Cornwall's Knockers: The Gnomes Who Toil The Tin Mines

There are numerous stories about the Knockers who are said to populate Cornish tin mines. Here is one explanation taken from The drolls, traditions, and superstitions of old Cornwall by Robert Hunt (1807 -1887).

Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) posed the question: 'Who are the Knockers?' This was the reply:

One Saturday night I had retired to rest, having first seen that all members of the household had gone to their bedrooms. These were my daughters, two female servants and an old woman named Mary, who was left by the proprietor in charge of the house which I occupied.

I had some time in bed when I distinctly heard a bedroom door open and footsteps which, after moving about for some time in the passage or landing, from which the bedrooms opened, slowly and carefully descended the stairs.

I heard a movement in the kitchen below, and the footsteps again ascended the stairs and went into one of the bedrooms. The noise continued so long, and was so regularly repeated that I began to fear lest one of the children were taken suddenly ill. Yet I felt assured, if it was so, one of the servants would call me. Therefore I lay still and listened until I fell asleep.

On the Sunday morning, when I descended to the breakfast-room, I asked the eldest of the two servants what had occasioned so much going up and down stairs in the night. She declared that no one had left their bedrooms after they had retired to them. 

I then enquired of the younger girl, and each of my daughters as they made their appearances. No one had left their rooms - they had not heard any noises. 

My youngest daughter, who had been after this enquiry of mine for some minutes alone with the youngest servant, came laughing to me. "Papa, Nancy says the house is haunted and that they often heard strange noises in it."

So I called Nancy; but all I could learn from her was that noises, like men going up and down stairs, of threshing corn and 'beating the borer' (a mining operation) were not uncommon. We all laughed over papa's ghost during breakfast, and by and by old Mary made her appearance

"Yes," she said, "it is quite true, as Nancy 'as told you. I have often heard all sorts of strange noises; but I b'lieve they all come from the lode of tin which runs under the house. Wherever there is a lode of tin, you are sure to hear strange noises." 

"What, Mary! was it the knockers I heard last night?" 

"Yes, 'twas the knockers, down working upon the tin, no doubt of it."

This was followed by a long explanation, and numerous stories of mines in Leland and St. Ives district, in which the knockers had often been heard. 

After a little time, Mary, imagining I suppose that the young ladies might not sleep in a house beneath which the knockers were at work, again came with her usual low curtsey into the parlour. 

"Beg pardon, sir," says she, "but none of the young ladies need be afraid. There are no spirits in the house; it is very nearly a new one, and no one has ever died in the house."

This makes a distinct difference between the ghost of the departed and those gnomes who are doomed to toil earth's dark recesses.

The Secret Holy Well Of Menacuddle, Cornwall And The Druid's Chair

Where I live in Cornwall, it's a land of legends, saints, holy wells and other mysteries. I came across the picture above and remembered that I hadn't visited Menacuddle for ages.

It's a place that is not on the main tourist route so it's virtually unknown to most visitors to the area.

The Well Chapel is a housing for a Holy Well and dates back to the 15th Century - though no doubt the healing powers of the water were known long before the small chapel was ever built.

The Well isn't sign posted but if going by car take the Bodmin Road from St.Austell town. It's only  a few minutes drive but is hidden away secretly. Look out for the Elderly People road sign (see below) and the track is on the left just after this. Go slow, it's easy to drive past. Follow the track and there is a place to park a couple of cars. In saying that I have never seen anyone else at the well whenever I have made a visit.

On the right is a river with a waterfall. The water is often a milky white colour, especially after rain, when it is coloured by the local china clay.

A little further and the Druid's Chair rock will be seen. It's quite comfortable - for a rock, that is!

Across the river can be seen the Holy Well Chapel. The river looked quite white on my visit today.

A little further along the river is a small bridge so that you can walk back to visit the Holy Well.

A Gothic archway leads inside and to the clear water of the spring. The building itself, other than the roof, is made of local granite.

It's quite dark and damp inside.

There is a local tale which suggests that visitors should drop a 'crooked pin' into the spring waters to ensure good fortune. It is said that on doing so this will cause pins thrown in by other pilgrims will rise to the top.

In saying this today's visitors tend to prefer to light a small candle and leave this to burn in one of the recesses. And you might even see a strange animal lurking as well!

