St Martin-in-Meneage is a civil parish and village on Lizard Peninsula

 

 

Circa 1900: Founded by Rev. A. T. L . Mugford – he remained in the parish until 1913

1900-1912: Rev. A. T. L. Mugford St Martin Band MD.

Band made up of men from St. Martin & Manaccan.

Practiced in long wooden building which was also used as the Manaccan Church Room.

Early 1900s: St Martin Brass Band active. (John Brush)

Thought to be St Martin Band at Manaccan Tea Treat 1900/1901 (Photo: courtesy of Terry Moyle)

1906: St Martin-In-Meneage. The usual sports were held afterwards. The St Martin Reed and Brass Band rendered a selection of music in a manner that reflected great credit the careful training of their teacher and conductor. (7 June 1906 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)

1906: During the evening the St Martin Band, under the Rev. Mugford, rendered a programme of music before a large audience. (28 June 1906 – The Cornish Telegraph)

June 1906: St Martin’s Band attended Coverack United Methodist Sunday School festival and gave an evening concert on the Battery under Rev. A. T. L. Mugford.

1906: St Martin Brass Band played. (16 August 1906 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)

1907: The members of the society assembled at Garras in the afternoon, where a procession was formed, and headed St Martin Brass Band, proceeded to Trelowarren. (13 June 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1907: St Mawgan and St Martin Nursing Association. St Martin Band gave selections of music on the grounds under the conductorship of the Rev. Mugford. (18 July 1907 – Cornishman)

1908: Teachers and children having formed a procession took their usual march around the village headed by the St Martin Reed and Brass Band, after which they were regaled with tea and buns. (11 June 1908 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1908: Manaccan. The Wesleyan Sunday school tea. The members of St Martin Band wore their new uniforms for the first time on that day. (18 June 1908 – The Cornish Telegraph)

1908: Porthleven Athletic Sports Association. The weather was delightfully fine, and there were about 2,000 spectators present. St Martin’s Band was present. (9 July 1908 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

August 1909: St Martin’s Band attended Coverack Regatta.

1909: Coverack. The scholars marched through the village, headed the St Martin Band. A public tea was held on the Battery Green. (24 June 1909 – The Cornish Telegraph)

June 1909: St Martin’s Band attended Coverack United Methodist Sunday School tea treat and Manaccan Wesleyan Sunday School tea treat and gave a concert at St. Martin Wesleyan Band of Hope sports and tea.

1910: Wesleyan church scholars, teachers, and officers formed a procession, and headed by the St Martin Band under the leadership of the Revd A L T Mugford. (9 June 1910 – The Cornish Telegraph)

Sometime between 1906 and 1912: St Martin in Meneage Band with the Reverend Mugford – date unknown (Photo: courtesy Terry Moyle)

1910: St Martin’s Band played a selection of music, and during the afternoon the lifeboat launched under the direction of Mr W F Phillips. (25 August 1910 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)

1912: Rev. A T L Mugford, St Martin Brass Band MD. (John Brush)

1912: Sports were held in a field lent by Mr Paull and St Martin Band was in attendance under the Rev A T L Mugford marched to Manaccan Village. (8 August 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1913: The Band had 19 members when Rev. Mugford left the parish. Band members presented him with an armchair for his new home when he left St. Martin.

1914: School treat was held, when scholars, teachers and friends marched in procession the Polurrian grounds, headed by the St Martin and Reed Band, which discoursed splendid selection of music during the day. (9 July 1914 – Cornishman)

1920: Hospital grounds was one of the largest and most imposing ever witnessed in the borough. It was headed by Helston Town Band and included St Keverne and St Martin Bands. (16 September 1920 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

These two photos are of St Martin Band 1920s (Photo: Hugo Moyle – courtesy Terry Moyle)

1923-1929: Rev. E. Ormerod of Manaccan St Martin Band MD.

Seymour Cooke of Mawgan joined the band in 1925 when he was 11 years old. He later joined Gweek Band

Band practice was at Manaccan Vicarage when Rev. Omerod was the conductor in 1920s

May 1923: St Martin’s Band gave a concert in Ruan Minor schoolroom in aid of Ruan Minor Football club.

1923: Helston Cottage Hospital. St Martin Band. (23 May 1923 – Cornishman)

1923: St Martin Band in attendance, marched the Wesleyan Church, where the Rev Q Howarth (Helston), preached. The St Martin and Helston Bands. (14 June 1923 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

June 1923: St Martin’s Band attended and led Mawgan, St. Martin and Cury British Legion parade at Mawgan Wesleyan chapel.

