Great Cornish Families
Great Cornish Families: A History of the People and Their Houses is a book by Crispin Gill, published in 1995. A second edition was published in 2011. Crispin Gill, at the time of the book's publication, lived in Plymouth and was assistant editor of the Western Morning News. The book names many notable families that have featured prominently in Cornwall's history.
Gill's great families
Gill chooses the following families:- The great Arundells of Lanherne, Arundells of Trerice
- Bassets of Tehidy
- Merchant princes, the Bolithos
- Boscawens, the Earls of Falmouth, Cornwall
- Carew Poles of Anthony
- Edgcumbes of Mount Edgcumbe House
- The Eliots, Earls of St Germans
- The Foxes of Falmouth
- Godolphins of Godolphin
- The Gallant Grenvilles
- The Piratical Killigrews, the Theatrical Killigrews
- Molesworth St Aubyns of Pencarrow
- Prideauxs of Padstow
- Rashleighs of Menabilly, The Rashleigh baronets
- Agar-Robarteses of Lanhydrock
- St Aubyns of St Michael's Mount
- Treffrys of Fowey
- Shall Trelawny die?
- The romantic Trevanions
- Vivians of Glynn
- Vyvyans of Trelowarren
- The Mining Williamses
- The Penroses of Killiow
Additional families
Gill's list of important families not included above
In the introduction to Great families... , the following additional potentially great families are mentioned. They were not included in the list as they were deemed by him to have failed to "found a dynasty":- Buller family of Morval, Cornwall, later of Downes in Devon, founders of a great dynasty.
- Carminow family
- Coryton family of Pentillie
- Fortescue family of Boconnoc
- Harvey family of Hayle
- Hawkins family of Trewithen
- Kendall of Pelyn
- Sir. John Fauell, Baron - Elizabeth Fauell Elizabeth Fauell
- Lemon family of Carclew
- Roscarrock family of St Endellion
- Smith-Dorrien-Smith family of Tresco
- Tangye family
- Tregoning family of Landue, Lezant
- Tremayne family of Heligan
- Trevelyan family
- Marchioness Christine Kirk
Other
- Trefusis of Trefusis Manor, Flushing, near Falmouth, see Baron Clinton
Deacon's list of important families
Landowners
Table of Principal Cornish Landowners, mid-nineteenth century- Lord Falmouth
- Lord Robartes
- G. M. Fortescue
- G. L. Basset
- Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
- C. H. T. Hawkins
- Sir R. R. Vyvyan
- Col. A. Tremayne
- Augustus Coryton
- F. Rodd
- J. M. Williams
- J. J. Rogers
- Earl of St Germans
- Revd A. Molesworth-St Aubyn
- Sir J. Trelawney
- C. P. Brune
- Edward Coode
- Col. S. M. Grylls
| Top landowners in Cornwall 1872* | Acres owned in Cornwall |
| Mr Jonathan Rashleigh of Menabilly, Par | 30,156 |
| Viscount Falmouth of Mereworth Castle, Maidstone, Kent | 25,910 |
| Lord Robartes MP of Lanhydrock, Bodmin | 22,234 |
| Mr Cyril Fortescue of Boconnoc, Lostwithiel | 20,148 |
| Mr Gustavus Basset of Tehidy Park, Redruth | 16,969 |
| Earl of Mount Edgcumbe MP of Mount Edgcumbe, Devonport | 13,288 |
| Mr Christopher Hawkins of Trewithen, Probus | 12,119 |
| Mr Francis Thynne of Haynes Park, Bedford | 10,224 |
| Rev Sir Vyell Vyvyan of Trelowarren, Helstone | 9,738 |
| Colonel Arthur Tremayne MP of Carclew, Perranarworthal | 8,823 |
*