St Germans
Encyclopedia
St Germans is a village and civil parish in east Cornwall
, England
, United Kingdom
. It stands on the St Germans River or Lynher River
, part of the Tamar
Estuary. It takes its name from the St. German's Priory Church of St Germanus. This magnificent and ancient Norman church is adjacent to the Port Eliot
estate of the present Earl of St Germans
. The other villages in the historic parish were Tideford, Hessenford, Minard Cross, Polbathick, and Bethany but new ecclesiastical parishes were established in 1834 (Hessenford
) and 1852 (Tideford
). In 1997 part of the St Germans parish was made into Deviock
parish. The area of the civil parish is 10151 acres (4,108 ha), and it has a population of 1,427.
s, electing two members to the unreformed House of Commons
until the Reform Act 1832
. As in many of the Cornish rotten boroughs, the franchise in St Germans was restricted to a tiny number of "freemen", rather than to all residents, but even they were not numerous—by the time of the Reform Bill, the male population of the borough was only 247. However, the previous census had shown that the whole parish (of which the borough made up only a fraction) had a population of 2,404, and the initial proposal was that St Germans should lose only one of its two MPs; but the Whig government subsequently decided that the availability of sufficient population in a surrounding parish should not save a borough from disfranchisement unless a substantial part of that population was already within the borough boundaries, amending the bill's schedules so as to extinguish both of the St Germans MPs. The Tory
opposition attacked the decision as politically motivated (St Germans was a Tory borough), and the vote in the Commons was one of the narrowest in the entire Reform Bill debates.
before the see was combined with that of Crediton
in 1042. Today the Bishop of Truro
's assistant (suffragan) bishop is known as the Bishop of St Germans
in acknowledgement of this, although he has no specific links with the village. The first of these bishops was appointed in 1905.
Johannes Cornubiensis or Johannes de Sancto Germano was a Christian scholar and teacher, who was living in Paris
about 1176. Little is known of his life. From his names, it is surmised that he was a native of St Germans.
s also known as The Galleries date from 1583. They are unusual in that they consisted of six one-room apartments on the ground floor and a further six on the first floor. The upper rooms open onto a gallery along the front of the range, which is reached by stairs at either end. The almshouses were converted into four separate dwellings in the 20th century; it is a Grade II* Listed Building
(QSC). The sailing club is now well established and plays a part in the life of the village.
St Germans railway station
was opened on 4 May 1859 at the west end of St Germans viaduct
, 106 feet above the quay. It is notable for having the best preserved Cornwall Railway
station buildings.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It stands on the St Germans River or Lynher River
River Lynher
The River Lynher flows through east Cornwall, UK, passing St Germans and enters the River Tamar at the Hamoaze, which in turn flows into Plymouth Sound.-Geography:...
, part of the Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
Estuary. It takes its name from the St. German's Priory Church of St Germanus. This magnificent and ancient Norman church is adjacent to the Port Eliot
Port Eliot
Port Eliot in St Germans, Cornwall, is the seat of the Eliot family, whose current head is Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans. Port Eliot comprises a house with its own church which is the parish church of St Germans. An earlier church building was the cathedral for the whole of Cornwall...
estate of the present Earl of St Germans
Earl of St Germans
Earl of St Germans, in the County of Cornwall, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for John Eliot, 2nd Baron Eliot, with remainder to his younger brother the Hon. William Eliot and the heirs male of his body. He had earlier represented Liskeard in Parliament...
. The other villages in the historic parish were Tideford, Hessenford, Minard Cross, Polbathick, and Bethany but new ecclesiastical parishes were established in 1834 (Hessenford
Hessenford
Hessenford is a small village in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is four miles west of St Germans.Hessenford is part of the united parishes of St Germans, Hessenford, Downderry and Tideford....
) and 1852 (Tideford
Tideford
Tideford is a small village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is twinned with Plouguerneau in Brittany, France.Its name derives from its location on the River Tiddy, literally meaning "Ford on the River Tiddy". Tideford is not listed in the Domesday Book but the earliest settlement is...
