author
William Bottrell
1816–1881
Best known for gathering the legends, ghost stories, and fireside tales of West Cornwall, this 19th-century writer helped preserve a rich local tradition that might otherwise have been lost. His books still appeal to readers who love folklore with a strong sense of place.
2 Audiobooks
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
by William Bottrell
Stories and folk-lore of West Cornwall. Third Series
by William Bottrell
About the author
Born in St Levan, Cornwall, in 1816, William Bottrell became one of the key collectors of Cornish folklore. He drew on stories he had heard locally and on the voices of people in West Cornwall, shaping them into lively written retellings that preserved regional legends, beliefs, and customs.
He first contributed material to Robert Hunt's Popular Romances of the West of England, and later published his own collections, including Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall and Stories and Folk-Lore of West Cornwall. Through those books, he helped keep Cornish mythology and storytelling traditions in print for later generations.
Bottrell died in 1881. While details about his life are less widely remembered than the tales he recorded, his work remains important for anyone interested in Cornwall's folklore, oral storytelling, and local history.