The church of St Buryan
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Buryan is a late 15th century Church of England
parish church
in St Buryan
in Cornwall
.
A church has stood on the current site since c. 930. King Athelstan
stopped to pray at Saint Buriana
's chapel, of which little now remains, during his conquest of Cornwall prior to his campaign against the Scilly Isles. He vowed to erect a college of clergy where the oratory stood if God blessed his expedition with success. Upon his triumphant return, having subdued Scilly, Athelstan endowed a church in honour of Saint Buriana with a charter that established St Buryan as one of the earliest monasteries in Cornwall.. The church structure was later enlarged and dedicated to the saint in 1238 by Bishop William Brewer
However, by 1473 the church had fallen into disrepair, with large sections having to be subsequently rebuilt. The current tower, which was completed in 1501 , is 92 feet high and constructed of wrought cut granite from nearby Lamorna
. Many years later the same granite was used to build Old London Bridge
. It is divided into four stages, and has double buttresses at each angle. An octagonal turret rises at the south-east corner and contains a spiral staircase. The bulk of the present church building was added in the late 15th and 16th century and the north wall re-built in the 18th century, at the same time as the demolition of a small lean-to chapel on the north wall of the chancel. In 1814, the church was restored yet again when the benches and screen were replaced and in 1956 the present Lady Chapel was erected as a gift of John Franklin Tonkin, in memory of his uncle, Robert Edmund Tonkin, of Trevervenhttp://www.west-penwith.org.uk/buryan3.htm. The church is currently classified as a Grade I listed building.
Because of the nature of the original charter from King Athelstan, the parish of St Buryan was long regarded as a Royal Peculiar
thus falling directly under the jurisdiction of the English monarch as a separate 'diocese
', rather than the Church. Between 1300 and 1473 arguments raged between The Crown and the Bishops of Exeter
over the status of the parish, with no bishop willing to visit the parish as they had no jurisdiction, telling the King that they were afraid to meddle with St Buryan, "for none dares go there for fear of death and mutilation". Arguments came to a head in 1327 when blood was shed in the churchyard, and in 1328 St Buryan was excommunicated by the Bishop and was not reinstated until 1336.Only two of the King's appointed Deans appear to have actually lived in the 'diocese' of St Buryan for more than a few months, and the combination of these factors led to the subsequent ruinous state of the church in 1473. The Deanery was annexed in 1663 to the Bishopric of Exeter
after the English Civil War
. However, it was again severed during the rule of 'Bishop' Harris, who thus became the first truly independent dean. The current diocese (i.e. in 1831) holds jurisdiction over the parishes of St Buryan, St. Levan
, and Sennen
.
Crosses in St Buryan parish Langdon (1896) records twelve crosses in the parish of which one is in the churchyard.
in London
after a successful nationwide campaign raised the necessary £80,000 that was supported by the wife of the then Prime Minister
Norma Major
, bringing the total to six. Bells are now rung regularly by an enthusiastic group from the village.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in St Buryan
St Buryan
St Buryan is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The village of St Buryan is situated approximately five miles west of Penzance along the B3283 towards Land's End...
in Cornwall
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...
.
Architectural history
Athelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
stopped to pray at Saint Buriana
Saint Buriana
Saint Buriana was a 6th century Irish saint who was a hermit in St Buryan, near Penzance, in the kingdom of Dumnonia.Buriana ministered from a chapel on the site of the parish church at St Buryan. She is said to have been the daughter of an Irish king and travelled to Dumnonia from Ireland as a...
's chapel, of which little now remains, during his conquest of Cornwall prior to his campaign against the Scilly Isles. He vowed to erect a college of clergy where the oratory stood if God blessed his expedition with success. Upon his triumphant return, having subdued Scilly, Athelstan endowed a church in honour of Saint Buriana with a charter that established St Buryan as one of the earliest monasteries in Cornwall.. The church structure was later enlarged and dedicated to the saint in 1238 by Bishop William Brewer
William Briwere
William Briwere was a medieval Bishop of Exeter.- Early life :Briwere was the nephew of William Brewer, a baron and political leader during King Henry III of England's minority. Nothing else is known of the younger Briwere's family or where he was educated...
However, by 1473 the church had fallen into disrepair, with large sections having to be subsequently rebuilt. The current tower, which was completed in 1501 , is 92 feet high and constructed of wrought cut granite from nearby Lamorna
Lamorna
Lamorna is a fishing village and cove in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penwith peninsula approximately four miles south of Penzance.-Newlyn School of Art and the Lamorna Colony:...
. Many years later the same granite was used to build Old London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
. It is divided into four stages, and has double buttresses at each angle. An octagonal turret rises at the south-east corner and contains a spiral staircase. The bulk of the present church building was added in the late 15th and 16th century and the north wall re-built in the 18th century, at the same time as the demolition of a small lean-to chapel on the north wall of the chancel. In 1814, the church was restored yet again when the benches and screen were replaced and in 1956 the present Lady Chapel was erected as a gift of John Franklin Tonkin, in memory of his uncle, Robert Edmund Tonkin, of Trevervenhttp://www.west-penwith.org.uk/buryan3.htm. The church is currently classified as a Grade I listed building.
