St Ive Parish Church & Chapels

St Ive Parish

Church & Chapel

St Ive Church
The parish church of St Ive is dedicated to St Ivo. It is constructed of stone and grey granite, in the decorated and perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, south aisle, north transept, large south porch and a western granite tower. The tower is in three stages and has 12 pinnacles on its embattlement summit, it is of early 16th century date. There are 6 bells dated from 1765 to 1907.
The church was built around 1338. The pulpit is from the 17th century and has some fine carving of mermaids and there are angels on the ceiling. In the porch there is a holy water stoup and the sundial over the entrance is dated 1695. Like most churches St Ive underwent a 'modernisation' in Victorian times. This was conducted in 1883 -1884 under the direction of Sir Medley Fulford and cost £1089.00. This provided seating for 279 persons. The church has some old cottages surrounding it, some of which date from the 16th century, they have retained all of their original character. Also in front of the church is the building that was the village school for a great many years, but sadly now closed. The vicarage is opposite the church and is a large rambling 16th century building, with numerous outbuildings. It has now been sold as a private dwelling.		MONUMENTS & MEMORIALS WITHIN THE CHURCH 1597 Sir John Wrey Dodson families 1669-1712 Saltren 1693-1746 Helyar 1806-1826 Blaunch Wrey 1595 John Wrey 1597 John Dominoe 1680 John Lyne & family 1791 Reginald Hobhouse 1895
For some excellent photographs of St Ive church and surrounding buildings, visit the Ware Family History site and look at Stuart Lindsay's photograph, pages 3 to 5. CLICK HERE
The chancel with the pulpit on the left, amongst the carving are mermaids. It is believed the pulpit may have been constructed from an early rood screen		South transept, note the roof.
Left. The porch through which generation of parishioners must have passed.		The tower with St Piran's flag flying in the breeze.
	Left. Part of the stained glass window above the altar, the figure on the left is believed to be St Ivo Right. The font which has been used to baptism the babies of the parish for many generations
		Bell ringers instructions from 1776 We ring the quick to church, the dead to grave; good is our use. Such usage let us have. Who here therefore doth damn, or curse, or swear, or strike in quarrel, tho no blood appear. or wear his hatt, or spur, or ruins a bell, or make a noise to mar a peal; Shall six pence pay, for each and every crime he'll fear to offend (perhaps) another time; and since bells are a modest recreation, lets rise and ring and fall to admiration. William Daw John Hoskin Churchwardens 1776 One of only seven such boards surviving in Cornish churches
		Left. The ancient parish stocks are still preserved in bell tower.

St Paul's Mission Church

As the population of Bodmonland (Pensilva) grew in Victorian times it became obvious that another church was needed in the parish, one also expects there were concerns about the flood of converts to Methodism. However it was not until 1900 with funds bequeathed for the purpose in the will of Rev. Hobhouse (Archdeacon when he died) that one was built. It is said that it was forgotten that the bequest was valid for only five years, hence a frantic last minute construction of what was affectionately became known as the 'tin tabernacle' due to it's corrugated iron structure. Officially it was called the St John's Mission Church. It had a new roof in 1932 and has very recently had a complete facelift, still being a place of worship.

Methodist Chapels
The influx of mining to the parish, came hand in hand with the increasing popularity of the Methodist Church. It was at one time the object to have a Methodist chapel within walking distance for everyone. In the 19^th century there were seven chapels or meeting places within the parish, most of these have now been converted to other uses.
Pensilva, Fore Street	This large chapel was opened in 1861 and was in use until very recently. It was originally built by the Bible Christian Methodists. This chapel together with the other chapels in Pensilva used the civic burial ground to the north of the village. This chapel has recently closed and its future is uncertain.
Pensilva, Princess Road	Another large chapel whose date of origin is not known to the author, it is only a few hundred metres from the church above and was used by the Wesleyan Methodists. It ceased to be a place of worship in 1932 and was used as a store for an agricultural merchant and then a builder. Within the last twenty years it has undergone a rather unsympathetic conversion into dwellings and is now known as the Wesley Flats.
Pensilva, Church Hill	Another chapel only a short distance from those above but this was originated as a United Methodist Free Church. Date of origin not known. In 1907 when the UMFC amalgamated with the Bible Christians the congregation moved to the church in Fore Street and by 1912 the building had been converted into the Pensilva Institute or Village Hall, which it remains to this day.
St Ive Cross	Although there is reference to a chapel on this site from 1833, the present chapel was opened for worship for Wesleyan Methodist’s in 1860. It has a burial ground which was given to the chapel in 1928 by an American and it is still in use, as is the chapel. In 1926 a Sunday School and utilities were converted from an old coach house.
St Ive, Keason	This building which is on the main A390 was in use from 1845 by the Bible Christian’s but not exclusively as a place of worship. It is believed that the Wesleyan’s took the building over in 1884 and used it as a Sunday School until 1926. Today it is a private dwelling and reveals little of the architecture one would expect of a chapel.
Charaton Cross	This small chapel was opened by the Bible Christians in 1845 and it was still running in 1907. It is now a private dwelling with the date of ‘1845’ clearly indicated over the door.
Marsh Gate	At some date in the 19^th century the Wesleyan Methodists converted two cottages to form a charming little chapel. An upstairs bedroom was kept as a gallery and the only means up to it was a ladder, which was removed during the service! It was closed down during WWI but was purchased by a Trust in 1927, sadly this Trust was dissolved in 1961 and the building has been decaying ever since.

Lynda Small, January 2002