St Minver Explained

Country:England
Map Type:Cornwall
Static Image Name:St Enodoc Church - geograph.org.uk - 463394.jpg
Static Image Caption:St Enodoc Church
Static Image 2 Name:Perceval Institute, St Minver - geograph.org.uk - 205159.jpg
Static Image 2 Caption:Perceval Institute
Coordinates:50.559°N -4.874°W
Official Name:St Minver
Cornish Name:Sen Menvra
Population:2,393
Population Ref:(Civil Parish, 2011)
Region:South West England
Post Town:WADEBRIDGE
Postcode District:PL27
Postcode Area:PL
Dial Code:01208
Os Grid Reference:SW 965 771

St Minver (Cornish: Sen Menvra) is the name of an ecclesiastical parish, a civil parish and a village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

The civil parish of St Minver is in Bodmin Registration District and is nominally divided into St Minver Highlands (to the north and east) and St Minver Lowlands (to the west).

The combined parish is bounded on the south and west by the estuary of the River Camel, on the north by the Atlantic coast, and on the east by the parishes of St Endellion and St Kew.[1] The population of the parish in the 2001 census was 2,474 (St Minver Highlands 1025; St Minver Lowlands 1449) decreasing to 2,393 at the 2011 census.[2]

Settlements

The principal villages in the combined parish are the churchtown of St Minver, Rock, Trebetherick and Polzeath. Other settlements include Tredrizzick, Penmean, Splatt, Porthilly, Pityme and Trevanger.

St Minver village is centred on a small square at the crossroads of two unclassified roads. It is situated 3miles north of Wadebridge a few hundred yards west of the B3314 Wadebridge to Delabole road.

There is a holiday park formerly of the Haven brand situated on the edge of the village.

Churches

The village of St Minver and its surrounding area is dominated by the tall spire of St Menefreda's church (the parish church) named after Saint Menwreda (variously St Mynfreda or St Minefreda, the origin of the present day name St Minver) who was one of the 24 children of St Brychan, a Welsh king. In the church is the brass of Roger Opy, 1517.[3]

There are two other churches in the parish, both in St Minver Lowlands.

Quaker Meeting House and burial grounds

There was formerly a meeting-house in this parish, with a cemetery belonging to the Quakers. The walled Quaker burial ground at near Treglines was used between 1665 and 1742 and twenty-eight burials are recorded.[4] The ground contains no headstones - only trees.

A small biographical tract was published in 1709, entitled A Brief Narration of the Life, Service, and Sufferings, of That Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, John Peters; Who Departed This Life, in the 63d Year of His Age; On the 11th Day of the 7th Month, 1708, and was Buried in Friends Burying-Place at Minver in the County of Cornwall, the 13th of the same. Together with the Testimonies of His relations and other Faithful Friends, concerning his Christian example in the Church of Christ. London: Printed and sold by T. Sowle, in White-Hart Court in Gracious-Street, 1709.[5] This person was steward to the Carew family at Roserrow.[6] The walls of the burial ground have been listed by English Heritage.

Cornish wrestling

There have been Cornish wrestling tournaments at St Minver at various venues including the Cricket club.[7] [8]

John Collings (1783-1869) from Porteath[9] in St Minver was a celebrated wrestler in his early life.[10] [11] He also had a famous wrestling brother called Thomas.[12]

Colin Meneer from St Minver was the featherweight champion in 1963,[13] 1966[14] and 1968.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Sir John Maclean "Parochial and Family History of the Parish of St. Menefreda"; p. 4, 1876
  2. Web site: Parish population 2011. 14 February 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150214203415/http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Cornwall/StMinver/index.html#Population. 14 February 2015. dmy-all.
  3. Dunkin, E. (1882) Monumental Brasses. London: Spottiswoode
  4. http://www.stminveropc.fsworld.co.uk/His_Parish_Descr_1939.htm Kelly's Directory 1939 Description of St Minver, Cornwall P238 to 240
  5. Copies in The Library of the Society of Friends, London and Cornwall Quaker Library
  6. [Daniel Lysons (antiquarian)|Daniel Lysons]
  7. West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 2 August 1973.
  8. Cornish Guardian, 13 August 2014.
  9. 1841 Census: Transcript of Piece HO107/152 (Part 5): Book 12 Folio 10, p12.
  10. Death of a Cornish wrestler, Cornubian and Redruth Times, 17 December 1869, p4.
  11. Death of a wrestler, Western Times - Tuesday 21 December 1869, p6.
  12. Death of a Cornish wrestler, Royal Cornwall Gazette, 18 December 1869, p5.
  13. West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 8 August 1963.
  14. Cornish Guardian, 23 June 1966.
  15. Cornish Guardian, 22 August 1968.