England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Mevagissey St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Mevagissey sits on Cornwall's southern central coastline about 5 miles south of the town of St Austell. Mevagissey sits at the southern end of the B3273 which connects it with St Austell. Mevagissey is the archetypal Cornish fishing port, a cluster of cottages straggling up steep narrow lanes above a picturesque fishing harbour. A deeply incised valley heads northeast from the port and this valley forms the main axis for property within the village, the steep sides being built up in narrow terracing with so little flat building land. It was to the sea and fishing that made Mevagissey the major settlement on what is otherwise a rocky and dangerous stretch of coastline, being sheltered from prevailing winds, the harbour faces east, made its a safe haven too. Pilchard fishing was the predominant trade although inland pastoral farming dominated on the steep grassy slopes. Today tourism dominates as the major employer within the village, the coast, itself, being a major draw - the South West Coastal National Trail passes through with Mevagissey a major stopping point and source of overnight accommodation. Inland the principal attraction is the "lost Gardens of Heligan" a little over 2 miles northwest. As a coastal community small streams join the main river feeding into the harbour. Mevagissey is sited at between sea level and 80 metres above the sea with land continuing to rise to a general level of just over 100 metres, albeit deeply dissected and with many steeply sloping narrow lanes. By Cornish standards Mevagissey parish was relatively tiny, covering only a little over 1,200 acres it would still have supported 2,300 parishioners such was its dependency upon the sea and its riches. In Domesday times Mevagissey was not specifically mentioned, the area being covered by the manor of Galowras, nowadays preserved in the name of a nearby farm; that manor was small, in the hands of Count Robert of Mortain, and could only muster 3 ploughs plus some pasture & woodland.

The Church

St Peter's church sits at the western edge of the village at the junction of Vicarage Hill with Church Lane on the northern slopes of Mevagissey's main valley. Whilst there was a church as early as 1230 on this site today's building bears little resemblance and has nothing of that age remaining. That early church was cruciform in design with a central crossing tower, today's building has a more conventional late medieval design, nave & chancel with western tower augmented by a northern aisle, a southern transept and southern porch. Most of the fabric of this remodelled church dates to the period between 14th and 16th century and is largely Perpendicular in style. The church was, however, neglected and by the mid 17th century the tower was said to ruinous and in 1853 the church, sadly, was described as "a miserable church in bad repair". Thankfully the Victorians provided their usual restoration and it was, and indeed needed to be, thorough - in this case it happened in the 1880s. Both lanes surrounding the church a narrow and with no parking, it is best to walk from the village car parks. The church's main entrance is from Vicarage Lane where the churchyard is, at least, level with road height, elsewhere the site is way above road level and banked by local stone walls. A cramped and well-wooded churchyard makes it real challenge for the photographer as most of the favoured southern aspects are taken by close trees.