1497 Cornish uprising remembered

A number of organisations throughout Kernow were involved in commemoration the 1497 uprising at Bodmin, Camborne and St Kevern. Including Agan Tavas, Mebyon Kernow- the Party for Cornwall, Kernow Rydh,  Federation of Old Cornwall Societies members and others, as well as many members of the public.  Kernow Rydh pointed out in a post the need for a Curriculum Kernewek to better educate young Cornish people about Kernow history. This is something Kowethas Ertach Kernow has been promoting for some time in its weekly newspaper articles as well as with Celtic Nation Kernow.

For a number of years now two leaders of the 1497 Cornish uprising against the unfair double tax of Henry VII have been remembered each year on 27th June. Michael Joseph An Gof at St Keverne and Thomas Flamank at Bodmin. For the second year now,  in addition to these two, a leader from Camborne, John Rosewarne is being remembered. The commemoration will involve a march by the children of the town starting at St Meriadoc Middle School at 11.00am. The march will end at the Parish Church where speeches will be made by a number of dignitaries followed by refreshments in the church hall for the children.

During and after the march the children will be singing a song in Cornish which they have learnt, a marching song written and composed by the late Richard Gendall. 

There were a number of named leaders involved in the 1497 uprising and it is hoped that in the future other towns will embrace their local oneKernow remembers some of its countless men and women who died especially Michael Joseph An Gof (St Kevern) and Thomas Flamank (Bodmin) who were hung drawn and quartered on this day in 1497, for leading a Cornish rebellion. Others remembered as well with Kammbronn commemorating their hero John Rosewarne. The parade begins at 11:00pm and ends at the Parish Church. Organized by Agan Tavas, Kernow Goth Old Cornwall Societies as well as supported by Celtic Nation Kernow.

Deputy Mayor of Camborne, Cllr Reece Weatherburn attended a commemoration in Camborne this morning with other councillors, he had this to say.

"It is an honour to be here today, representing Camborne Town Council and the people of Camborne on the 2nd commemoration of the 1497 rebellion to be held in this town.

On this day - 27th June - we commemorate the rebels who gave their lives in that rebellion against the economic injustice imposed on the Cornish people by the then King of England - Henry VII. Those who have commemorated the rebellion for many years, will be very familiar with the names Michael Joseph an Gof of St Keverne and Thomas Flamank of Bodmin, many may be less familiar with the name John de Rosewarne - of Camborne - and hence we gather here in his hometown to celebrate his contribution to that struggle for economic justice on behalf of the people of this town and our nation - Kernow.

It is a significant fact that one of the grievances held by the Cornish rebels was Henry VII's suspension of the Stannary Parliament in 1496, which until that point had jurisdiction over tin mining in Kernow, an industry that of course would be integral to Camborne's economy and identity. The Stannary Parliament was re-convened in 1508, and it continued to exercise its powers until the late 18th to 19th centuries under increasing centralisation of the UK state.

In the present day, we are hopeful of the return of mining industry to our town and its contribution to our local economy. We should not be complacent of course, and if we are to honour the name of John de Rosewarne, Michael an Gof and Thomas Flamank, then we elected representatives and the wider community must do all we can to ensure that our community reaps the benefits of the return of that industry.

I would like to thank the organisations that have come together to make this commemoration possible - Agan Tavas, Camborne Old Cornwall Society, the Saints Martin & Meriadoc Church, and the school, each one has put in the work to contribute to the preservation of our cultural heritage, our language - Kernewek, our history and our unique identity. Long may this continue.

Kernow Bys Vyken!"

MK - Camborne

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El govern de Cornualla inicia una consulta sobre la nova Estratègia per a la llengua còrnica

El Consell de Cornualla ha iniciat una consulta sobre la nova Estratègia per a la llengua còrnica o
Strateji an Yeth Kernewek 2026-2036. L'estratègia té com a objectiu enfortir la llengua còrnica per a les generacions futures. L'estratègia se centra en quatre àrees clau: Dyski | Aprenentatge, Kemeneth i Gonisogeth | Comunitat i Cultura, Savla | Status i Korpus | Corpus. Aquestes àrees treballen conjuntament per enfortir l'orgull i el benestar comunitari, desenvolupar habilitats i recursos i posicionar Cornwall amb confiança en l'escenari nacional, internacional i global.
Les respostes serviran per elaborar una versió final de l'estratègia que el Consell de Cornualla considerarà i publicarà el juliol de 2026. Es pot respondre per correu electrònic a cultureteam@cornwall.gov.uk (enllaç extern) o per correu postal a: Cornish Language Strategy Consultation, Lys Kernow, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3AY. Abans del 19 de juny de 2026.

