Constantine is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, UK, between Falmouth and Helston.
It is bounded by the civil parishes of Mabe, Mawnan, Gweek, Wendron and the north bank of the Helford River[1].
Constantine is named after Saint Constantine, a 6th century Cornish saint and prince.
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History
The history of Constantine is related in The Book of Constantine (2001).[2] An earlier study, A history of the parish of Constantine in Cornwall by Charles Henderson (1937) is also worth reading.[3] Five Walks Around Constantine (2006) provides brief historical notes and many illustrations.
Early period
In pre-historic times, a fogou was constructed near Trewardreva: no-one knows its purpose. Langdon (1896) recorded that there were six stone crosses in the parish, including one in the churchyard.
The ancient name of Constantine, "Langostentyn", implies that the settlement was monastic, with the "Lan" prefix. Dr. Lynette Olson [4] has examined literary and archaeological evidence for all early monastic establishments in Cornwall and found significant doubts about the religious nature of Constantine before the Norman Conquest.
After the Norman conquest
Little remains of the Norman church, which was rebuilt between 1420 and 1480: the tower is impressive.[5]. The chancel was rebuilt in 1862 and there was other restoration work between 1859 and 1901. There is a brass of 1574 to Richard Gerveys and family.[6]
Trewardreva Manor House was built ca. 1600 and remodelled in 1719-49: the west wing was demolished in 1860.[7]
Extractive industries
The settlement called Constantine Churchtown grew up around the church. Mineral extraction led to a massive increase in population and the village expanded down what is now called Fore Street, during the Nineteenth Century.[8] However, one property, "The Bow Window", is thought to be a 300-year-old farmhouse.
The village had three main industries: agriculture, mining for tin, copper and iron[9] and quarrying granite.[10][11]
The largest mine was Wheal Vyvyan, which was worked from 1827 to 1864. The production figures for copper 1845-1864 and for tin ore, 1855-1864, are given in Cornish Mines.[12] The value of copper raised peaked in 1845, 1850 and 1855. The peaks of value in tin ore production were in 1856 and 1863. In 1864, the value of tin raised was only a quarter of the previous year's value and the mine closed.[13]
Twentieth century
In 1921, Alice Hext, of Trebah gave the playing field and sports pavilion to the village,[14] in memory of her husband, Charles Hawkins Hext, who died in 1917. She supported the development of the Sport and Social Club until her death in 1939.[15]
In 1933, overhead cables, providing electricity to homes were installed in the village.[16]
Port Navas has an ancient Oyster farm.[17]
Notable residents
- John Hellins F.R.S., the mathematical astronomer, was curate of Constantine from 1779 to 1783.[18]
Schools
A British School was opened in 1836 at Ponjeravah.[19] After 1957, the school moved to what is now the Church Hall and in 1966 to its present site, the building being refurbished and extended in 2005, as Constantine Primary School.[20] There is also a Pre-School,[21] set in an eco-friendly building on the primary school campus. For secondary education, children have to travel to Helston, Mullion, Falmouth or Penryn.
Today
Constantine parish is the home of five Cornish Bards, including Vanessa Beeman, who was installed a Grand Bard at the annual Gorseth Kernow, in September 2006.[22]
Also in September 2006, Constantine won the Calor Best Village in Cornwall 2006 competition.[23] Constantine was also judged the Best Village in the West of England 2007, in the Business Category.[24]
The Civil Parish is in the process of preparing a Parish Plan as a framework for future development/conservation.
Cornish language classes are provided at the Tolmen Centre on Monday evenings.
Government and politics
Constantine Parish Council meets on the Thursday nearest 20th of the month at 7:00 p.m.[25] A free magazine, Gweder Myras (The Mirror) [26] is circulated to villagers, giving an account of Parish Council meetings and other goings on.
Annual events
Saint Constantine's "Feast" is celebrated in the village, on or around 9 March. The Agricultural Society (founded 1900) and the Cottage Garden Society run Shows early in July. The Constantine Social Club run a Carnival, usually on a weekend at the end of July. The Constantine Art Society has a two-week exhibition, starting at the end of July. An annual "Cornish Talk and Taste" festival takes place in January.