The Holy spring water was once held in high regard for its curative powers. Sick children were regularly bathed here, and the Victorians  recommend the drinking of its salubrious fluid. It was also used to treat ulcers. Personally I just dabbed my face with the clear water and made a 'good health' wish.

Being a damp area the roof and walls of the chapel are covered with moss and lichen ...

... as are the stone walls nearby.

There it is, the secret Holy Well of Menacuddle. The pilgrimage worked wonders for me!

Photos: © Mike Perry

Other Holy Wells In Cornwall:
The Holy Well That Saved a Saints Head
Magical Cure For Madness At The Cornish Holy Well Of St Cleer
The Holy Well Of St Sampson At Golant In Cornwall
The Holy Well Which Protects Those Baptised From The Hangman's Noose

Top Ten Posts For February On 67 Not Out

So, that's two months gone of 2014, time flies. Here are the Top 10 most viewed posts for February on 67 Not Out. Some old favourites are still getting lots of visits, but there are a few new intruders - including, surprisingly, at number one.

1. A Sighting Of The Bank Of England Black Nun Ghost
I was on a short visit to London and was walking alone in the late evening along Threadneedle Street, near to where the Bank of England is positioned. Suddenly, without warning, this lady was walking towards me, I don't know where she had appeared ... Read full story.

2. Photo Taken Of Father Showed His Missing Daughter
Michael Dick hadn't seen his daughter, Lisa, for over 10 years. This was since he had separated from his first wife. Determined to make contact with her again Michael travelled to ... Read full story.

3. The Ghost Who Chased A Thief
A few years back, before I lived with my partner, I was living at home with my parents for the summer after University. They were going away on holiday and left me with the responsibility of looking after the house. I didn't mind being alone but I asked a girlfriend to stay over ... Red full story

4. The White Dove As A Messenger Of The Dead
This white dove would not move to let me by. I made noises, waved my hand, stared at the dove - nothing happened. Finally I went in the back door of my house. I looked out the window and this one lone white dove was still on the front steps at 4pm and 5pm and 6pm. At 7pm that night I received an urgent phone call ... Read full story.

5. The Mysterious Skull With The Golden Wreath Of Protection
I photographed this skull with a gold wreath while in Crete. It was discovered while excavations were taking place and is believed to have been that of an athlete. In the second large photo below a coin is also shown which was found inside the skull's mouth. This is a silver tetradrachm ... Read full story.

6. The Meaning Of White Feathers As Messages From The Dead
By white feathers I mean how they can often be found following a loved ones death. This has certainly been my own experience. I lost three people close to me in a short period of time ... Read full story

7. Top 10 Coincidence And Synchronicity Stories
The following are the Top 10 Coincidence and Synchronicity Stories over the last year - based on the number of readers (hits) each has received ... Read full story.

8. The Unusual Contact With Her Dead Mother
My mother broke her hip quite badly following a fall and we thought it best that she move in with my husband and I. As she couldn't walk she passed the time watching television, but most of all she loved to knit. In fact she never seemed to stop even for her favourite TV soap. She knitted gloves ... Read full story.

9. The Ten Secrets To Living A Long Healthy Life
It's a story about a Greek war veteran, Stamatis Moraitis, who was living in Florida, USA when, in 1976, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He recalls that several doctors confirmed the diagnosis and gave him only nine months ... Read full story.

10. The Mysterious Shell Creatures On Cornish Beach
I snapped the above photo on Sunday and I'm wondering what it is - erm, not what it might look like as Karin has already made one suggestion, which I'll ignore! We went to Pentewan Beach, Cornwall to see if there had been any storm damage ... Read full story.

Mysterious Slither-Like Geoduck Clams Stranded On Cornish Beach Following Storms

The mystery deepens of the Slither like shell creatures I spotted on a Cornish Beach. Most of them are now gone, the fleshy parts devoured by scavenging seagulls (photo above).

Christin from Seattle, WA, USA suggested that they may well be a type of geoduck clam. This is fine but, from what I've read on Wikipedia, "the geoduck is native to the west coast of North America." This is a very long way from Cornwall in the south west of England.

It's true we have had some exceptionally big storms and high tides crashing into our shoreline, so perhaps this has somehow transported the geoducks from far afield. But that does seem unlikely.

My photo of the Mysterious Shell Creatures found on a Cornish Beach

I went back to the beach but most of the clams - or whatever they are called - have now disappeared. Only a few of the shells remain.