). In 1997 part of the St Germans parish was made into Deviock
Deviock
Deviock is a coastal civil parish in south-east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately three miles west of St Germans and straddles the valley of the River Seaton. The parish includes the settlements of Hessenford, Seaton and Downderry and the population in the 2001 census was 1341...
parish. The area of the civil parish is 10151 acres (4,108 ha), and it has a population of 1,427.
Parliamentary borough
The village was one of the rotten boroughRotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
s, electing two members to the unreformed House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
until the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
. As in many of the Cornish rotten boroughs, the franchise in St Germans was restricted to a tiny number of "freemen", rather than to all residents, but even they were not numerous—by the time of the Reform Bill, the male population of the borough was only 247. However, the previous census had shown that the whole parish (of which the borough made up only a fraction) had a population of 2,404, and the initial proposal was that St Germans should lose only one of its two MPs; but the Whig government subsequently decided that the availability of sufficient population in a surrounding parish should not save a borough from disfranchisement unless a substantial part of that population was already within the borough boundaries, amending the bill's schedules so as to extinguish both of the St Germans MPs. The Tory
Tories (political faction)
The Tories were members of two political parties which existed, sequentially, in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the 17th to the early 19th centuries.-Overview:...
opposition attacked the decision as politically motivated (St Germans was a Tory borough), and the vote in the Commons was one of the narrowest in the entire Reform Bill debates.
See of St Germans
St Germans was originally the seat of the Bishop of CornwallBishop of Cornwall
The Bishop of Cornwall was an episcopal title which was used by Anglo Saxons between the 9th and 11th centuries. The bishop's seat was located at the village of St Germans, Cornwall. Later bishops of Cornwall were sometimes referred to as the bishops of St Germans...
before the see was combined with that of Crediton
Bishop of Crediton
The Bishop of Crediton was originally a prelate who administered an Anglo-Saxon diocese in the 10th and 11th centuries, and is presently a suffragan bishop who assists the diocesan bishop.-Diocesan Bishops of Crediton:...
in 1042. Today the Bishop of Truro
Bishop of Truro
The Bishop of Truro is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Truro in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Cornwall and it is one of the most recently created dioceses of the Church of England...
's assistant (suffragan) bishop is known as the Bishop of St Germans
Bishop of St Germans
The Bishop of St Germans is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Truro, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
in acknowledgement of this, although he has no specific links with the village. The first of these bishops was appointed in 1905.
John of Cornwall
John of Cornwall, in LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Johannes Cornubiensis or Johannes de Sancto Germano was a Christian scholar and teacher, who was living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
about 1176. Little is known of his life. From his names, it is surmised that he was a native of St Germans.
Almshouses
Sir William Moyle's AlmshouseAlmshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s also known as The Galleries date from 1583. They are unusual in that they consisted of six one-room apartments on the ground floor and a further six on the first floor. The upper rooms open onto a gallery along the front of the range, which is reached by stairs at either end. The almshouses were converted into four separate dwellings in the 20th century; it is a Grade II* Listed Building
Fishing quay, railway station and viaduct
It was originally a busy fishing village in the 19th century. The St Germans Quay was busy in the last century with cargoes of timber, coal and limestone. Until the last war the trade in roadstone continued. Now St Germans Quay is home to the village sailing club; the Quay Sailing ClubQuay Sailing Club
Quay Sailing Club is a sailing club in the village of St Germans, Cornwall. The Club has been established since the early seventies and is one of many clubs and organisations operating in the village...
(QSC). The sailing club is now well established and plays a part in the life of the village.
St Germans railway station
St Germans railway station
St Germans Station serves the village of St Germans in Cornwall, UK. The Station is operated by First Great Western and west of Plymouth.It is situated immediately west of the large St Germans viaduct.Both platforms have step-free entrances...
was opened on 4 May 1859 at the west end of St Germans viaduct
Cornwall Railway viaducts
The large number of Cornwall Railway viaducts were necessitated by the topography of Cornwall, United Kingdom, where hills and areas of high ground are separated by deep river valleys that generally run north or south...
, 106 feet above the quay. It is notable for having the best preserved Cornwall Railway
Cornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
station buildings.