Bryher - 3

I wonder how far back the families on Scilly go. How many are pure Cornish and how many of English blood. I seem to remember reading that they are less Cornish than the mainland on account of incomers from beyond the Tamar. I must check on what is known of the Surname Pender : Penn [end] + Tir [land] and common near Land s End, I note! Pure Cornish that, it would seem!

Pender derives from the people taken over to the Islands from Pendrea (St Buryan area) by the Godolphin family. As you say, pure Cornish. Most early families of the Islands derive from Penwith.

Earliest IOS Church Registers are from 1726, other information can be gleaned from many other records.

Thanks for correcting me! You are quite right, Treeve. I doubted Pen - dir myself, having taken it from Pawley White s Cornish Surnames but bowed to his judgement but I am sure it is what you say and it s much more likely that it is from Penn + tre (Mutates to dre after preceding adjective penn meaning chief/main ).