Here's a little more info from Wikipedia on geoducks:

"The geoduck 'gooey duck', scientific name Panopea generosa, is a species of very large, edible, saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from a Lushootseed (Nisqually) word gʷídəq meaning 'dig deep'.

The geoduck is native to the west coast of North America. The shell of the clam ranges from 15 centimetres (5.9 in) to over 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, but the extremely long siphons make the clam itself much longer than this: the 'neck' or siphons alone can be 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length. The geoduck is both one of the largest clams in the world, and one of the longest-lived animals of any type. As adults they have very few predators other than humans."

The geoduck is a burrowing clam and I've read that they were the inspiration for the slug-like alien parasites of the 2006 movie Slither.

I therefore hope any remaining geoduck clams left on our Cornish beach aren't making their way inland and into our bathrooms and ...

But for anyone who should find one, here's how to cook them (though I'll pass on this being a vegetarian!)


Photos © Mike Perry

Other Cornwall Posts And Mysteries:
The Mysterious Shell Creatures On Cornish Beach
10 Mystery Posts About Cornwall
The Granite Dinosaur And Turtle Guarding Helman Tor Cornwall

The Mysterious Shell Creatures On Cornish Beach

I snapped the above photo on Sunday and I'm wondering what it is - erm, not what it might look like as Karin has already made one suggestion, which I'll ignore!

We went to Pentewan Beach, Cornwall to see if there had been any storm damage. It's been pretty bad in the UK with lots of flooding, gales and high tides. It's said to be an effect of the USA's bad weather, which has altered the normal position of the jet stream - a fast flowing air current that girdles the globe.

The high tides and gales have caused some damage to the Pentewan beach defences, as can be seen from the photo below. Though this is nothing compared to some of the damage and problems in other parts of Cornwall and England. Sunday, however, was a sunny, crisp winter's day.

Pentewan Beach , Cornwall storm damage

We saw the strange shells with their growths or innards exposed along the beach and in rock pools. The photo below shows such a pool. The photo at the top of the post is of a - whatever it is - that was marooned on a concrete rock.

On our way back from Pentewan Beach we walked through Kings Wood which was quite waterlogged. As the sun was shining though, the reflections in the saturated ground were quite impressive.

Photos © Mike Perry

Click on the photos to make them larger.

Other Posts Based On Pentewan Beach
Magical Release At The Mouth Of The White River
Are Mutilated Horses Part Of A Satanic Or Black Magic Ritual
Observing What Is Often Missed

The Holy Well Which Protects Those Baptised From The Hangman's Noose

St Paul's Church, Ludvgan, Cornwall

If you want to avoid death by hanging the secret can be found at St Ludgvan's Holy Well, Cornwall. It is said that no child baptised in  its cool and crystal waters ever needed to fear the hangman's noose.

That's the thing about Cornwall, where I live, it was once populated by so many Saints - and many are hardly known. Take St Ludvgan for example.

St Ludvgan prayed for water and his pleas were, of course, answered by the appearance of a crystal clear stream. But there was more to the waters than their coolness.

The Saint washed his eyes in the sparkling stream and was amazed to find that this enabled him to see microscopic objects. Being quite chuffed about this he prayed some more and found that he now possessed a great fluency to his speech. 

For some reason he prayed yet again and bizzarely requested that all children baptised in the stream should be spared the hangman's cord.

The water had great powers which St Ludvgan had to put to the test. During one baptism, the young child in his arms called upon the name of Satan and the Saint was obliged to perform an immediate exorcism.

The Devil appeared before the congregation and they watched as he grew to a gigantic size before spitting into the water thus ruining its power to give the microscopic sight and the gift of great oratory.

The Devil however didn't remember to wipe out the waters power to save those children baptised from being hanged. St Ludvgan swung into action and despatched Satan to the Red Sea in a great flash of lightening, which also brought down one of the pinnacles of the church.

Today most of the powers of the well waters have been dissipated other than the promise of keeping baptised children free from the hangman's noose.

And that's St Ludvgan, sometimes known also as Ludowanus or Ludewon. The church at Ludvgan is now known as St Paul's church but was originally dedicated to both St Ludgvan and St Paul.

