A song written more than 50 years ago about Cornwall’s housing crisis is set to be released.
Poor Cousin Jack, written in 1973 by Cornish linguist and songwriter Richard ‘Dick’ Gendall (1924–2017), is being released for the first time in five decades, at a moment when its subject has become painfully familiar across the Duchy.
The new single, recorded by Richard Trethewey, tells the story of a young Cornish family forced to live in a caravan because second homes had already begun to price local people out of their communities.
The song foresaw a future in which housing would become increasingly out of reach for young families, a future now widely reported in regional and national press as Cornwall faces one of the most acute housing crises in the UK.
Trethewey, who like Gendall is a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, has worked closely with Gendall’s widow, Jan Gendall, to bring the songs forward with care and respect.
“When Jan first played me Poor Cousin Jack, I was struck by how directly it speaks to what we’re seeing now,” Richard said. “Gendall wasn’t predicting the future, he was documenting what was already happening. The fact that the same story is unfolding again, but on a much larger scale, makes the song feel incredibly urgent.”
Poor Cousin Jack is one of several previously unrecorded Gendall songs Trethewey has brought together for a forthcoming EP, Cornish Protest Songs, due for release later this year.
While the single focuses on housing and second homes, other tracks explore pressures on Cornish life from different angles, including the decline of traditional fishing communities and the impact of large-scale trawling on mackerel stocks.
Two of the songs, Silver Net and Theft of the Mackerel Shoals, were written for Brenda Wootton and released on her 1979 album Carillion, but Poor Cousin Jack and Boat for Sale have never been recorded until now.
The EP features performances from Kath Buckler (cello), Samuel J Stephens (vocals), Phil Innes (bass and percussion), Molly Biscoe (vocals), Harbottle and Jonas (vocals), and Jim Causley (vocals).
The project also includes Trethewey’s own song Smoking Chimneys, newly expanded from its original 2012 instrumental form to reflect on Gendall’s themes and the responsibilities Cornwall faces today.
“These songs aren’t museum pieces,” Richard added. “They’re part of an ongoing conversation about who Cornwall is for, how communities survive, and what happens when local voices are pushed aside, and a reminder that Cornwall must also be a forward-thinking, welcoming Duchy.”
Poor Cousin Jack will be released on September 27 on all major streaming platforms. The full EP will follow on October 23, with pre-orders available now via Bandcamp and through Trethewey’s website.
A launch event will take place at St Ives Arts Club on October 25 at 3pm, featuring a live performance of the songs.
Long-Lost Song About Cornwall Housing Crisis To Be Released