The Cornish Overseas
The Cornish Overseas
The Cornwall has global connections across its past, present and future. With a long-established ‘culture of mobility’, the 19th century saw wide dispersals of Cornish people to the colonies and new worlds. Often, but not exclusively, these waves of migration were driven by the need for workforce and industrial expertise in new mineral discoveries, resulting in the establishment of ‘Little Cornwalls’ across the globe – for example, in the copper towns of South Australia, the diamond mines of South Africa, silver mines in Mexico, and in many places across the USA. Today, a range of interest groups, organisations and festivals across the diaspora continue to recognize the heritage of Cornish migration, and maintain ongoing links with Cornwall itself. The stories of the Cornish diaspora offer opportunities to explore rich social histories, the intertwining of local, national and international cultures and identities, and the ongoing impacts of colonization and environmental exploitation.
This section contains short pieces written about by people living in, or working on, different communities in the Cornish diaspora. These articles explore history, heritage, culture, folklore, culture, and contemporary life. As we add more pieces to this section, we aim to present a diversity of voices and perspectives from our overseas communities.
Author: Ronald M. James, University of Nevada
Three point summary:
- Cornish traditions about knockers, supernatural miners, changed with industrialization and emigration.
- In the American West, knockers transformed into tommyknockers and became the shared property of many, regardless of background.
- Despite a muddled confusion with ghosts, tommyknockers served – and continue to serve – as a powerful reinforcement of Cornish ethnicity during the global diaspora.
- Cornish migration to the lead and zinc mining region of southwest Wisconsin began during the 1820s.
- Three communities in particular - Mineral Point, Dodgeville and Linden - developed high proportions of Cornish migrants from a wide range of trade backgrounds.
- The area continues to celebrate its Cornish heritage through Mineral Point’s twinning with the Cornish town of Redruth, and also at the annual Cornish Festival, and ongoing exchange links with Cornish schools.