St Clement, Cornwall
Encyclopedia
St Clement is a civil parish and village in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is situated southeast of Truro in the valley of the Tresillian River. There is a smaller village at Malpas
in the south of the parish. The urban part of the parish of St Clement was incorporated into Truro in 1895.
St Clement is attractive for tourists: aside from the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside they come to see the village church and its associated conservation projects that are maintained by members of the local community. Unlike some other villages in the district, the village of St Clement has changed very little in recent times.
of the Duchy of Cornwall. There was also an electoral ward of the former Kerrier District
called Moresk. Malpas is nearer the Truro River: a road journey there means going via Truro (3.3 miles).
is less critical than Charles Henderson of the restoration
of 1865 and remarks on the graveyard inscriptions. The tower, in three stages, is built of slate and has a datestone for 1326 which corresponds to the style of building (however the third stage is of a later date). The rest of the church was decayed by the 1860s so most of the present fabric is from 1865 (however certain parts show genuine 13th-century work). The north transept has an arch matching the arcade of the south aisle (six bays in granite, nearly semi-circular arches and standard piers with elaborate capitals). There are two notable monuments: to Samuel Thomas (d. 1796), the work of John Bacon, 1799, has two allegorical figures; the other is to Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds
, from the studio of Micali, Livorno
, and shows a young soldier and two women, the soldier points to a monument with a naval battle, above is the portrait medallion.
The battle is probably the engagement with the Droits de l'Homme. Captain Reynolds commanded the frigate Amazon in the Action of 13 January 1797
when, in company with HMS Indefatigable, the frigates engaged and drove ashore the much larger French ship of the line
Droits de l'Homme
. In the heavy storm in which the battle was fought, Amazon became unmanageable and was also wrecked, although the frigate was beached and all but six of her men survived, unlike her larger opponent which was run onto a sandbar and destroyed with hundreds of lives lost.
Cross in churchyard
The churchyard contains an inscribed stone cross: the first word of the inscription is perhaps isnioc (later opinion believes ignioc). The inscription is "Ignioc Vitali fili Torrici" (i.e. Ignioc son of Vitalus son of Torricus) and the dating is 5th to 7th century. Another inscription is in Ogham, perhaps partly in Irish. The inscriptions are both older than the carving of the upper part into a cross.
.
is associated with the legend of Iseult
and Tristan as a point on Iseult's journey. W. J. Burley
's Wycliffe and the Last Rites is set in a Cornish village called Moresk.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is situated southeast of Truro in the valley of the Tresillian River. There is a smaller village at Malpas
Malpas, Cornwall
Malpas is a riverside village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated two miles southeast of the city of Truro, on the banks of the Malpas Estuary of the Truro River and Tresillian River....
in the south of the parish. The urban part of the parish of St Clement was incorporated into Truro in 1895.
St Clement is attractive for tourists: aside from the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside they come to see the village church and its associated conservation projects that are maintained by members of the local community. Unlike some other villages in the district, the village of St Clement has changed very little in recent times.
History and antiquities
The old name of this place is Moresk and there was a castle here in Norman times. The manor of Moresk was one of the 17 Antiqua maneriaAntiqua maneria
The Antiqua maneria were the original 17 manors belonging to the Earldom of Cornwall.After March 1337 these manors passed to the new Duchy of Cornwall which was created by King Edward III to give financial support to his son Edward, the Black Prince .The table below shows the 17 Antiqua maneria...
of the Duchy of Cornwall. There was also an electoral ward of the former Kerrier District
Kerrier
Kerrier was a local government district in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It was the most southerly district in the United Kingdom, other than the Isles of Scilly. Its council was based in Camborne ....
called Moresk. Malpas is nearer the Truro River: a road journey there means going via Truro (3.3 miles).
Parish church
The church is medieval but has lost much of its interest due to later restorations. John BetjemanJohn Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
is less critical than Charles Henderson of the restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
of 1865 and remarks on the graveyard inscriptions. The tower, in three stages, is built of slate and has a datestone for 1326 which corresponds to the style of building (however the third stage is of a later date). The rest of the church was decayed by the 1860s so most of the present fabric is from 1865 (however certain parts show genuine 13th-century work). The north transept has an arch matching the arcade of the south aisle (six bays in granite, nearly semi-circular arches and standard piers with elaborate capitals). There are two notable monuments: to Samuel Thomas (d. 1796), the work of John Bacon, 1799, has two allegorical figures; the other is to Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds
Robert Carthew Reynolds
Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds was a long serving and widely respected officer of the British Royal Navy who served in four separate major wars in a 52 year career...
, from the studio of Micali, Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, and shows a young soldier and two women, the soldier points to a monument with a naval battle, above is the portrait medallion.
The battle is probably the engagement with the Droits de l'Homme. Captain Reynolds commanded the frigate Amazon in the Action of 13 January 1797
Action of 13 January 1797
The Action of 13 January 1797 was a small naval battle fought between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany during the French Revolutionary Wars. During the action the frigates successfully outmanoeuvred the much larger French vessel and drove it on shore in...
when, in company with HMS Indefatigable, the frigates engaged and drove ashore the much larger French ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
Droits de l'Homme
French ship Droits de l'Homme (1794)
The Droits de l'Homme was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy during the French Revolution.The Droits de l'Homme, was involved in the Action of 6 November 1794, chasing the British 74s Canada and Alexander...
. In the heavy storm in which the battle was fought, Amazon became unmanageable and was also wrecked, although the frigate was beached and all but six of her men survived, unlike her larger opponent which was run onto a sandbar and destroyed with hundreds of lives lost.
Cross in churchyard
The churchyard contains an inscribed stone cross: the first word of the inscription is perhaps isnioc (later opinion believes ignioc). The inscription is "Ignioc Vitali fili Torrici" (i.e. Ignioc son of Vitalus son of Torricus) and the dating is 5th to 7th century. Another inscription is in Ogham, perhaps partly in Irish. The inscriptions are both older than the carving of the upper part into a cross.
Penair House
The house was built by Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds (d. 1811) and was the residence of his son Barrington Reynolds. This house replaced an older one at least going back as far as the 17th century.Pencalenick House
The house which was built by J. P. St Aubyn in 1881 stands in historic parklands. The land around and including Calenick Creek has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
Notable residents
- Francis Jenkins, Vicar of St Clement for over 50 years
- Sir Barrington ReynoldsBarrington ReynoldsAdmiral Sir Barrington Reynolds, GCB , was a senior and long-serving officer of the British Royal Navy who went to sea with his father aged only nine during the French Revolutionary Wars and was captured by the French aged eleven...
, Admiral in the Royal Navy - Robert Carthew ReynoldsRobert Carthew ReynoldsRear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds was a long serving and widely respected officer of the British Royal Navy who served in four separate major wars in a 52 year career...
, Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy
Literary associations
Malpas ferryMalpas, Cornwall
Malpas is a riverside village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated two miles southeast of the city of Truro, on the banks of the Malpas Estuary of the Truro River and Tresillian River....
is associated with the legend of Iseult
Iseult
Iseult is the name of several characters in the Arthurian story of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, wife of Mark of Cornwall and adulterous lover of Sir Tristan. Her mother, the Queen of Ireland, is also named Iseult...
and Tristan as a point on Iseult's journey. W. J. Burley
W. J. Burley
William John Burley was a British crime writer, best known for his books featuring the detective Charles Wycliffe, who became the basis of the popular Wycliffe television series throughout the mid 1990s....
's Wycliffe and the Last Rites is set in a Cornish village called Moresk.