Kilkhampton St. Columb

The Parish of St. Columb Major, Truro- St Columb, the large parish of St Columb Major is situated in the deanery and Hundred of Pydar. It is bounded on the north by Little Petherick and St Issey, on the east by St Wenn, Roche and St Dennis, on the south by St Enoder and Colan, and on the west by St Columb Minor, Mawgan-in-Pydar and St Ervan. A whole area of North Cornwall bears the name of St Columb.

The church of Saint 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. William of Worcester wrote of an ancient castle at Carloggas, which was in ruins in the medieval period in which he lived; also of a turretted mansion, which had belonged to John Tregoos Esq., but of these no vestiges remain.

About two miles south-east of St Columb town stands Castle-an-Dinas, which appears to have been from the pre-Roman Iron Age period. There are other relics from this period in the parish. The Arundells were the most influential family here; Sir John Arundell, who died in 1379, lies buried in the church.

St. Columb Major tower

 

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. 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.

St. Columb

The register of baptisms dates from the yeare 1540; marriages 1544; burials, 1539.

The town of St Columb is built on an eminence, and had a number of good-quality houses. Edward III granted a market here to Sir John Arundell in 1333. Parishes within the old St Columb district were: Colan, Crantock, Cubert, Little Petherick, Mawgan-in-Pydar, Newlyn, Newquay, Padstow, St. Breock, St. Columb Major, St. Columb Minor, St. Enoder, St. Ervan, St. Eval, St. Issey, St. Merryn, St. Wenn.

Like the majority of Cornish Churches, the Parish Church of St Columb is dedicated in the name of a Celtic Saint-Columba. She was a holy woman who probably came from Ireland to preach the Gospel to fellow Celts here and in Brittany. According to tradition Columba was pursued up the river by a heathen tyrant who wished her to marry his son, and was martyred at Ruthvoes, about 2 1/2 miles from St Columb Town.

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