RETALLACK SURNAME March 9 2000 

by Greg Retallack, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1272:gregr@ darkwing.uoregon.edu;http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~dogsci

Abstract

Retallack is a name endemic to Cornwall, and traceable in that southwestern English county back to 1497. The name is probably derived from Talek, recorded back to 1349, by addition of a demonstrative pronoun (those Taleks!). Talek in turn is most likely from the old Cornish talawg meaning high forehead. The comparable Welsh name Tallwch and Pictish Talorc can be traced back to the 6th century. There are numerous other ideas concerning the origin of the Retallack surname from Cornish place names, Cornish saints, mine workings and Norse and Greek gods, and these are all reviewed here. Retallacks in Cornwall were largely miners and farmers. Many left Cornwall for the United States and Australia in the 1850's. I emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1977, but my great great grandfather emigrated in 1852 to Australia, where I was born and raised.

Introduction

The Retallack name is unusual and often requires careful spelling out. Pronunciation is also a challenge (correct is r'-TAL-lack, rhymes with metallic). With the advent of the internet and computer-generated genealogical research I have been getting frequent requests for information on the surname and its ancestry. Here is as much as I can reconstruct.

Retallack is endemic to Cornwall, England, where it has been a rare name back to the 15th century (Table 1). Since the 19th century it has been part of a global emigration (Table 2) so that there are now more Retallacks in Australia and the U.S. than in Cornwall. A computer search (Halbert's Family Heritage, 1998) revealed 294 Retallacks in Australia, 173 in the United States, 151 in Great Britain, 48 in Canada and 2 in South Africa.

Table 1. A tentative reconstruction of Retallacks in Cornwall (from LDS, 1997; K. Retallick, 1998)

Children of John Retall-acke at St Columb Major	Children of John and Dorothy Retallack at Saint Col-umb Major	Children of John and Mary Retall-ack at Saint Columb Major	Children of John and Catherine Retallack at Saint Columb Major	Children of John and Jane Retallack at Manaccan	Children of John and Jane Retallack at Constantine	Children of John and Margery Retallack at Falmouth	Children of John and Martha Retallack at Manaccan	Children of John and Jane Retallack at Helston
Philllepa c. 24 May 1573 John c. 26 Aug 1574; m. 20 Oct 1604 Dorothy Randle at Saint Columb Major Honor c. 11 Dec 1580 Richard c. 3 May 1583; died in child-hood? (see below) Thomas c.6 Apr 1586  Richard c.15 Aug 1584	Grace c.14 Jun 1607  John c.31 Aug 1617	Joane c.16 Dec 1632  Constance c.10 May 1635  John c.24 Mar 1638  Mary c.3 Mar 1641	Anne c.29 Jun 1662  Frances c.25 Sep 1664  Mary c.20 Oct 1666  Jane c.31 Jun 1668  Elizabeth c.29 Jun 1670  Joanne c.18 Aug 1672 John c.11 Jul 1674	Margery c.14 May 1700  John c.19 Nov. 1702; m.24 Jul 1731 Jane Wilmot at Constant-ine; d.21 Apr 1816 at Constantine  Bernard c.25 Jun 1705  George c.3 Jun 1707  Samuel c.2 Jul 1710  Anthony c.16 Jun 1713	Jane c.27 Dec 1731  Roger c.25 Oct 1733  John c.6 Jan 1736 died in childhood? (see below)  Parnella c.10 Mar 1739; died in childhood? (see below)  Parnella c.6 Jun 1742  John c.1 Dec 1748; m.3 Aug 1767 Margery Williams at Falmouth	Anthony c.24 Nov 1767 John c.28 Mar 1770; m.20 Jun 1791 Martha Williams at St Anthony in Meneage Margery c.31 Jul 1772	John c.16 Jun 1793; labour-er in 1819, m. 25 Sep. 1816 Jane Chipway at Helston	Jane c.6 Oct 1819  John c.10 Feb 1822  Mary Ann c. 10 Dec 1826

 

Table 2. Retallacks in Australia and U.S.A. (W.Gollan, pers. com., 1993; B.Hallam pers com. 1998)

Emigration of John from Cornwall to South Australia	Children of John and Caroline in South Australia	Children of Charles John and Margaret in Mitchell, Queensland	Children of Leslie John and Elsie Ruth in Queensland	Children of Kenneth John and Moira Wynn in Tasmania and N.S.W.	Children of Gregory John and Diane Alice in U.S.A.
John Retallack b.1822, farmer and carrier, emigrated from Redruth, Cornwall to South Australia 1852 (?) on "Himalaya": d.8 Aug 1890 Adelaide, S.A. at age 69; m.7 Nov 1853 in Mitcham, S.A., Caroline Rashleigh who was b. 9 Feb 1832 at St Keverne, Cornwall, emigrated to South Australia 1852 on "Caucasian" to join a sister, d.5 Aug 1896, Forster, S.A.	Seth, b.17 Jul 1854, Mitcham, S.A., farm-er, d.9 Jul 1939, Korunye, S.A.  John b.19 Apr 1857, Angaston, S.A., farmer, d.17 Sep 1928, Adelaide, S.A.  William b.20 Aug 1858, Angaston, S.A., farmer, d.27 Aug 1934, Mitcham, S.A.  Thomas b.18 May 18-60, Angaston, S.A., d.15 Aug 1863, Angas Park, S.A.  Charles b.3 Jul 1862, Angaston, S.A., d.10 Nov 1863, Angas Park, S.A.  Elizabeth b.4 Apr 1864, Angaston, S.A., d.17 Nov 1948, Karrakatta, W.A.  Thomas b.14 Jul 18-66, Steinau, S.A., builder, d.17 Feb 1934, Fremantle.  Charles b.25 May 1868, Steinau, S.A., d. 18 Jan 1964; m.1896 in Brisbane, Qld, Margaret Jane Dobbin, b.1871 near Goulburn N.S.W.  James Williams b.13 Sep 1870, Point Gawler, S.A., d.12 Dec 1957, Karrakatta  W.F. b.20 Nov 1872, d.21 Feb 1872 Francis Rowe b.13 Jan 1873, River Light S.A., d.15 Feb 1873	Olive Maud b.23 Jan 1897, d.25 May 1954, Toowong, Qld Ruby Caroline b.16 Sep 1898 Brisbane, Qld, d.28 Sep 1974 Eric Thomas Charles b.25 Apr 1900, Brisbane, Qld, newspaper worker, d.1976 Leslie John b.31 Dec 1901 at "Cocaigne", Mitchell, Qld; newspaper printer; d.7 Jun 1965 at Sydney: m.Elsie Ruth Ireton b.in Brisbane Qld: after divorce remarried Neridah Blanch Fletcher with no issue Cyril Rashleigh b.29 Dec 1903, newspaper worker, d.1977 Roy Mitchell b.11 Dec 1905, Brisbane, d.1978 Sylvia May b.17 Dec 1907 Ilma Jessie b.23 Jan 1910, d.1942 Maurice Francis b.16 Feb 1912, Brisbane, Qld; bank inspector; d.1990	Betty Sylvia b.1923 Brisbane, Qld; d.5 Oct 1923 Kenneth John b.12 Aug 1926 at Brisbane, Qld, d.27 Jan 1969 at Sydney, N.S.W.; m.18 Nov 1950 Moira Wynn ("Wendy") Dean, b.8 Nov 1928 Evandale; widow remarried Alan Bruce Gollan, with no issue	Gregory John b.8 Nov 1951 at Hobart, Tas., emigrated to U.S.A. 1977; m.30 May 1981 Diane Alice Johnson in Joliet IL, U.S.A.; b.12 Dec 1952 at La Salle, IL, U.S.A. Michael Leslie b. 1 Jul 1954, Arncliffe, Sydney, N.S.W.; m. Bridget Clare Mabbutt, b. 25 Oct 1957, one daughter, Jemina Clare, b. 29 May 1988 Christopher Charles b. 2 Sep 1956, Arncliffe, Sydney, N.S.W.: m. Maria Nikitaris, b. 16 May 1966, two sons, Jack Kenneth b. 11 Oct 1985; Adam Michael b. 15 Sep 1988.	Nicholas John b.13 Jun 1986  Jeremy Douglas b.29 Jan 1988

Meaning of the name

Most surnames are either physical descriptions (eg. Longfellow), occupations (eg. Smith) or localities (eg. London). For Retallack a case has been made for each from Cornish language and geography. All of these conflicting claims will be discussed here, but I will also make plain my preferences.

