High sheriff visits Mexico for mining anniversary

Sam Galsworthy said the local people had preserved much of the mine's architecture from when the Cornish first arrived in the area

The high sheriff of Cornwall has visited Mexico as part of commemoration events to celebrate the 200-year-old link between the two locations.

Thousands of Cornish miners emigrated to the Pachuca-Real del Monte area of Hidalgo, central Mexico, to find gold and silver in 1824.

Sam Galsworthy met with the British ambassador to Mexico and the mayor of Real del Monte as part the anniversary celebrations.

He said the experience of visiting Mexican mines and other significant cultural locations was "really overwhelming".

'Designed by the Cornish'

He said: "The oldest mine in the region that was responsible for extracting a huge amount of silver was designed by the Cornish and built by the Cornish in partnership with the local Mexicans.

"I'm in a mine called Delores and I've been shown around here and I've seen about 160 different names of Cornishmen that were involved in its construction, the stories of whom I'm going to learn and no doubt tell a little bit over the next few days."

Mr Galsworthy said the local people had preserved much of the mine's architecture from when the Cornish first emigrated to the area.

He said steam engines, boilers and wheel beams had been kept with "extraordinary diligence" and there was a "real passion" for what the Cornish did.

'Totally extraordinary place'

Mr Galsworthy said he also visited a "nearly 200-year-old cemetery" in which many Cornish "husbands, wives and children" were buried.

"This is a cemetery my grandmother, Lady Jennifer Galsworthy, discovered and she's written so much about this haunting, atmospheric, totally extraordinary place.

"The gravestones here bear the name of Jenkins, Fox, Ludlow, Pengelly, Newlyn... it goes on and it goes on.

"It's very touching to be sat here on the 200th anniversary of the Cornish miners being here and my grandmother unearthing this story, and me being able to tell it as high sheriff of Cornwall."