Trinity Young Wives

There is some new material in the Newlyn Archive about Trinity Young Wives. Look in the main Newlyn Archive at Institutions and Organisations, Trinity Chapel, Wives.

In 1960 a group of young Newlyn wives got together at the Methodist House at Fotheringay, Elms Close Terrace in Newlyn with a view to offering each other support. They decided to hold regular meetings for discussion and general chatter. In due course at the suggestion of Maureen Edwards, the new Minister’s wife they changed their venue to Trinity Sunday School on Chywoone Hill where they would meet every Thursday afternoon, finishing in time to collect their children from School. In due course, on a Thursday morning, they ran a creche for the little ones before they started school. There they would sing to the children and get them painting and playing games.
The group expanded and by the turn of the century were engaged in many different activities and charitable events. They supported the Trinity Bazaar, held at the end of November, making items to sell on the stalls. They took part in the local carnivals, designing many amazing carnival floats. They organized many events for their members and gave the young wives a chance to take a break from domestic drudgery. As the members grew older they changed the name from Newlyn Young Wives to Newlyn Trinity Wives. They had an annual dinner where they were joined by their husbands and husbands were also invited to some of the talks and visits that were organised.
With the changes in domestic life that have taken place over the last half century, women are no longer in need of the tremendous support that the wives group offered, so numbers decreased and today only a small group meets once a week for coffee.