From the West Briton, Friday 16th May 1862, page 5.
The history of the Church in Cornwall may be divided, generally, into three periods, viz.,—That of the British or Primitive,—the Latin or Mediæval,—and the Reformed or Anglican, just as its modes of architecture may also be classed under four equally distinctive heads,—viz., That of the Ancient British—as at St. Piran’s Oratory in the sands—and at Gwithian, or the Oratory of St. Gwithian;—the Norman, as seen in the doorway of the Church of St. Antony in Roseland,—St. Uny, Lelant, &c.—the Decorated,—as in the Old Tower of Kea, &c., and the Perpendicular, with its various modifications, commencing about the year 1286 to 1520, as at St. Mary’s, Truro, though this is an example of its latest application.
The names also of the various Parishes in Cornwall usually explain their origin, in bearing those of their founders, such as S.S. Clement, Erme, Allen, Feock, Newlyn, Perran(zabuloe), &c., though in some few instances this is still doubtful and indistinct. Of these we may mention that of Kenwyn, to the re-construction and re-opening of whose Parish Church we have now to allude. This parish, with its united vicarage of St. Kea, formed the manors of Llandighe or Llandege, and of Edelet in the Domesday Book, the adjoining farm to the churchyard of Old Kea now bearing the same name of Llandege, and the patronage of these churches seems to have passed from the family of William, son of Robert, Earl of Mortain and Cornwall, into the hands of the Bishops of Exeter, about the year 1270, under Bishop Bronescombe. During the life of this prelate “Kenwen” with its small tithes, with those of Tregensedar, or Trigavethan, was annexed as a chapelry to the mother church of Llandege, or Kea, while the great or rectorial tithes were appropriated in the same year, by the Bishop, with the consent of his chapter, to his canons at Glasney, Penrhyn, and we find that shortly before the suppression of these establishments in the reign of Henry Ⅷ., the canons were in the yearly receipt of £24 3s. 4d. from the rectory of the united living of St. Kea and Kenwyn. By this King they appear, as now, to have been alienated to a layman. The name Kea has been reformed by various writers, at one time to that of Caius Pope, A.D. 286, or of St. Kew or Kya, who lived about the same period—while the term Kenwyn has also been taken to be a corruption of the old Cornish word Eskynna to ascend, and signifying a “fair ascent”—which suits the situation, or the name of a woman whose sepulchral monument was discovered at Carnsew, near Hayle, in 1843, bearing the inscription “Hic Cenuina requievit, quæ nata quingentesimo. Hic tumulo jacet, vixit annos ⅹⅹⅹⅲ.” Here Kenuina hath rested, who was born in the year 500. She lies in this tumulus (or tomb). She lived 30 years. In the Cornish language, as in modern Welsh, the C is always pronounced hard as K. As for the records of church buildings on the spot where the re-constructed parish church now stands, they are scanty and few. On Saturday, after the festival of St. Matthew (Sept. 21), Bishop Bronescombe dedicated the church of Kenwyn, near Truro, A.D. 1259. “Ecclesiam de Keynwen, juxta Truuerw,” and as at this period the early English style of ecclesiastical architecture was in its purest form, the church which, perhaps, succeeded one of earlier or Norman date, was a fair example of the same—or rather of the transition nature—when the more pure early English, as seen at St. Michael Penkivell, was merging into the decorated—of which we have examples as early as the year 1280.
The majority of Cornish churches partake of the character of this era—i.e., not cruciform as at St. Michael’s, but nave and chancel under the same depressed ridge roof, and one or two aisles of the same length, with a tower, bearing pinnacles and battlements at west end.
When dealing with the fabric of the church in question, re-construction on its original principles, rather than restoration, was aimed at by the architect, Mr. J.P. St. Aubyn, whose task has been as difficult as his work has proved successful, as far as he has been permitted to go with a limited though handsome fund. Bishop Bronescombe’s edifice was taken down, with its south transept, and re-built and opened again for divine service in 1820, when the Tregarthan (or Trigavethan) aisle was erected at the expense of Mr. J. Ennis Vivian, owner of that manor. Considering the age in which this took place, the work was creditably and happily effected, but dull, heavy, and incongruous in the extreme. And this the parishioners have long felt, though it has been left to the energy and good taste of the present generation, led on by their vicar, to remedy this at much pains and cost. The wretched ceiled roof has given place to one of true Cornish mould, open, and of excellent strength and proportions;—the south transept rebuilt—with an admirable window seen over the organ—which has been also enlarged and improved, and so distributed as to show the tracery of the window in its fair proportions between its turrets. The chancel has been almost entirely rebuilt and lengthened towards the east end—with a most elaborately wrought east window of five lights. A memorial window to the late Mr. Cornish, most appropriate in its design—the command to St. Peter to feed the flock, has been moved up to the north side of the same, while a beautiful painted window by Levers and Barrard, of London, bearing on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, has been placed by its side in memory of the late Mr. W.M. Tweedy, who died on Palm Sunday. Within the altar rails a rich pattern of Minton’s highly glazed encaustic tiles has been laid down—all the walls externally plastered and repaired—and externally pointed, and lines of red ridge tiles run along the apex of the roof, which give an appearance of extent and durability to the same, in all its parts. In fact, the whole work reflects the highest credit upon the vicar and his parishioners, who promoted, and the architect and his builders, Messrs. W. Clemens and Battershill, of Truro, who have carried it out.
The services in celebration of the re-opening of the church took place yesterday (Thursday, May 15th.) In the morning, a large and highly respectable congregation assembled, but the church was by no means crowded—scarcely filled. The clergy of the archdeaconry evinced the interest which they felt by attending in large numbers, thirty or more being present besides those who took part in the service. The prayers were read by the Rev. R. Vautier, the vicar, and the Rev. G.L. Woollcombe, curate; the first lesson was read by the Rev. Prebendary Tatham, and the second by the Rev. C.D. Newman. The communion service was read by the Ven. W.J. Phillpotts, M.A., Archdeacon of Cornwall and Chancellor of the Diocese, the Rev. G. Morris, vicar of St. Allen, and the Rev. R. Vautier. The sermon was preached by the Ven. W.J. Phillpotts, who took for his text part of the 8th verse of the 1st chapter of Malachi—“And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?” From these words he preached a very able and appropriate discourse.
At the conclusion of the service a collection was made in aid of the funds required to discharge the whole of the remaining liabilities on account of the restorations, after which the principal portion of the congregation retired. The remainder, with the clergy present, remained and partook of the sacrament.
At about half-past one o’clock, at the conclusion of the Lord’s Supper, the clergy adjourned to the vicarage, and partook of luncheon.
The evening service commenced at half-past six o’clock, when the sermon was preached by the Rev. Prebendary Tatham.
$Id: kenwyn8.xhtml,v 1.6 2011-10-29 15:52:16 mkc Exp $