Today the Pachuca - Real del Monte District retains much from its period of association with Cornwall. Both the built heritage such as: at the town of Real del Monte where pitched roofs of corrugated iron are not uncommon giving an almost 'English appearance', Four Cornish Engine Houses, which once housed the great Cornish Pump Engines, survive at Mina Acosta, Mina San Pedro, Mina Delores and Mina Corteza; at Pachuca the facade of the English Company Office still stands proudly; the residence of Francis Rule of Camborne, the last Cornish Manager of Real del Monte, still bears his initials in its stained glass window, he gifted the building to the State of Hidalgo on his retirement.

The town clock of Pachuca chimes to the tune of London's Big Ben, the mechanism was made in England by that famous clock's makers and was a gift to the town of Francis Rule; the Methodist Church built by the Cornish miners shows how they took their religion wherever they went; and the Cornish Cemetery contains the graves of many Cornishmen and women who were never to return to their native land.

The social heritage of this district of Mexico also reflects the period of Cornish influence: 'Pastes' are a local delicacy, Pachuca and Real del Monte daily producing as many as Cornwall but mostly with decidedly Mexican fillings; tennis is said to have first been played in Mexico at Pachuca by the Cornish managers; the archives of the Real del Monte Company, now cared for by Archivo Histórico y Museo de Minera AC., contain very detailed records of the Cornish employees especially of the period between 1824 and 1849; the Cornish married into Mexican families as can be traced in the Cemetery with the result that today Cornish surnames are not uncommon, an example is the custodian of the Cornish Cemetery Señor Umberto Skewes who speaks little English and who's grandfather came to the Real from Cornwall. At least one Cornish person still lives at Pachuca, an elderly lady called Richards who left Cornwall for Mexico when still a young girl.

The Mexican national game of football was first played in Mexico by Cornish miners at Pachuca in 1900, a fact that is celebrated each year. The first soccer club in the country, the Pachuca Athletic Club, was also founded in that year. A little known and scarcely believed fact in a country so devoted to 'futbol', the national sport. The first team consisted of Charles Dawe, John Dawe, James Bennetts, John Bennetts, William Blamey, Richard Sobey, William Bragg, William Thomas, Percy Bunt, Lionel Bunt, Albert Pangelly and William Pengelly. A decidedly 'Cornish' team. The Pachuca club encouraged the formation of teams in Mexico City and Orizaba, the first championship was played in 1902 and 'El Pachuca' won the 1904-05 tournament. The District of Pachuca - Real del Monte contains a rich heritage of which the period of Cornish influence is only part. The mines of the District are conservatively estimated to have produced 1.2 billion Troy ounces of silver and 6.2 million ounces of gold. 6 percent of the silver mined throughout the world during the last five centuries and continues in production today.

Much of the mining heritage of the Pachuca - Real del Monte Mining District remains as a direct result of the protection of the mining company Grupo Real del Monte y Pachuca (RdM). RdM established Archivo Histórico y Museo de Minera AC., Pachuca (AHMM) in 1968 to both care for the company's extensive archives and its built heritage as that heritage became surplus to operational requirements. AHMM has developed into Mexico's leading mining heritage organisation. The Director, Belem Oviedo Gámez, and her team have achieved a tremendous amount over the last few years on an extraordinarily tight budget. AHMM's Museum in Pachuca is Mexico's leading mining museum, a must for visitors to the area.

AHMM has developed the Mina Acosta site at Real del Monte into Mexico's first true mining heritage site complete with underground tour. The work and achievements of the Directors and staff of AHMM have won praise and recognition both within Mexico and internationally. The opening of the Mina Acosta Heritage Site was attended by both the State Governor, the British Ambassador and leading members of Mexico's mining industry. In October 2004 AHMM added a third museum with the opening of its latest project, a new Cultural Centre in the former Miner's Hospital at Real del Monte. The work to develop this site was assisted by a grant from the Mexican National Fund for Culture and Arts. The Cultural Centre houses AHMM's Museum of Medicine and is a fitting addition to this historic and picturesque mining town.

As noted above the Archives of the Museum at Pachuca are a very important part of Cornwall's mining and social heritage. In addition to the records of Cornish people the Archive contains very detailed information of the Mexican employees of the Real del Monte Company and are an important Mexican social record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Cornish Mexican Cultural Society

The Cornish Heritage in Mexico Today