Roy was born at Chyandour, Penzance, on the 13th March 1934 at his Grandmother’s house. He was one of 3 children
born to a farming family based in Chyandour, Penzance.
Roy had an affinity with horses from his childhood and, with a farming family, there were many horses in those days. Horses and wagons were used for the transportation of goods from Ponsandane goods yard to Penzance and he would watch this activity from the windows of his house on the Cliff at Chyandour while a child.
Roy could remember carrying gas masks to school, sirens wailing, air raids and shrapnel causing injuries to his horse during the Second World War. The American soldiers were stationed at the Barracks behind his house and they would give the children sweets and treats until they were sent off to D. Day!
As a boy Roy was in the Gulval Church choir and also, while a student, was in the Truro School choir. He left school in
1949 and joined the family on their 17 acre market garden farm. He took charge of the horses and one of his many
jobs was to take the horse and cart to the beach in Chyandour to collect seaweed for use on the farm. He also
learned to plough with a team, something he enjoyed doing all his life.
In 1952 Roy received his papers for National Service so he signed to the Household Cavalry. He was assigned to the
Lifeguards where his first horse was ‘Soda’ a German horse, brought over after the war. Among other duties he
escorted the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh on several occasions and did duties in the guard boxes at Whitehall. He
was on foot duty at the steps of St George’s Chapel in Windsor when Winston Churchill was made a Knight of the
Garter.
On returning to farm at Gulval he met and, in 1960, married Ann at Madron Church. Together they had 3 children and farmed around 30 acres, buying their first tractor to help with the work. They gradually became primarily dairy farmers and took over the farm at Bosoljack, Bone Valley, Heamoor, Penzance – with horses for the children! In 1969 he was asked to help run Penzance Show by his cousin Roger Matthews: this was the start of his association with shows. He then became Chairman of Newbridge Show in 1983, a position he held for 34 years. In 2018 he became the President, which was a great honour. He then became a steward at the Royal Cornwall Show, a position he held for 24 years, giving up at the age of 83! He was also a Madron Councillor and Chairman for many years.
Roy was in many clubs and committees over the years, such as Cornish Guernseys, Probus Club etc. etc. In 1993 he raised money for the hospital by cutting and thrashing in the old way with horse power. It was a 7 day event which raised over £400. In 2000 Roy became an assistant Churchwarden at Gulval, then a Churchwarden, a position he held for 20 years.
Roy’s greatest honour was becoming a bard, taking the Bardic name ‘Gwas Lanistly’ which means ‘Servant of Gulval’. He was Chairman of Madron Old Cornwall Society for 26 years and will be remembered for leading the ‘Crying the Neck’ among many other activities and meetings. Roy was primarily a family man but he devoted much time serving the community in many ways: treating everyone with respect. He will be remembered as a true gentleman.