St Stephen-in-Brannel is to the west of St Austell
It is thought that St Stephen Brass Band was formed during the 1850s and one of its earliest engagements was in 1857 when it played at a St Austell Cottage Gardening Society event.
1857: The band of the Royal Cornwall Rangers and the St Stephen Brass Band at St Austell Cottage Gardening Society. (7 August 1857 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1858: Newquay. Launched, at Porth on the 20th inst., from the building yard of Messrs. Martyn and Lewarn, the fine model smack, named the Little Jane, 84 tons builder’s measurement, 46 tons register; to be commanded by Capt. William Alford, of this place. Her model is said by competent judges, to be very beautiful. A more splendid launch has not been witnessed in this port. She glided down the ways about 200 feet amidst the cheers of a large number of spectators, and some very good music from the St Stephen’s Brass Band, which was in attendance for the occasion. (29 January 1858 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1870: St Stephen Brass Band also performed. (17 February 1870 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1886: St Stephens Brass Band on the Rectory grounds. (13 August 1886 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1888-1907: St Stephen-in-Brannel Brass Band active. (John Brush)
1889: St Stephens Brass Band played and another new cornet has recently been added. (15 August 1889 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1893: St Dennis and St Stephen Brass Bands at Band of Hope procession. (17 August 1893 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1899 or 1900: St Stephen Volunteer Band formed under William Henry Jenkin. (Monty Hooper of CCHS May 2017)
9 Company Duke of Cornwall’s Rifles / D Company Duke of Cornwall’s Rifles / D Company 2nd Volunteer Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry / D Company 5th Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (Territorial Force). “This was a detachment of the St Austell Company, hence the same title, but it did, for a while, have its own independent band. It was another of these unit bands that carried on in the dual role of volunteer and town band. We know that the band was functioning in 1900, and we also know that WH Jenkin conducted them from 1903 to 1912, but that really is the extent of our knowledge about this group.” (John Brush)
1900: 9 Company Duke of Cornwall’s Rifles Band concert at St Stephens-in Brannell. (RCG 18th October 1900)
1900: St Stephens Brass Band at school treat. (19 July 1900 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1900: St Stephen Volunteer Band at Independent Order of Rechabites at Grampound-road. (26 July 1900 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1902: St Stephen Independent Brass Band active. (John Brush)
“The boys of the village were thrilled to carry rifles while the Volunteers played marches to a field at Moor Cottage where they drilled. St Stephen Volunteers was a detachment of the St Austell Company and some of the bandsmen joined the St Austell Band at the fortnightly camp. The band did not last long as a Volunteer Band as some of the bandsmen did not want to sign on as volunteers.” (Monty Hooper of CCHS May 2017)
1902: The bandsmen finished with the Volunteers and called themselves St Stephen Town Band. (Monty Hooper of CCHS May 2017)
1902: The annual gala in connection with the Bible Christian Band of Hope was held at Portloe on Tuesday. Headed by the St. Stephen’s Volunteer Brass Band, the members and friends marched in procession through the village with banners unfurled to the breeze, making an imposing spectacle. A public tea wa provided, and was largely attended; and in evening a public meeting was held, when addresses were delivered by Mr. Pearce, Gerrans and other. (Cornish Echo and Falmouth & Penryn Times – Friday 04 July 1902 / Nev Meek)
St Stephen-in-Brannel Band 1902 (Photo: Mac Waters Collection)
1902: St Stephens Brass Band at Mevagissey. (22 May 1902 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1903 to 1912: WH Jenkin, St Stephen brass band MD.
1903: St Stephen Brass Band at Portloe Band of Hope annual festival. (9 July 1903 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
St Stephen Brass Band was in great demand for Sunday School tea treats and all kinds of village functions. They also went further afield e.g. Portloe, Veryan, Ruan, Perranwell, Greenbottom, Mawgan, Kestle Mill, St Austell and St Just-in-Roseland. They journeyed always by the local horse-drawn brake. The journey to St Just-in-Roseland took four hours. The bandsmen would leave home at 7.00 am and arrive back about midnight – usually singing hymns as they passed. (Monty Hooper of CCHS May 2017)
1903 – 15th July: St Stephen’s Band was at Truro Station to welcome and then for the benediction of the Nave.
1903: “The Prince of Wales … twenty odd vehicles of various shapes and sizes had brought hundreds of adults and children from Grampound and other villages, including the Band from St Stephens. The Royal carriage was without any escort, and was preceded by a couple of policemen on bicycles …” (16 July 1903 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1907: St Stephen Town Band at Newlyn East Sports. (9 May 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1907: St Stephen and Treviscoe Bands in a procession.(10 and 13 June 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1907: St Stephen-in-Branell Brass Band at St Stephens Athletic Sports. (18 July 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1907: St Stephens Town Band at St Stephens Horse Show. (8 August 1907 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1908: Foxhole and St Stephens Brass Bands at United Methodist Sunday schools annual treat. (25 June 1908 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
1909: W H Jenkin, St Stephen Brass Band MD. (John Brush)
1909: St Stephen Brass Band, under the conductorship of Mr W H Jenkin, at Oddfellows fete at Grampound. (22 July 1909 – Royal Cornwall Gazette)
St Stephen Brass Band
1912: On Monday, Chacewater Band of Hope fete was held. A processional march, led Messrs. Johns and Seymour, the St Stephen Brass Band rendering lively music, (30 May 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
Circa 1912: St Stephen Brass Band disbanded.
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.
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