Timeline of St Columb Major facts for kids

St Columb Major is a historic town in Cornwall, England. This timeline shares some of the most interesting and important events that have happened there over many centuries. You'll learn about ancient times, famous people, and how the town has changed.

Ancient Times (Prehistory)

• Castle an Dinas, an old hillfort from the Iron Age, was used by people.
• The Nine Maidens stone row, a line of standing stones, was built.
• The Devil's Quoit monument, another ancient stone structure, was put up.

Early History (Before 1100s)

• A special Celtic stone cross, called the Columba cross, was placed in the churchyard around the 900s.

Middle Ages (1100s–1400s)

• 1333: King Edward III gave Sir John Arundell permission to hold a market in St Columb Major. This was a thank you for helping the King's army fight in Scotland.
• 1427: A college was started by Sir John Arundell.
• 1433: John Arundell (1366 - 1435) gave money to help build the church tower and buy bells for it.
• January 11, 1435: John Arundell passed away.

1500s

• 1549: William Mayow, who was the Mayor of St Columb, was punished for leading a local uprising in Cornwall.
• 1585: The Green Book of St Columb has one of the first mentions of Morris dancing, a traditional English folk dance.

1600s

The front of Trewan Hall

• 1633: Trewan Hall was built by the Vivian family.
• March 7, 1645: During the English Civil War, a famous general named Sir Thomas Fairfax and his soldiers stayed near St Columb for a night.
• 1676: A large part of the St Columb church was accidentally damaged by gunpowder by three young people from the town.

1700s

• October 1715: James Paynter, a leader who supported the "Old Pretender" (a person who claimed to be the rightful king), made an announcement in St Columb town square.
• 1733: Work began on the St Columb Canal. It was designed by a Cornish engineer, John Edyvean. The canal was partly built but never fully opened.

1800s

• 1803: The large house called Nanswhyden mansion burned down.
• 1840: The St Columb Major Union workhouse was built. It was designed by famous architects George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt.
• 1844: St Columb Bank was started by five businessmen.
• August 8, 1848: Henry Jenner was born in St Columb. He was a scholar who helped bring back the Cornish language.
• 1850: The old Rectory building was rebuilt. People thought St Columb Major might become the home for Cornwall's new cathedral.
• September 15, 1854: James Polkinghorne, a champion Cornish wrestler, passed away. He lived in St Columb Major for many years and ran the Red Lion pub.
• 1856: The old College buildings next to the Church were taken down. A stone cross from the site was saved and put back up near the church door.
• 1875: St Columb Central School opened. It was designed by Cornish Architect, Silvanus Trevail.
• 1887: Bank House in Market Place was finished. It was designed by the architect, William White.
• January 1895: The church tower was hit by lightning during a church service, causing a fire. One of the bell ringers was thrown by the force!
• 1891: The Cornish Bank building was constructed, also designed by Silvanus Trevail.

1900s

• June 9, 1909: The Prince of Wales (George V) and his wife, the Princess of Wales (Mary of Teck), visited the town. They came to open the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show. The Prince gave two silver cups as prizes.
• 1920: A special chiming clock was added to the town as a memorial to the men from St Columb who died in the Great War.
• 1928: The St Columb Football team won the Cornwall Junior Cup!
• September 28, 1960: A very heavy rainstorm hit the town. Firefighters had to rescue a family near the Bridge.
• 1976: The St Columb Major Conservation Area was created to protect the town's special character.
• June 3, 1977: The A39 by-pass road around the town was opened.
• August 1977: The Queen and Prince Philip visited the town during their Silver Jubilee tour of Cornwall.
• May 27, 1983: The Prince and Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana) visited the town. This visit was to celebrate 650 years since the town was given its special charter by Edward III.
• 1988/89: The Pall Corporation factory was built at the south end of the town.
• 1992: Australian stuntman Matt Coulter, also known as The Kangaroo Kid, set a record for the longest jump with a crash on a quad bike at Retallack Adventure Park, near St Columb Major.

2000s

• 2011: St Columb Primary school became an Academy.
• 2014: Barclays Bank closed its branch in the town.
• 2017: Lloyds Bank also closed its branch.
• 2021: The TV show 'Remarkable Renovations' with George Clarke featured the town and showed how the old Lloyds Bank building was turned into a home.