St Bridget's Church, Morvah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bridget's Church, Morvah |
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St Bridget's Church, Morvah
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| 50°09′44″N 05°38′18″W / 50.16222°N 5.63833°W | |
| OS grid reference | SW402355 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | Bridget of Sweden |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Morvah |
| Deanery | Penwith |
| Archdeaconry | Cornwall |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Bridget's Church, Morvah is a very old church located in Morvah, a small place in Cornwall, UK. It is a parish church, which means it serves the local community. This church is part of the Church of England.
The church was first given permission to hold services on September 22, 1400. That's over 600 years ago! The tall tower you see today is the only part left from the original medieval church. The main parts of the church, called the nave (where people sit) and the chancel (near the altar), were rebuilt much later in 1828. In 1954, St Bridget's Church was added to the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special historic building that needs to be protected.
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Who Was St Bridget?
The church is thought to be named after Bridget of Sweden. She was a very important person who became a saint in 1391. However, there's a bit of a mystery about which St Bridget the church is truly named after.
The Mystery of St Bridget
Some historians from the Penwith History Group have looked into this. They found that the first time anyone mentioned "Bridget of Sweden" for this church was in 1928. This was in a newspaper article and then repeated by the Bishop of Truro.
Before that, in 1390, a chapel of St Bridget was mentioned, likely in Morvah. This was a year before Bridget of Sweden became a saint. This makes people wonder if it was a different St Bridget.
Irish Connections
Many churches along the coast in this area are named after Irish saints. It's possible that the St Bridget at Morvah was an Irish saint instead. One famous Irish saint is Brigid of Kildare, who lived a very long time ago and died in 525. She was named after an old Irish goddess. This suggests a link to the early Celtic church.
There's more evidence for an Irish connection! An old Irish festival called Lughnasa used to be celebrated in Morvah. This pagan festival was held on the first Sunday in August until the mid-1800s. The vicar at the time even described it as an event attended by "disorderly persons."
Other Names for Morvah
Sometimes, the church's dedication is also given as St Morwetha. In earlier times, Morvah was a small chapel that depended on Madron Parish Church. The name Morvah itself means "marsh" in the Cornish language. Some people think it might also mean "sea" from the Cornish word mor.
Church Bells
The church tower holds three bells. One of these bells is very old, dating back to 1799. The other two bells were added in 1828, when the nave and chancel were rebuilt.