The search for meaning can be guided by a chronology of first appearance of variants of the name (Table 3). The extant surname Retallick first appears as Retallicke in 1609 (K. Retallick 1998), and was presumably derived from Retallack. The Retallack spelling is traceable back to 1497 (Rowse, 1941) and is likely to have been derived from the surname Talek recorded as far back as 1349 (Hatcher, 1973). Early variants such as Rettelehc of ca. 1250 are also likely to have been predated by Talek, incorporated in such place names as Botalec of 1262, because of the much wider distribution of Talek than Retallack in Cornwall before 1600 (K. Retallick, 1998). Comparable names such as Tallwch and Talorc can be traced back to ca. 550 AD (Eisner, 1969).

Table 3. Chronology of first appearance of names similar to Retallack (from Henderson, 1937; Graves, 1966; Rowse, 1941; Eisner, 1969; Hatcher, 1973; K. Retallick, 1998)

Similar names in antiquity	Variants of Cornish surname Tallack	Variants of extant surname Retallack	Variants of extant surname Retallick	Other variants (including place names)
Tammuz ca.1800 BC Talus ca.1450 BC Telmen ca.1400 BC Pallas ca.800 BC Atlas ca.800 BC Tantalus ca.700 BC Queen Tailltiu ca.350 BC Tallwch ca.550 AD Taliesin ca.550 AD St Dallan 598 AD Talorc 780 AD Thorlack ca 1000 AD St Tallan 1452 AD	Talek 1349 Talkard 1379 Tallocke 1542 Tallacke 1588 Tallack 1593 Talacke 1600 Tallock 1628 Talack 1636 Tallett 1661 Tallak 1668 Talleck 1674 Tallecke 1674 Tallach 1684 Talluk 1690 Talleuk 1692 Tallick 1706 Tellick 1714 Tallake 1728 Talick 1787 Tullack 1832	Retallack 1497 Retallacke 1567 Retellacke 1575 Retalake 1611 Rettallacke 1612 Retalack 1613 Rhetallacke 1624 Retallac 1624 Retalacke 1624 Rhetallace 1640 Ratallacke 1641 Retallaks 1657 Rettallack 1661 Ritallack 1670 Retallak 1674 Rettalak 1678 Retallaffe 1685 Retallark 1701 Rettack 1705 Rettallack 1717 Retallach 1718 Retalback 1724 Ratalack 1726 Retsallack 1750 Restallack 1758 Retellack 1776 Ridallack 1826 Retullack 1837 Rotallack 1834 Retaback 1844 Rettalack 1868	Retallicke 1609 Retallicker 1619 Rhetallick 1637 Rhitallick 1637 Retallick 1640 Retalicke 1678 Retalick 1700 Rettalick 1727 Retallic 1728 Retalik 1752 Rettalic 1770 Rettallick 1800 Retillick 1805 Retablick 1806 Retellick 1827 Retollick 1841 Retallich 1850 Retattick 1857 Retullick 1860 Retelick 1890	Rettelehc ca.1250 Botalec 1262 Reshelec ca. 1270 Retelek 1284 Rekadrek 1296 Retalec 1309 Rettelek 1311 Restalek 1316 Rettalek 1318 Rystallet 1327 Ristaloc 1327 Restallek 1334 Restelek 1370 Reystalek 1390 Reystallek 1396 Retalek 1522 Retaleke 1535 Retallek 1543 Retallock 1565 Retalleck 1573 Retallecke 1573 Botolag 1580 Trevallacke 1580 Retellecke 1580 Botallock 1584 Tretallock 1584 Retaller 1594 Botallack 1602 Retalecke 1606 Retalock 1607 Rhetallecke 1635 Tretallack 1640 Rettalleck 1641 Retaleck 1676 Retallyck 1710 Retania 1711 Retalluck 1845

Thus the re part of the name is probably a prefix., and in my opinion is most likely a demonstrative pronoun meaning "the ones", "those" or "some". The re prefix is commonly used in swearing oaths such as "Re Míhal" ("By St Michael!: Jenner, 1904). This would imply some Taleks or Tallacks of greater fame or notoriety than others, such as Richard Talek on trial in 1349 for beating his mine labourers (Hatcher, 1973), Ralph Retallack, a prime agitator in the tax rebellion of 1497 (Rowse, 1941), or the church warden Marke Retallacke of 1589 (K. Retallick, 1998b). The prefix could also be from the Cornish re or rid, meaning free, clear (Nance, 1978). Other ideas based largely on the idea of Retallack as a place name are that the re prefix comes from Cornish ryd, rit, or res meaning ford, or rydh or ruth meaning red (Bannister, 1871; Jago, 1887; Nance, 1978, Weatherill, 1995). Each of these place names will be discussed in due course, but the earliest spellings of each are more like the surname than spellings compounded from res, rid, or ruth (Table 3). Neither is the re prefix likely to be a corruption of bos (Cornish for dwelling), as in the ancient Cornish place name Botallack, nor of castel (Cornish for castle) as in the place name Castallack. These are more likely the "dwelling of Talek" and "little castle", respectively (Weatherhill, 1995). It has also been argued (by A.V. Retallick, 1998) that re is abbreviated from tre, Old Cornish for farmhouse, village or town (Weatherhill, 1995). Many Cornish names "begin with Tre, Pol or Pen, which signify a town, a top, and a head: when grew the common by-word:

By Tre, Pol, and Pen

Ye shall know the Cornishmen " (Carew, 1602).

Although Tretallock, Trevallacke and Tretallack are recorded back into the 16th century (Table 3), I think such names were unlikely to be corrupted to Retallack as there is no other known comparable corruption of a tre-name (A.V. Retallick, 1998). The meaning of the tre syllable is widely recognized in Cornish names such as Trevithick and Trelawney. Tretallock, Trevallacke and Tretallack are more likely extinct names for places and people derived from Tallack or Tallock independently and after origin of the surname Retallack (Table 3).

The precursor surname Tallack or Talek, is traceable back to Stannary Court records of 1349 (Hatcher, 1973) and in the place name Botalec, back to 1262 (C. Weatherhill, pers. comm. 1999). Talek in turn may be related to 6th century Welsh name Tallwch and Pictish name Talorc (Eisner, 1969). This would imply that the ack suffix is archaic and predates old Saxon ac meaning oak (Padel, 1988). My favorite explanation is that Talek is from the Old Cornish talawg, meaning one having a large forehead (Bannister, 1871; Nance, 1978; Padel,1988; Weatherill, 1995). This explanation is appealing because the forehead is a distinguishing feature of both myself, my father and my great grandfather. The transmission of such traits down so many generations of genetic dilution is known also from the famous Hapsburg chin of Austro-Hungarian royalty. Retallack men have a classical Cornish physique - olive and swarthy complexion, medium height, big bones, straight noses, single eyebrow, and strong beard and body hair (Polwhele, 1816). In addition, Retallacks of my paternal lineage tend to have larger than usual heads for their bodies, unusually strong jaws and high subrectangular foreheads accentuated by receding hairlines in middle age.

The similar Welsh name Tallwch and Pictish name Talorc go back well into the 6th century, and probably also mean high forehead. Irish, Manx and Gaelic (northern or highland Scottish) are known as Goidelic Celtic languages, whereas Welsh, Breton and Cornish are Brythonic Celtic languages (Beresford-Ellis, 1974). Pictish (southern or lowland Scottish) is little known, but probably allied with Welsh (Eisner, 1969). As predicted by this linguistic grouping, tal means forehead in Cornish (Bannister, 1871; Jago, 1887; Nance, 1978; Weatherhill, 1995), Breton (Loth, 1884; Press, 1887; Delaporte, 1979) and Welsh (Richards, 1861; Evans & Thomas, 1969; Griffiths, 1995), but not in Irish (Lane, 1917; Dinneen, 1927), Gaelic (Dwelly, 1991; MacLennan, 1979), or in other northwestern European languages (Table 4).

Table 4. Words similar to Retallack in western European languages 

Cornish	Breton	Welsh	Irish	Gaelic	Icelandic	Norse	English
tal	tal	tal, talcen	bair	bathais	enni	panne	forehead
attal	attred,mengleuz	leflydd	mianac	aite meinne	verks um merki	bergverk	mine workings
heloc, helygen	haleg	helygen	raneog	seileach	pilvidur	pil	willow
ros, tallick	lanneg	rhos	frdoc	fraoch	lynghedi	hei	heath
talhoc, talek	talareg	torgoch	talog	talag	vatnafiskur	mort	roach (fish)
sor, crothak	soroc'hal	achwyngar	talac	talach	mogli	mukking	grumbling
nedha	nedim	neddau	tal	tal	skaroxi	bile	(cooper's) adze
areth	lavar	araith	oraid	oraid	tala	tale	(public) speech
cerig	karreg	cerrig	dallan	clach	stein stolpi	steindysse	standing stone

In Welsh myths of "Ystoria Trystan" (Cross, 1920) and Welsh triads (Bronwich, 1959), the hero Tristan (also Trystan, Drystan, Drustan, Drustanus, Drust) is referred to as the son of Tallwch. These 6th century poems also mention King Arthur as a raider of his swine, his lord March ap Meirchiawn (later Mark), and the lady Essylt (later Issota, Isolde, and Iseult). The more familiar myth of Tristan and Isolde places the star-crossed lovers in Cornwall with King Mark at Castle Dor, near Fowey, but these are 12th century versions of the earlier Welsh myths of Drystan and Essylt. A 6th century stone found at Castle Dor bears the inscription Drustaus hic iacit cunomori filius ("Drust lies here, son of Cunomorus"). Although Quonomorius or Cunomar was equated with King Mark in the Latin Vita Sanctus Paulus Aurelianus ("Life of St Paul Aurelianus") by the Breton monk Wronomoc in 884 AD, this Drustan is probably unrelated to the Drustan of legend who was a nephew (not son) of Mark. The Welsh myth of the 6th century is more likely a composite of stories from classical antiquity, such as those of Theseus and Hippolytus, using the name of one of the "Kings of the North" of Welsh myth. Drust son of Talorc was a Pictish king of the Strathclyde region of Scotland who died in 780 AD, too late to be a contemporary of King Arthur (ca. 550 AD), but both Drust and Talorc were common Pictish names. The names Loonois and Morrois of the classical 12th century romance of Tristan and Isolde, could thus be the Lothian and Moray regions of Scotland, respectively (Eisner, 1969).

The tal syllable turns up again in the famous Welsh bard Taliesin (ca. 550 AD). His name can be translated fair forehead or radiant brow (Guest, 1877; Stephen and Lee, 1993). Taliesin was the son of Saint Henwg of Caerlleon upon Usk, and was resident bard at the courts of King Gwyddno Garanhir of the Welsh Lowland Hundred (an archaic administrative unit of land occupied by about a hundred families), of King Uriens of Wales and of King Arthur of Caerlleon. Several long poems in the Welsh Mabinogion (a Celtic bardic canon) are attributed to Taliesin (Guest, 1877). In Vita Merlini ("Life of Merlin") written about 1150 AD by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Telgesinus (Taliesin) is a student of Merlin, former bard and prince of Dyfed, Wales, while Merlin is a hermit in the Celyddon Forest (Calidon or Caledonian forest around Hart Fell). Merlin (Myrddin) escaped to the forest and was driven mad by the defeat and massacre of comrades and his pagan patron, King Gwenddolau ab Ceido, by the Christian King Rhydderch Hael (Rederech, Rodercus) of Alcut (Dumbarton) at Arderydd (Arthuret Knowes) in 573 AD (Tolstoy, 1985). Merlin also plays a part in the birth, rise to power, and death of King Arthur in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regium Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain) written in 1136 AD. Geoffrey himself dated the death of Arthur at 542 AD, and attributed supernatural longevity to Merlin for his later patronage by Gwenddolau and tutelage of Taliesin. Others maintain there were at least two distinct Merlins: Merlin Ambrosius (Myrrdin Emrys) and Merlin Silvester (Myrrdin Wyllt: Stephen & Lee, 1998). There were probably several men and myths conflated with Taliesin and Merlin, who represented an ancient bardic school of Celtic religion and magic. Taliesin has been mythologised as an avatar of the Celtic sun god Lug and Merlin as the stag god Cernunnos (Tolstoy, 1985; Stephen and Lee, 1993). The name Taliesin was also used for the Wisconsin farm and an Arizona institute of the North American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959).

Robert Graves (1966) notes the Cornish-Welsh meaning of tal as forehead, but also offers another meaning of "one who dares to suffer". Graves goes so far as to identify the tal syllable with the pre-Classical dying god, consort of an archaic Great Goddess. Similar names include the ancient Cretan hero-god Talus, Greek Tantalus, Atlas Telemon and Pallas (epithet of Athene), Syrian Telmen and Sumerian Tammuz. An important ritual in pre-Indoeuropean Celtic and Middle Eastern religions was sacrifice of kings and priests to the Great Goddess (Celtic Ceridwen, Roman Venus-Juno; Greek Demeter-Hera; Phrygian Cybele, Canaanite Ashtoreth, Babylonian Ishtar, Egyptian Isis, Sumerian Ninnah). Sacrifice of the priest-king was seen as a ritual essential for the continued bounty of mother nature (Frazer, 1922).

Other names vaguely similar to Retallack, but probably unrelated, are the church of Tallan (founded ca. 1205) and Talland Bay, both near Polperro, Cornwall. The church was at first dedicated to St Catherine, an early Christian martyr of 4th century Alexandria, but in 1452 it was dedicated to St Talland (Padel, 1988). Catherine of Alexandria is in some ways comparable to a Great Goddess as a protectress of the dying and patroness of young girls, nurses and craftsmen (Farmer, 1978). Steadfast in her claim to be the bride of Christ and refusing marriage with Emperor Maxentius, her torture on the wheel failed as the machine collapsed, injuring bystanders. She was eventually beheaded. Her cult was widespread in the west of England, with 62 churches dedicated to her. Considering the mythic aspects of her life and cult, there are doubts that she existed as real person (Delooz, 1983). Cornish records of church fines of 1296-1297 inform us "And 6 shillings is proper from Rekadrek and Thomas of Wodesouese who did not come, for foolish shouting, false claiming, which was not cut off, for lack of agreement, and more. And 6 shillings and 8 pence from Adam the vicar of Tallan for more against the peace" (translated from Latin of Midgley, 1945). The comparably heavy fine and offences of Rekadrek and the vicar of Tallan suggest a heated religious argument. Perhaps the similarity of her cult to worship of the pre-Christian Great Goddess led to rededication of the church to Saint Talland in 1452. Although clearly male (Sanctus Tallandus), he is unlisted even in very comprehensive compilations of saints (Butler, 1857; Baring-Gould, 1914). One possibility (suggested in passing by Murray, 1872) is that St Talland is a corruption of St Teilo (566 AD), a Welsh saint who was an associate and fellow pilgrim to Jerusalem with St David. Most of St Teilo's ministry was in Llandeilo, Wales, but he did visit both Cornwall and Brittany in order to avoid the yellow plague (Attwater, 1965). There is a chapel and well dedicated to him at St Buryan, Cornwall, but his name there is spelled St Dillo (Baring-Gould, 1914), which seems a more likely corruption of his name than Tallan or Talland. Another candidate is Saint Dallan Forghail (of Cluan Dallain, died 598 AD), chief poet of Ireland. His most celebrated poem concerned Colmcille's success in dissuading King Aedh Mac Ainmire from dissolving the ancient bardic order, on the grounds that they protected important ancient knowledge. St Dallan was killed by pirates who broke into the island monastery of Inniskeel, in Donegal, where he is buried (d"Arcy, 1974; Benedictine Monks, 1989). A dallan also is an upright standing stone of pre-Christian Britain, like the phallic stone on Tara Hill, Ireland (Bonwick, 1894; Dinneen, 1927). There is a natural rock formation of this sort near "the summit of Talland Head, or Hore Stone Head, as it is usually called, from a great vertical fang of slate that rises from the lower part of the seaward face, invisible from the summit, but a conspicuous object from the sea" (Folliot-Stokes, 1912). This 2 m rock spine of Early Devonian, Meadfoot Beds (Edmonds et al. 1975) is a prominent landmark surrounded by grassy slopes (Fig. 1). The Ordnance Survey (1992) and guidebook authors (Acton, 1995) now mark a 3 m high, flat-topped, sea stack as the Hore Stone, but this is no more prominent than a dozen others like it along this shore (Fig. 2). Because of this and its dark color Acton (1995) argues that the name may be a corruption of "Ore Stone", but this is a sedimentary rock without ore. I prefer to regard the slate spine as the Hore Stone, with its old Cornish meaning of "ram stone". Ancient names for Talland Bay include Portatlant of the Domesday Book in 1026, Por Tallant 1699, and Portalla 1865 (Weatherhill pers. comm. 1999). The slate spine or dallan may long have been an important landmark lending its name to this cove used by mariners. A case has also been made (by Padel, 1988) that Tallan is from the Old Cornish tal for brow of a hill and lan for church or temple site, which agrees well with the location of the church protected from winds off the ocean behind Tallan Head (Fig. 2). However, invention of a saint from such a place name seems unlikely (Couch, 1871, 1886). Tallan does not have the demonstrated antiquity of Talland Bay: Tallan 1205, ca. 1250, 1264, 1284, 1291, 1296, 1302, 1342, 1347, 1533; Tallant 1440, 1699; Tallane 1440; S. Tallanus 1452; Tallande 1584 (C. Weatherhill pers. com. 1999). Officially St. Talland may have been thought to be St Dallan of Ireland, but similarity to the pre-existing name of Talland Bay and to pre-Christian phallic stones (dallan) may have aided local approval of the 15th century rededication and continued use of the name. Polperro and Tallan are rich in fairy mythology, including tales of "piskies" (pixies or elves), the "devil and his dandy dogs" (Bucca) and witchcraft. The Reverend Richard Dodge, vicar of Tallan (died 13 Jan 1746 at age 93) was a local authority on witchcraft and an acclaimed exorcist (Couch, 1871, 1986; Jenkin, 1984).

 Figure 1. The slate spine, in my opinion most likely to be the Hore Stone ("ram stone"), along the coast trail at Hore Stone Head, from Talland Bay.

Figure 2. Tallan Church and the sea stack now labelled the Hore Stone by the Ordnance Survey (sea level in distance), viewed from Polperro and Talland Bay to the west.

Yet another remote possibility is derivation of Retallack from alluvial tin mines widely called attal (Jago, 1887). Retallacks or Taleks could thus be offspring (Old Cornish ach) of the workings. In the time of Norman rule (1066-1154), mines of Cornwall were said to be owned by Jews, who took possession of them as securities to loans by the Duke of Cornwall (Leifchild, 1857). One mine was named by them Attall Sarazin, meaning leavings of the Saracens (Carew, 1602; Ward et al., 1929). The name may be an allusion to Crusader's stories of fabulous booty from their Muslim (Saracen) foes. Mine names commonly embrace such flights of fancy. By Elizabethan times (1558-1603) the term was corrupted to attal sarsen and applied to virtually any ancient alluvial tin mines with the meaning of heathen workings (Jenkin, 1927). Pre-Christian interest in Cornish tin mines was widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. They are mentioned by both the Greek Herodotus (written ca. 450 BC) and the Sicilian Diodorus Siculus (written ca. 8 BC), who referred to Cornwall as the Cassiterides, from Greek for tin isles. Diodorus refers to civilized people on a trading island of Iktis, connected to the mainland only at low tide, like the modern Cornish St Michaels Mount (Figs. 3,4). This may have been an outpost of Phoenician, Cretan, or Greek traders comparable to the Dutch colony of Deshima in Nagasaki Harbour, Japan (1630-1854) or the British colony of Hong Kong off mainland China (1842-1997). Perhaps such early trading contacts or Jewish bankers were the source of the often-noted swarthy and olive complexion of many Cornish, including the Retallacks, distinct from fair, florid or freckled Celtic skin (Polwhele, 1816). Early Romanization of Britain (43-150 AD) did not extend west of Exeter, but there was subsequent limited Romanization (Beresford-Ellis, 1974), and also a record of trade directly with Alexandria, Egypt, in 616 AD (Hatcher, 1973). After this time Mediterranean-Cornish trade was much less common than the official tin trade through Anglo-Saxon ports of Southampton and London. Cornish folklore has it that the swarthy olive complexion is from shipwrecked sailors or the sacking of Penzance by the Spanish Armada of 1588, but even in the early nineteenth century this trait was too widespread among the Cornish for that to be a convincing explanation (Polwhele, 1816). Another myth has it that Jesus of Nazareth learned of Druid religion when he visited Cornwall with his tin-trading, wealthy uncle, Joseph of Arimathea (Strachan, 1996). Other myths are that the Cornish are descendents of a lost tribe of Israel, or of Noah and Japhet, or of the Trojan Brutus, grandson of Aeneas, said to have given his name to Britain. These myths are unsubstantiated by literary or archeological evidence (Eisner, 1969; Beresford-Ellis, 1974; Loomis, 1984).

Figure 3. St Michaels Mount and the causeway exposed at low tide from Marazion.

Figure 4. Retallack and similar sounding localities (boldface), and distribution of mines and Retallack and Tallack families in Cornwall (from Barton, 1965; K. Retallick, 1998)

Even less similar to Retallack is the Tailltean (now Teltown) Games of Ireland,which have been thought to be named after a similarly named agricultural hero-god (Graves, 1966), but are more likely named for Tailltiu, queen of Eochaiah Mac Erc, last king of the Firbolgs. The name Firbolgs means Men of Bag from a time of forced labor when they carried bags of soil to the uplands to make them productive. Similarly, Tailltui was said to have died of exhaustion after preparing the land for cultivation. Her festival and a games comparable to the Olympic Games were on July 31 (Lughnasad in the Celtic calender), and were in honor of alliances of marriage and friendship. The Firbolgs were dark and small in stature, one of the legendary early indigenous peoples of Ireland, later displaced by Tuatha de Danaan (Children of Danu), who dominate Irish mythology, and then the later Celtic Milesians (Spanish people led by Milesius: Beresford-Ellis, 1987).

Less similar again to Retallack is the Old Norse name Thorlack or Torlakr, presumably related to the god of thunder, Thor (A.V. Retallick, 1998). In the Icelandic Saga of Olaf Helga ("Olaf the Holy"), Thorlack had two sons, Sigurd and Thord, and a brother Thrand. Thord was nicknamed "Thord the Low; for all that he was the highest of men" (Morris and Magnússon, 1894). This family lived on the Faeroe Islands in the mid-Atlantic, and thwarted King Olaf by murdering Thoralf as this ally of King Olaf was returning to the king. Presumably they were trying to silence this witness to illegal trading or other activities. King Olaf (956-1030 AD) never fully avenged this murder as he was caught up in war with the Danes that eventually lead to his death in battle. For bringing Christianity to Norway as king in 1016 AD and because of miracles associated with his burial, King Olaf became Saint Olaf in 1164 AD. A.V. Retallick (1998) makes a case that Thorlack is a predecessor to the Norwegian name Tallak. There are several place names including Tallak in Norway: Tallacksrud (Tallak's farm) in Akerhus, Tallakshavn (Tallak's harbor) in Jarlsberg and Tallaksbru (Tallak's bridge) in Telemark. I think it unlikely that such a familiar and important god as Thor or Tor could be corrupted to Tal. Tala in Icelandic (Cleasby and Vigfusson, 1957; Bogason, 1959; Holmarsson et al., 1989) and tale in Norwegian (Jorgensson,1943; Svenkerov, 1988) mean a speech, poetry reading or other public discourse (Table 4). Thus it is more likely that the Norwegian name Tallak reflects a bardic ancestry, than alliance to Thor, and is independent of Cornish Taleks or Tallacks. I also think Norse ancestry unlikely because Australian Retallacks were neither tall, nor fair, nor blond.

Retallack and similar place names

Retallack could have been derived from Cornish place names (Pawley White, 1981; Holmes, 1983; Weatherhill, 1995), but for reasons outlined below, I think it is more likely that these places were named for Retallacks, Tallocks or Taleks. There are or were a Retallack near Saint Columb Major, Constantine and St Hilary, a Retillick near Roche, a Botallack near St Just, and a Castallack near Penzance, all in Cornwall (Fig. 4). My observations on all of these localities are from a trip in April 1999.

Figure 5. View down the broad marshy valley from the headwaters of a tiny stream above Retallack, near St Columb Major. The ancient stones at the far edge of the field are the Nine Maidens. The valley bottom has been converted to fishing ponds, and the buildings on the distant slope to the right are Montana Pines and Retallack House.

Figure 6. Menalhyl River and St Columb Major from the St Eval road.

Retallack (SW 934658 on Ordnance Survey, 1974b, 1992, 1997a, 1997b) near Saint Columb Major is now commercialized as a 100 acre "Spirit of the West" American theme park and Retallack Coarse Waters Fishery currently run by Mr M.S. Warriner (Fig. 5). The old 17th century farmhouse (of Norden for Carew, 1602) was probably on the same site as Warriner's new (1990) house "Montana Pines". Retallack Cottage, now owned by Peter Baisley, 100 m to the northwest is an impressive stone house with a metal label on the door "J. Hicks 1812 Retallick", indicating its builder, age and an alternative spelling of the locality probably current at the time the buildings at Outer Retallick were constructed. Outer Retallick (SW927654 on Ordnance Survey 1997a) is 1 km to the northwest past the highway roundabout that used to be the village of Winnard's Perch. Retallack has been translated as ford at the base of a short steep slope from Old Cornish rit, ret or res (ford) and talek (high forehead or hill: Pawley White, 1981), as ford of willows (heloc: Weatherhill, 1995) or as ford of Talek (surname: Holmes, 1983). These ford explanations are not appropriate to this locality now. It has a tiny stream only 1 m wide in an broad, open, headwater valley. The coarse fishery of introduced roach, rudd, tench, carp, bream, perch and pike is within a series of artificial lakes created by damming in the 1980's. Before these modifications the small stream within extensive boggy willow carr would have been an unsuitable ford or overland route, compared with 1 km to the southwest lower in the valley or 2 km to the north along the ancient ridge-line route to Wadebridge that passes Retallack Barrow (an ancient tumulus grave) and The Nine Maidens (an ancient row of standing stones). The Nine Maidens have been interpreted as sepulchral stones and as megalithic monuments, and according to later Christian myth, were created from young women who danced on Sunday (Polsue, 1867). Drawing from these ancient monuments, Polsue (1867) offers a translation of Retallack as "too much buckler or target", implying that this was the site of an ancient battle. This flight of fancy is unsupported by either archeological or historical records. Ancient records of the name from Assize and Pipe Rolls include Rettelehc ca. 1250, Reshelec ca. 1270, Restalek 1327, 1443, and Restallek 1334 (C. Weatherhill pers. comm. 1999). On the map by John Norden (for Carew, 1602; Halliday, 1953), this farmstead in the Pyder Hundred is labelled Tretallock, and the occupant "Jno Tretallock". Tretallock also is shown in maps of 1607, 1611, 1645, 1646 and 1722 (Quixley, 1966). In Old Cornish the prefix tre means village or farmstead. Curiously there is no Tretallock or Tallock in St Columb Major parish records at this time (K. Retallick, 1998). Presumably Norden, who was copied by many subsequent mapmakers, misunderstood a local reference to the farm of John Retallock, who is in the St Columb Major parish records, burying his wife Jane in 1607 (K. Retallick, 1998). The name Retallack was long associated with the church at St Columb Major (Fig. 6), where it is recorded as far back as 1546, with Retalick recorded back to 1662 and Tallack back to 1731 (K. Retallick, 1998b). This locality was labelled Retallick on a map by Martyn (1784) and Retalak by the first Ordnance Survey (1813, reprinted by Harley and O'Donohue, 1977). The commercial map-maker John Bartholomew (1931, 1934, 1959) consistently labelled this place Retallick, perhaps following Martyn, but the Ordnance Survey (1974b, 1992, 1997a, 1997b) now spell it Retallack. The most ancient spelling Rettelehc is more like the surname that a descriptive name based on willow ford (res heloc) or ford by the hill (res talek), though these puns or malapropisms are clear in some ancient spellings.

Figure 7. View west of Tregoss Moor, with ancient conical clay tailings to the left and Roche church and village to the right, from the ancient hermitage of Roche rock. Retillick Farm is on the southern (left) margin of Tregoss Moor behind the hillock and power pylons.

Retillick Farm is on the southeast margin of Tregoss Moor, 2 km southeast of Roche (SW 974593 on Ordnance Survey, 1997a). An ancient farmhouse is now in ruins, but there is an old mill house and another farmhouse on the site. Improved pastures of the farm extend into Tregoss Moor, which is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest as little-disturbed moorland vegetation (Fig. 7). Retillick Cottage is a separate building on the road to St Dennis on the southern margin of a farm plan dating from early this century, in which the core farm houses are labelled "Retillick (Retallick)". Explanations offered for this name are ford with willows from the Cornish ret (ford) and heloc (willows: Weatherhill, 1995), or ford near a high hill (Cornish talek: Polwhele, 1816), or ford near the heath (Cornish tallick; Bannister, 1871). These meanings make no more sense than for Retallack to the north near St Columb Major, where boggy willow carr would have required very similar farming techniques. The upper reaches of the River Fal here are only 1 m wide and coffee-coloured in extensive willow carr. Overland routes to Roche would have kept to the ridgeline south and westwards through Whitemoor. The largest hills here now are the huge waste piles of English China Clay Pty Ltd, of St Austell, which currently owns Retillick Farm. There is a problem with the word tallick, given only by Bannister (1871), who has been regarded as unreliable (Beresford-Ellis, 1974). Ros is Cornish for heath in other dictionaries (Jago, 1887; Nance, 1978). Ancient records of this locality include Retelek 1284, 1304; Rettelek 1311; Restallek 1334 and Restelek 1370 (C. Weatherhill pers. comm. 1999). Roche church records indicate Retallicks in the area since 1743 and Retallacks since 1772 (K. Retallack, 1998b), but this is not far from St Columb Major where Retallacks go back at least to 1546. The farm complex is labelled "Retillich" and Roche as Roach (which is more like the way it is pronounced) on maps of the first Ordnance Survey (1813; reprinted by Harley and O'Donoghue, 1977), but it is now labelled Retillick (Ordnance Survey, 1997a). Again, the most ancient (1284) version of the name is Retelek, like the surname with the sleek spelling of an illiterate oral informant, but spellings of the place involving puns with res heloc or res talek also are found early.

Figure 8. View south down Polwheveral Stream to Constantine church from Retallack Farm.

Retallack Farm, 1 km north of Constantine (Fig. 8; SW 733304 on Ordnance Survey, 1996), is just uphill from a 16th century tin stamping mill that has been studied in detail by industrial archaeologists (Gerrard, 1985, 1989; Penhallick, 1986). The old farmhouse of massive granite blocks includes both rounded arches of Norman design (1066-1189) and pointed arches of early Gothic design (1189-1307). A case has been made that Retallack Farm is named "roach ford" from the Old Cornish terms for ford res and for the roach fish talhoc (Padel, 1988), or perhaps ford near the tower, from tallack meaning tower or garret (Polwhele, 1816; Nance, 1978), or a very high place with pits, from very re and high place tallic or many pits tollic (Bannister, 1871) or ford near a high slope, from ford res and high slope talek (Henderson, 1937). The roach (Rutilus rutilus: Cypriniformes) can reach almost 2 kg (3-4 lbs) and is a fish of slow, muddy, fresh water, occasionally found in brackish water (Herald, 1961), and inappropriate for the whitewater stream near Constantine. The closest ancient tower would be Pendennis Castle at Falmouth about 10 km northeast, so this derivation is also unlikely. Polwheveral Stream is crossed by the ancient trail from Merthen Hole up past Retallack Farm to Rame via the steep hill of Maen Rock (Henderson, 1927), but the stream is only 1 m wide and covered in places by blocks from the steep western hill, now largely quarried by Bosahan Quarry of Trevone Quarries Pty Ltd of Falmouth. The stream is no wider and the slopes are less steep at the present bridge for the Tremorna-Brill-Gweek road near here. These were probably never fords in the sense of real water obstacles. The crossing of the stream near the ancient tin stamping mill includes an ancient bridge 2 m wide of enormous (1 m) and deeply weathered granite blocks. The extensive tin milling and blowing house at the site also makes it plausible that there were many pits for alluvial tin workings around here in the past. But these plausible meanings of the word Retallack are given only by Bannister (1871), who has proven an unreliable source (Beresford-Ellis, 1974). Henderson (1937) lists the following spellings of the name in old documents: Retalec (1309), Restalek (1316), Reystallek (1396) and Rettallack (1661). His parish history reveals that the farm has not owned by Retallacks or Taleks since the 16th century. In 1506 the farm's occupant was Nicholas Pentacost, a tenant of the Manor of Merthen. About 1623 it passed to Christopher Walker and to Thom's and Randall. In 1649 the estate was held by Christopher Walker (½), Richard Gerreys (¼) and John Thom's (¼). It was later purchased in entirety by the Trefusis family and added to the Manor of Treworval. By 1842 Lord Clinton was the owner. The spelling appears to have been corrected to a more standard spelling of the surname Retallack by the 17th century. The oldest records of Retallack in Constantine church go back to 1705, Retallick to 1718 and Tallack to 1743 (K. Retallick, 1998b). Once again the oldest spelling (Retalec of 1309) has a sleek phonetic spelling that may indicate oral informants, and is more like the 14th century surname Talek than variants incorporating Old Cornish res (Restalek, Reystallek) that appeared later in the 14th century.

Figure 9. The engine-pump-house of Retallack Mine (left foreground) and view down the River Hayle near Millpool and St Hilary. Retallack Mill is in the tributary valley to the southwest (left) behind the mine.

Retallack Mine (WS573314 on Ordnance Survey, 1996) and Retallack Mill 1 km to the south, are in the Parish of St Hilary along rough farm roads north of Millpool (Fig. 9). There is little left of the mill but for a large millstone and rock discs and pillars like those used to keep vermin out of elevated grainstores. These latter are deeply weathered, like gravestones dating back to the 17th century. Many other old stones have been incorporated into a house and outbuildings built by William Knott in 1971. The large stone engine house and chimney to the underground mine are 1 km to the north near where the mill stream enters the River Hayle. The underground mine was worked from 1830-1858, briefly reworked in 1912, and with neighboring mines Croft and Halmanning yielded 23,429 tons of copper (Aktinson, 1994). In view of the suggested etymology of the other Retallack locations outlined above, there is no heath, no high hill and only whitewater streams unsuitable for roach. Willow is present, but not so abundant as near St Columb Major and Roche. The mill stream is only 1 m wide, but the River Hayle is 3 m wide and would have been an important obstacle to north-south routes, though now obscured by dams which have created a series of coarse fishing ponds administered by Polwhellan Farm. An ancient path northward to the River Hayle at this point is shown on the map of Kirrier Hundred by Nordern (for Carew, 1602), but no crossing, mill or dwelling is indicated. This likely ancient ford is 1 km north of Retallack Mill. Here an ancient "ford of Talek" is indicated by the most ancient known spelling of this locality: Restalek 1311, Rystallet 1327, Ristaloc 1327 (C. Weatherhill pers. comm. 1999). The name Retallick is in St Hilary church records only as far back as 1824 (K. Retallick, 1998b), and it could be that the westward spread of Retallacks into Cornwall only reached this far by the 19th century. Taleks however preceded them in western Cornwall by several centuries, as at Botallack.

Figure 10. Chimney and other buildings of Botallack Mine, looking south over Cape Cornwall.

Botallack village (SW368328 of Ordnance Survey, 1974a), Botallack Head (SW363338) and Botallack mine (SW365334) near St Just can be translated as Talek's dwelling (Old Cornish bos Talek; Weatherhill, 1995). An alternative etymology would be "dwelling near the cliffs or deep browed place" (Old Cornish bos talek), but most other Cornish place names prefixed with bod or bos are formed from surnames (Weatherhill, 1995). Parts of Botallack mine, particularly the old Counthouse, are now reconstructed by the National Trust. This whole area around Botallack Head includes numerous engine houses, chimneys and arsenic labythinths and is being considered as a World Heritage Site. A variety of independent shaft mines, beginning in 1721 were consolidated into the Botallack mine by the end of the 18th century. A combination of flooding and low copper and tin prices forced closing of the mine in 1895. It was reopened in 1907 and then stopped production in 1914 (Ward et al., 1929; Barton, 1965; Brown, 1994). Botallack village is a Victorian mining settlement, but at its core is a farm with 17th century buildings (Millward & Robinson, 1971). A cluster of farmhouses are labelled at Botallack in Norden's map of 1602 for Carew (Halliday, 1953).

Figure 11. Overgrown megalith at the summit of Castallack Carn, near Castallack village.

There is also a Castallack village, south of Penzance (SW453253 on Ordnance Survey,1974b). Castallack Carn is on a commanding ridgetop 1 km northeast of the village (Colquhoun, 1957). The Carn is a megalithic monument including a massive reclining stone 3 m thick, 5 m long and tapering from 3 to 2 m wide (Fig. 11). There are other large stones around it, formerly in circular arrangement, and from 1867 to 1907 there was also a small cave, called Vow Cave. The former "Castallack Round" is now disrupted by incorporation of stones in farm walls and the cave is now buried. Such monuments like Stonehenge are generally dated to 2000-1500 BC. A megalithic tunnel (fogou) of the type found in the Iron Age or early Roman period (600 BC to 50 AD), also was excavated from the yards of Castallack Farm 200 m to the southwest. Such tunnels have been regarded as food storages, or human refuges, but a case can also be made that they were sacred to a Great Goddess and aligned to receive the light of the midsummer sun (Cooke, 1993). The name Castallack may be compounded from Middle Cornish castelek for "little castle" or castelack for "castle place" (Jago, 1887; Nance, 1978; Padel, 1988; Weatherill, 1995). Ancient spellings of this locality include Castallak 1284, Castelak 1284, Castalack 1356, Castallaf 1460, Castellek ca. 1540, Chastalaffe 1541 and Castallaffe 1541 (C. Weatherhill pers. comm. 1999). The earliest Penzance church records of Retallack is in 1812, Retallick in 1812 and Tallack in 1824 (K. Retallick, 1998b). It seems unlikely that Castallack has any relation to Retallack or similar surnames.

