Last month, the Heritage Centre was thrilled to welcome Ingrid Hopkins (née Pool) and her son James, on holiday researching their family history. Many visitors come in to see us with fascinating stories and theirs is certainly no exception…
Ingrid is the great, great-granddaughter of James “Tinman” Pool founder of J & F Pool. He was the father of James and Frederick Pool who, after working in the mining industry in South Africa, returned to Hayle and expanded the company. Her great-grandfather is Frederick Pool.
Ingrid’s father was Frederick Dennis Pool, who was born in 1903, known to his family as Dennis. Dennis’ father was Frederick Rouse Pool, born in 1872. Frederick Rouse Pool was the eldest son of Frederick Pool, son of James “Tinman” Pool.
Ingrid and her son James made the journey down to Cornwall – and to Hayle – to learn more about their ancestors and their incredible accomplishments. These included the production of a huge range of now-collectable Art Nouveau-esque copperware, the patenting of the “Superfex” screen and their famous perforated screens.
Ingrid and James spent some time sharing stories and learning about their family’s history and their impact on the town of Hayle. They were shown several J & F Pool objects from our collection and an original painting of Frederick Pool that we believe hung in the J & F Pool Director’s Office; this was located in the building that houses Down the Line surf shop in Copperhouse.
It was a real privilege to meet Ingrid and James, and we wish them all the best in their ongoing family history research!
