The Federation of Old Cornwall Society

Led by its Dialect Recorders, Chris Trevena, and Paul Phillips, the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies has instigated a new enterprise to highlight our wonderful Cornish Dialect. Chris (‘Kovadhor an Bobel’) and Paul (‘Kaffler Rannyeth’) are both bards of Gorsedh Kernow and have recently undertaken extensive work to record Cornish stories and dialect. This has resulted in a substantial body of material, which will be issued in monthly volumes on the first day of each month. In addition to the recordings made with Paul Phillips, two volumes have been produced with Brian Stevens of St Ives, and a further two volumes recorded by the late Kathleen Hawke (“Keren”) will also be released.

Although a considerable body of written dialect material survives into present-day, recorded dialect remains comparatively scarce. Combined with the decline of traditional Cornish manner of speech, this work acts as a call to action. The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies’ motto, “Gather ye the fragments that are left, that nothing be lost”, underpins this project and its commitment to safeguarding the spoken heritage of Cornwall for future generations. The aim is to share and promote Cornish Dialect, as well as invite more people from each part of Cornwall who wish to have their stories recorded.

This work is highlighting an important yet overlooked aspect of Cornish heritage: our dialect.

Cornish dialect varies from parish to parish, trade to trade, and speaker to speaker, with each community across the Duchy maintaining its own expressions, mannerisms, and stories passed down through generations. Recognition of this linguistic distinctiveness can be traced as far back as 1689, when the antiquarian William Scawen, in ‘Antiquities Cornu Britannick’, lamented the decline of the Cornish language (Kernewek) and noted early forms of Anglo Cornish dialect. The 19th century saw further documentation, from the humorous writings of I. T. Tregellas to the scholarly work of Fred W. P. Jago. Local newspaper reports soon followed, publishing weekly dialect anecdotes shared at Women’s Institutes, village halls, chapels, and amateur dramatic societies – stories of village gossip, fête day mishaps, and the familiar antics of “mawther” and “feyther”. These tales brightened homes, gatherings, and public houses then, as they continue to do so today.

We are very happy to take part in interviews, or contribute to articles connected to Cornish dialect. We are available to speak about the aims of the series, the recording process, and the wider importance of preserving Cornish dialect, should this be of interest to you and your audience.

Full Schedule of Cornish Dialect & Stories 2026:

1st May: Cornish Dialect & Stories With Paul Phillips (Volume 1)

1st June: Cornish Dialect & Stories With Brian Stevens (Volume 1)

1st July: Cornish Dialect & Stories With Paul Phillips (Volume 2)

1st August: Cornish Dialect & Stories With Brian Stevens (Volume 2)

1st September: Cornish Dialect & Stories With Paul Phillips (Volume 3)

1st October: Cornish Dialect Words With Kathleen Hawke (A – K) (Volume 1)

1st November: Cornish Dialect Words With Kathleen Hawke (L – Z) (Volume 2)

1st December: Cornish Dialect & Stories With Paul Phillips (Volume 4)

Lastly: We have a Bandcamp, a YouTube channel dedicated to Cornish Dialect, as well as a Facebook group. Links for those can be found below:

Bandcamp link:

https://www.federationofoldcornwallsocieties.bandcamp.com/music

YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/@ cornishdialect/videos

Cornish Dialect Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/393498350758748

Meur ras / Thank you.

Chris Trevena – Dialect Officer for the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies