Subject
William Gwavas, Cornish Language Scholar, Cornish Language Revival, Collaboration with Thomas Tonkin, Cornish Vocabulary, Bilbao Manuscript, Cornish Language Decline, Preservation of Cornish Language, Cornwall Language History

Domains
Linguistique, Dictionnaire

Description

William Gwavas was born into an old Cornish family and became a barrister. He married Elizabeth and had two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne, as well as a son who died at four months old. Gwavas was involved in a chancery suit over the right of the rector of Paul to the tithes of fish landed at Mousehole and Newlyn. The suit lasted for many years and was finally resolved in 1830 when the tithe was abolished. Gwavas died in 1742, and his widow passed away in 1752. He collected Cornish language pieces and corresponded with other enthusiasts, such as Thomas Tonkin, on the language's decline. Gwavas's efforts to record the language were important for its revival in the twentieth century.

Keywords

Language
English (en-GB)

Creators
Spriggs, Matthew

Contributors

Sources
Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Relation
https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/11804

Coverage

Name of newspaper