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Parish Church of:
Mabyn, St
The church of St. Mabena (or the Holy Mother) is a building of stone, in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel of three bays, formed by inclosing the arcades on either side, nave of five bays, aisles extending for almost the entire length of the church, south porch and an embattled western tower, 85 feet in height, with pinnacles, and containing 6 bells, re-cast in 1787 from a previous peal of five: the stained window is a memorial to Francis John Hext, of Tredethy, d. 25th January, 1803, and Margaret (Lang), hi wife, d. March, 1794: there is a piscine on the north side, where also remains the rood loft stairs, now built up: In the south aisle is another piscine and a priest's doorway: the font, of Early English date, has a circular basin, hollowed in a square block and set on a round shaft: the entrance to the tower on the west exhibits the arms of Lucombe of Bodmin and Heligan, and the lower string courses surrounding the tower are adorned with the
heraldric bearings of the Godolphin, Hamley and Barrett families at the angles: the monuments in the church, at one time both numerous and fine, were much mutilated during the incumbency of the Rev. G. Levenson-Gower, rector 1818-42; some fragments of monuments recovered from a recess in the tower include memorials to Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Silly esq, ob. 3rd August, 1679; William Hamley esq, of Trelethick, ob. 12th April, 1711; Grace (Powell), wife of Sir Richard Cansew knt. of Boskelly, ob. 7th July, 1656: Thomas Hamley, gent. ob. 25th May, 1656: the restoration of the church, begun in 1884, is still progressing: the two easternmost bays of what had been one long nave are now inclosed by parclose screens, forming a new chancel, which has been raised five steps from the level of the old floor ; it was re-seated and repaved in 1889; the communion plate includes a silver gilt cup, not originally intended for a chalice, 13 inches in height, with a cover, and
bearing the hall mark of 1576; the paten was a gift in 1702; the two flagons date from 1756-7, and there is an alms dish given by Nathaniel Lang, in 1757: the church affords 500 sittings. The register dates from the year 1562.
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