Other Cornish Holy Well Posts:
The Holy Well Of St Sampson At Golant In Cornwall
The Holy Well That Saved a Saints Head
Magical Cure For Madness At The Cornish Holy Well Of St Cleer

Brown Willy, The Hill Of Swallows And It's Holy Energy

This is a road sign in Cornwall for the hamlet of Cocks which is in the parish of Perranzabuloe. Always raises a, erm, smile. Mind you the highest point in Cornwall is Brown Willy, part of Bodmin Moor.

Summit of Brown Willy, Cornwall - Photo Roger Cornfoot

According to The Aetherius Society Brown Willy is considered sacred. They believe that the hill is charged with 'holy energy' and November 23rd each year is said to be a 'Charging Day' when members gather to celebrate the sun's alignment with 'positive and negative rocks'.

The name of Brown Willy is from the Cornish language Bronn Wennili, meaning 'hill of swallows' - I'll leave you to make up your own jokes about that.

Some people have tried to change the name of Brown Willy to the Cornish version but this has been spurned. Even the respectable Daily Telegraph newspaper wanted the name retained and ran a headline 'Hands Off Brown Willy.' Part of their reasoning was:

"If we are the first generation of adults who, like the comic book character Finbarr Saunders, see double entendres everywhere, what is to become of Great Cockup and Little Cockup in Cumbria; Crapstone, Devon; Penistone, South Yorkshire; Brokenwind, Aberdeenshire; Shitterton, Dorset; North Piddle, Worcestershire; Nether Peover, Cheshire; Slack Bottom, West Yorkshire; Pratts Bottom, Kent; and Titty Hill in West Sussex?" [all genuine place names in the UK].

Hear hear! Let all countries keep their traditions.

More About Cornwall:
The Magic Of Fowey Cornwall
The Holy Well Of St Sampson At Golant In Cornwall
The Magic Of King Arthur And Tintagel Castle Cornwall - 21 Exclusive Photos

A Jackalope - A Rabbit With Antlers - Seen In Bodmin Jail

Yesterday's post was about Bodmin Jail and while there we saw the above example of taxidermy - a rabbit with antlers!

Such a creature is sometimes referred to as a jackalope in North American folklore. Wikipedia states:

"It is possible that the tales of jackalopes were inspired by sightings of rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus, which causes the growth of horn- and antler-like tumors in various places on the rabbit's head and body."

There is an example of Shope papilloma in a Daily Mail article, with photos, which tells of a "bunny filmed hopping around Minnesota yard with rare infection that makes rabbits grow horns."

And, of course, there happens to be an over the top video, which I find a little disturbing, about such a rabbit:


We asked someone at Bodmin Jail what that rabbit with horns was. The lady smiled and simply replied, "It's a rabbit with horns," and she walked away still smiling.

That's the thing about Cornwall, so many myths and legends.

But the USA has it's own and I read this about jackalopes on Legends of America:

"Most commonly sighted in the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and New Mexico, the jackalope also appears to have a European cousin, in Germany, known as the wolperdinger, and in Sweden, a related species called the skvader.

Illustrations of horned hares go back as far as the 16th century in scholarly European works."

Laura Neocleous, however, from the Wimbledon College of Art, has a somewhat different interpretation of a jackalope:

Image by Laura Neocleous

Believe as you will!

Other Cornish Mysteries
The Cornish Mystery Of Trevethy Quoit Stones
The Mystery Of Jesus Visiting Cornwall In England
The Mystery Of The Cornish Roche Rock And Hermitage

The Ghosts Who Haunt Bodmin Jail, Cornwall: 13 Exclusive Photos

On a dark, dank day the bleakness of Bodmin Jail in Cornwall can send a shiver down the spine. No wonder it is the source of many paranormal experiences. The ghosts of prisoners haunt the corridors and now empty cells.

Bodmin Jail was built back in the reign of George III in 1777. Prisoners helped, though not necessarily willingly, to transport 20,000 tons of granite from Bodmin's Cuckoo Quarry for its erection.

Today the cells are empty other than for those ghosts who walk the six floors of the jail.

As I went round the jail I took most of my photos in black and white, though a few have a touch of colour like the one below.

The 10th of June, 1843 edition of the West Briton newspaper reported on Bodmin Jail saying that "The 43rd rule is that prisoners, except for debtors should have a tepid bath once in every three months."

