Dedh Cans Trei Ügens ha Trei

De Yow, üdnedves mis Efen

Thursday, 11th June

My a gerdhas dres an chei ma, reb an eglos, ha mires ort an grows. Ma bledhen warnedhy - etek cans trei ügens ha dew, keth ew an chei nebes cottha. Dhe werra (wertha) ew e  (saw nebonan a brofyas ragto). Ev a veu scol en termyn eus passyes, rag flehes an pluw. Ma foto a'n üdn stevel scol brâs war linen - gen nenbrednyer ha panellow predn. Nebonan a wra hy threylya dhe nebes romys, martesen chambours. Bes an jedh? Hedna a sonas clogh et ow fedn. Nena my a remembras. Ow hendas a veu ladhys e'n vledhen na, en mis Efen, en Bresel Brederedh America - gen pellen vusket. Ma meur a gows e'n eur-ma adro dhe gethneth. Lôwen o vy dr'o Jôwan en party own. Y gorf a veu encledhys en bedh dihanow gen lies erel. En 1862 thera taclow da ow wharvos en Kernow ha taclow drog en America. Ma bordys covadh reb an gwel batel ha men cov bian ogas dhe dre. 

I walked past this house , by the church, and looked at the cross. There is a year on it - 1862, though the house is somewhat older. It's for sale (but someone has offered for it). It was a school in the past, for children of the parish. There's a photo of the single school room on line - with beams and wooden panelling. Someone will turn it into several rooms, perhaps bedrooms. But the date? That rang a bell in my head. Then I remembered. My ancestor was killed in that year, in June, in the American Civil War - by a musket ball. There's a lot of talk at the moment about slavery. I'm happy that John was on the right side. His body was buried in an unmarked grave with many others. In 1862 good things were happening in Cornwall and bad things in America. There are memorial boards by the battle field and a small stone near home.

Deg ger rag hedhyw: Ten words for today

dhe werra (wertha) for sale

hendas (m) ancestor, forefather

keth although (before a vowel)

kethneth (f) slavery

nebes somewhat, some

nenbren (f) ceiling beam

panellow (plural) panelling, wainscot

pellen (f) ball (small)

pluw (m) parish

profya to offer

stevel (f) room (usually large)