Helena Charles
Encyclopedia
Helena Charles was a Cornish
humanitarian, cultural activist and poet
.
She was a member of Gorseth Kernow
under the Bardic name of Maghteth Boudycca ('Daughter of Boudicca'). She organised residential courses in the Cornish language
, where Richard Gendall
and Tony Snell
met and wrote poetry
in the language.
In January 1951, she became the first leader of the Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow
. She led the party for the first four years and was also the first person to put MK policies to the electorate, winning a seat on Redruth-Camborne Urban District Council in 1953, fighting under the slogan 'A Square Deal for the Cornish.' She was succeeded as Chairman of MK by Major Cecil Beer in the late 1950s.
In 1950, she organised a group of actors to perform the play Bewnans Meriasek in Cornish at the Celtic Congress. It was performed in several places in Cornwall and was Cornwall's entry to the Festival of Britain
.
She organized assistance for displaced members of the population of Heligoland
, and later went to Venice
to work for the welfare
of the feral cats there.
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
humanitarian, cultural activist and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
She was a member of Gorseth Kernow
Gorseth Kernow
Gorseth Kernow is a non-political Cornish organisation, which exists to maintain the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall in the United Kingdom.-History:...
under the Bardic name of Maghteth Boudycca ('Daughter of Boudicca'). She organised residential courses in the Cornish language
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
, where Richard Gendall
Richard Gendall
Richard Gendall is a British expert on the Cornish language, born in 1924. He is the founder of "Modern Cornish"/Curnoack Nowedga, which split off during the 1980s. Whereas Ken George mainly went to Medieval Cornish as the inspiration for his revival, Gendall went to the last surviving records of...
and Tony Snell
Tony Snell
Tony Snell is a Cornish waterman, teacher, linguist, singer, and poet. Born in 1938, Snell spent many years teaching at St. Edward's School in Oxford. He became a member of Gorseth Kernow in 1954 under the Bardic name of Gwas Kevardhu...
met and wrote poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
in the language.
In January 1951, she became the first leader of the Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow is a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly, as well as social democracy and environmental protection.MK was formed as a pressure group in 1951, and contained as members activists...
. She led the party for the first four years and was also the first person to put MK policies to the electorate, winning a seat on Redruth-Camborne Urban District Council in 1953, fighting under the slogan 'A Square Deal for the Cornish.' She was succeeded as Chairman of MK by Major Cecil Beer in the late 1950s.
In 1950, she organised a group of actors to perform the play Bewnans Meriasek in Cornish at the Celtic Congress. It was performed in several places in Cornwall and was Cornwall's entry to the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
.
She organized assistance for displaced members of the population of Heligoland
Heligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
, and later went to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to work for the welfare
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
of the feral cats there.
Publications
- What is home rule? (New Cornwall pamphlet No.1) Redruth: New Cornwall, [ca. 1953]
- New Cornwall - a political magazine. Founded by Richard Gendall in 1952; edited by Helena Charles; from 1956 edited by RichardRichardThe first or given name Richard derives from German, French, and English "ric" and "hard" , therefore it means 'powerful leader' as well as 'King's Court'...
and Ann Jenkin