Williams family of Caerhays and Burncoose

The Williams family of Caerhays, Burncoose and Scorrier is a Cornish family enterprise whose commercial identity spans mining, smelting, landed estates, gardens and a specialist plant nursery. The family's business story begins with John Williams the First, who purchased Burncoose in 1715. Over several generations the family became owners of mines and smelting works during the Cornish Industrial Revolution, with interests that included the Gwennap copperbelt, copper smelting works in Swansea, tin-smelting works, sulphur mines and quarries. John Williams the Second initiated the construction of the Great County Adit, a drainage system that eventually extended some 40 miles and drained over 60 mines. John Williams the Third controlled the Gwennap copperbelt and copper smelting works in Swansea, was a Director of The Cornish Bank, and with the Fox family of Falmouth built the Plymouth breakwater and developed the harbour at Portreath, linking it by the Portreath tramway to his mine at Poldice. He purchased land at Scorrier and built Scorrier House there. In the 19th century the family acquired the Caerhays Estate, bought by Michael Williams in 1853. Caerhays Castle, a mock-mediaeval castle designed in the early 19th century by John Nash, remains in the family's ownership. The gardens at Caerhays are open to the public each year in spring and early summer and hold magnolia trees accredited with Plant Heritage as a National Plant Collection. Scorrier House, built by John Williams the Third in 1778 as the principal family residence, is still lived in by the family and can be hired for wedding receptions, private parties and corporate and outdoor events; its garden, much of it planted by the Victorian botanist and plant hunter William Lobb, can be visited by appointment only. Today the family's commercial face is closely associated with Burncoose Nurseries and Caerhays Castle Gardens. Charles Henry Williams, born in 1957 and the current owner of Caerhays Castle, trained as a merchant banker before returning to Cornwall to run Caerhays Castle Gardens and Burncoose Nurseries. He is the son of Francis Julian Williams (1927–2019), CBE. The family also developed williamsii hybrid camellias, a plant-breeding legacy that connects the historic mining fortune to the modern horticultural business. A branch of the family settled in Port Hope, Ontario, where Arthur Trefusis Heneage Williams of Penryn Park was a notable figure and his statue stands in front of the town hall.

The Williams family of Caerhays, Burncoose and Scorrier were owners of mines and smelting works for several generations during the Cornish Industrial Revolution. The family's rise began with John Williams the First (1685–1761), who purchased Burncoose in 1715 and married Thomasine Paynter. His son John Williams the Second (1714–1790) initiated the construction of the Great County Adit, which eventually became a 40-mile system of adits, draining over 60 mines. Michael Williams (1730–1775), son of John the First, lived at Burncoose and married Susanna, daughter of Henry Harris of Cusgarne. John Williams the Third (1753–1841), son of Michael Williams, controlled the Gwennap copperbelt and copper smelting works in Swansea. He also owned tin-smelting works, sulphur mines and quarries, and was a Director of The Cornish Bank. With the Fox family of Falmouth, he built the Plymouth breakwater and developed the harbour at Portreath, linking it by the Portreath tramway to his mine at Poldice. He purchased land at Scorrier and built Scorrier House there in 1778 as the principal residence of the Williams family. He married Catherine Harvey in 1776. His sons continued the family's industrial and landed expansion. John Williams the Fourth (1778–1849) was elected FRS in 1828. Michael Williams was MP for the Western Division of Cornwall from 1853 to 1858, High Sheriff of Glamorgan in 1840, Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall and Deputy-Warden of the Stannaries; he bought the Caerhays Estate in 1853. Sir William Williams (1791–1870) served as Deputy-Lieutenant of Cornwall, High Sheriff of Cornwall and Deputy-Warden of the Stannaries in 1851, and was created "Baronet Williams of Tregullow in the County of Cornwall" on 4 August 1866. Frederick Martin Williams (1830–1878) was Conservative Member of Parliament for Truro. John Michael Williams (1813–1880) was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1865. John Charles Williams (1861–1939), second son of John Michael Williams and Elizabeth Davey, was MP for the Truro Division of Cornwall from 1892 to 1895, High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1888, and Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall from 1918 to 1936. Caerhays Castle, a country house on the south coast of Cornwall at St Michael Caerhays, was designed as a mock-mediaeval castle in the early 19th century by John Nash and later bought by the Williams family, who still own it. The gardens are open to the public each year in spring and early summer and hold magnolia trees accredited with Plant Heritage as a National Plant Collection. Scorrier House, built by John Williams the Third in 1778, was enlarged in 1845 and 1908 following a fire that gutted parts of the house. Its garden is also of note, much of it having been planted by William Lobb, a noted Victorian botanist and plant hunter. Today Scorrier House can be hired for wedding receptions, private parties and corporate and outdoor events, and the garden can be visited by appointment only. The family developed williamsii hybrid camellias and fine gardens at Burncoose, Gwennap; St Michael Caerhays and Scorrier House, all in Cornwall. A branch of the family settled in Port Hope, Ontario. Arthur Trefusis Heneage Williams of Penryn Park, Port Hope, son of John Tucker Williams and grandson of John Williams (1753–1841) of Scorrier House, was the hero of the Battle of Batoche and his statue stands in front of the town hall at Port Hope. His son General Arthur Victor Seymour Williams served in the Second Boer War and World War I, and Mount Williams in Canada was named in his honour. Francis Julian Williams (1927–2019), CBE, was a later family principal. Charles Henry Williams (born 1957), current owner of Caerhays Castle, trained as a merchant banker before returning to Cornwall to run Caerhays Castle Gardens and Burncoose Nurseries; he is the son of Francis Julian Williams.

• 1908

  Further enlargements were made to Scorrier House after another fire.

• 1866

  Sir William Williams was created Baronet Williams of Tregullow.

• 1853

  Michael Williams bought the Caerhays Estate.

• 1845

  Scorrier House was enlarged following a fire.

• 1778

  John Williams the Third built Scorrier House as the principal family residence.

• 1715

  John Williams the First purchased Burncoose.

A historic Cornish family enterprise combining a mining and smelting heritage with horticultural stewardship, plant breeding and visitor attractions.

• williamsii hybrid camellias

  Camellia hybrids developed by the Williams family.

• Caerhays Castle Gardens

  Public gardens with a National Plant Collection of magnolias.

• Burncoose Nurseries

  Specialist plant nursery run by Charles Henry Williams.

1. 1Williams family of Caerhays, Burncoose and Scorrier - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Williams family of Caerhays and Burncoose - Wikidatawikidata.org