Why do people from the English county of Cornwall say they are Cornish not English?

Question

I think its a bit silly.

England is small country as it is without it being broken up.

English people from Cornwall may argue that it used to be its own independent kingdom with its own language/dialect, culture, flag and even monarchy.

That maybe true but if it that is the case then kingdoms like Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria could claim that they are separate from England.

English people from Cornwall also say that they are a Celtic race like the Scots, Irish, Welsh and Britons.

True but everyone has some Celtic ancestry in England plus there are areas of England where some people have more Viking Scandinavian ancestry than say other areas who have more Anglo-Saxon Germanic ancestry. It doesn't mean they should break away from each other.

If English people from Cornwall want to get picky and say they are Cornish then that makes me Mercian lol

http://www.evilmagic.org/mnp/facts.html

Answer 1

I think you are wrong, Sonny boy.





"Cornwall was not conquered by the Anglo-Saxons but rather it was co-opted into the Anglo-Saxon crown; by the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042–1066) it was part of the Earldom of Wessex. Since then, the titles Earl of Cornwall and Duke of Cornwall have been used by the English peerage, beginning in the reign of William the Conqueror."







"Cornwall showed a very different type of settlement pattern to that of Saxon Wessex and places continued (even after 1066) to be named in the Celtic Cornish tradition with Saxon architecture being uncommon in Cornwall. The earliest record for any Anglo Saxon place names west of the Tamar is around 1040."

Answer 2

I believe Cornwall only technically became a county in the early 19th century (although I can't remember where I read that!) so it's understandable that Cornish people feel their distinct ethnic and cultural differences more keenly than, say, the Iceni peopl!



I think people all over these islands have realised over the past 50 years that if you don't cling to your language and culture then it can so easily die out. I think that's why the Cornish have decided they don't want to be anglicised further, and are promoting the teaching of their native language etc.



Personally I think it's great. The native languages of Ireland, Scotland and Wales would be nearly dead in the ground by now if the local people hadn't put their foot down and made damn sure that didn't happen. For that, you have to separate yourself. Good on them, I say!

Answer 3

some do no longer, some Nationalists evaluate themselves to be Cornish and British, no longer English (they hate the English and contact the St George flag 'the bloodrag'), yet maximum (that's like those with a activity and that) evaluate themselves to be Cornish, English and British. @Kernow female, then clarify this. ''a team referred to as An Gof, concerning the blacksmith Michael An Gof who led the failed insurrection of 1497, made countless assaults in the Nineteen Eighteen Eighties, consisting of a bomb at a courthouse in St Austell in 1980, a hearth in a Penzance hairdressers a 365 days later, and an arson attack on a bingo hall in Redruth. It remained silent until eventually 2007, while it made a assertion that "any tries from hereon to fly the hated and oppressive Flag of St George, which all of us comprehend with the aid of fact the blood banner in our united states of america, will bring about direct action by employing our business enterprise".An English flag in Tresillian previously that 365 days advance into destroyed and the words "English Out" daubed on a backyard wall.''

Answer 4

The Cornish have a history which is distinct from the English kingdoms you mention in that they had a Celtic language and customs which were quite distinctive from those of the Anglo-Saxon communities. It is perhaps a little late in the day to assert their separate identity, but as the EU is intent upon promoting separate regional identities, it is reasonable enough for them to assert their separateness. If you could establish a Mercian identity and culture which was distinct from the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, then you too might be able to gain support from the EU. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/cornish_nation_01.shtml

Answer 5

I guess it's about what they identify with best. Personally, I'm English but would never describe myself as so. I don't feel English and don't consider myself English even though by any definition it's what I am. I am, however, entirely happy to call myself British, which is what I feel I most identify with.

Answer 6

It's all to do with identity.



I'm a Londoner (born there), an Englishman, a Brit, a European. I can be ALL of these things at once quite comfortably.



Wonderful isn't it?

Answer 7

So you object to people being proud of their heritage? Who cares if they want to call themselves Cornish, they have every right to

Answer 8

It's stupid ignore them otherwise I'd be yorkshireon :/ which does not sound good lol