William Bottrell was born at Raftra Farm, near St Levan, in 1816, his dad was the farmer there. His granny lived in Sennen, and she told William lots of stories by the fireside.

William went to Penzance Grammar School, he was good at languages. After school he worked on the family farm, but he longed for adventure.

First he travelled to Spain with his new wife. He had a beautiful garden full of flowers and fruit, and he spoke Spanish and French, but things went wrong and back he came to Cornwall.

Then he sailed to Canada, and worked in a college, and then for a wood yard, but things went wrong and back he came to Cornwall.

Off he went to Australia. Sadly his wife died, his crops failed, things went wrong and back he came to Cornwall.

He lived like a hermit in a cottage on the cliff in Lelant with his pony, cow and cat called Spriggans.

He was friends with the tin miners that worked nearby, they told him lots of stories.

He wrote the stories down. First they were published in the Cornishman newspaper, then they were published in three books, Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Volumes 1,2,3.

He died in 1881 and is buried in St Levan.

Thanks to Bottrell that we know about the piskeys and giants, pellars and droll tellers today.