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Archiver > CORNISH > 1998-03 > 0891363328


From: Denys Thomas< >
Subject: Re: Cornwall to Britain -MORCOM
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 98 18:20 BST-1


In-Reply-To: <01bd5c05$e0d21c60$>
Hi Nancy

We are well placed to comment on the relationship between MORCOMs and
MORGANs. Anne's father and Denys's mother were both Morgans and we have
carried out a One Name Study of Morcoms who are part of Denys's paternal
tree. The only relationship we have found between Morgans and Morcoms is
our own!

Morgan is a very ancient name,possibly deriving from the mother goddess
MORRIGAN of Celtic mythology and occurring very early in different forms
in Wales (MORGAN), Ireland (MERRIGAN and MORGUND), Scotland (Clann
MORGAINN).

While it is conceivable that the mainly Cornish MORCOM(E)/MORCAM/
MORCUM(E)/MORCUMB/MORCOOM, and its predominantly Devon variant MORECOMBE/
MORCOMB(E), have the same derivation in Celtic mythology, a more likely
origin is from MOR=sea and Com/be=valley. While both Cornish and Devon
families scattered widely in England and Wales during the last century,
the Cornish MORCOMS are more frequent among the many miners who emigrated
to the USA and the Commonwealth after about 1850. However in the 1881
census, there were still c.300 MORCOMs (not counting variants) in Cornwall
and some 80 MOR(E)COMB(E)s in Devon.

The 1881 census lists about 35 MORCOMS etc in Glamorgan (especially the
Swansea area) and a small number of families elsewhere in Wales. We can
trace most of these families back to Cornwall or Devon.

As another rough guide to the origin of the name, the IGI lists no MORCOM
etc christenings in Wales before 1820, while it records 305 MORCOM etc
christenings in the one Cornish parish of Gwennap between 1641 and 1800.

I hope this will be enough evidence to persuade your neighbour too
consider the possibility that he is not wholly Welsh. If he can give you
his great-grandfather's name and details (and, preferably, something about
his great grandmother's too) we will probably be able to prove that he
has, at least, some Cornish blood in his veins - although he will still be
entitled, like Denys, to regard himself as predominantly Welsh!

Anne and Denys THOMAS

Researching MORCOM/BE worldwide
MORGAN in Ponterwyd & LLandre,Bow Street CGN and in Llywel BRE.

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