|
Parish Church of:
Minver, St
The church of St. Minfreda is a building of stone in the Transition Norman and Early English styles, consisting of chancel, nave with arcades of four arches on the north and five on the south, narrow north aisle, with eastern chapel, south aisle, extending nearly to the east end, south porch and a western tower with spire rising to a height of 115 feet and containing 6 bells, dating from 1727 to 1875: in the chancel is a Decorated piscine, and modern screens separate it from the south aisle: the rood loft staircase exists, but is now imperfect: in the south aisle is a priests doorway; the font, octagonal in form, is Perpendicular : there is an elaborate monument with kneeling effigy in marble erected by Thomas Darell esq. to John Rose of Trewornan, ob. 6 March, 1657, and others to Thomas Darell esq. ob. 3 Jan. 1697; Thomas Hamet, ob. Dec. 1614, in the north chapel are portions of an altar-tomb of slate, consisting of the front, two ends and upper slab; the front
exhibits, in low relief, kneeling effigies of a man and woman, with shields of arms of Stone and Harris; the ends bear other shields of the same arms, quartering Whitelinge; on the upper slab is an inscription to Thomas Stone, gent. ob. 28 July, 1604, and Elizabeth his wife, ob. 1636; there is also a brass with the effigy of a man in civilian costume to Roger Opy, ob. 13 Jan. 1517 and Elizabeth (Carminow), his wife; a scroll with legend proceeds from the mouth of the figure and round the margin of the brass is a Latin inscription: in the south aisle is a memorial with arms to John Silly of Trevelver, in this parish, ob. 11 April. 1672, erected by Jane (Cotton), his widow; there is another to John Smith of Measmere, ob. 17 Dec. 1662, and a monument to the Rev. W Sandys M.A. vicar d. 11 Nov. 1816, and Mary (Praed), his wife: the east window is a memorial to Mrs Ann Sandys and her daughter Lucy, d. (both) March 1, 1867, and there are others to William Sandys Sandys
esq. d. 1846 and Mary Anne Sandy's, his sister, d. 1849, and to the late Mrs Potter, of Wadebridge, erected by her son, Samuel S. Potter: the church plate includes a silver gilt chalice and cover, with the hall marks of 1618-19, a flagon of 1764, presented by M. Webber of St. Kew, a plate presented in 1791 by William Sandys, and a brazen alms dish of German make; the church was restored and partly rebuilt in 1872 under the direction of Mr. J.P. St. Aubyn, architect, at a cost of about £3,370: there are 250 sittings. The churchyard was enlarged on the north side in 1840; a small cross, formerly on the farm of Treglines, and about 3 feet high, was removed and set up here in 1879. The register of baptisms and burials dates from the year 1558; marriages, 1559; the list of burials includes the names of persons interred on the Quaker burial ground near Treglines from 1665 to 1742.
There are two ancient chapels of ease in this parish, both near the estuary of the Camel, and opposite Padstow-St Enodock and St. Michael or Porthilly, each about 2 ½ miles from the parish church; the former surrounded with drifts of sand, which sometimes have been known to rise as high as the roof, is an edifice of stone, originally cruciform, in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle of three bays, extending along the whole of the chancel, and incorporating the former south transept, north transept, south porch and a tower of two stages at the north end of the north transept, with octagonal broach spire, and containing one bell, recovered from the wreck of the “Immaculate” of Barletta, s seaport of South Italy, which was lost on the rocks at Greenway, Sept. 27, 1875; the lower portion of the Perpendicular chancel screen remains; and has been restored and redecorated in colour and gold; on the south side of the chancel
is a piscine, and on the north an aumbry, now a credence, a circular bowl of Catacluse stone, found in the tower, and probably a stoup, is used as an alms box: there is a Norman font, and one window is stained: the ancient silver chalice with cover, belonging to the chapel, and dating from the 16th century, is now in the possession of Mr. John Mably, farmer of Trebotherick; the structure, at one time unroofed and dismantled, was effectively restored in 1863, under the direction of Mr. J.P. St. Aubyn, at a cost of £675: in the churchyard, which contains tombs and memorials to the Mably and other families, including one of debased character with two effigies rudely executed to John Mably, bur. 24 July. 1687, and Alice his wife, bur. 30 July in the same year, is an ancient granite cross about 5 feet high, with a circular head, which has been restored at the cost of franics J Hext, esq. D.L., J.P. of Tredethy: the drifiting sands are now becoming permanently fixed by
the rapid growth of the arundo arenaria, or sand rush. St. Michael's chapel is a building of Perpendicular date, situated on the margin of a small creek of Padstow Harbour, near the village of ROCK, and consists of chancel, with south aisle and north vestry, nave, south transept, south porch, now forming the base of a small gabled tower, containing one bell: there are two Decorated piscine, one in the chancel and the other in the transept, and a font of Transition Norman date: the east window is a memorial to Anne and Lucy Sandys, erected by the parish of St. Minver in 1867, and a cross on the south gable of the tower erected by Mary Prideaux-Brune, of Prideaux Place, Padstow, also commemorates the same: there is a monument to William Rounsevall, gent. 1659, and Jane, his wife, 17679; opposite the porch is the round head of an ancient granite cross on a dwarf shaft: the church was well restored in 1865-7, at a cost of £514: the church plate includes a chalice with
paten cover bearing the date 1711, and the word “Perdille” (Porthilly), and a paten of 1740 and flagon of 1792, both given by the Rev. William Sandys M.A. vicar; the burial ground was enlarged about 1878, and protected by a sea wall; it contains memorial to the Kent, Mably, Proffit and other families.
Links:
|
|