Religious and political life of Cornish Retallacks

Little can be gleaned of the religious and political leanings of Cornish Retallacks. Ralph Retallack of St Columb Major was one of the leading conspirators in the Cornish rebellion of 1497 against the heavy taxation of Henry VII to finance war against the Scots pretender Perkin Warbeck. The rebels numbering about 15,000 were defeated by 25,000 royal troops at Blackheath near London, with 2,000 slain on the rebel side and 300 of the troops (Rowse, 1941; Beresford-Ellis, 1974).

Marke Retallacke was a church warden at St Columb Major in 1589, a job also held by Nicholas Retallock in 1641. Thomas Retallock in 1727 and Robert Retallock in 1732 were Overseers of the Poor, presumably also a church office, at St Columb Major (K. Retallack, 1998b).

In 1606 the Retallack family forfeited their property at St Columb Major to King James I for illegally clinging to the Catholicism (probably primitive Celtic Catholic), following the lead of the local lord of the manor John Arundell, who also was fined heavily but not evicted (Rowse, 1941). The Arundell family traditionally named their first born sons John (Gilbert, 1820), a name common in Retallack families (Table 1).

Richard Retalick had a distinguished career in the British navy: lieutenant in 1779, commander by 1794, and captain by 1799. He commanded the "Defiance" in the fleet of Lord Nelson at the victorious Battle of Copenhagen (1801). A Captain Class naval frigate was launched October 9 1943 as HMS Retalick in his honor (K. Retallick, 1998).

The westward migration of Retallacks from Saint Columb Major to Helston coincides in time with the westward retreat of the Cornish language (Weatherhill, 1995). At the chapel of Helston Circuit the Retallacks were Wesleyans (LDS, 1997), a very popular religion in Cornwall after the visit of John Wesley to St Ives in 1743. Wesleyan Methodism appealed especially to the working class in its abhorrence of idleness and sloth, and elevation of all forms of purposeful activity, especially self improvement (Thomas, 1965). Two Camborne Methodists, George Smith (1800-1868) and Charles Thomas (1798-1868) were self-made men of letters, publishing to urge preservation of Cornish antiquities and language. Methodism thus became intertwined with Cornish nationalism, and also offered implicit condemnation of both the gentry and the indigent. At the same time it subdued with puritanism the wild ways of many Cornish tin miners (Leifchild, 1857).

By 1820 Helston was one of the few remaining towns in Cornwall with a pre-Christian festival on May 8 (near Beltane in the Celtic Calendar; Gilbert, 1820). It is locally known as The Furry, derived from the old Cornish word fer (fair) and Latin feria (feast day). The Furry is not, as sometimes supposed, derived from the Ancient Roman goddess Flora (Polwhele, 1816), but the alternative term Flora Day has nevertheless proved irresistable (Ward et al., 1929). Another term for it is Faddy Day, perhaps from an ancient English dance called "The Fading" (Cunnack, 1995). The fair begins early as revelers with drums and kettles try to disrupt the regular work day of the town. Young people then gather in the town squares to beg coins and tokens, before fading into the countryside. They return garlanded with flowers and oak boughs for an afternoon of celebration and dancing. At the end of the day a select group of ladies and gentlemen parade through the town in floral costume for an evening ball (Gilbert, 1820). In the early twentieth century The Furry attracted local carnivals with sideshows (Oates, 1956). It still draws thousands of tourists (Burgess, 1993), but it is now a relatively sedate and genteel series of parades and dances (Cunnack, 1995).

Ernest George Retallack Hooper from St Agnes was Grand Bard (Barth Mur) of the Cornish Gorsedd from 1959-1965 using the bardic name Talek. A prolific writer and journal editor, he was a leading revivalist of Cornish language and culture (Beresford-Ellis, 1974).

Occupations of Cornish Retallacks

The oldest recorded occupations of Retallacks are as tin miners in the Tinners Muster Roll of 1535, which records a Robert Retalek in St Columb Major and a Robert Retaleke in St Hilary, a Richard Retalek in St Hilary and another of the same name in Constantine (Retallick 1998b). There is also evidence for mining as an occupation in the geographic distribution of Retallacks from St Columb Major before 1600 to most of the south and west of Cornwall by 1825 (Fig. 4), with Retallacks to the west and Retallicks more to the east (K. Retallack, 1998). This distribution seldom deviates far from Cornish mines, so that Retallacks are sparse near Launceston and northeastern Cornwall (Barton, 1965). The similar likely precursor name Tallack was already scattered thoughout southern Cornwall before 1600, and also filled in the intervening mining districts by 1825 (Fig. 1).

Men with similar names are recorded as mine owners. In a Stannary Court at Truro in 1349 Peter Beavyle left employment of the Tywarnhaile tin mines of Richard Talek, because he was beaten (Hatcher, 1973). The Tywarnhaile Stannary of alluvial mines covered a large triangular area outlined by St Agnes, Truro and Redruth (Balchin, 1983). Another court record of 1379 tells of a gang driving off the mine laborers of William Talkard (Hatcher, 1973). In those days the mines were largely alluvial surface workings.

The Botallack Mine near St Just and Cape Cornwall (Fig. 10) is one of the deepest underground mines in Cornwall, extending out under the sea to 1200 feet below high water (Leifchild, 1857; Ward et al., 1929). It was begun as an underground tin mine in 1721 (Ward et al., 1929), during the mining boom of the 1720's. This was stimulated largely by increased demand for copper, which remained strong until the mining recession of the 1790's due to flooding of the market with ore from Anglesey. Mining in Cornwall was rescued after 1790 by contract with the East India Company to export tin to China (Barton, 1965). This roller-coaster ride of the 18th century mining economy of Cornwall is reflected in Retallack family sizes (Table 1). The pewter table service made from Botallack tin and used for dinner after mine meetings was so clean and burnished that it was frequently mistaken for silver (Jenkin, 1927). By 1815 the Botallack mine was producing mainly copper, with less tin and iron (Leifchild, 1857). The great tin boom of 1870-1872 saw expanded activity, and was stimulated by disruption of tin supplies from Malaysia beginning in 1867 because of civil war arising from competition between two Chinese secret societies (Hai San and Ghee Hin) for control of mine laborers. Botallack like most other Cornish mines then declined in production as Australian tin entered the world market in 1873, followed by Malaysian tin again available in 1883, Bolivian copper in 1896 and Nigerian copper in 1905. By 1914, Botallack mine was uneconomical, and was maintained for instructional purposes by the Penzance School of Mines (Barton, 1965; Brown & Acton, 1994). Mining has always been a boom and bust industry.

By comparison, underground workings at the Retallack Mine near St Hilary (Fig. 9) were short lived. It was active from 1830 to 1858, and briefly reopened in 1912 (Atkinson, 1994). It was opened at a time when Britain was competing with Holland, with its East Indian holdings, for control of the global tin trade. Despite political accommodations, such as abolition of the archaic system of coinage in 1938, Retallack Mine foundered in the economic depression and famine of the late 1850's (Barton, 1965).

