Cornwall Heritage Awards 2025 Object of the Year

In 1807, Henry Trengrouse witnessed the wreck of the HMS Anson and the loss of over 100 lives at Loe Bar. He immediately drew on his skills as a cabinet maker and designed ingenious equipment that would prevent future tragic loss of life so close to shore.

Henry Trengrouses was born in 1772 and lived in Helston working as a cabinet maker. His ingenious life saving kit was created in an attempt to save lives at sea. In 1825 Henry wrote about his distress at witnessing drownings from shipwrecks including the Anson at Loe Bar “These melancholy disasters continued to exercise my mind intensely day and night; and I was led to consider what means could have been applied to save those who had so miserably perished within hail of their countrymen and friends, and within a few yards of land and safety: and thus, by such continued reflection, I very undesignedly became possessed by the idea of devising means for the preservation of life in cases of general shipwreck: from which period I have made this great object the principal of my pursuits.” (Henry Trengrouse) His kit comprised of a rocket, which would help form a line of communication between the ship and the shore; a ‘life spencer’, a cork buoyancy aid which has since been developed into the life-jacket, and a ‘Bosun’s chair’, a seat you could sit in to be helped ashore using the line communication established by the rocket, which is an early form of Breeches Buoy. On his deathbed he said to his son “If you live to be as old as I am, you will find my rocket apparatus along our shores”, and he was correct that his designs became widely used and developed, saving numerous lives at sea.

The image shows a lantern depiction of Henry Trengrouse holding a rocket and surrounded by pieces of the original kit.

A masterpiece capturing Cornwall's maritime spirit, the Jane Slade painting celebrates a pioneering businesswoman and her family's shipbuilding legacy. Immortalized by Reuben Chappell, this artwork inspired Daphne Du Maurier's first novel, weaving together art, entrepreneurship, and the creative essence of Cornish maritime life.

The Jane Slade painting is a vibrant testament to Cornwall's creative heritage, embodying innovation, artistic expression, and entrepreneurial spirit. At first glance a simple ship portrait, but it also represents a compelling story of creativity that bridges visual art, maritime engineering, and literary inspiration. Created by Reuben Chappell, a renowned pierhead artist, the painting captures more than the ship—it portrays a moment of Cornish ingenuity. The Jane Slade schooner symbolizes the remarkable craftsmanship of Polruan's shipbuilders, showcasing their technical skill and artistic vision in maritime design. At the painting's heart is Jane Slade herself (the ship was named for her) — a revolutionary businesswoman who defied 19th-century gender constraints. After her husband's death, she became Managing Director of the family shipyard, demonstrating extraordinary leadership and economic creativity that was years ahead of her time. The wreck of the ship directly inspired Daphne Du Maurier's debut novel, ‘The Loving Spirit,’ illustrating how one creative work can spark another. Intrigued by the ship, led her to research the lives of the family whose lives were shaped by her. This interconnectedness shows Cornwall's unique ability to generate and regenerate creative energy across different mediums. Displayed in the Cornwall and the Sea gallery, the painting serves as a powerful narrative of local innovation. It reveals how creativity in Cornwall is not just about individual achievements but how one spark of creativity can be used as inspiration for countless others.

All that glitters is not gold – sometimes it’s tin. Cornish tin. This exquisitely crafted tin epergne or centrepiece was presented to the Robartes family of Lanhydrock in 1869 by the miners of Redruth to thank them for establishing and supporting the Miners’ Infirmary.

It’s not unusual for an epergne or centrepiece to be intricate, delicate and to glitter in the candlelight of an extravagant dinner party. But that is what you expect from silver and crystal, the normal materials of choice for such an ornament. This epergne is all those things, and yet is made of Cornish tin. Even more extraordinary, this beautiful object wasn’t the fancy of a high-born aristocrat, or a line of decorative tableware from well-known silversmiths – it was, in fact, commissioned by miners. It was given to Lord and Lady Robartes, Thomas James and his wife Juliana, to say ‘thank you’ for their help founding the Miners’ Hospital in Redruth. The hospital buildings still stand, and many local people will have known it as the Camborne-Redruth Hospital throughout the 20th century. Little is known about who made the epergne, but what is obvious is that this person really knew their material. Tin is rarely made into decorative objects, more often used for solder, tinplate or production of alloys. But the maker of this epergne knew that Cornish tin was soft enough to craft and cut into these delicate palm fronds, and could be polished so that the grapes and vine leaves sparkled on the mirror base below. This is not just an object of thanks, but of pride in Cornish tin. It says that tin can play the precious metals at their own game and raises this workhorse of a metal to the centre stage.

