In 1948 the writer Sydney Horler at the time a well known thriller writer of some 158 novels who is now largely forgotten .His views on race and religion that he expressed in the characters of his novels which are now very out of place in today’s world ,took it upon himself to write a letter to the Cornish Review, a small circulation arts magazine on the characteristics of the Cornish.
This is the letter he wrote:
Sir:
Pick up any book about Cornwall,and you’ll find the writer expatiating about the lovely coast scenery ,the different points of interest,etc,whilst remaining very reticent about the natives. I have lived among the Cornish -the Bude variety in particular for years now,on and off, and I have been appalled by what I have discovered in the local character. I have found a certain class to be treacherous, two faced, sly, deceitful, flagrant humbugs ( more especially when they profess themselves deeply religious as many of them do) and altogether undesirable.In fact in sheer defense ,I now refuse to have anything to do with the ‘locals’,and if newcomers to the county take my advice they will adopt the same precaution.If they don’t ,they will inevitably learn the same bitter lesson as myself.
What is the reason for this deplorable antisocial behaviour? The principal cause,I believe,is that the Cornish,a primitive people at the best,cut off for centuries from the rest of the country,have always hated the intrusion of anyone from outside- the ‘foreigner’, as they call him.They like his money, but keenly resent his physical presence. And the kinder and more generous he is on arrival,the more they will hate and fleece him. This is the stark truth. Perhaps being a very backward, illiterate and ignorant people ,they develop a strong sense of inferiority when they come into contact with anyone of a different and better type: the fact remains the ‘foreigner’ is only safe if he leaves them strictly alone .I have actually heard Cornishmen boast that their forebears lured ships on to the rocks by false lights,and their present actions are influenced no doubt,by what is in their very blood.A man who should know (he served in the Intelligence Service during both wars) assured me that German submarines were refuelled in coves along the south and north Cornish coast in 1914-1918, and that the crews were allowed to come ashore and mingle freely with the natives. After living in Cornwall, I can well believe it: in spite of the crowded chapels or, perhaps because of them- there is more farmyard immorality in Cornwall than in any other part of England. Many of the stories I can tell you would be judged incredible by any ordinary standard.
Perhaps the sexual lust can be partially explained by the strange mixture of blood in the Cornish, the frenzied chapel goer will deny it at the top of his voice ,but in spite of the strenuous attempts to hush it up,there is undoubtedly a lot of foreign blood among the natives, you can see men in Newlyn and other places standing on street corners,unshaved and wearing filthy trousers,who are pure Iberian, and who might have stepped out of a picture by Goya.This may account also for the Cornishman’s indolence,carelessness. and general shiftiness in some measure ,at least ;although the worst kind of Cornishman would be a natural rascal,I am afraid in any case .
Sydney Horler.
Quite what Mr Horler thought the reaction to his letter might be it was probably not what he expected.
I found his letter amusing, particularly the line about farmyard immorality and points much more to his isolated and fevered imagination .
At the time the letter was greeted with huge outrage across Kernow,Mr Horler was forced to leave Kernow after complaining that he had received threatening phone calls. Later that year an effigy of Sydney Horler was burnt on a huge Guy Fawkes bonfire in Newlyn attended by thousands of people.
It does make me think though ,are there still people today who are more circumspect about talking so publicly ,still share the very unfortunate view of the Cornish of Mr Sydney Horler ?
KernowCalling 