St Uny's Church, Lelant
| St Uny Church, Lelant | |
|---|---|
Lelant, Cornwall | |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | The Revd Etienne van Blerk |
  Location of St Uny's Church, Lelant in Cornwall | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Church of St Uny |
| Designated | 4 June 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1143403 |
St Uny Church, Lelant, is the
History and description
The church is medieval and entirely built of
The depositions of the Exeter Consistory Court in 1572 include an altercation that occurred in Lelant church "Wm Hawysche, of Lelant, tynner, from birth resident, aged 40, sayeth that upon Dew Whallan Gwa Metten in Eglos De Lalant, viz. upon all hallow day late paste about the mydds of the service in the parish church of Lalant Moryshe David’s wife and Cicely James came into the church of Lalant together and in chiding with words together Cycely called Agnes Davey whore and whore bitch in English and not in Cornowok." This confirms that the Cornish language was the normal language of use in the parish at that time and that it was unusual to hear English being spoken. It is also an important record of the Cornish names for the Cornish language Kernowek and of Allhallowtide as Kalan Gwav (Dy Halan Gwav for All Saints' Day, Nos Kalan Gwav for Hallowe'en), also known as Allantide in Cornwall and Calan Gaeaf in Wales.[6]
At the beginning of the 18th century, the church was in a bad state of repair, due to wind-blown sand, and in 1727 a rate (or bounty money) of £263 15s was levied in the parish to meet the repairs. In 1731 there is an entry in the churchwardens' records of payment of one shilling for one day's work of carrying sand out of the church.[citation needed] The church was, again, restored in 1873, at a cost of £1,175, by J. D. Sedding.[7] During the night of 12 December 1878, the north-west pinnacle of the tower was struck by lightning. On examining the tower it was noticed that the flooring of the bell-chamber was rotten and had almost disappeared; the bells were supported by the frame alone. Funding was diverted from the building of the cathedral at Truro to make the tower safe, and the tower repaired and bells rehung in January 1880.[8][9]
The church has fine memorials to two
Organ
A new organ was installed in the north chancel by John Hele of London, Exeter and Plymouth at a cost of £415 (equivalent to £43,400 in 2021)
Bells
The church tower contains six bells by John Taylor of Loughborough. The oldest two date from 1836.[14]
References
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Uny (Grade I) (1143403)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ Pevsner, N. (1970) The Buildings of England, Cornwall; 2nd ed. p. 100
- ^ Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 141
- ^ Parish Guide, n. d.
- ^ Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 10
- ^ Spriggs, M 2003, 'Where Cornish was spoken and When: A Provisional Synthesis', in Philip Payton (ed.), Cornish Studies, University of Exeter Press, Exeter.
- ^ "An Old Cornish Church". The West Briton. 13 October 1887. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Church-tower struck by lightning". The Cornishman. No. 23. 19 December 1878.
- ^ "Lelant". The Cornishman. No. 81. 29 January 1880.
- ISBN 978 0 300 12668 6.
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "New Organ at Lelant Church". Cornishman. England. 15 May 1913. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- ^ "Lelant, Cornwall St Uny". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Dovemaster. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.