England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Lostwithiel St Bartholomew

The Parish

The parish of Lostwithiel lies in southern central Cornwall about 6 miles south of the county town of Bodmin. Lostwithiel is a market town which sits on the A390 road connecting St Austell with Liskeard. Lostwithiel sits at the first crossing point of the River Fowey where the A390 crosses and largely consists of two parallel roads running from northeast to southwest and parallel to the course of said river. Whilst Lostwithiel does not appear specifically in Domesday Book it had become an important centre by early medieval times with a market granted by Richard I, its position at the head of the navigable Fowey gave it ideal status as a port and the growth of the local tin trade saw it ranked 7th in all British ports largely on the basis of the tin trade. During the late 13th century Lostwithiel became the administrative capital of Cornwall, a position it has since ceded to both Bodmin & Truro. In that period it was the only town in Cornwall where tin could be assayed, stamped and weighed for export. Over time that status was undermined especially as the exploitation of tin caused silting of the Fowey restricting the size of vessel able to reach Lostwithiel which gradually declined into sleepy market town status. The arrival of the London to Penzance Great Western Railway line sparked some growth but today Lostwithiel remains a small regional market centre overtaken by nearby St Austell & Bodmin. The River Fowey, now pleasantly de-industrialised and a tourism venue, drains the parish to the nearby English Channel. Lostwithiel is sited on a sloping valley-side site with the bridge properties almost at sea level whilst the modern western suburbs rise to almost 40 metres, land continues to rise away from the river reaching just over 200 metres just west of Lanlivery. Lostwithiel parish is tiny, confined purely to the district of the town and covering barely 110 acres within which would have been packed almost 1,200 parishioners. In Domesday Book Lostwithiel is not mentioned but 2 manors Bodardle and Polscoe come within its orbit both held by Count Robert of Mortain had 12 ploughs plus the usual meadows & woodland whilst the latter merely merited a single plough.

The Church

St Bartholomew's church sits at the heart of Lostwithiel surrounded by the town's commercial premises yet tucked away within a small enclave. Pevsner described the church as "of outstanding interest" and "in a style very untypical of Cornwall". Its 14th century spire is clearly the factor which sets it apart from most rugged Cornish churches having influences from Brittany within its construct. The tower on which it stands is the earliest portion of the church showing the lancet style windows of the Early English Gothic period, a very early date for a Cornish church. The main body of the church with nave & chancel augmented by flanking aisles and arcades together with a southern porch is later and from the 14th century in a Decorated style of the early part of that century. From this basic structure there has been a plethora of changes, some deliberate others caused by accidental means. Following the Civil War explosion damage to the nave roof required replacement which is at a lower height than original. Victorian work followed apace with campaigns of 1843, 1875-9 and 1893 all making changes to the church but leaving the basic formula intact. The churchyard sits in the space between North & Fore Streets, the former is best for street parking. The rather confined site, the western end of the church is particularly cheek-by-jowl with the street, makes for a challenging task for the photographer which is further impeded by the presence of dense trees at the southwestern corner, the Breton spire certainly hides its attributes from easy view.