St Martin's Church, St Martin-by-Looe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Martin’s Church, St Martin-by-Looe |
|
|---|---|
St Martin’s Church, St Martin-by-Looe
|
|
 St Martin’s Church, St Martin-by-Looe
Location in Cornwall
|
|
| 50°22′9.9″N 04°26′53.4″W / 50.369417°N 4.448167°W | |
| Location | St Martin, Cornwall |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | anglicanchurcheslooe.weebly.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Keyne and St Martin of Tours |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Martin with East and West Looe |
| Deanery | West Wivelshire |
| Archdeaconry | Bodmin |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Martin's Church is an old church in a small village called St Martin, near Looe in Cornwall. It's part of the Church of England and belongs to the Diocese of Truro.
Contents
History of the Church
This church is very old, with parts built between the 1200s and the 1400s. It was repaired and updated in 1882 and again in 1907. During these updates, the floor was lowered, walls were made stronger, and pillars were straightened. A heating system was also put in, and a special window called a lancet window was opened up. The church was reopened for services by Archdeacon Henry Du Boulay.
For a long time, until 1845, this was the main church for East Looe. An early vicar (a church leader) was Sir William de Bodrygan in 1280. His family were important lords who gave East Looe its early rights. The south side of the church was once set aside for the people of the town, including the mayor and other town officials. There's a special screen from 1612 called a parclose screen, which belonged to the Langdon family of Keverell. Their squire used a small opening called a squint to watch the preacher.
Special Features of the Church
The church has some really old parts, like a doorway and a font (a basin for baptisms) from the Norman period (around the 11th and 12th centuries). The wooden ceilings, called wagon roofs, are from the 1400s.
You can also see beautiful modern wooden carvings, including the seats for the choir and the benches where people sit in the main part of the church. There's a special memorial for an officer who served in India.
Other interesting things include:
- The tomb of Philip Maiowe in the chancel (the area near the altar).
- A monument for Walter Langdon (who died in 1676) and his wife in one of the aisles.
- A memorial tablet for Jonathan Toup, who was a famous Greek scholar. He was a rector (another church leader) here and also a vicar in St Merryn. Jonathan Toup was buried under the communion table in the church. His niece, Phillis Blake, put up a small marble tablet on the south wall to remember him. The tablet says that his amazing scholarship was "known to the learned throughout Europe." A round brass plate below the tablet mentions that the money for it came from the Oxford University Press.
Church Organ
A new organ was installed in the church in 1878. It was built by Henry Speechley and cost £260 at the time. The organ was first played on May 2, 1878, by J. Nicholson from St Bartholomew's Church in London. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Church Bells
The church tower has six bells. These bells were made in 1882 by a company called John Taylor & Co.
Parish Information
Until 1845, the church's parish (the area it served) included East Looe, which had its own small chapel dedicated to St Mary. St Martin's Church is dedicated to two saints: St Keyne and St Martin. In old records, it's sometimes called Keyne the Greater. The right to choose the church's vicar used to belong to the lords of Pendrim.
Today, St Martin's Church shares a parish with:
- St Wenna's Church, Morval
- St Nicholas' Church, West Looe
