The Glorious Game and others in St Breward

There are few sports now played within the village, but in the past it was the source of many players and the home of some winners.

Archery – dates from the Middle Ages when all able-bodied men were required to practise to provide a military force for the monarch. The practise ground is likely to be Brake Parc where the football field is. Believed to be used as it was one of the few flat pieces of ground. It was called Butts (meaning – archery shooting field) and by 1840, the tithe map shows that it was divided into four fields; Homer Higher Butts (Field no: 1327), Yonder Higher Butts (1328), Yonder Lower Butts (1329) and Homer Lower Butts (1330).

Darts – St. Breward returned to competitive darts in 1986. They had previously been Champions in 1936 after a spell in the local league in the 1930s. When they returned to the league they played at the Old Inn, after a difficult couple of seasons they went on to become one of the premier sides in the county. In 1979 they became one of the founder members of the Camelford and District League, and in some seasons had two teams playing.

Cornish Wrestling (Omdowl Kernewek) is Cornwall’s oldest sport, and colloquially known as ‘wrasslin’. The referee is known as a ‘Stickler’, the meaning of the word as a ‘pedant’ originates from this usage. The matches were once played in churchyards, till 1297 when the Bishop of Exeter banned it in Devon and Cornwall. In the mid-1800s through to the early 1900s, extra trains were laid on going to and from where tournaments were being held, and extra bus services from the 1900s. In late Victorian times women were banned from matches, as men often wrestled in their long-johns, which was not considered respectable. Tournaments took place at Brake Parc, Wenfordbridge and notable winners from the village were James Madge (1869), James Rogers (1868), John Wadge (1866) Richard Woolcock (1866) and William J Pearse from Blisland (1868)

Cricket – Records do not indicate when cricket was first played in the village, but there are several interesting reports in the local press, including in 1895 the St. Breward team losing by 53 to 126 by the Cornwall County Asylum team. In May 1897, the team presented their retiring president and captain (Rev. RH Boles) a cricket ball ‘as a slight token of their esteem’ as he was leaving the parish. It was recorded that he had done more to further the interests of cricket and had taken an active interest in the club since its formation. The new president was Canon Taylor who was recorded as the St. Breward vicar, so obviously there was a link between the clergy and cricket in St. Breward. Perhaps someone had better warn Rev. Robin that he might need to get out his whites and start practising, however he needs to beware as the Rev. John Locke, captain of the club was sued by other members in October 1903 and ended up in court. After he locked up some of their equipment, including granite roller, mowing machines, bats, wickets, leg guards, etc. It appeared that the situation didn’t improve as in April 1904, the members of the cricket club were in court again, this time trying to ask the judge ‘for an order of commitment to prison for the Rev. Locke’. It appears the vicar ‘requested that he might take the punishment to a place of refuge so that he would be out of the way of the Bible Christians’. It appears that the judge made him return all the equipment within a month and pay all costs. The records show that cricket was played at Churchtown in the third field out from the church towards Treswallock. The pavilion was moved from Churchtown to Wenford hill, when no longer being used, for the players of the increasingly more popular game of football within the village.

Football – most of the football revolves around the Club and grounds, which has been in operation since 1895, although the game was played for many years before it became a fully organised club. A game between St. Breward and Padstow was the first football report in the Bodmin Guardian 15 February 1901 under the new heading of ‘football’, and the scores were St. Breward-10, Padstow-0, and it was reported that Padstow very rarely crossed the halfway line. When League Football was introduced in 1905, St. Breward was among the first teams to join the Bodmin and District Football League. After WWI the players were known as the ‘Granite Bumpers’. For home games they played on Mr Masters field at Lank on Wenford Hill, but games also took place at different times at Churchtown, Penvorder and Brake Parc, where the changing rooms were built in 1972. During the late 1920s and 30s, the De Lank Quarry ran a football team for its employees. At that time over 100 men worked at the quarry and most local men played for the village team, so a majority of the Quarry team were from outside the area, including several Scots, who were lodging in the village. This team also included younger men who had not yet gained a place in the St. Breward team. They shared the Glebe pitch with St. Breward and it was reported that all matches drew large crowds.

If anyone has any further information on sport and local sporting personalities or any photographs, please do contact Brian Hill on (01208) 851565 or email brianvalerie@btintnernet.com.

St. Breward History Group