Nicholas Tregear was a Cornish priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He is best known for his translation of twelve of Bishop Bonner’s homilies from English into Cornish, which are collectively known as the Tregear Homilies. These homilies are the longest surviving prose texts in the Cornish language and provide valuable insights into the religious, social and linguistic situation of Cornwall at the time.

Nicholas Tregear was a Cornish priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He is best known for his translation of twelve of Bishop Bonner’s homilies from English into Cornish, which are collectively known as the Tregear Homilies. These homilies are the longest surviving prose texts in the Cornish language and provide valuable insights into the religious, social and linguistic situation of Cornwall at the time. Nicholas Tregear was a Cornish priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He is best known for his translation of twelve of Bishop Bonner’s homilies from English into Cornish, which are collectively known as the Tregear Homilies. These homilies are the longest surviving prose texts in the Cornish language and provide valuable insights into the religious, social and linguistic situation of Cornwall at the time.

Who was Nicholas Tregear?

Nicholas Tregear was born around 1530 in Crowan, a parish in west Cornwall. He was educated at Oxford University, where he became a fellow of Exeter College in 1554. He was ordained as a priest in 1556 and returned to Cornwall, where he served as a vicar of St Allen, near Truro, from 1560 to 1583. He was also a prebendary of Exeter Cathedral from 1561 to 1583.

Tregear was a staunch Catholic who opposed the Protestant Reformation that took place under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. He was involved in several plots and conspiracies against the English crown, such as the Ridolfi Plot in 1571 and the Throckmorton Plot in 1583. He was arrested and imprisoned several times for his treasonous activities, but he managed to escape or obtain pardons. He died in exile in France in 1588.

What are the Tregear Homilies?

The Tregear Homilies are a series of twelve sermons that were originally written by Edmund Bonner, the Bishop of London, in English between 1553 and 1555. They were intended to instruct and persuade the people of England to return to the Catholic faith after the brief reign of the Protestant Edward VI. The homilies cover topics such as faith, repentance, charity, prayer, the sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Creed.

Tregear translated these homilies from English into Cornish around 1560, probably for his own use or for his parishioners. He used a mixture of Middle and Late Cornish forms and vocabulary, reflecting the transitional stage of the language at the time. He also added some words and phrases that were not in the original English text, such as references to local saints, places and customs. He also used some English loanwords or loan translations when he could not remember or find the equivalent Cornish words.

The Tregear Homilies are preserved in a single manuscript that is currently held at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. The manuscript consists of 164 folios (328 pages) and is written in a clear and neat hand. It also has an additional homily on the Sacrament of the Altar that was added later by another priest, Thomas Stephyn.

Why are the Tregear Homilies important?

The Tregear Homilies are important for several reasons:

• They are the longest surviving prose texts in Cornish and contain about 30% of all the known Cornish words.
• They are one of the few examples of religious literature in Cornish and show how Catholic doctrine and practice were expressed in the language.
• They are one of the earliest attempts to revive and preserve Cornish as a written language in the face of English domination and assimilation.
• They are a valuable source of information about the culture, history and identity of Cornwall in the 16th century.

The Tregear Homilies have been edited and published several times since their discovery in the 19th century. The most recent edition is by Graham Thomas (2007), who also provides an English translation and a comprehensive commentary. The homilies have also been translated back into Cornish by Julyan Holmes (2001) using a modern orthography.

The Tregear Homilies are a testament to Nicholas Tregear’s passion and dedication for his faith and his language. They are a remarkable achievement that deserves to be recognized and appreciated by anyone interested in Cornish literature and history.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 06/10/2023 (1) Cornish literature - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_literature. (2) Tregear – Cornish studies resources. https://bernarddeacon.com/tregear/. (3) Cornish language - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_language.