But not everything was to such a 'high' standard. Over 50 people were hanged, sometimes their bodies were dissected for medical research.

Below is a list of hangings showing the prisoners details. But sometimes the death sentence was very harsh, as in the case of a Mrs Osborne in 1813:

There was a dispute between Mr Osborne and his neighbouring farmer who had crept into Osborne's field and set fire to a mow of corn.

Mr Osborne was livid so his wife wanted revenge. Under cover of nightfall she sneaked into the other farmer's field and set a mow of his corn on fire. Unfortunately for her she was caught doing so by the police and was arrested.

The court did not believe her story and she was duly sentenced to death by hanging. She was hung on the 6th of September, 1813 when only 20 years old.

One of the ghosts known to haunt Bodmin Jail is that of Salina Wadge.

On the 21st of June 1878, on Altarnun Moor, two year old Henry Wadge was dropped down a well by his mother Salina. At her trial she claimed that a James Westwood said he would marry her if she got rid of her illegitimate children. Needless to say he denied this.

Salina was sentenced to death by hanging and was sent to the condemned cell at Bodmin Jail. At precisely 8 a.m on August 15th, 1878 she mounted the scaffold, her last words being, "Lord deliver me from this miserable world." Her body, clutching a white handkerchief, was left dangling for an hour before being cut down.

Her ghost wanders the prison, where she tries to reach out to small children, who often enquire about the crying lady in the long dress.

There are lots of weird stories from Bodmin Jail. Anne Jeffries, for instance, was thrown into prison because she was suspected of being a changeling with healing powers. She was put in solitary confinement and wasn't given any food. The strange thing is that this had no affect on her as she retained her weight and health. She claimed she was fed and cared for by fairies who visited her in her cell at night.

In photos there are weird shadows hidden from the eye. Wandering around the jail it's possible to imagine all sorts of things.

Below is a short video of a hanging from Bodmin Jail ...


... the equipment is still in place.

A final look at the outside of Bodin Jail or Gaol. I made my visit on 9th of November.

Other Random Posts:
The Shadow People Who Stalk Our World
The Sexual Examination Of The Witches Of Belvoir
Reincarnation: Her Small Son Had Been Killed In A Previous Life During World War 1

How The Witch Raised A Dead Woman From Her Grave

St Stythians (St Stithians) Church, Cornwall

Living in Cornwall I'm surrounded by legends and stories of witchcraft. One of the most famous of Cornish witches was Tamsin Blight (1798-1856). She was also known as Tammy Blee and or the White Witch of Helston.

Blight started practising her craft around 1830 and built up a reputation as being able to remove spells, that had been cast by other witches. People, especially farmers, would consult her for cures for themselves and their animals.

The most quoted story about her is known as The Ghost of Stythians. Here she attempted to conjure the spirit of an old woman buried in St Stythians graveyard to discover where she had hidden cash that a relative believed was rightfully his.

I saw the following description of what she did in an 1870 book Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall by William Bottrell:

"She marked a circle by drawing her Staff on the ground three times round the man, at the same time mumbling in her unknown tongue [Cornish language]. This done, turning to the man she said, 'Now, mind you don't move out of this charmed ring which I have made to protect ye, and if you are determined I will now begin and summon the Spirit.'

"The Witch, holding out her Staff towards the spot where the old woman was buried, began her incantation. or citation, with long, strange words, slowly pronounced. Then she continued in a louder tone, 'Spirit of Jane Hendy, in the name of the powers above and below, I summon thee to rise from the grave and appear before me and this man! By the spirits of Fire, Air, Earth and Water, I summon thee to arise! Come hither, appear and speak to this man! Come!' This she said three times, raising her voice at each repetition until it ended in a shriek.

The Witch paused. All was silent for a moment, and then we heard, most fearful, because unusual, sounds, which more than any other earthly noise resembled the crashing or rending of wood and stones, seemed to come from the old woman's grave.

The Witch stretching out her arms, her red cloak and grey hair streaming back on the wind, pointed with her Staff towards the place whence these frightful sounds proceeded, and said, 'Behold, it cometh: be thou prepared.'"

The spirit of the dead woman was raised and questioned about the hidden cash.

Other Witch Story Posts:
Get Keyed Up Said The Witch And Gurdjieff Agrees
Puritan's Diary And The Devil's Women
The Buryan Town Witch And The Running Pig