The name Pelynt is a corruption of the Celtic Plu-Nent which means "the Parish of St Nonna". The Saint of thechapel (now destroyed) and the Holy Well At Ninnies near Hobbs Park on theWest Looe river, whichdivides Pelynt Parish from Duloe. There was possibly a small CelticMonastery at Pelynt.
1086-The Manor is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Through Marriages and the eventual sale for £100 to Sir Giles de Cancellis of Lifton Devon-who bestowed the manor, together with the advowson of the church to Newenham Abbey, their Patronage was established.
1252-The Abbot of Newenham purchased a house and garden at Plenynt, for twenty shillings from John Kylgad, and a further piece of land from Walter de Penhelyk.
1283- The land purchased by the Abbot of Newenham in 1252 Bishop Quivel of Exeter taxed as the Vicarage of Pelynt.
1538-The patronage continued in the hands of Newenham Abbey until the dissolution when it passed to the Crown- then eventually to the Bulller family, whose representative still holds it today.
1589-Peter Crocker carved the likeness of William Achym in Slate. it was engraved the year after the Armada, and shows him in armour and puffed breaches with his ruff, dagger and sword. The carving of the face is curious, and is said to show that Achym died of a stroke. He lived at Hall to which at the time was annexed to the Advowson of the Church.
15th century A new building was erected when the Norman north transept was removed to make way for the North aisle.
1615-The Buller tomb is on the North Wall of the Chancel. Consisting of a Tomb-Chest surmounted by an elaborate back-plate. Francis Buller is shown with his wife Thomasine and below are carved the small figures of eight daughters and four sons. On top of the chest is cut an epitaph in the form of an acrostic. The side panels are ornamented with coats of arms, some connected with the Courtenay family on of whom William Courtenay married a daughter of King Edward IV.
1600-Francis Buller was High Sheriff of Cornwall and in his will dated 1615, he directed that his body should be buried "In the Church of Pelint or in the Chauncell there before my Seate."
1616- A third panel of the Tomb-chest is fixed to the wall to the right of the Tomb, with a brass plate above to Ricardo Buller Milite.
1630-Edward Trelawny died his slate slab reads "to the honest Lawyer" transcription "Here lies an honest lawyer w Trelawney Bart Lord Bishop of Winchester died at his Palace in Chelsea on July 19th and was buried in ye vault belonging to his family in the Church of Pelynt August 10th. On information of his not being buried in woollen 50s, has been paid to the parish".
Note
Instead of the normal 15th century piers and arches between the North Aisle and the Nave , there is a classical granite arcade in the Tuscan Doric order, erected probably by the famous Bishop Johnathan Trelawney (of shall Trelawney Die fame).
1688-A picture of the Acquittal of the Seven Bishops hangs over the fireplace in the vestry.
The Trelawney Aisle
The Trelawney family moved from Alternon and this makes you wonder if the dedication of the church has any connection with this move. Near by is the Bishops chair. A helmet and a pair of gauntlets which belonged to this famous family, are affixed to the wall above the arch leading into the church, and may only be seen from the chapel itself.
The Trelawny family lived at Trelawne, an ancient mansion with a medieval chapel situated 1 1/2 miles south east of the village towards Looe. The house is the focal point of the Trelawne Holiday Estate.
St Nuns Well
In the Trelawny valley below Hob Park, is St Nun's Well. It is difficult to find, it is described as a small building with a gabled front about four feet high, leading into a kind of grotto with an arched roof. At the farther end on the floor is a round granite basin, carved on its exterior circumference with a series of Maltese Crosses enclosed in rings. Into this basin the water drips from an opening at the back, and escapes by a perforation at the bottom.
Slate Monuments
Carved slate monuments in Cornwall date from 1500 to 1727 and the craft was evidently at its peak between 1575 and 1650. the old carvers first cut their figures in high relief (see the Buller and Achym memorials) but quit soon dropped this as being to difficult and worked instead in shallow relief or incised line, so reducing the risk of flaking. One of the finest carvers was Peter cracker who carved the likeness of William Achym (1589), another carver to sign his work was Anthony Colly in (1634)on a slate panel to Cordelia Trelawney, under the window in the South Transept (Trelawny Aisle).