standing; in the town place there is kept a manor pound to punish trespasses, and so much for the manor of Carredon-lyer, highrent is 1s.”
1841
Now 1841 was the start of the mining era and when the village might have started to gain a reputation. However the census reveals only 8 families there. The John family are still farming there, although Jonathan was born in North Hill. The other farmer was Thomas Garland. Thomas Hawke and Richard Harvey supported their families by labouring. Mary Clemence was a 21 year old (Widow?) with two young children and the two mining families were that of John Wilton and Richard Browning who both mined copper.
1851
Now in 1851 we were in the middle of the mining boom and if the initial quotation was well founded you would expect to find an inn or two at least. However we still have only nine households, though some of them are rather crowded! Thomas Peak is farming 110 acres and has two servants with him as well as the family. Jonathan John is farming 50 acres and one of his sons, 17 year old Ezekiel is indicated as deaf and dumb. Rhoda Paorver(?) a 53yr widow is a schoolmistress living on her own. The Hambly family have come in from Devon and he is a shopkeeper with eight children and one servant. Richard Harvey is still a labourer with 7 children and two lodgers who are miners. William Mitchell, a miner and his family of six have come from Kea. William Hill is the village blacksmith, he has seven children and a lodger.
So a shop and a blacksmith, a few miners but no inn and nothing that could be a house of ill repute! Even though many of the miners would have lived in shanty-type dwellings they would have been recorded in the census.
1876
Carraton
The additions to the 1727 book mention:-
“There are three tenements called Caradon Town;- two, one 42 acres and another 81 acres, the property of Sir J S Trelawny; and a third, 57 acres, the property of Mr
Rd Johns. In the reign of Edward IV 1462-1483, there were three chapels here, - one called Allhallowes. There was one little bell valued at 5s.; and one pair of vestments, made of Bruges satin valued 2s. The baptistery or well protected by massive blocks of uncut granite, still remains. Carraton probably became the property of the Trelawnys through marriage, as they quarter the arms of Carraton, namely – Vert, a bucks head caboshed, or, on the shield in the great hall at Trelawne.”
(The Free United Methodist Chapel was the last chapel in Caradon, it stood just to the west of the pond that is now there. It was in use to the late 1920’s but is now demolished. The 1906 Ordnance Survey map marks the well as in the location of the present duck pond).
1881
By 1881 there are only 5 families listed in Caradon with Samuel Knight from St Germans being the only miner. Thomas Garland is still farming and now has 200 acres. Richard John is still there with two unmarried sisters a bachelor brother and Ezekiel was is now 43yrs. William Jasper is now the grocer with his wife and her sister listed as dressmakers. One wonders where their trade came from? A large family that have moved into the hamlet are the Strike’s who had ten children.
So when was Caradon Town such an infamous place, or has it been completely misrepresented? If you have any information on this mystery please let me know.
Lynda Small
December 2001