|
Parish Church of:
Gerrans
This place derives its name from a king, Gerennius, before the year 596, came from Wales, driven thence by the Saxons, and being well received by the people in Cornwall, fixed upon a place then called Curgurrell, where he is said to have built a castle and a kingly residence with numerous fortifications; after living there some years he appointed his son his successor, and dying in the year 596 was buried bear that spot; some time after, his son, in reverence to his father's remains, had them removed to and deposited in a place called Carne Beacon - an immense elevation about two miles from Curgurrell- a gold boat with silver oars, and an urn being interred with his remains: in November, 1855, a fruitless search was made for the supposed relics, but the results attained evidently showed that it had been a place of burial long ages ago. The first church is supposed to have been built previous to the year 590, by order of Gerennius, who was subsequently canonized,
yet history says that, in the year 1334, Gerrans was only a chapel dependant on St. Anthony, for in a deed of confirmation of churches and chapels to Plymouth Priory, by Bishop Grandison, 1334, "the prior and convent" are said "to hold in possession the church of St Antoninus" "and the chapel of Gerrands dependent upon it". The existing church of St. Gerendus, erected in 1262, in the Early English style, and rebuilt in 1849-50, is a building of stone consisting of chancel with aisle and arcade of two bays, nave of five bays, south aisle, north transept, south porch and an embattled western tower with spire, erected in 1636, containing 4 bells, two of which are dated 1830, and 1753, and all were recast in 1880, the dates being retained: the spire was restored in 1890 at a cost of £102; there is a good modern chancel screen, a piscina and an aumbry and several of the windows are stained, in the aisle is a fine monument of marble to Edward Hobbs, of Tregassa, gent, ob.
1718; there are 200 sittings: the churchyard contains a fine old granite cross, 7 feet high and 2 wide. The register of baptisms and marriages dates from the year 1538; burials 1539.
Links:
|
