Around St Just in Penwith Part Two

A Virtual Walk Around The St Just Area.

By Sandra and George Pritchard

Leaving the church gates we enter the building. The original church building was commissioned by Richard de Beaupre in 1334 and was cruciform in shape. This Richard was the son of John de Beaupre who was sheriff of Cornwall in 1262 and held the office of steward to Richard, Duke of Cornwall for much, if not all, of the period 1267-72. John was granted land by the Duke which included the Manor of Bray. The arms of this family plus the Fitz Ive and Bray families who intermarried with them appear on the arch by the organ. However, there is very little else within the church to remind us of the other early families which were recorded in the St Just Easter Book of 1593. The book tells us that the population of St Just and Pendeen was about 536. Landed family names common then were: - Bray [Brea]: Bosaverne[ Bosavern]; Bosseghan [Boscean] Bosshorn [Bosorne]; Bosvargus; Dowran; Grenfil [Grenfell], Nanquynowe [Nanquidno]; Nanpean; & Ustick, . Of these Bray and Grenfell are the s!
ole survivors in Cornwall today. Bosaverne was the residence of a family of that name in 1625 : Busvargus in Tregeseal became the property of the family of Lethen and in c1560 they assumed the name of the estate. The Usticke family opened Botallack Manor in 1663. but most of these original St Just family names have nearly all passed into history.

There are no memorials on the walls to them and no gravestones to mark their passing. However, whilst in the church we can take a look at the baptism records for the years 1612 to 1875. These tell us that whilst Bussaverne appeared twice, once in 1615 and the other in 1874, Boscean, Bosshorn, Dowran and Namquynowe did not appear at all and had either died out or the families had left the parish before the registers began. Busvargus on the other hand seems to have returned to the parish in 1651 after an absence and appeared twenty times before again disappearing in 1717. The original name of this family was Lethen and it reappeared in 1636 and continued with ninety three baptisms between then and 1861.Finally the name Ustick having appeared seventy four times in the register, disappeared in 1745.

Some of the group asked about names which were linked to their families and a quick look showed that: - STEVENS appeared 68 times between 1689 and 1850, NANKERVIS, 111, between 1612 and 1875, GRENFEL, 429 between 1636 and 1866, HICKS, 262 between 1636 and 1875 , Pascoe 40 between 1631 and 1874 , Eddy 582 between 1647 and 1875 , Arundel 14 between 1742 and 1843 , Rowe 395 between 1630 and 1875 , Hosken 175 between 1688 and 1875 , Wallis 322 between 1615 and 1875 , Oats 531 between 1612 and 1875 , Gibson 10 between 1827 and 1861 , Maddern 78 between 1615 and 1875. But the two most popular names in St Just are WILLIAMS with 1,112 entries in the baptism records between 1612 and 1875. and the second most popular surname is THOMAS with 951 entries in the baptisms records for the period 1612 to 1875.

No one who enters the church can fail to be impressed by the wall paintings which date back to 1336. Originally the whole church would have been decorated like this but at the time of the reformation in 1547 they were painted over by the King's Degree. Over the years more coats of whitewash were added and everyone forgot they were there. In 1865 repairs and alterations were being undertaken by Mr Piers St Aubyn which included the removal of the whitewash and plaster. He discovered a total of six paintings but only two were saved.
In a recess in the north wall of the chancel is a curious old incised slab bearing on one side the inscription "SILVS HC JACET," and on the upper side an incised "labarum," or sacred monogram, of very ancient date: built into the wall of the north aisle is an ancient cross found in the old chapel at Cape Cornwall, about a mile and a half west: the large chandeliers were given by John Edwards, of Truthwall, in 1746: there are memorials to the families of Millett, Chenhalls and others, and memorial windows to Owen Boyle, light keeper of Longship lighthouse, who lost his life on the 25th Oct. 1877, to Stephen Harvey James, sen. d. 1870, and to Stephen Harvey James, jun. d. 1887:

The churchyard was the domain of the Church sexton and after our supper in the Kings Arms Mr Rick Parsons has very kindly provided us all with a copy of the Diary of the St Just Sexton E.S. Millet from 1891 to 1893. It is sometimes sad but also sometimes amusing. So lets go and see what's for supper and after it we can light the candle, put our feet up and enjoy a good read.

As we enter the Kings Arms the smell of hot food comes drifting through from the kitchen. The year is 1893 and Thomas Williams is the Landlord, he is also a farmer and is said to produce the finest meat around. Tonight is to be special as Mrs Williams has agreed to cook our meal in the old fashioned way over the open fire rather than on the new fangled Cornish Stove. We enter the kitchen and find the big crock lifted off the brandes (trivet) on to the hearth. In the large vessel are a boiled rump of beef, a couple of fowls, and a nice piece of streaky pork to eat with them; as well as turnips, carrots, and other vegetables, all in kipps (net-bags) to keep, them separate and for convenience in taking up. The vegetables are placed to drain on bars called "kip sticks," placed across the crock the beef is dished up on a round pewter platter; and the fowls have melted butter and parsley-some of the butter poured on them, the rest will be served served in a boat. A rabbbit-pie i!
s steaming on the chimney stool; and a baked figgy (plum) pudding is on the dresser, having been turned out of the baker on to another pewter platter, and powdered over with white sugar. On one end of the hearth, over a few embers, stands a little pot, the very model of the larger vessel but not more than a tenth of its size, containing choice red-apply potatoes, steaming under a cloth, all the water having been poured off'.

The female guests are advised that their dresses should be pinned up, that. they mightn't be faust (soiled or rumpled) and that dinner will now be served. Mary, the serving girl, takes from the dresser pewter flagons, which shine like silver and are only used on grand occasions, to serve the ale. If we don't make a good dinner it will be no fault of our hosts, for it is " cut and come again" till we all declare we are "choke full and ready to relax." Then we can enjoy a nip of brandy all round, to settle our stomachs. Jugs of hot toddy will next be placed on the board, (table) with a little tray of shag tobacco and long pipes. Crocks and pans put away, the fire will be gathered to one end of the hearth ; fresh turves put on; and the chimney stool put back to its place on the other end of the roomy hearth, that those who liked best to smoke in the chimney corner might sit there. We all being made comfortable as our hearts could desire, Mrs Williams and Mary will leave us !
to read the Diary under the guttering gas light.

The Sextons Diary URL:-

http://west-penwith.org.uk/justsx1.htm