Ponsanooth (1814)




Ponsanooth was the home of William Carvosso (see this website). He wrote in his biography about the 1814 revival. ''In the beginning of the year 1814, a great and glorious revival broke out at Redruth and spread to various parts of Cornwall. It was such a revival as my eyes never saw before. I call it a 'glorious revival' for such it proved to my own soul. My faith was so increased to see the mighty power of God displayed in convincing and converting such vast multitudes. For this great and merciful visitation numbers will praise God for all eternity. At Ponsanooth we partook largely of the general good. The society which, twenty-five years before, consisted of one small and feeble class, now became a society of near 200 members, divided into eleven classes.'

The minister of the circuit, writing about the 1814 revival says, 'Saturday 5th, on my arrival at Ponsanooth, I found the fire had broken out there an evening or two before; consequently I was obliged to conduct the meeting, both this evening and the next morning, without preaching, as at most of the other places.'

William Carvosso was away on a preaching tour when revival broke out in December 1823. He says in his journal, 'Hearing that God had very wonderfully visited Ponsanooth, I hastened thither and found some of the distressed souls in the chapel, who had been there several days and nights, struggling in prayer and crying for mercy. At Mr Lovey's factory the spirit of conviction was operating so powerfully that many who had been triflers were falling down on their knees to pray in the midst of their work. Indeed, for many days little else was done but attending to those who were deeply agonising with God for their soul's salvation. Multitudes were the subjects of a gracious change; the exact number I cannot say, but upward of a hundred gave their names to meet in class.'


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