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 | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| 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 in Penzance is a very old and important church in Cornwall, England. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's recognized for its special history and architecture. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Early Beginnings (1300s - 1800s)
People have worshipped at this spot since at least the 1300s. Back then, it was a small chapel connected to the main church in Madron, a village a couple of miles away. It officially became a licensed place of worship in 1321.
In August 1595, during a Spanish raid, the chapel was surprisingly left untouched. This was because a special church service called Mass had been held there before.
Over the years, the chapel was made bigger in 1662, 1672, and 1782. However, by 1824, it was still far too small. About 7,000 people lived in Penzance at the time, and the chapel was very crowded.
Building a New Church (1830s)
The Reverend Thomas Vyvyan decided it was time for a brand new church. Charles Hutchens designed the 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 £800 for a new organ, £800 for bells, and £300 for a special musical bell system called a carillon.
The new church was finished on November 15, 1835. It was officially opened by the Bishop of Exeter, Henry Phillpotts, on September 6, 1836. Penzance got its own separate church area, called a parish, in 1871. The churchyard was made larger in 1883.
In 1886, Mr. Dorrien-Smith from Tresco, Isles of Scilly gave 17 aloe plants, which were planted in the churchyard.
Recent Events
Sadly, the inside of the church was badly damaged by a fire in April 1985. There were also two more attempts to set the church on fire in November 2018.
Church Bells
Old Bells and New Bells
One of the bells from the old church was moved to St John's Church in 1885. This bell had cost £12, 18 shillings, and 9 pence 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 later moved to St John's Hall in 1865 to be used as a fire bell.
In 1865, eight new bells were put in the church. They cost £950. Here are some details about them:
- One bell is 30 inches wide and weighs about 676 pounds. It says "PEACE AND GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD A.D. 1865; TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS".
- Another bell is also 30 inches wide and weighs about 780 pounds. It says "TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH A.D. 1835".
- A larger bell is 34 inches wide and weighs about 890 pounds. It was a gift from Philip Hedgeland and others in 1865.
- The largest bell is 50 inches wide and weighs over 2,200 pounds! It says "BOLITHO 1865. J TAYLOR AND CO., FOUNDERS, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE".
The Carillon
A special musical system called a carillon was installed in 1880. It cost about £300, and people in the town helped pay for it. It was a memorial to Edward Hearle Rodd, who was the town clerk and an expert on birds.
This was the first carillon ever put in Cornwall. It was finished on November 10, 1880, and played its first tune on November 28, 1880.
The carillon could play 14 different tunes. A new tune would play every two weeks, four times a day, at 8 AM, noon, 4 PM, and 8 PM. It had two special parts that would hit the bells to make music. These parts did not stop the bell-ringers from ringing the bells normally.
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The Organ
The church organ has some very old wooden parts, called casework, 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. It was moved from Oxford to St Mary's Church in Penzance in 1949. You can find more technical details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