Status
Royal Peculiar
A Royal Peculiar is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than under a bishop. The concept dates from Anglo-Saxon times, when a church could ally itself with the monarch and therefore not be subject to the bishop of the area...
thus falling directly under the jurisdiction of the English monarch as a separate 'diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
', rather than the Church. Between 1300 and 1473 arguments raged between The Crown and the Bishops of Exeter
Diocese of Exeter
The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...
over the status of the parish, with no bishop willing to visit the parish as they had no jurisdiction, telling the King that they were afraid to meddle with St Buryan, "for none dares go there for fear of death and mutilation". Arguments came to a head in 1327 when blood was shed in the churchyard, and in 1328 St Buryan was excommunicated by the Bishop and was not reinstated until 1336.Only two of the King's appointed Deans appear to have actually lived in the 'diocese' of St Buryan for more than a few months, and the combination of these factors led to the subsequent ruinous state of the church in 1473. The Deanery was annexed in 1663 to the Bishopric of Exeter
Diocese of Exeter
The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...
after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. However, it was again severed during the rule of 'Bishop' Harris, who thus became the first truly independent dean. The current diocese (i.e. in 1831) holds jurisdiction over the parishes of St Buryan, St. Levan
St Levan
St Levan is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately eight miles south west of Penzance....
, and Sennen
Sennen
Sennen is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Sennen village is situated approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
.
Crosses in St Buryan parish Langdon (1896) records twelve crosses in the parish of which one is in the churchyard.
The church bells
The Church's tower currently houses six hansom bells that call the faithful of St Buryan to worship. St Buryan's famous bells contain both the third heaviest treble bell anywhere in the world, and a magnificent tenor bell (the heaviest tenor bell of any six-bell peal), help give the church of St Buryan the heaviest peal of six bells anywhere in the worldHistory of the bells
The tower was originally planned to house eight bells, the first such peal in Cornwall, and an order was placed with R. Pennington in 1638. However, a survey of the church in the late nineteenth century detailed that only three bells were present, dated 1638, 1681 and 1738 suggesting that the work was never completed and also that at least two restorations had occurred during the intervening years. In 1901 a substantial refurbishment was undertaken by Warner's bell foundry who recast two of the old bells and supplemented them with a new tenor whilst also retuning the old treble bell. The improved peal was then rehung in a new heavy duty steel frame, however, the bells again fell into disuse due to a lack of interest from local ringer groups who much preferred the eight bell peal of St Mary's church in nearby Penzance and the bells soon became unringable. The bells were restored between 1990 and 2001 due to the efforts of Chris Venn, and the first phase of restoration completed in February 1991 with the rehanging of the original four bells. These were additionally augmented by two further bells cast at the Whitechapel Bell FoundryWhitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
after a successful nationwide campaign raised the necessary £80,000 that was supported by the wife of the then Prime Minister
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
Norma Major
Norma Major
Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth Major, DBE , is the wife of Sir John Major, the former British Prime Minister.-Biography:...
, bringing the total to six. Bells are now rung regularly by an enthusiastic group from the village.
| weight | dia. | note | founder | inscription | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (cwts, qtrs, lbs) | (inches) | ||||
| Treble | 9-1-11 | 36 | A# | 2001 Whitechapel | I Ring Out Gods Love And Lead The Mighty Five And Rest With Solomon By My Side |
| 2 | 8-1-0 | 38 | G# | 1681 R Pennington | Mr Richard Davis Sampson Hutchins Wardens |
| 3 | 13-2-10 | 43 | F# | 1992 Whitechapel | Vocem ego do vobis date verba deo (I give my voice to you: give ye your words to God). Donated by Venn Bros Ltd (Cornwall) In memory of Eva Venn |
| 4 | 13-3-1 | 45 | E# | 1901 J Warner | Virginis egregiae vocor campana Mariae(I am called the bell of Mary the Glorious virgin) |
| 5 | 20-2-2 | 50 | D# | 1901 J Warner | Richard James Martyn Rector This bell was given to commemorate the Accession of King Edward VII AD 1901 by James Hawke Dennis, Benefactor to St Buryan Church |
| Tenor | 37-2-9 | 59 | C# | 1994 Whitechapel | ST SOLOMON Calcar sit quo deus laudetur vox mea (Let my voice be the spur with which to praise God). PRAY FOR US: Christopher J Venn (Tower Captain and Restorer); Joan Thomas; Revd Dr R Legg; B S Cheek; Christine Jago; K Gilbert; Helen Gilbert; J Ellis; Sarah Veal. In Fond Memory of T W Trevor Hitchens 30.12.24 - 23.12.92. Part cost of this bell was met by T Neil & Jane M Hitchens |