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Parish Church of:
Columb Major, St
The church of St Columba is a building of Pentewan and
Caen stone, in the Early Decorated and Perpendicular styles
consisting of chancel with aisles, north and south porches,
and an embattled western tower, standing on open arches,
with pinnacles, and containing 8 bells: in 1676 he chancel,
originally 10 feet longer, was injured by an explosion of
gunpowder: the south chancel aisle was formerly a chapel,
built or rebuilt before 1427 by Sir John Arundell kt, of
Lanherne, and under which several members of this family are
buried: in the nave floor, on the south side is a very nice
brass, one of the most elaborate and interesting in the
county, originally placed in the Arundell chapel, to Sir
John Arundell K.B. and kt, banneret, ob. Feb. 1545, and
Elizabeth (Grey) his 1st wife, and Katherine (Grenville),
his and wife: the brass included effigies of all three, and
of five out of eight children; there are also six quartered
shields of arms and the matrices of two others, a banner and
some inscriptions: a ribbon border of brass, with
inscription now imperfect, surrounds the whole: occupying a
corresponding position on the south side of the nave, on a
single stone about 7 feet long are brasses with effigies of
parents and children and shields of arms to Sir John
Arundell kt, ob. 17 Nov 1590 and his wife Anna (Stanley),
ob. 22 Sept 1602; and also to his son Sir John Arundell esq.
ob. 22 July 1633, and Anne (Jernegan) his wife; in the
church is also a monument to Robert Hoblyn, author of a work
on the Stannary Laws, d. 17 Nov 1756; part of the north
chancel aisle, enclosed by a carved screen, forms a vestry;
the benches in the north and south aisles still retain the
ancient bench ends, most of which are exquisitely carved; in
1846, during repairs, much fresco painting was discovered,
and beneath the floor an altar stone, now placed on four
granite shafts and re-erected in the chancel: the stone
stairs to parvise over the south porch still remain; the
font, of early date, is ornamented with grotesque faces: the
organ was built in 1878, at a cost of £640: there are 570
sittings: in the churchyard is a small granite cross of
curious design, 3 feet in height and 2 feet 9 inches in
breadth, and there is another by the south porch of more
ancient date, 5 feet 6 inches high, 2 feet wide and 1 foot
thick, with a nearly obliterated inscription. The register
of baptisms dates from the year 1540; marriages 1544;
burials, 1539.
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