A small tribute to the men and women of Cornwall who left their homes and families, and travelled all over the world in search work in the late 19th and early 20th centuaries.
Great version of a song I love. I am so proud of my Cornish roots from Carnyorth, Botallack, Pendeen, Trewellard, St Just and that area. My Grandfather was a miner in the Levant at the time of the man engine disaster. He shortly after went to the USA and Canada to mine eventually finding his way back to Kernow. Other members of the family at that time had gone out to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to mine. Kernow Bys Vyken
Born in number 9 Levant road, raised in Trewellard. Family of miners, helped bring the appreciation of the toughness and unity of my home. Something not shared so much amongst todays youth. Hopefully mining is back to stay in Cornwall.
My father's ancestors were Cornish, my surname "Tonkin" is Cornish and I live in a small town in New Zealand (Reefton) that began with gold-mining in 1871. The Cornish flag is flown at the museum and on the old mining school. The Cornish miners came here on free passage from Britain and it was their skill that opened up the quartz reefs in the mountains around this place and played a huge role in kicking off a self sustaining economy for this colony as it was then. This is a great song and I'm trying to learn to play it. When I can I'll add New Zealand to the other countries mentioned because there many who came here also and settled in many places to mine, to fish, to farm and to build. My father's family came from St Columb Major and Liskeard.
Greetings Cousin Jack. We remember you and sometimes look across the sea with pride. From a Grandson of Liskeard and Callington, currently living in Plymouth.
After travelling from Italy to beautiful Cornwall last June, I listened to this song for the first time in a pub in Cadgwith, understanding what happened. That was to me entirely unknown before.
@@duracelbunny21 a different kind of mining sadly i grow up here in Cornwall after the mines were all shut i wish I could of been a miner or even a fisherman but even the fishing here is almost dead now we are all just servents of tourists :.(
Probably the best version of a really moving song. I teach 16-18 year olds in Cornwall and I know so many of them will become Cousin Jacks or Cousin Jennys as I did for over 20 years until I came back. So sad..... Kernow bys Vyken.
What an amazing song! We're Cornish from Redruth through copper mines in the UP - Scottish through Australia. Enough of the mines. The line about the "white cross on the black flag" always brings a tear.
My family roots are in Redruth as well! They settled in southwestern WI. How do you make your pasty? I'm told ours is the "Redruth" way. That line always gets me as well.
Lyrics. This land is barren and broken. Scarred like the face of the moon. Our tongue is no longer spoken, The towns all around facing ruin. Will there be work in New Brunswick? Or will I find gold in the Cape? If I tunnel way down to Australia, Oh will I ever escape? Where there's a mine or a hole in the ground, That's where I'm heading for, that's where I'm bound. Look for me under the lode or inside the vein. Oh where the copper, the clay, where the arsenic and tin, Run in your blood and get under your skin, I'm leaving the county behind, And I'm not coming back, So follow me down cousin Jack. The soil was too poor to make Eden, Granite and the sea left no choice. Though visions of heaven sustained us, When John Wesley gave us a voice. Did Joseph once come to St Michael's Mount? Two thousand years pass in a dream, When you're working away in the darkness, Deep in the heart of the seam. Where there's a mine or a hole in the ground, That's where I'm heading for, that's where I'm bound. Look for me under the lode or inside the vein. Oh where the copper, the clay, where the arsenic and tin, Run in your blood and get under your skin, I'm leaving the county behind, And I'm not coming back, So follow me down cousin Jack. I dream of a bridge, across the Tamar, It opens us up, to the east. And in my dreams, I see the English, living in our houses, I see the Spanish, fishing in our sea. Where there's a mine or a hole in the ground, That's where I'm heading for, that's where I'm bound. Look for me under the lode or inside the vein. Oh where the copper, the clay, where the arsenic and tin, Run in your blood and get under your skin, I'm leaving the county behind, And I'm not coming back, So follow me down cousin Jack. (Come on,) Follow me down cousin Jack. (Yeah) Follow me down.
the missing verse goes follow me.... to canada.... america.... south africa.... australia.... where theres a mine....or a hole in the ground....im leaving the county....must i leave....my town.... camborne.... redruth.... lanson.... wadebridge.... padstow.... port isaac.... remember us....remember our names....remember, the white cross, on the black flag.... YEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHH and the waves crash....to the shore line....i dream (dream dream dream dream) ....i dream (dream dream dream dream).... i dream of a bridge (bridge bridge bridge bridge) ....'cross the tamar....it opens us up....to the east....and in my dreams....i see the english....living in our houses....i see the spanish....FISHING IN OUR SEAS
My grandfather on my fathers side was a rock (sheep) farmer on Bodmin Moor, which I didn't learn 'till I was in my 30's. I could never understand why I looked so Celtic until then. I didn't decamp as far as Canada or New Brunswick but I am a Man of Kent now.
