Preface to the Rowe Family Manuscript This is a rare document in Family History, not only does it contain a Family History written in the early 19th Century but also translations of various chapters of the Bible into Cornish in the late Seventeenth Century by a member of the Family. Born in 1660, William Rowe, alias Wella Rowe / Willow Kerewe / Willow Kereve the son of Matthew and Ann Rowe in Eglosburyan (St. Buryan) and lived at Boyejowan in the Hundred of St. Just in Penwith and farmed at Lower Hendra and Drift in the Parish of Sancreed. He was part of a group of language enthusiasts who sought to preserve the Cornish Language and as a result of their actions the revival of the language has been that much easier and Cornish everywhere how them a great debt. The Original Preface to the Family Manuscript: FROM A MANUSCRIPT of 354 pages, about half of which was written by my Grandfather, WILLIAM ROWE, of Torleven, Cornwall, in the year 1830: (the other part having been compiled by him from an almost illegible Manuscript written by his Great Grandsire 250 years earlier), I have printed a few pages which I thought would be of interest to his Descendants who might not have the opportunity of reading the MS in the original. .

“an yeth kernewek yw yeth da ha coth”

In a second-hand book store on Cornhill, Boston, U.S.A., I bought two volumes of the Dramatic Works of Nicholas Rowe. This I prefer to the copy my brother bought at the British Museum, London, it has a steel engraving of the monument erected in Westminster Abbey by his widow. As the introduction to said volumes contains some matter not in the MS, (notably the fact of the KEREVE's selling so much of their property to fit out the expedition was as great a factor as their bravery), I shall append it at the end of these pages. I have heard my mother state that her father was most unassuming, and though he could speak and write seven different languages, and was always spoken of as "Philosopher Rowe", yet he was a man whom everybody liked and whom anyone could approach. He did not often go to hear Wesley's preachers (the Parish Church being preferred) yet he was always glad to have them as guests on Sundays. The library was divided equally between the sisters, and if the other sisters had as many books as my mother it must have been very extensive, many of the books being quarto volumes. Among others were Homer's Iliad and Odessy, Ambrose's Looking Unto Jesus,a number of Large volumes in Latin and Greek, several with paper-board covers having edges untrimmed (which style is back in fashion and called Deckle edge), besides numerous other volumes in languages other than in English. In the Memoirs are quotations from Voltaire, Thompson, Dyer, Gray, Plato, Flavell, Wesley, Cowper, Pope, Parnell, L'Abbe Fleury, Horace, Shakespeare, Milton, Young and numerous others. The "Carroll for Twelfe Daye" I print verbatim as it gives a good idea of the spelling in the Sixteenth Century. The writer of the Memoirs says respecting it :- "You will find that it gives us a beautiful specimen of the Manners of our Forefathers; how they rejoiced and throve during Christmas; and repented and punished themselves by fasting the ensuing Lent." When a boy, I saw at the house of Mrs. Trounson, a book of poetry, composed and printed for private circulation by me Grandfather, but whether it is now in existence I am unable to say. That my Grandsire was a great student of the Bible is conclusively shown by the numerous places in the Memoirs where chapter and verse are given to prove his points. Of his seven daughters, Charlotte, Esther, Phoebe (?) and Grace were unmarried: the married daughters were Ann (my mother), Amelia (Mrs. Trounson), and Mrs. Victor, whose Christian name I cannot remember. In conclusion, I quote Lord Bacon from memory, "No one ever despised noble birth except him who had it not; and no one boasted of it who had anything better of which to boast." JOHN ROWE NEEDHAM.