February 7th Century A.D. St.
German’s Priory, St. Germans, Cornwall, UK—Founded by Celtic Monks; Secular Canons; Episcopal Diocesan Cathedral
in 936; See Transferred to Crediton,
Devon, in 1042; Secular Monks in 1042; Augustinian Regular Canons in 1184; Dissolved 2 Mar 1539; Granted to Catherine Champernoun and John
Ridgeway; Claustral Buildings Incorporated into Port Eliot House; Priory Church
Called “Saint Germans” (Anglican)
St German's Priory
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
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Church of St Germanus, St Germans
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St German's priory
church, St Germans
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Basic information
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Location
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District
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Archdeaconry of Bodmin
Diocese of Truro |
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Year consecrated
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1261
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Architectural description
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Architectural type
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Specifications
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Stone and rubble
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St
German's Priory is a large Norman church in the village of St Germans in south-east Cornwall, England, UK.
Contents
History
According to a credible
tradition the church here was founded by St Germanus himself ca. 430 AD. The first written record
however is of Conan being made Bishop in the Church of St German's as a result of King Athelstan's settlement with Cornwall.[1] The fixing of the see here shows that the Celtic monastery was already of
great importance. Possession of two holdings of land in the parishes of Landrake ("Landerhtun") and Landulph ("Tinieltun" i.e. Tinnel) was confirmed by King Canute in 1018; they had been granted by King Edmund. Both holdings remained in
the monastery's possession until 1538. In 1042 the see was moved to Crediton and the lands of the monastery were divided into two parts, one for the
monastery and one (named Cuddenbeak) for the Bishop of Crediton. After the Norman Conquest a college of secular canons was established which is said to have been
reconstituted in the time of Bishop Bartholomew (1161–1184) as a college of regular canons.[2]
The present church replaces an
Anglo-Saxon building which was the cathedral of the Bishops of Cornwall. The church is dedicated to St Germanus and soon after construction it became the cathedral
for Cornwall in 926 AD, when King Athelstan appointed Conan as the bishop of Cornwall. The bishopric was to be short-lived, however, as
it was transferred to Crediton in 1042 AD. A monastery grew alongside the church, and was reorganized by the Bishop of Exeter
between 1161 and 1184 as an Augustinian priory. The priory church was
rebuilt on a grand scale, with two western towers and a nave of 102 ft.
Interior view
West doorway
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII the priory was abolished and its buildings became a private house, home to the Eliot family, in whose hands the house remains. A number of the Eliot family are
interred in the church.
St Germans parish was once the
largest in Cornwall. St Germans Priory is now
managed by the Church of England and the St Germans Priory Trust.
Architecture
Some of the original Norman features remain, including the large arched western doorway
which is particularly ornate and is carved from elvan quarried at Landrake.[3]
There is a peal of eight
bells.[4]
See also
References
3. Jump up^ Sedding, Edmund H. (1909) Norman Architecture in Cornwall: a
handbook to old ecclesiastical architecture. London: Ward
& Co.; pp. 135-152
4. Jump up^ Dove, R. H. (1982) A Bellringer's Guide to the Church
Bells of Britain; 6th ed. Aldershot: Viggers; p. 93
Further reading
- Henderson, Charles (1929) Records of the Church and Priory of St. Germans in Cornwall. Shipston-on-Stour: “King’s Stone” Press
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