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Els nacionalistes còrnics de Mebyon Kernow vencen a Camborne

Els nacionalistes còrnics de Mebyon Kernow han celebrat un parell de victòries a Camborne. El regidor Reece Wetherburn, que va escollit tinent d'alcalde electe i un altre regidor del partit, Ian Vivian-Villacci, va ser escollit per defensar Cornualla a l'Ajuntament de Camborne. El 12 de juny MK celebrarà el seu 75è aniversari a Penn Bloodh Lowen en el que ha batejat com "la festa per Cornualla". 

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El còrnic es va aferrar com a llengua viva més enllà de Dolly Pentreath, la darrera parlant materna

La llegenda que el còrnic va desaparèixer com a llengua viva amb la mort de la venedora de peix Dolly Pentreath a finals del segle XVIII està sent qüestionada per una de les principals expertes mundials en la cultura celta de l'extrem sud-oest de Gran Bretanya.

Pentreath, de la ciutat portuària de Mousehole, a la costa sud de Cornualla, va morir el 1777 als 85 anys i es va desenvolupar la narrativa que va ser l'última veritable parlant de kernewek. Però Kensa Broadhurst, de l'Institut d'Estudis Còrnics de la Universitat d'Exeter, ha escrit un llibre en què argumenta que la llengua es va aferrar durant el segle XIX, parlada per alguns còrnics de classe treballadora, així com per acadèmics i altres que van veure valor en la seva preservació.

Broadhurst va dir que durant aquell període el còrnic s'hauria de classificar com a llengua en perill crític d'extinció en lloc d'extingida. "La història de la llengua còrnica és de resiliència, no de desaparició", va dir. Broadhurst, un bard del Gorsedh còrnic, que promou la cultura celta còrnica, va dir que el còrnic es parlava àmpliament al sud-oest durant l'època medieval. Quan Pentreath va néixer el 1692, el nombre de parlants havia disminuït dràsticament, però es deia que només parlava còrnic fins als 20 anys.

Broadhurst va dir que la història de Pentreath s'havia de tractar amb precaució perquè la seva veu ha desaparegut de la història i gran part del que se sap d'ella prové dels escrits de forasters rics, que poden haver-la tergiversat. "Estem parlant d'homes rics i educats amb temps lliure", va dir Broadhurst.

Daines Barrington, un advocat, antiquari i naturalista anglès, és generalment acreditat per haver "descobert" Pentreath. Va informar que «va ser criada des de petita per no saber cap altra llengua; ni podia (si podem creure-la) parlar ni una paraula d'anglès abans de passar dels 20 anys; que, com que el seu pare era pescador, la van enviar amb peix a Penzance als 12 anys i el van vendre en còrnic». Barrington també va dir que ella li va dir que ningú més podia conversar en còrnic.

Broadhurst va dir que també era possible que Pentreath estigués interpretant Barrington. «Si ets pobre i aquest home intel·ligent que òbviament té diners mostra interès, intentaràs treure profit d'això? Senzillament no ho sabem».

En els anys posteriors a la seva mort, va créixer la idea que la llengua havia mort amb Pentreath. El 1860 es va erigir un monument en honor seu en un cementiri que la descrivia com «l'última persona que va conversar en l'antic còrnic».

Per al seu llibre, *The Cornish Language in the Nineteenth Century* (La llengua còrnica al segle XIX), Broadhurst va estudiar experts com Frederick William Pearce Jago, que va publicar un diccionari còrnic el 1887, i l'activista cultural còrnic Henry Jenner (1848-1934).

Broadhurst va dir que creia que el còrnic es continuava parlant al segle XIX, tot i que en "nombres reduïts". Va dir: "Òbviament eren bilingües, principalment parlant anglès, però podien parlar còrnic. Encara hi havia gent que l'ensenyava als seus fills, hi havia gent que feia recerca sobre això. Fins i tot s'ensenyava a les universitats de França". Va dir que era difícil determinar on es parlava el còrnic, en part perquè la gent de classe treballadora amb poques o cap habilitat de lectura i escriptura va deixar poc rastre. Kernewek ha gaudit d'un renaixement als segles XX i XXI, i el consell de Cornualla estima que hi ha uns 500 parlants avançats i més de 2.000 amb nivells bàsics.

El consell va dir que la cultura còrnica estava "prosperant", amb més gent i esdeveniments que celebren el menjar, el patrimoni, els esports i la música còrnica. Persones com la cantant pop Gwenno, que actua en idiomes com el còrnic i el gal·lès, estan ajudant a promocionar Kernewek.

