Ann Trevenen Jenkin, Bryallen, Cornwall's first female Grand Bard, has died at the age of 93

Cornwall is paying tribute to its first female Grand Bard, Ann Trevenen Jenkin, also known as Bryallen, who passed away on April 8 at her home in Leedstown. Born on April 14, 1930, in Barnet, Hertfordshire, to John Arnold Trevenen and Dorothy Goldsmith, her family moved to Redruth in 1932.

Ann studied in Redruth and attended Truro High School before earning an English degree from Exeter University. After obtaining her teaching qualification, she became an English teacher and met Richard Jenkin, a prominent member of many Cornish organizations. They married in 1956 and had four children.

Gorsedh Kernow described Ann as a trailblazer, after she became a bard of the Cornish Gorsedh in 1956, taking the bardic name Bryallen, and was appointed the first female Grand Bard in 1997—a testament to her devotion to numerous Cornish associations.

The spokesperson for Gorsedh Kernow stated, "Ann was an exceptional organizer and catalyst for many projects in the Cornish cultural sector. As Grand Bard, she set up the Gorsedh Archives and organized the first Dewhelans/Homecoming for the Cornish Diaspora."

Ann was a founder member of Mebyon Kernow and served as its life president. She was also life president of the Celtic Congress, attending numerous congresses in other Celtic countries and organizing many successful events in Cornwall. Additionally, she was a trustee of the Cornish Heritage Trust, a member of the Helston Old Cornwall Society, and a volunteer at Helston Museum, among other community involvement.

One of her most notable achievements was the organization of Keskerdh Kernow, the March to London in 1997 to commemorate the Cornish uprising of 1497. She walked the entire route with her loyal dog Brengy, organizing much of the journey and later writing a children's book about it.

Gorsedh Kernow added, "Ann inspired many as a teacher and educator, teaching English at Camborne Grammar School and Camborne School, introducing Cornish lessons, and rising to become national chairperson of the Schools' Library Association. She excelled in writing, editing, and publishing, producing books of her own poems and articles about Cornwall."

Despite her significant contributions to Cornwall, Ann still found time for her family, researching her family history, and organizing several family reunions. She visited relatives in Canada and Hawaii and traced her ancestor James Trevenen's journey to the Baltic and St. Petersburg.

"Ann was a wonderful mother and grandmother, always supportive and encouraging," the spokesperson concluded. "She will be greatly missed by her four children, Morwenna, Loveday, Gawen, and Conan, and her 10 grandchildren."

A funeral service for Ann will be held at Crowan Parish Church on Tuesday, April 30, at 2 pm, followed by a celebration of her life at Leedstown Village Hall