I was born on Bodmin Moor, our top field over looked Dozmary Pool, went to Bolventor Primary School, only 10 children, had school dinner in Jamaica Inn. left school to study in Germany, Retiring back to Cornwall and living now in Porthleven with my French born Italian wife and my daughter... You can take a man out of Cornwall, but you can never take Cornwall out of the man, Rydhsys rag Kernow lemmyn... By the way, my sisters best friend was called Tamsyn Swanson from Henwood, a Bodmin Moor village, maybe a cousin of yours she'll be in her early 70's now.
Glad someone has credited Roger Bryant with the opening lines to ‘Cornish Lads’. Sung in a West Country pub it will get as big a chorus going as ‘Cousin Jack’. Both fine songs.
this song means a lot to meas my dad mined down crofty in the late 70s as far as i can work out he is the lone miner in the colour picture operating a tipping wagon in the picture just after the first chorus
unfortunately my generation and those after have been robbed of our chance to mine in Cornwall 8f mining does return it will not be that of how our ancestors mined
Exceptional, thank you so much, my grandfather and grandmother came to the USA in 1900 from Helston and Wendron. Wish I could have known them. Cornwall pulls at my heart.
I worked at Wheal Jane back in the `80s, best time of my life. Always get a tingle down my spine when I hear this song as it describes my experience - left Cornwall to find work when Jane closed and probably not going back, now. Made a life somewhere else and brought my family up there. Interesting, though, that my youngest son studied geology and mining at Camborne Scholl of Mines and now lives and works in the goldfields of Western Australia; must be in the blood, I suppose........
I am the great grandson of Jonathan and Mary Banfield Vercoe, who left Truro in the 1860's for a better life in Canada, then America. Thank you, Grandpa Jonathan, for bringing us here.
Seems so sad that you are grateful to you ancestors for leaving Cornwall.... Cornwall is a lovely, if kinda poor place. It would be good if you Americans came back and brought you wealth with you.
My ancestors also left Cornwall in the 1860s to come to Canada, but they didn't go mining, they were agricultural labourers. In Canada they seem to largely have settled in the counties of Ontario, Northumberland and Durham in the province of Ontario, where there seems to have been a large West Country immigrant population. I don't think it's ever really been studied and generally it seems to be almost entirely unknown, although any pockets of Irish and especially Scottish seem to get all sorts of attention. Yet, this one particular patch of earth brought in the agricultural workers from Cornwall (and Devon) who came to Canada.
It is not well known that the first mines in Australia were worked by Cornish Miners at Glen Osmond, mining galena (silver lead zinc); later at Moonta and Burra. Steve has written a wonderful song that commemorates the Cornish mining ethos; it is played beautifully by Show of Hands; and there are some great graphics in this clip. Well done.
Elglarad Erin Mansfield Also if you're interested, the backing singers singing with Show of Hands on this clip are the Fisherman's Friends, who regularly sing this song in their shows. They make it sounds a little different but equally moving.
My ancestors were Irish, Scottish and the welsh all who fled English oppression. One of my family members was a welsh coal miner, he stayed and fought when they tried to shut the mines down.
Give over you simping soy fukwit, English Oppression you mean British government that the English also suffered ,so stop that virtue signaling fake victim playing ,and shave that shit of yer face you look like a right TW@T .
As a descendent of Cornish miners, I love this song, especially this version. I love what you've done with it, but I am wondering if you would be willing to help me with something. I'd like to play this for my 5th graders to help them understand diaspora and culture erasure, but I'd like more information worked into the pictures (ie: map of diaspora, pictures of the places they went, etc.) to help them understand. Would you be willing to share your source material, or update the video in this way? I would very much appreciate your help!
Hi Madcow, We can certainly team up for a trip some time, it is wet down there now, we will head back down there after another dry spell. We have the upper level to explore yet and just found how to get in, do you have any interesting sites? I worked Geevor and some tunneling. Your welcome to join us on any of our trips.. Do you have another email could not get a reply back to your gmail.
Good song but Cornwall is not an official county. A duchy at best. It is considered merely an assumed county according to foreign English law. Its as if the singer wants to use a colonised name
What I find so hypocritical is the fact the song is about Cornish people and them moving to the faraway lands, yet in the very same song, the singer moans about the English living in Cornwall, not much irony there then.