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El Regne Unit declara oficial el còrnic enmig del ressorgiment de la llengua celta

El kernewek, la llengua còrnica, ha estat oficialment reconeguda juntament amb el gal·lès, el gaèlic irlandès i el gaèlic escocès després que el govern del Regne Unit recomanés la seva elecció per a la Part III, el nivell més alt de protecció en virtut del tractat europeu. L'anunci arriba després d'anys de campanyes del Consell de Cornualla, grups comunitaris i organitzacions culturals dedicades a protegir la llengua nativa de Cornualla. El 22 de gener la llengua ha estat reconeguda oficialment en virtut de la Part III de la Carta Europea de les Llengües Regionals o Minoritàries.

Inicialment protegit per la Part II de la Carta des del 2002, els 24 anys següents han vist un ressorgiment de l'ús del kernewek a la vida quotidiana. El reconeixement és la culminació de molts anys de treball del Consell de Cornualla, els diputats, els grups comunitaris i les organitzacions culturals per garantir que la llengua tingui un paper clau en la vida a Cornualla.

Després de la notícia, el líder del Consell de Cornualla, el regidor Leigh Frost, ha dit que "el 2026 promet ser una veritable celebració de Cornualla. Com a orgullós habitant de Cornualla, aquesta és una notícia fantàstica i un reconeixement de la feina de tanta gent per reviure primer la llengua i després ampliar-la a tot Cornualla. Veure rètols bilingües i sentir parlar el kernewek a les reunions del Consell és ara una cosa quotidiana, cosa que demostra quant hem avançat, i aquest és un pas més per garantir un major creixement del seu ús. "Recordo ser el primer a parlar còrnic al Parlament amb el meu discurs inaugural al maig de 1997. Va causar força enrenou llavors. Però ara es considera una norma. Aleshores em va orgullir introduir el jurament còrnic quan vaig jurar el càrrec al Parlament del 2005, però ara tots els nostres diputats l'utilitzen, i amb orgull. Tot i que els parlants amb fluïdesa són pocs, això no treu importància a aquest important reconeixement addicional.

"Per a mi, això no està impulsat pel desig d'aïllar Cornualla o d'aïllar-se. Ben al contrari. Es tracta d'incloure Cornualla en la celebració de la diversitat en un món més ampli i contribuir eficaçment a aquesta celebració internacional".

El diputat per Camborne i Redruth, Perran Moon, va afegir: "Molts a Cornualla han cobejat durant molt de temps l'estatus de la Part III de la llengua còrnica, situant-la al mateix nivell que totes les altres llengües celtes. Ara hem tingut la benvinguda confirmació que, després de la sol·licitud d'aquest govern, el Consell d'Europa ha aprovat l'estatus de la Part III per a la llengua còrnica.

"Ja he demanat personalment al Primer Ministre aquesta setmana que consideri les obligacions derivades de l'estatus de la Part III i, en particular, els canvis necessaris per permetre que qualsevol persona que vulgui aprendre còrnic ho pugui fer."

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Mebyon Kernow celebrates the 75th anniversary

