St Mary's Church, Penzance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary’s Church, Penzance |
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St Mary’s Church, Penzance
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| 50°06′59.82″N 5°32′0.33″W / 50.1166167°N 5.5334250°W | |
| Location | Penzance |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Consecrated | 6 September 1836 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Hutchens |
| Groundbreaking | 1832 |
| Completed | 15 November 1835 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Penzance |
| Deanery | Penwith |
| Archdeaconry | Cornwall |
| Diocese | Diocese of Truro |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
St Mary's Church, Penzance is a beautiful old church in Penzance, Cornwall, England. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important and protected because of its history and special architecture. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Early Beginnings of the Church
This church has been a place of worship for a very long time, since at least the 1300s. It started as a small chapel connected to a bigger church in Madron, a village two miles inland. It received its official permission to hold services in 1321.
Surviving a Spanish Attack
In August 1595, during a Spanish raid, the chapel was saved. It was spared because a special church service had just happened there.
Growing Pains and New Construction
Over the years, the chapel was made bigger in 1662-1672 and again in 1782. However, by 1824, it was far too small for the nearly 7,000 people who wanted to worship there. It was still a 'chapel of ease,' meaning it helped people who lived far from the main church in Madron.
Reverend Thomas Vyvyan decided it was time for a brand new church. Charles Hutchens designed the new building, and John Pope Vibert was in charge of the construction. People raised a lot of money for the new church – about £16,000! They also raised more money for the organ, bells, and a special musical instrument called a carillon. The new church was officially opened by the Bishop of Exeter, Henry Phillpotts, on September 6, 1836. Penzance became its own separate church parish in 1871. The churchyard was made larger on the south side in 1883.
Special Plants and Challenges
In 1886, Mr. Dorrien-Smith from Tresco, Isles of Scilly gave seventeen aloe plants, which were planted in the churchyard.
Sadly, the inside of the church was damaged by fire in April 1985. There were also two more attempts to set the church on fire in November 2018.
The Bells of St Mary's
Old Bells and New Bells
One of the bells from the old church was moved to a temporary bell tower at St John's Church in 1885. That bell had cost £12 18s 9d when it was first put in St Mary's steeple in 1667.
The first bell in the current church had the words "PEACE AND GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD, 1713 JP" written on it. This bell was moved to St John's Hall in 1865 to be used as a fire-bell. In the same year, eight brand new bells were installed at a cost of £950.
Here are some details about the new bells:
- The first bell is 30 inches (760 mm) wide and weighs about 676 pounds. It says: "PEACE AND GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD A.D. 1865; TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS".
- The second bell is 30 inches (760 mm) wide and weighs about 780 pounds. It says: "TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH A.D. 1835".
- The third bell is 34 inches (860 mm) wide and weighs about 890 pounds. It says: "THE GIFT OF PHILIP HEDGELAND M.A., JAMES ALDRINGE DEVENISH, ASSISTANT CURATE, WALTER EDMUNDS, JUN., CHAPELWARDEN, SAMUEL YORK, SIDESMAN A.D. 1865, TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH".
- The fourth bell is 30 inches (760 mm) wide and weighs about 960 pounds. It says: "TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH A.D., 1865".
- The fifth bell is 38.5 inches (980 mm) wide and weighs about 1,144 pounds. It says: "THE GIFT OF CAROLINE AND ELIZABETH CATHERINE THOMAS CARNE A.D.1865".
- The sixth bell is 40 inches (1,000 mm) wide and weighs about 1,263 pounds. It says: "TAYLOR AND CO., A.D. 1865".
- The seventh bell is 44 inches (1,100 mm) wide and weighs about 1,641 pounds. It says: "THE GIFT OF THE CORPORATION. FRANCIS BOASE, MAYOR, A.D., 1865, J. TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH, LATE OF OXFORD AND BUCKLAND BREWER, DEVON".
- The eighth bell is 50 inches (1,300 mm) wide and weighs about 2,274 pounds. It says: "BOLITHO 1865. J TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE".
The Carillon: A Musical Bell System
A carillon was installed as a memorial to Edward Hearle Rodd, who was the town clerk and an expert in birds. This carillon cost about £300 and was paid for by people donating money. It was the first carillon ever put in Cornwall! Gillett, Bland & Co finished it on November 10, 1880. It played its first tune at 8:00 PM on Sunday, November 28, 1880.
The carillon could play fourteen different tunes. A new tune would play every two weeks, every four hours, at 8 AM, noon, 4 PM, 8 PM, midnight, and 4 AM. The carillon had two barrels and two hammers for each of the bells. These hammers did not stop the bell-ringers from ringing the eight bells normally.
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The Organ
The church's organ has parts that date back to 1676. These parts were originally in St Mary's Church in Oxford. The organ itself was made by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd and was moved to St Mary's Church in Penzance from Oxford in 1949. You can find more technical details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
