Introduction

Pipes for Cornish Pipers

Cornish tunes 

Cornish pipes: origins

Revival Timeline

Gallery of Pipers

Links and references

ORIGINS

References

• 12th C  Vocabularium Cornicum  

• 1296   Earldom of Cornwall accounts

• 14th C Origo Mundi

• 1497/8 Lord Botreaux's pipers - Exeter Civi Accounts

• 1462   Launceston Parish Records

• 1477   Launceston Parish Records

• 1504    Beunans Meriasek  

• 1536 /7 Lostwithiel Guild Riding Accounts

• 1550    Churchwarden’s Accounts

• 1575    St Ives Borough Accounts

• 1611    Gwreans an Bys

• 1683    Shepherds accounts

• 1698     Gwreans an Bys

• 1707    Archeologica Britannica - Edward Lluyd

• 1754   Antiquities of Cornwall - Willam Borlase

• 1790    Archeologica Cornu-Britannicum , William Pryce

 

Carvings

• 1480    St Austell Church  

• 1515     St Marys Launceston

• 1520     Altarnon Church

• 16th C    St Braddock Church

• 1600    Davidstow Church

                                    Abarth an Tas,  Menstral a ras,  Pebough ware

                                                   In the name of the father, Minstrels of grace, Pipe at once

Beunans Meryasek :    

The" Life of St Meriasek", patron Saint of Camborne, 1504

                         Pybough Menstrels volonnekMay hyllyn donsia dyson

                                        Pipe you hearty minstrels,That we might dance without delay

     (Later in same play)     Pyboryon wethugh in scon  Ny a vyn ketep map bron Moys thi donsya

                                      Pipers, blow quickly We will, every son of a breast Go to dance

Gwreans an Bys :        

The "Creation of the World". This is a version of the miracle play signed by William  Jordan 12^th August 1611

                         Mynstrells Grewgh theny peba,  May Hallan warbarthe downssya, Del ew an vaner han geys

                                Minstrels pipe for us, That we may together dance,   As is the custom and the fashion

Gwreans an Bys:         The "Creation of the World", a later version signed by John Keigwin., 1698

                     Gwrewth an menstrells oll tha pyba  ,Mollen ny warbarth daunsya  Kepare yw an for yn gwary

                               Minstrels all pipe  That we may dance together   As is the way in the play.

The link between the pipes and drama is further reinforced by an entry in the Camborne Churchwardens accounts of 1550: ”Paid to the piper in the play - 4d”  and a similar entry in the St Ives Borough accounts in 1575. 

Our earliest record of pipers in Cornwall to date, however, seems to be Henric, Piper of Trigg, from the accounts of the Earldom of Cornwall 1296 to 1297: Johanna, wife of Henric, Piper of Trigg, paid his two shillings and six pence fine for transgressions!  

According to Exeter's civic records Lord William de Bottreaux's of Botreaux Castle (i.e.Boscastle) pipers were hired out to them on a couple of occassions: 29 Sept. 1417, 28 Sept. 1418; Troupe Payments Payments: 40 d. Perquisite 12 d. (For wine in the mayor's house

The Launceston Parish records of 1462 "Expended in wine to the Mayor and his fellow and Le Mynstrall in the vigil of st Mary Magdelene ..... at the same time to William Parker and John Davey, clerk and other singers for the feast of Mary Magdalene" and the records of 1477  "paid to Le Mynstrall 12d " provide a nice link with "Le Mynstrall 's" piper immortalised in stone on the East wall of the church. 

A piper would appear to have been employed for the Lostwithiel riding according to the Guild Steward's account book:    "It(e)m paed to the piper for his lab(our) at St Georg(es) riding"  (Dr J Mattingly Royal Institution of Cornwall Journal 2005 p92)

Sheep clipping in 17th Century Cornwall was a major annual event of social and economic importance that would have been eagerly looked forward to by all concerned.  Wealthy landowners often hired a piper to provide entertainment in the evening for everyone involved in the clipping. ( West Penwith at the time of Charles II, Penwith Local History Group 1998 p37 - from the records of landowner and shepherd, William Thomas of Zennor, 1683).  

Interesting references to pipes are also to be found in the early Cornish vocabularies. Over the 600 year period between the Cornish / Latin of the  Vocabularium Cornicum and the 18th Century vocabularies, meanings and vernacular use probably varied but mention in relatively small  compilations is unwitting testimony to their cultural significance.  We do not, of course, know whether “piper” necessary means “bagpiper” or indeed if the difference was perceived as important during the time of the mystery plays. It is interesting to note, however, that unlike the Germanic languages, Celtic languages often do not include “bag” when referring to pipes or pipers (eg German: Dudelsack, Scottish Gaelic: Piob Mhor).   

 Vocabularium Cornicum C 12th

• Fellores            Fidecina            Female fiddler

• Harfellor          Fidicen             Male fiddler

• Kerniat             Cornicen            Hornpipe player

• Pib                   Musa                 Musical Pipe

• Piphit               Tibicen             Piper              

• Pibounal            Fistula              A Pipe, a flute  

Archaeologia Britannica  Edward Lluyd , 1707   

• Pib                pipe of what sort so ever, a water spout a flute

• Piban             shank, shinebone, a pipe a flute, a  flaggellet 

• Pibidh            a piper, a fiddler, a minstrel

• Kernias          a piper

Antiquities of Cornwall, William Borlase 1754,

• Harfel           She Piper, a viol, a harp

• Harfellor       a player on the pipe

• Kernat           a pipe, a blower of a clarion

• Piban            a pipe

• Pipidh           a maker of pipes;a piper

• Pip                a song                       

• Piphit             a songster, a player on the pipe.

 Archeologica Cornu-Britannicum , William Pryce 1790

• Kerrin             a pipe or tune

• Pebough          tune you, pipe you

• Peban              a flute, a flagellet, a little pipe

• Pib                  a pipe of any sort , a flute