Tin miners had their own subculture. Because of the high value of tin for pewter tableware and church paraphernalia and for bronze jewelry and cannons, tin miners operated independently and in a quasi-capitalist system by royal charter since King John (1201) and Edward I (1305). Tinners were thus exempt from military service and from market tolls. They also had broad rights of prospecting and the use of streams and fuel. They also had their own parliaments and courts. They were taxed a corner chiseled off each ingot, assayed and weighed by officers of the Duchy of Cornwall (Barton, 1865). This was done in designated coinage towns (from French coin for corner): originally Bodmin, Lostwithiel, Liskeard, Truro and Helston, and then with loss of mining near the first two, including Penzance. There were never any tinner's organizations that restricted membership and production like other medieval guilds. Any adventurer could stake a claim and become his own master. According to Cornish proverbs "a tinner has nothing to loose" and he is "never broke till his neck's broke" (Jenkin, 1927). Tin miners were notorious for smuggling and for scavenging shipwrecks for useful goods. Tinners were rowdy, individualistic and entrepreneurial (Jenkin, 1927; du Maurier, 1967). Tinners traditionally disdained the drudgery and low wages of agricultural work and all forms of authority (Jenkin, 1927).

Some Retallacks were church wardens (1589, 1641), and Overseers to the Poor (1727, 1732) in St Columb Major, where Retallacks were land holders until 1606 (Rowse, 1941). The Retallacks were probably never large land-holders. They are not listed in Burke's peerage (1976) or other lists of Cornish nobles (Gilbert, 1820). Tretallock near St Columb Major (on Norden map of Carew, 1602) features the prefix tre which is Cornish for farm and common in landholder's names such as Trevithick and Trelawney (Weatherhill, 1995). As noted above this is probably the farm of John Retallack listed in St Columb Major parish records of the time (K. Retallick, 1998). Other records of farming Retallacks are sparse (Fig. 12), and this occupation in the 19th century was dominated more by Retallicks of eastern Cornwall than Retallacks of western Cornwall (K. Retallick, 1998).

Some Cornish Retallacks may have been merchants, although the oldest record of a shopkeeper is Lionel Tallick at Minard Cross in 1839 (Fig. 12). St Columb Major is a market town which was given the privilege of a Thursday market by Edward III in 1333. Helston also was granted the privilege of a Saturday market by Edward III (1327-1377). Retallacks diversified into a variety of trades with the declining fortunes of farming and mining in the late 19th century: mason, boiler-maker, shipwright and police constable for the men and for the women, domestic servant, cook, druggist, dressmaker, charwoman, governess, school mistress and district nurse (Retallack, 1998b). Few Retallacks appear to have been in especially prestigious or prosperous occupations, and the lure of emigration must have been strong.

One exception was Richard Retallick of Liskeard, a watchmaker and ironmonger, who prospered with early 19th century canal building. He was on the original committee of management of the Liskeard-Looe Canal, subscribed and authorised by an act of Parliament in 1825 and opened in 1828. The canal had 24 locks in 6 miles, each lock rising 6 feet. The engineer was J. Green of Exeter, but the work was completed by R. Coad. Richard Retallick was Clerk of the Canal until the 1850's, administering freight charges and upkeep (Allen, 1856). In 1829, Richard Retallick issued a prospectus for another canal from Saint Columb Bridge to Mawgan Porth, and other works to make Mawgan Porth a secure summer harbour. This project however, did not come to fruition (Rabey, 1979).

Emigration to Australia and North America

Emigration of my ancestor, John Retallack from Redruth to Australia may have been stimulated by economic depression in the 1840's, combined with government subsidized opportunity. Economic depression was initiated by loss of export permits to the Far East. The Orient no longer bought Cornish tin but exported it from Malaysian mines of Banca and The Straits after 1816. These exports had grown by the 1830's so that the world monopoly of tin production had passed from British to Dutch control. The price of tin was now set in Amsterdam rather than London. Although Cornish production continued, low revenues forced abolition of the onerous coinage system of mining payments in 1838, a year after the accession of Queen Victoria. Despite this tax relief, economic stagnation continued and there were miner's strikes and uprisings in Gwennap and Penzance in 1847 (Barton, 1965). Potato blight that forced emigration of so many Irish also caused Cornish famine in 1849 (Leifchild, 1857). Redruth in the mid-19th century was one of Cornwall's roughest mining towns, plagued by riots, drunkeness and prostitution (Tangye, 1988). Amid such troubles, free passage to South Australia was offered by Her Majesty's Colonization Commissioners, who sold land there to fund the emigration at £1 per acre to the wealthier settlers. At first only married tradesmen and their families were selected for departure from Plymouth or London. Later single men and women were taken and ships departed from Cornish ports. Some ten thousand settlers departed between February 1836 and February 1938. Another wave of emigration followed the copper slump of 1866-1867, as Chilean and Michigan copper entered the world market in significant amounts (Barton, 1865).

The original Australian immigrant John Retallack may have come to South Australia on the "Himalaya" ca.1852. Another, more romantic family story is that he came out on the "Caucasian" with Caroline Rashleigh, whom he married in 1853 at Mitcham, South Australia, after a shipboard romance. A problem with this is that although there are ship's records for Caroline's passage, none have been found for John. Caroline was from a distinguished and noble Cornish family (Carew, 1602; Rowse, 1841; Halliday, 1953). John was a farmer with his mother-in-law Phyllis Kinsman at Mitcham (1856), and later a carrier at Angas Park (1863) and Murioopta (1864). His son Charles was a carpenter and carriage builder. In 1894, Charles drove his cattle and household overland to resettle in Mitchell, Queensland. A charming account of pioneering what became known as the Retallack Track was written for the newspaper by Charles at the urging of James William Retallack and Blanche Cummings (third daughter of William Retallack) ca. 1920 (Table 5), but not published. Charles' son, Leslie John was a newspaper printer. Leslie John Retallack was father to my father, Kenneth John, who founded his own printing-engraving company in Sydney (Standard Engraving Pty Ltd). My brother Michael is a chemical engineer and yachtsman (Lucas, 1989). My brother Christopher is an artist. I am a university professor of geology (Huenecke, 1989; Goff, 1998; Orr & Orr, 1998). My own emigration to the U.S.A. was not stimulated by wide political movements. I came after writing my PhD thesis in 1977 on a quest for postdoctoral experience and adventure, not to settle. When the time came to find a job, nothing was available in Australia and I was offered a position in Eugene, Oregon. Our small branch of the New World Retallacks has been here since 1981, and is independent of the many Cornish Retallacks that emigrated to North America in the 19th century (Rowse, 1959).

 Table 5. Charles Retallack's account of his pioneering overland haul of 1894

To the editor

Dear sir,

I the undersigned would be pleased to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience since 1894 travelling across country with Bullock teams from Orroroo South Australia to Mitchell in Queensland loaded with farm implements about 1200 mls. Crossing S A Border at Cockburn border of N.S.W. Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Paroo, Warrogo & Cuttaburra Rivers. Crossed Barrongun border into Queensland through stations across to Fernlee, via Bolland & up the Maranoa River to Mitchell. Landed to see an eight years drought. During that time I saw the greatest cyclone ever witnessed in Mitchell wrecking the whole town. An accident worth recording on the Journey on Fernlee Station was our saddle Horses including young ones, rushed out of the dam excepting one with bell on which never came out. I rushed down to see what was wrong & all I could see was one leg above the water & then disappeared. I called the brother down but no horse appeared. We went back to the waggons and had dinner & then went back to pull him away, but he had never came to the top, so there was nothing for us to do, but to leave him where he was and go on our way. He came to the top later as a carrier was sent to pull him out in the scrub. The previous Diary of the above has been lost.

C. Retallack

Acknowledgments

I thank Wendy Gollan, Keith Retallick, Craig Weatherhill, and Beth Hallam for invaluable help with this quest to understand the Retallack surname.

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