Poppy, a 27-foot-long Mobile Telegraph Office, revolutionised communication at major sporting events in the 1950s. Originally used by the General Post Office, she now serves as a unique part of PK Porthcurno’s outreach programme, bringing telecommunications history to life at schools and events across Cornwall, showcasing Cornwall’s creative ingenuity.

Poppy, a 27-foot-long, 6-ton Mobile Telegraph Office, was commissioned by the General Post Office in 1956 to provide real-time communication at major sporting events. Built by Harrington’s of Hove, her aluminium body and Commer diesel engine made her a pioneering force in mobile communication, crucial for broadcasting press coverage from events like the Open Golf Championships and international cricket and rugby tours. Designed with a narrow chassis to fit through the gates at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Poppy accommodated eight operators, with two engineers managing the equipment. As the vehicle had to be parked wherever there was an available power supply, Venetian blinds were fitted to reduce the heat for those working inside when parked in direct sunlight. After serving the General Post Office until 1972, Poppy was repurposed and eventually ended up in a Cambridgeshire field. After being spotted by a GPO employee who recognised her memorable number plate, SLO24 (in recognition of her then-top speed of 24 miles an hour), she was restored by enthusiasts and donated to PK Porthcurno, arriving in Cornwall in 2023. Now, Poppy plays a vital role in PK Porthcurno’s outreach activities, bringing telecommunications history to schools and events across Cornwall. Visitors can explore her original equipment and learn how early telegraphy shaped modern communication and Cornwall’s place at the heart of this story Poppy showcases the creativity and ingenuity of 1950s mobile communication technology. Her story demonstrates the evolution of telecommunication and its global impact, highlighting how such innovations shaped our modern lives.

Prototype Hicks Reel. Designed by Cyril Hicks in St Agnes, 1959. This life-saving reel was designed to be portable, with 250 metres of line, to be used on unpatrolled beaches. Careful instructions and diagrams were provided inside the lid to allow it to be used safely by the public.

This is the prototype Hicks Reel. It is a bright, portable piece of life-saving equipment. Designed by St Agnes man, Cyril Hicks, to be readily seen and easy for anyone to use following the instructions in the box lid. Following a number of drownings at local beaches, Cyril Hicks showed great innovation and creativity to design a practical, everyman, solution to this pressing local issue. Drawing on his experience of the large, heavier reels used by experienced beach patrollers, he used inexpensive, readily available, materials to create a smaller and lighter, more user-friendly reel. It was demonstrated on St Agnes Beach early in the summer of 1959 and then adopted by many authorities and placed on beaches in Cornwall & Devon. A slightly enlarged version was adopted by Jersey. In all, several hundred of the reels were manufactured and were in everyday use for many years, contributing enormously to the safety of the many unpatrolled beaches in Cornwall and further afield. Cyril was a founder member of St Agnes Surf Life Saving Club in 1954, itself a founder of the Surf life Saving Club of Great Britain. Since then it has grown to around 900 members, some of whom will remember this reel in use. They, and many more, will be grateful for its invention. The importance of being equipped to save lives on our shores endures to this day. Many lives have been saved as a direct result of the creativity and selflessness of this community-spirited individual.

A shepherd’s lantern belonging to Cornish poet Reverand R.S. Hawker, author of ‘The Song of the Western Men’ which became the lyrics for the great Cornish anthem Trelawny.

Our object is a shepherd’s lantern dating from the nineteenth century, that once belonged to Reverend Robert Stephen Hawker. Hawker is arguably one of the most creative Cornishmen of the Victorian age. He was a poet, who penned The song of the Western Men, otherwise known as the great Cornish anthem, Trelawny. He was the Vicar for the parish of Morwenstow, for many years, where he lived at the vicarage. Hawker’s Hut, stands a short distance along the cliff path from the church. Constructed from the timbers of salvaged wrecks, it is here that Hawker spent much of his creative time writing. The lantern would have lit his hut on darker days, as well as lighting the way from the vicarage to the church. The hut itself has become famous as the National Trust’s smallest property and it is easy to see how Hawker would have been inspired whilst sitting in the hut looking out to sea. The coastline at Morwenstow is treacherous and Hawker was involved in saving the lives of many sailors who fell victim to stormy seas. Again, it seems likely that his trusty lantern would have assisted him when searching for survivors, or the dead, in order to give them a Christian burial. His life and the times in which he lived, inspired Hawker's creativity. In his own words, he claimed that ‘I would not be forgotten’ and this is certainly true, as he will be discovered by generations to come.