A TRIBUTE TO ALTARNUN

Only visited by way of words, though my ancestors once lived there; some day, maybe, I will visit Altarnun myself for real.

ALTARNUN, CORNWALL, ENGLAND is 7-8 miles west of Launceston, about 10 miles east of Camelford, and rests on the upper bounds of the Bodmin Moors. The immediate surrounding Parishes are Trewen, Lewanick, and Northill on the east, St. Cleer and St. Neot on the south, Blisland and St. Breward on the west, and St. Clether and Laneast on the north. The Parish is variously spelled i.e. Alternon, as are other spellings of the surrounding parishes. A more ancient report per Hals reports that Altar Nun is situate in the hundred of Losnewth, and hath upon the north Davidstow and St. Cleather, south part of Northill and Lawanack, east Trewenn, west Temple, and was taxed in Domesday Roll either under the name of Trewint, Treuint, the spring, fountain, or well town, situate upon the fens or springs, otherwise under the jurisdiction of Trewen. Many of these Parishes record my ancestral names as well does Altarnun.

A modern description of Altarnun states the following. Cottages of slate and granite line Altarnun's single winding street, and by the entrance to the churchyard a medieval packhorse bridge crosses the peat-stained stream known as Penpont Water. The village lies just off the main road which descends the north-eastern flanks of Bodmin Moor, and is the center of Cornwall's largest parish.

Altarnun's old moorstone church, known as 'The Cathedral, of the Moors' because of its size, is dedicated to St Nonna, mother of St. David of Wales. It is with this reference that Tonkin states, 'It is obvious to anyone, that the name of this parish can signify no other than an alter or church dedicated to St. Nunne, which St. Nunne, being in some accounts called Naunita or Nannites, and in other Novita, is said to have been the daughter of an earl of Cornwall, and mother of St. David the famous archbishop of Menevia, from him called St. David's. While obvious to Tonkin, Carew in his Survey of Cornwall speculated that the name derived from the Altar of St. Nun's pool in the parish, as heretofore it was much frequented for the cure of mad people. Yet Hals conceived the word Altar as Alter, as a previous chapel pertaining to nuns or nunnery was once there and it had been converted to a vicarage church; thus Alter - Nun or Nunnery. Take your pick as to the origin of the name Altarnun.

Knowing that there has been a historical relationship between Cornwall and Wales, and there are Welsh influences in Cornish history, I would think the St. David Patron Saint of Wales story holds the most water. But perhaps I am prejudiced by my own Welsh origins via my Hendower descent.

Just inside the churchyard is a stout Celtic cross, said to date from the 6th century. The 15th-century church contains 79 original oak carved bench-ends depicting travelling musicians and entertainers, local characters of the time, and a flock of sheep. One of the bench ends near the south door has carved on it, 'Robert Daye maker of this work & William Bokyngham, Curate, John Hodge, clarke, an. M.D.' - (1500). The tower of the church is 110 feet high, and is considered to be the highest in the county except for that at Probus. At least it was at the time of the referenced writing.

What mysteries lie at the end of your benches? Who is to be found resting in your yard? What old structures and places still exist of old? What families if any do still there remain? For a short time's stay could I find this out.

From Those Who Have Visited There!

"It was a fantastic experience visiting that region of Cornwall. North Hill, Lewannick and Altarnun have probably changed little over the past few cen- turies. The roads connecting the villages are very narrow with high hedges on both sides and little alcoves to allow cars to pass (that is, cars coming the other way!). The villages are only a mile or so apart. Visiting the churches and the churchyards is a special experience. And the surrounding farms bear the same names as they did in the 17th Century wills of several of my other ancestors from that area. You may have deduced that we are very fond of the area!"

While seeming at the very heart of being devoted to the Church of England, the Methodist preacher John Wesley often visited Altarnun, staying at nearby Trewint in a house which is now a Methodist museum. Altarnun's Georgian Meeting House has a carved stone effigy of Wesley above the door, the work of the local sculptor Nevil Burnard, who was born in 1818.

Halfway across Bodmin Moor, about 4 miles south-west of Altarnun, is the hamlet of Bolventor and the slate-hung Jamaica Inn. The inn was built in the late 18th century and served as a resting place for travellers, but it became notorious as a meeting place for smugglers, whose activities Daphne du Maurier featured in her novel, Jamaica Inn. Jamaica Inn is also one of my favorite movies, as it not only features Jane Seymour, but it also shows the landscapes of the Bodmin Moor and Altarnun, and it has the pronunciation some of those Cornish place names that seem to be spelled one way but pronounced another. If you don't know, how would you pronounce Launceston? Watch the movie and see if you can pick it out.

The view to the north from Bolventor takes in the 1,377 ft rocky tor of Brown Willy, Cornwall's highest point. Brown Willy is a corruption of the Cornish Bron Ewhella, which means 'highest hill'. About 1 mile south-east of Bolventor lies Dozmary Pool, said to be where King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, was received by a hand rising from the water. According to legend, the pool is bottomless. In fact, it is only 9 in. deep. Another legend tells of Jan Tregeagle, an unpopular local magistrate whose spirit was condemned to perform several impossible tasks, including emptying Dozmary Pool with a leaky limpet shell.

Here a picture depicts village stream stone cottages facing the ancient packhorse bridge which links the hillside village of Altarnun with its church, and which stands on the other side of Penpont Water.

Some more interesting history and traditions of the Parish of Altarnun records in this parish stands the barton of Trelawny, i.e. the oak grove town, or, "I am the oak grove town." This name as first given is taken from the natural circumstances of the place, as it is situate between two hills which where then notable for woods or groves of oak timber. In one translation Hendar or Hendre is taken to mean 'Old' - 'Hen', 'Oak' - 'Dar/Dre.' This seems to perplex the researchers of my family name 'Hender' to no end, though it is previously and historically shown to derive from another source entirely.

Another story of antiquity reports that parish land of Altarnun was denominated by that old and famous family of gentlemen surnamed Trelawney, now baronets. And that one Sir William de Trelawny, lord of this place, suffered it to go in marriage with his base daughter, to _______, from whose hears by descent or purchase, it came to Cloberry Hicks.

Contemporary with Charles II, lived Peter Jowle or Jowll under clerk or deacon of this church, who was 150 and odd years old when he died, and at the age of 100 years had new black hairs that sprung forth on his head amongst those that long before were white with age. Perhaps St. Nun's Pool cured more than madness, and for the pure in heart is also a fountain of youth? Anyway as the story continues, it seems that Peter Jowle at age 100 also grew new teeth in the places where others had long fallen out of his head.

Tin lodes and streams are Altarnun's named resources. What else from there has sprung?

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