For the most part just who those enterprising persons may have been has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, it would seem that whoever he [or she] may have been, they must have been someone of prominence within that community. Generally speaking, a surname would not have been selected lightly especially in some instances over such along timescale. So who may have these people been?

The names bestowed on mines and mine engines in particular, usually bore the name of the shaft over which it was erected, or as was more usual, the surname of the person who had been chosen to act as a ‘god-parent’ at the christening and starting ceremony. An interesting example of this was the small and one of the last to be built by the Perran foundry, which was erected at the Mount Carbis Mine, Redruth in September 1881 and christened the Mount Carbis Tottenham Engine.

There are of course people, some of whom from way back in time, have already been mentioned, others extracted from various old documents such as: -

• Subsidies of 1522, Military Survey or 1522 and the Tinners Muster Rolls of 1523;
  CARBONS, CARBONS, CARBOMS, CARBOUS and CARBOUSE
• Cornwall Muster of 1569;
  CARBES, CARBOUSE and KARBUS
• Protestation Returns of 1641;
  CARBENS, CARBOES, CARBUS, CARBUSH, CARBYNE and CARBYNS
• Hearth Tax of 1662
  CARBENS, CARBES, CARBINES, CARBOUSE and CARBUS

These are but a few of the possible forty something variants of the base name of CARBIS.

But more recently in the eighteen hundreds there are some people to note in the Redruth area, [See Frank Mitchell’s book ‘Annuals of a Ancient Cornish Town – Redruth]

In the 1854 Rate Book for Redruth, by the authority of the Poor Law Commission, Jno [John] CARBIS Exs [expenses?] for the house at Carbis Row, Redruth.

From the 1856 Kelly’s Directory, Redruth, under Traders, there is a mention of a John CARBIS – hairdresser of Cross Street. Also there is a mention of one William CARBIS – Farmer of Trewirge, Carkeek.

On page 140 and again on 1247 of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s [RNLI] book of ‘Lifeboat Gallantry’ there is a mention of a Thomas CARBIS who, as the Coxswain of the Penzance, Cornwall self-righting lifeboat the ‘Richard LEWIS’ was awarded a ‘silver medal for gallantry’ on two separate occasions.

In 1884, amongst those to be found in Pigot’s Directory, is one William CARBIS Esq. under the heading of Nobility, Gentry and Clergy.

As in all such research, there are those persons, who for one reason or another have fallen foul of the law, with consequences that involved imprisonment and/or transportation – to the colonies. In the main however, there are all the other usual trades and professions from assayers, farmers, grocers, miner and others, who in one form or another support themselves and their families. All these individuals, good or bad, have only one reason for being what they are [you do what you are – you’re born with a gift] most having been given a better chance to change and progress by their parents.