St Day history on into Cornwall Guide

St Day Old Church

History of St Day

Some Notes on the History of St Day

Pre 1066 - Alnoth holds the settlement of Tolgullow.

1086 - Tolgullow is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Talgolle situated in the hundred of Winnianton within the county of Cornwall.

It had a recorded population of 7 households in 1086 - 4 smallholders and 3 slaves.

The land was owned by Count Robert of Mortain and held by Alnoth.

Land for 3 ploughs but only 1.5 ploughs there.

Woodland 2 acres. Pasture 60 acres.
Livestock 2 cows and 15 sheep.
Valued at 4s. Formerly valued at 20s

Pre 13th century - A chapel is located in the area dedicated to St Day which was a great centre of pilgrimage. The saint commemorated is likely to be the Breton, Saint Dei.

Mid 1300s - The place name ‘St. Day’ is recorded for the first time. The manor eventually becoming ‘The Manor of Tolgullow alias St. Day’.

13th century - The chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity stood in the area now occupied by Trinity House (West End) and the adjacent Trevean Cottages (Buckingham Place)

14th century - The mediaeval church (now known as the Old Church) is likely to have been built on ground which was already hallowed.

1748 - The site of the 14th century church is identified on Thomas Martyn’s Map of Cornwall (1748), where it is depicted with a tower. The church was abandoned following the Reformation.

1797 - The Old Towere’ was demolished.

19th century - St Day was the commercial centre of the Gwennap Mining Area.

1828 - Dedication of the now closed Old Church in St Day. Prior to this burials took place at Gwennap.

1835 After originally being a Chapelry of the Parish of Gwennap, St Day became an independent parish.

1914 -1918 - The Great War took men away to serve in the Army and the Navy and those lucky enough to remain found work at the engineering works, in the shipyards and on the farms.

1920s - There is mass unemployment which slowly improves between the mid 1930s and 1939 when World War II begins.

1985 - St. Day Parish Council is established.

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