Mebyon Kernow members and supporters are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Mebyon Kernow at the Oates Temperance Hotel in Redruth, which took place on 6th January 1951.
Thirteen people were present at the meeting and a further six sent apologies. The first leader of MK was a woman, Helena Charles, who also became the first MK member to serve as a councillor, when she was elected onto Camborne-Redruth Urban District Council in 1953.
Four of MK’s founder-members, who were also leading lights in the Cornish cultural and language revival, went on to become Grand Bards of Gorsedh Kernow – Ernest George Retallack Hooper (known as Talek), George Pawley White, Richard Garfield Jenkin and Ann Trevenen (later Jenkin) – while another, the respected coppersmith Francis Cargeeg, became a Deputy Grand Bard. Another prominent individual at that first meeting was Charles Thomas, the renowned archaeologist, who became the first director of the Institute of Cornish Studies.
In a statement issued today, Party leader Cllr Dick Cole said: 
“Looking back over the last seven-and-a-half decades, I am extremely proud of how MK members have been a persistent force for good. Our activists have been at the forefront of so many initiatives and campaigns – looking to make a positive difference for Cornish society and for Cornwall’s culture, identity, economy and environment.
“As the present leader of MK, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been a member of the Party for Cornwall and has contributed to our efforts from 1951 right through until now.
“MK has sought to place Cornish nationhood at the very heart of Cornish politics, and the key element of our work has been to campaign for a meaningful devolution settlement, similar to what has been achieved in Scotland and Wales.
“We remain proud that we launched the Declaration for a Cornish Assembly in 2000, which was supported by over 50,000 people, and we have often reached outside of the normally partisan nature of politics and attempted to secure cross-party backing for more powers for Cornwall.
“We continue to push for proper devolution, based on our detailed policy document ‘Towards a Parliament for Cornwall.’
“I am particularly proud that MK members, along with others from across the wider Cornish movement, have worked hard to do the ‘groundwork’ that has led to some recent positive developments, such as the recognition of the Cornish as a national minority in 2014 and councillors on the unitary authority coming together in support of ‘fifth nation’ status for Cornwall, plus Ministers recently ruling out the imposition of a Devonwall Mayoral Strategic Authority.
“But there is so much more to do. 
“The UK Government is still failing to treat Cornwall as one of the nations of the United Kingdom, so our campaigns for meaningful devolution, fair funding, social justice, housing justice and economic justice, and so much more, will continue.” 
Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall will marking MK’s 75th anniversary in a number of ways during 2026. This will include a celebratory event and party for members in June, plus a large Autumn Conference with international guest speakers.  
Background information on the history of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall
• Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall (MK) was founded on Saturday 6th January 1951 at the Oates Temperance Hotel in Redruth. The new organisation had an extremely strong focus on Cornish identity and culture, but it was also openly political. By September 1951, the Party had officially committed itself to further Cornwall’s “right to self-government in domestic affairs in a Federated United Kingdom.”
• In its early days, the organisation operated as a pressure group and members of other political parties could also be members of MK. 
• In the 1960s, Mebyon Kernow was at the forefront of numerous initiatives. These included campaigns for a Cornish University, a Cornish Industrial Board or Development Agency; support for traditional Cornish industries; as well as opposition to railway closures and opposition to the amalgamation of the Cornwall and Devonshire police forces. 
• In 1965 Mebyon Kernow put forward official local election candidates for the first time and, in 1967, Colin Murley won MK’s first seat on Cornwall County Council at St Day and Lanner.
• In the 1970s, Mebyon Kernow became a fully-fledged political party, with members of other political groupings no longer able to hold dual membership. During this decade, MK fought parliamentary seats for the first time and, in 1979, Richard Jenkin secured over 10,000 votes in the first election to the European Parliament.
• It was also in the early 1970s that MK led a series of campaigns to protect the territorial integrity of Cornwall, which included opposing the creation of a Tamarside authority in 1971 and the South West Economic Planning Council economic region. MK also presented important evidence to the Crowther (later Kilbrandon) Commission on devolution. Later in the decade, in 1978 and 1979, MK held its own rallies at Penzance and Falmouth in support of the Cornish fishing industry.
• In the 1980s, many MK activists channelled their enthusiasms into a range of single issue campaigns and pressure groups. They organised protest rallies and demonstrations about the rise in employment, and were instrumental in the formation of the Cornwall Anti-Nuclear Alliance, which campaigned against the proposed nuclear power station at Luxulyan, and a pressure group against the over-development of Cornwall. Members also took a prominent role in the fight against the poll tax.
• In the 1990s, MK activists were among the first people to call for Cornwall to be disaggregated from Devon to secure millions of pounds through Objective One funding.
• In the 1990s, MK adopted a more expansive approach to electoral politics. It subsequently put forward candidates in the 1997, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2019 General Elections. Over the last three decades or so, more than 160 people have contested elections as official Mebyon Kernow candidates, 17 members have served on principal authorities and over 90 have served on town and parish councils. 
• Mebyon Kernow has consistently pushed for meaningful devolution for Cornwall and, on St Piran’s Day 2000, Mebyon Kernow launched a “Declaration for a Cornish Assembly” which was supported by over 50,000 people. It’s present proposals are included in the policy document “Towards a Parliament for Cornwall.”
• MK was also to the forefront of opposition to the centralisation of local government, which was forced on Cornwall in 2009. 
• In recent years, MK members have played key roles in campaigns relating to Cornish nationhood. In particular, this has included putting pressure on politicians and public bodies to meet their obligations to the Cornish as a “national minority” in terms of funding for language and culture, education, broadcasting and public life, and the protection of the territorial integrity of Cornwall.  
• In addition to making the case for devolution, Mebyon Kernow is also campaigning for fair funding for Cornwall and to protect public services, it is opposing further changes to the Government’s already unsustainable planning system while supporting efforts to safeguard Cornwall’s environment, and so much more.
• Through the last 75 years, MK has had ten leaders: 
- Helena Charles (1951-1956)
- Cecil Beer (1957-1960)
- Robert Dunstone (1960-1968)
- Leonard Truran (1968-1973)
- Richard Jenkin (1973-1983)
- Julyan Drew (1983-1985)
- Pedyr Prior (1985-1986)
- Loveday Carlyon (1986-1989)
- Loveday Jenkin (1990-1997)
- Dick Cole (1997-present day)

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