Twinned with Breton village
Like many other Cornish places, Constantine Parish with Gweek, is twinned with a partner in Brittany in Western France. In this case the village is twinned with Pont-Croix, Département Finistère. In Breton, "Pont-Croix" is "Pont-e-kroaz" and, colloquially, "Ar Pont".[27]
Place-names in the civil parish of Constantine
Bonallack, Bosahan, Bosanarth, Bosawsack, Bosvathick, Boswarch, Boswidjack, Bridge, Brillwater, Brill (a hamlet to the west of the village of Constantine), Calamansac, Carvedras, Goongillings, Groyne Point, High Cross, Job's Water, Lestraynes, Maen Pern, Merthen, Nancenoy, Penwarn, Polpenwith, Polwheveral, Ponjeravah, Port Navas, Retallack, Scott's Quay, Seworgan, Trebarvah, Trecombe, Tregantallan, Treglidwith, Treleggan, Trenarth, Trengrove, Tresahor, Tresidder, Trevassack, Trevease, Treviades, Trewardreva, Trewince, Treworvack, Treworvall, Tucoyse.
Notes
- ^ For a map of the boundaries, zoomable to plan detail, use Cornwall County Council's Interactive Map of Cornwall.
- ^ The Book of Constantine
- ^ For bibliographical details, see References below.
- ^ Early monasteries in Cornwall, page 105
- ^ Harris, Ida and David (1975). The Church of Saint Constantine in Cornwall: a brief guide, compiled and illustrated by Ida and David Harris.
- ^ Pevsner, N. (1970) Cornwall, 2nd ed. Penguin Books; p. 55-56
- ^ Pevsner (1970); p. 56
- ^ Ordnance Survey 6 inch map, 1888, surveyed in 1878 Sheet LXXVII NW shows the street complete.
- ^ Mining history at Constantine Village website
- ^ history at Constantine Village website
- ^ See also pages 44-49 of the Book of Constantine. For more information on Quarrying in the Constantine area, see Peter Stanier's South West Granite
- ^ Cornish Mines
- ^ The story of the local mines is covered in detail - pages 40-43 of the Book of Constantine
- ^ The book of Mawnan (2002)
- ^ Minute Book of the Constantine Sport and Social Club, in private hands - review of the year 1940
- ^ Electricity supply: West Briton, 17 November 1933.
- ^ Constantine Village website on Oyster farming at Port Navas
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article by R. E. Anderson, ‘Hellins, John (d. 1827) ’, rev. Adrian Rice,[1] accessed 30 May 2007
- ^ Notes on Schools in Constantine 1957
- ^ Primary School website
- ^ Pre-school website
- ^ Cornish Gorseth site and Article in Cornish Wikipedia
- ^ Calor Best Village Press Release
- ^ Calor Best Village competition 2007 website.
- ^ Constantine Parish Council information
- ^ CONSTANTINE GWEDER MYRAS
- ^ Constantine Twinning Association webpage
References
- Trethowan, Gerald; Liz Moore (2001). The Book of Constantine. Tiverton, Devon: Halsgrove. ISBN 1-84114-102-X.
- Henderson, Charles; G.H. Doble (who edited the text after Henderson's death) (1937). A history of the parish of Constantine in Cornwall. Truro: Royal Institution of Cornwall.
- Scolding, Bill (2006). Five walks around Constantine.. Constantine, Cornwall: Constantine Enterprises Company. ISBN 978-0-9552816-0-0.
- Stanier, Peter (1999). South West Granite: a history of the granite industry in Devon and Cornwall. St. Austell, Cornwall: Cornish Hillside Publications. ISBN 1-900147-14-9 (Hardback) ISBN 1-900147-13-0 (paperback).
- Burt, Roger; Burnley, Ray (1987). Cornish mines. Exeter, Devon: University of Exeter with the Northern Mine Research Society. ISBN 0-85989-287-5.
- Olson, Lynette (1989). Early monasteries in Cornwall (Studies in Celtic History series). Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press. ISBN 0-85115-478-6.
- The Mawnan History Group (2002). The Book of Mawnan: celebrating a South Cornwall parish. Tiverton, Devon: Halsgrove. ISBN 1-84114-148-8.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Constantine, Kerrier |
- The Village Website of Constantine
- French Wikipedia article on Pont-Croix (Twinned town)
- Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue search for "Constantine"
- Thomas Moule's description of Constantine (1838)
- Campaign Group set up to protect Port Navas Quay
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