A TREASURE trove of old photographs lost for a century in St Agnes has been discovered by a family who have produced the past five generations of GPs in the village.

Hundreds of glass negatives from the 1900s were left in the attic of the late Dr Henry Whitworth, who practised medicine like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him.

The 87-year-old retiree died a year ago and the hoard was found by his nephew Dr Chris Whitworth – who is also a St Agnes GP.

The 250 plates were taken by Henry's grandfather, Dr William Whitworth, between 1904 and 1911.

They record not only his comfortable, middle-class family life with servants, but are also fascinating snapshots of a forgotten era.

Included are the now defunct tin mines, village events, and the working harbour at Trevaunance Cove, before it was washed away in 1910.

There is also an image of the first car owned in St Agnes – a chauffeur-driven Rover AF belonging to William.

Delighted local historian Clive Benney, who has developed 80 images for the village museum, said: "They are historically priceless – absolute gems which look into the past that I had never seen before in all my 34 years of collecting."

Henry's great grandfather, also named Henry, practised as the St Agnes doctor between 1839 and 1883.

Each generation of Whitworth has overlapped one another in the job since. Mr Benney added: "The find is also important because the family of doctors dates back more than 150 years and many people from each generation in the village were brought into the world by one of the Whitworths."

William Whitworth, who practised between 1880 and 1917, left the photos in five wooden boxes in the family home in Vicarage Road.

The house was passed to his son, Dr Cuthbert Whitworth, who practised between 1914 and 1951, and then his son Henry, who never married, and practised between 1946 to 1991.

Current GP Chris Whitworth is the son of Henry's brother, John.

Chris' wife Philippa said: "It's unique in this day and age but I suppose St Agnes is one of those places with a core of local families.

"However, it's getting harder and harder for younger people to stay in the village and even the county without jobs that pay well enough to buy a house."

She said their two daughters were yet to reveal a desire to go into medicine and continue the family legacy a generation further.

An album in the attic helped date some of the images and there was also medical kit such as stethoscopes and forceps stockpiled by each of the four generations.

The greater Whitworth family collectively donated the belongings to St Agnes Museum, which only features local exhibits.

It is planning to open a new Whitworth display at Easter 2009 with a slideshow of the photos in a digital frame.