The church is dedicated to St Germoe.
No visible remains of the earliest period of the church foundations survive, and it is almost certain that the services would be held in the open air in the consecrated ground, and any building there may have been would take the form of a small oratory built of rough timber or dry stone masonry by the priest, in which he would celebrate the sacred service of the Celtic Church. His congregation assembled outside in the open around the Celtic cross under which he stood to preach.
In course of time a wooden erection was built to shelter the congregation from the elements.
Later, as confidence grew and numbers increased a small rough stone building followed, and served until the advent of the Norman period, when a more permanent and well constructed building was erected. It appears that the services of those far off days were remarkable for their heartiness and volume of sound, and indeed the absence of loud singing was considered to indicate a want of interest and enthusiasm.
833-The parish continued to be administered much in the manner instituted by the founder up to this year. Or may be as late as 926 when the final subjugation of Cornwall was evoked by the Saxon King Athalstan.
1046-The Bishop of Exeter became the patron of the church.
1086-William the conqueror caused a general survey to be made of all the land in England, and the result recorded in the Doomsday Book. It is recorded in the Doomsday Book that the Manor of Metela, in the parish of Breage, was taken from the Bishops of Exeter, and given to the Earldom of Cornwall.
The Font.
Nothing is known of the origin of the ancient font . It is pre-conquest and was probably used in the small stone church which was replaced by the more elaborate building or A.D 1100.
In the Brito-Celtic church of 1000 year ago baptisms usually took place in the Holy Well, and any fonts in use at that time were placed below floor level or in as low a position as possible because the baptismal service of those days included the ceremony of washing of the feet. A very similar form of baptismal service was used by the old Celtic Saints. From this it can be understood why the font in this church occupied such a lowly position.
1100-The 12th century was remarkable for the building of stone churches and an examination of the stonework of Germoe church reveals indications of a Norman cruciform church building of about this year. Erected probably by William Fitz Robert , Earl of Cornwall. It is possible that this building superseded a small stone church which had been build several hundred years earlier. The south wall between the tower and the porch differs in construction from the remainder of the walls, and appears to be of an earlier date.
1246-Richard, Earl of Cornwall, made the living of Breage with the chapels of Cury, Gunwalloe and Germoe, to the Abbey of Hayles in Gloucestershire.
1340-The square-headed window between the south door and south transept is of decorated period, and of a design rarely seen in Cornwall.
1350-The Porch although possibly partly rebuilt is in the original material and is assembled in the original form in about this year.
1500-In the 14th Century the Church was found to be to small to accommodate the congregation, and the north aisle was built.
1880- the present east window was erected in the memory of Richard Tyacke who died 1825, and of his wife Sibella who died 1854.
Notes
At the time of the dissolution of the Monasteries the patronage of the living at Breage, with its chapels, was transferred to the crown, in whose gift it still remains. The east window in the chancel is probably the third window to occupy this position. the original window was superseded during the 15th century by the window of which the tracery and other parts can be seen in the south transept. This tracery was unearthed on the east side of the churchyard during repairs to the boundary hedge in 1951. Other pieces of the window were found about the same time acting as gateposts and stiles some distance to the Southwest of the church. One large piece is to be seen built into the top of Germoe Post Office wall on the left-hand side of the gate.
The Germoe Monkeys.
The quaintly carved corbels on each side of the outer door represent long tail monkeys, and are expressive even in their somewhat worn and weathered condition. They probably adorned the doorway of the porch was added, when they were moved to their present position.
The Gable Cross.
Above the outer doorway is well preserved. It is surprising that a carved cross like this survived puritan fanaticism.
Ancient Doorway and Hinge.
On the left hand side of the inner door at the south entrance, and about five feet above the floor , there is a ring cut out of solid stone . The ring was no doubt in use with the original door of which it formed the top hinge. At the bottom there is a spindle arrangement which revolved in a socket in the floor. the circumferential scoring in the stonework on the wall near the floor can be seen.
St Germoe's Chair.
This curious edifice in the north east corner of the churchyard has been a source of much speculation as to its origin. Canon Coulthard writes that he is sure there is a connection with the Palm Sunday celebrations of the Mediaeval Church. It seems to have been customary on Palm Sunday for some of the clergy, bearing a cross which was covered or muffled at the same part of the service, to issue from the church, followed by a portion of the congregation in procession bearing palms or their substitutes in their hands. A booth in the churchyard: sometimes it was of a permanent character like St Germoe's chair. At this point the Gospel of the day was read. After this another procession came from the church headed by the priest bearing the host, and a number of children singing "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" and following a cross decorated with wreaths of green leaves. The two groups were mingled the muffled cross removed, followed by a distribution of bread and alms. The united procession then followed the priests back in the church for the rest of the service.
St Germoes Well.
Can be found at the left hand side of the bridle road branching left from the road leading to Germoe village, forty yards west of the bridge over the stream. Water flows from the spring only in the rainy season because the while surface of the ground and road in the immediate vicinity was raised when improvements were made to the road the well was covered over about 1905. The well is remembered by local people as being a trough about 4ft square and 2ft deep, built of granite slabs and sunk below the level of the road from which it was reach by steps. At one time there was a canopy over the well which became ruinous and was removed and re-erected in the churchyard as the whole or part of the chair.
The stones which formed the trough of the St Germoe's Well were removed and now form part of the trough which contains the water from the spring at the road side, just beyond the Church Hall.