1923: The children assembled  and, forming into procession headed by St Martin Band (under the conductorship of the Rev. E Omerod of Manaccan. (28 June 1923 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1920s: St Martin Brass Band combined with Manaccan Band to become Manaccan and St Martin Band – presumably due to the lack of players in both bands. (John Brush)

Within a short while both bands re-appeared on their own again. (John Brush)

1924: Eli Cuttance, St Martin Brass Band MD. (John Brush)

1924: Band of Hope and Total Abstinence Society held its annual festival. A procession was formed and, headed by the St Martin Brass Band, through Cadgwith and St Ruan, back to the United Methodist schoolroom. (23 April 1924 – Cornishman)

1924: St Martin Band (under Mr E Cuttance) played the Flora and other dances. (25 June 1924 – Cornishman)

1925: Joe George, St Martin Brass Band MD. (John Brush)

At one time band practiced in the old Sunday school room opposite St. Martin Chapel when Mr. Joe George was bandmaster

1926 or later: St Martin Brass Band disbanded and players joined Manaccan Band. (John Brush)

From the following reports it is clear that the St Martin Band re-formed.

1928: Wesleyan Church headed by the St Martin Band, members ofSt Keverne Brass Band assisting. (20 June 1928 – Cornishman)

1929: Rev. E Ormorod St Martin Brass Band MD. (John Brush)

1929: Manaccan Sports and Races in connection with the Manaccan and St Anthony British Legion sports – St Martin Brass  Band, conducted by the Rev. E Ormerod. (15 August 1929 – Cornishman)

1933: Mawgan, St Martin, Manaccan, Helford, St Anthony, and the surrounding district, were accompanied at St Martin by the St Martin Band. (18 May 1933 – Cornishman)

November 1934: St Martin’s Band attended a garden fete at Bosahan and led the parade for Manaccan and St. Anthony British Legion’s service at Manaccan chapel.

1939-1946: Mr. J. H. Williams, St Martin Band MD.

1939: Falmouth. The carnival was headed by St Martin’s Band from Mannaccan. (20 July 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

1939: St Martin Band, under Mr J H Williams, rendered selections. (10 August 1939 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)

August 1939: St Martin’s Band led Manaccan and St. Anthony British legion parade to Manaccan and Tregonwell and attended a garden fete at Bosahan in aid of St. Anthony church preservation fund.

1944: In the evening a band concert was given in the school yard by St Martin’s Silver Band, a very large number being present. (24 August 1944 – Cornishman)

1945: Mr. J. Oates, St Martin Band MD.

1945: St Martin Band, (under the directorship of Mr J Oates) was in attendance during the afternoon and evening. (31 May 1945 – Cornishman)

1945: H Williams, St Martin Band MD. (John Brush)

1945: St Martin Band was in attendance (under Bandmaster J H Williams). (14 June 1945 – Cornishman)

June 1945: St Martin’s Band attended Mawgan Red Cross gala.

August 1945: St Martin’s Band attended St. Martin horticultural show in aid of the Welcome Home Fund and Mawgan Higher Sunday School tea treat.

1946: Fete and Sports at St Martin. During the afternoon and evening the St Martin Band (under musical director J H Williams) was in attendance. In the evening a dance was held in the Drill Hall. (27 June 1946 – Cornishman)

July 1946: St Martin’s Band attended Ruan Ebeneezer Sunday School tea treat.

1946: Fine Display at Coverack Show. The North Cornwall rodeo provided many thrills, successful rodeo riders being R Eddy and A Watters. St Martin’s Band (musical director, Mr H Williams), was in attendance. (8 August 1946 – Cornishman)

1949: St Martin’s Band Sports and Concert. Gweek Silver Band attended and gave their services … an evening concert and at a gathering arranged by St Martins Band on Saturday. (22 September 1949 – Cornishman)

1962: St Martin Band disbanded. (BBHD / John Brush)

 

 

 

A number of uncredited items provided by Terry Moyle.

 

 

Compiled by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow)

 

This collection is a part of the Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) project to Collect, Preserve and Share our Cornish Heritage and Culture.

It is based on location as each may have had more than one band.

Our thanks go to all of the organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this archive.

If you own the copyright to any of the photographs included here then please let us know and they will be credited or removed.

If you are able to correct or update any information included here then please leave a comment.