If you’re interested in tracing your family, then there’s a lady who has put a lot of time and effort into accumulating a list of stonemasons in Newquay and St Columb Minor.
Accumulating over 67,000 names of stonemasons, carpenters and associated trades across the West Country, the list is easy to navigate and for each person she lists as much information as she has available, including several addresses and birth dates. A real treasury of genealogical research!
This list is the result of much collaboration and many years of detailed, meticulous research.
Called: STONE AND QUARRY MEN OF THE WEST COUNTRY, A Genealogical Index of Masons, Quarrymen, Builders, Carpenters and all related Occupations in Devon and Cornwall she describes her list as:
St Columb Milestone, made by a St Columb stonemaston
This is my personal collection of stone and quarrymen. They were all either born in Devon or Cornwall, or born elsewhere and worked in the West Country. They are compiled from old directories, census entries, books, polls, etc. and the help received from many kind people whose ancestors were quarriers too. The earliest mason included was alive in 1370. Many builders, carpenters, plasterers, surveyors and labourers are listed, as they all worked together. You will find lots of “strays”. Those honoured and remembered here had hard lives and created fine buildings, not just in Devon and Cornwall, but throughout the world, many of which still stand today.
There are well over 67,000 entries. I have a lot more to add and will update weekly. I am not responsible for errors – however hard one strives for perfection, some do occur, even in the documents from which they were obtained. It is an ongoing work and if you have ancestors you would like included, more information to add to any listed entry, or corrections to make, please e-mail me on the form below. I hope you enjoy this site which is dedicated to the memory of my dear cousin Margery Ada Harman, who introduced me to genealogy, and to our stone mason great grandfather James Kistle of Ponstreath, Mabe and Oakery Cottage, Princetown.
The lady’s name is Joan Taber and you can find her list at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~stonemen/
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Image © St Columb Milestone, Barry
