|
Parish Church of:
Mawgan in Pydar, St
The church of St. Mawgan, restored in 1861 by Mr. Butterfield, architect, is an edifice in the Perpendicular style, with traces of an earlier Decorated church, as seen in the west window of the nave, and consists of chancel, nave of four bays, north transept, south aisle extending the whole length of the church , south porch and an embattled tower on the south side, 70 feet in height, with pinnacles, and containing 3 bells: a stained window was placed at the west end of the nave in 1876 by Edmund Carlyon esq. in memory of his father, the rev. Richard Carlyon, a former rector of this parish: the carved oak pulpit dates from the reign of Queen Mary: the chancel is separated from the nave and south aisle by carved screen work formed in part, of portions of the ancient canopied screen, richly ornamented and bearing the arms of Arundell, quartering those of Carminow: attached to the screen on the south side are twelve bras shields of arms of the Arudnell family, with
numerous quarterings: in the centre of the chancel floor is the brass effigy of a priest, vested and wearing a cope, c. 1420: in the north wall is a sedila: at the east end of the south aisle are brasses representing a knight in armour and his lady, representing George Arundell esq. ob. May 18, 1573, and Isabel, his wife; of the marginal fillet inscription only some fragments remain and two plates, engraved with English verses and formerly placed below these figures, are now attached to the screen; of the brass of Mary, daughter of Sir John Arundell kt. Ob. 23 Apr., 1578, only a brass plate with 13 English verses now remains in the church; the head of the effigy, a palimpsest, and a shield of arms and the border inscription are now in the possession of Lord Arundell of Wardour: there remains also, reset in a floor stone, the brass effigy of Cyssel or Cecilia, daughter of Sir John Arundell kt. Ob. 1578; twelve lines of English verse belonging to the figure are now
fastened to the screen, and fragments of the inscription are preserved at Wardour Castle; there is also a similar effigy of Jane Arundell, sister of the preceding, ob. C. 1575, with part of an acrostic; both the effigy and verses are palimpsests, the reverse exhibiting Flemish work; a fragment of the inscription is affixed to the screen and there are other portions at Wardour Castle: attached to the screen is also part of an inscription to Elziabeth (Dannet), wife of Sir John Arundell kt. Ob. 1564; at the east end of the south aisle, reset in a floor stone is an effigy in a furred robe, representing Edward, 5th son of Sir John Arundell kt. ob. 5 Nov. 1586; the inscription is lost, but below the effigy are eight Latin verses: there are some other fragments of palimpsest brasses, the earlier work being of the 14th century: there are also monuments to Henry Stephen gent. ob. 1611 and Dorothy, his wife, ob. 1630. erected by their children; and to Col. Humphrey Noye, son
of the famous Attorney-General Noye, ob. 1679, and a number of memorials of modern date; there are 300 sittings. On the south side of the churchyard is erected the stern of a boat, on which the following inscription is painted: “Here lie the bodies of Jacob Williams, Charles Cawley, Thomas Collins, William Elliott, Thomas Brown, Richard Cutler, William Lloyd, Dave Roberts, Own Hughes and one man unknown, who were drifted ashore in a boat frozen to death, at Beacon Cove, in this parish, on Sunday the 13th day of December, MDCCCXLVI:” at the west end of the church stands the celebrated Mawgan Cross, a monolith of catacluse stone, consisting of an octagonal shaft, with a square head, the sides of which are formed by ogee0arched niches containing boldly-carved figures; it is 5 feet 6 inches in height, mounted on a massive base, and is the most elaborate example of the kind in Cornwall. In a hedge at the meeting of four roads,, about a half mile form the church, is the
head of another cross. The register dates from the year 1683.
The convent of Lanherne, in this village, formerly the manor house, and the residence and property of the Arundell family in 1250, is a mansion dating in part from the 16th century, and has since about 1794 been the home of a community of Carmelite nuns, who took refuge in England at the time of the French Revolution; the society now (1893) consists of a prioress and 19 nuns; the chapel dedicated to St. Joseph and St. Anne, has a painting by Rubens of “The Scourging of Our Blessed Lord at the Pillar” , adjoining the house is a little garden, used as a cemetery, in which three priests and several nuns have been buried; it contains an ancient cross of Pentewan stone, of the 10th century, the shaft of which is covered with interlaced work; it was removed form a field called “Chapel Close”, in Gwenear: the Rev. John J. Corbishley is resident priest.
Links:
|
|
