The Celtic Christianity of Cornwall: Divers Sketches and StudiesTaylor, Thomas
History
The Celtic Christianity of Cornwall: Divers Sketches and Studies
Taylor, Thomas
Cornwall (England : County) -- Church history
A little more than half a century later, in 1403, the following entry
occurs in Bishop Stafford’s register: “One Cecilia Moys, desiring to
lead the contemplative life of an anchorite[108] in a certain house in
the cemetery of Marhamchurch, the bishop on the 4th of May, 1403,
commissioned Philip, abbot of Hartland, and Walter Dollebeare, vicar of
Southill, to place her there under proper protection, assigning her till
Christmas as a time of probation.”
Churchyards were regarded as places specially suitable for the dwellings
of anchorites as being dead to the world. It was, moreover, an obvious
advantage to the parish priest that they should be near the church for
the purpose of Communion. A second entry in the same bishop’s register
probably refers to the same anchorite, though the name is given as that
of Lucy Moys, anchorite of Marhamchurch.
She receives on the 10th of October, 1405, a licence to choose her
confessor. Another entry in the same register records a bequest of 40s.
by Richard Tyttesburry, canon of Exeter, to the anchorite of
Marhamchurch. His will was made on the 24th of February, 1405, and
proved on the 7th of June, 1409.[109]
At St. Teath there was a hermit, name unknown, who in 1408, under the
will of Sir William Bonevylle, received 20s. to pray for the soul of the
testator: “al heremyte de Stetth pour prier pour moy.” In the Lambeth
manuscript the bequest is recorded “a lermytage de Stath,” suggesting,
but by no means proving, a permanent hermitage in the parish.[110]
Seven years later, in 1415: “Margaret an anchorite dwelling near Bodmin,
having asked permission to migrate to the monastery of St. Bridget by
Schene and to join the order settled there, is licensed by the bishop
accordingly.” To her or to her predecessor Richard Tyttesburry, whose
name has been already mentioned, bequeathed in 1405 the sum of 40s.[111]
It has been generally supposed that Roche Rock, a natural and rugged
monolith some 300 feet in height, situated in the parish which bears its
name, was formerly the seat of a hermitage, and there is much to favour
the supposition. Norden (1584) describes it as “a verie high, steepe and
craggie rock, upon the top whereof is placed a cell or hermitage, the
walls whereof are partly wroughte, and that with great labour out of the
obdurate rock.” In the illustration, which he gives, the building is
complete with roof, windows and door. A detailed account is supplied by
Davies Gilbert (1838), from which it appears that in his day the roof
and upper chamber (as shown in Norden’s plate) had already disappeared,
the beam holes of the chamber being the only evidence that such a
chamber had existed. The dimensions of what is supposed to have been the
chapel are given by him: the length 20 feet, the breadth 12 feet and the
height 10 feet.
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