author
Enys Tregarthen
1851–1923
Best known for weaving Cornish folklore into children’s fiction, this Padstow writer helped preserve stories of piskeys, mermaids, and other local wonders. Writing under the name Enys Tregarthen, she turned the legends of North Cornwall into books that still feel magical and rooted in place.
2 Audiobooks
North Cornwall Fairies and Legends
by Enys Tregarthen
The Piskey-Purse: Legends and Tales of North Cornwall
by Enys Tregarthen
About the author
Born Nellie Sloggett in Padstow, Cornwall, she wrote under the names Enys Tregarthen and Nellie Cornwall. Reliable sources agree that she spent most of her life closely tied to Padstow and became known as both an author and a collector of local folklore.
As a teenager, she developed a severe spinal illness that left her paralysed for the rest of her life. Even with those limits, she built a literary career from her deep knowledge of Cornwall’s landscape, customs, and storytelling traditions.
Her best-known work centers on the fairy lore and legends of North Cornwall, especially tales of piskeys. Books such as The Piskey-Purse helped bring regional folklore to younger readers while also preserving stories that might otherwise have been lost.