It is believed, that a church existed on this site long before the advent of St Just, being known as Lafroudha (church of the good cross), or as Professor Loth would have it "Church by the water springs" which was surrounded by a tenement of the same name.
In front of the North door is an ancient headstone which was found in the wall of the chancel when it was taken down in 1834, inscribed with the St Just version of the Chi/Rho, Greek letters for Christ, and the words "Selinus hic jacet" or translated "Silinus lies here" on the side. The stone is thought to date from the 5th century and to refer to a dignitary of the early church of the time, particularly as the word "presbyter" was briefly seen on the base before it was re- mbedded, which could indicate an ecclesiastical position of some importance.
Outside the door is a wayside cross known as Grouse (sic) Cross. In the days of walking funerals the church paths from the out-lying corners of the parish to the churchtown were marked by Crosses, at which the cortege would rest for prayers and hymns on their journey. This one was found by Grouse Hill in Nancherrow.
Within the Porch is a hollowed stone thought to be the font from the ancient St Helen's Oratory at Cape Cornwall, but there is some doubt as baptisms were not usually permitted in the oratories.
8th Century-Adjacent to the vestry can be seen another small doorway, now blocked, the lintel of which is composed from the shaft of a granite cross, which bears Celtic/Pictish knotwork designs. (Similar to those found in Celtic and Coptic manuscript border edges). Unfortunately some 15" was cut from it during the restoration in1866, but sufficient remains to be of interest. On the free end rests an ancient capital, thought to belong to the later cruciform church.
1254 - Is the earliest written record available, is of a tax paid in this year.
Very little is known of the origins of St Just, patron saint of the church, as Just, Justus and Justin were common names in late Saxon Times. it is suggested that St Just was one of a group of monks sent to England with St Augustine by Pope Gregory, to convert the Saxons. According to the Saxon Chronicles died as Archbishop of Canterbury in 627.
1334 - The predecessor to the present church was a cruciform church, commissioned by Richard de Beaupre brother of Sir Stephen, Lord of the manor of Kelynack and therefore patron of the living, who died this year. He it was that John of Maunte, Dean of St Buryan, laid violent hands on, thus giving Bishop Grandisson the necessary leverage to sub-due that rebellious Deanery.
1336 -The next Rector of St Just, Henry Marsley translating his sermon text, "and ye were as sheep gone astray but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls" into Cornish.
The next day Bishop Grandisson Dedicated St Just Church which is still celebrated at St Just Feast. it seems Marsley disappeared in the Black Death.
Richard of St Austle was the last Rector since in 1355 Sir John Beaupre (Grandson of Sir Steven) and his wife Margaret conveyed all their interest in St Just together with the lands of Lafrowda to the College of St Thomas the martyr at Glasney. The College took the Greater tithe and put in a substitute (Vicarius ) to the living.
Found during the 1896 restoration in the East wall of the chancel, behind some boards on the right hand side of the alter a piscina (basin) , a sedillia (seat) and on the left what may be the remains of an Easter Sepulchre where the Blessed Sacrament would have reposed from Maundy Thursday evening to the eve of Easter Day. All of which are part of the cruciform church.
1545-When Glasney College was surrendered the right to appoint Vicars was taken by the Crown, and being low in value to this day administered by the Lord Chancellor's office, while the Greater tithes were sold off, ending up eventually in the hands of Miss Borlase of Castle Horneck, who on her death handed them back to the Vicar (or should it be Rector?) of the time.
14th early 15th Century The church was re-built and very little of the church of 1334 remains. In the South wall of the Baptistry can be seen the outline of the old porch doorway, now fitted with a smaller door, inside which a flight of steps once led to the roof of the porch. The blocked window above the present church door would seem to indicate that a room above did exist. The resent church door is now some degrees to the East of its original position, and not , as was customary, opposite the North or Devil's door, through which by ancient belief, the Devil made hasty retreat5 during a baptism. The fact that the door has been blocked for many years could give pause for thought!
On the right of the Baptistry is a portion of the old cruciform church wall . A similar portion exists on the North Side, and between these two walls is an archway and entrance to the tower.
The Tower which is a typically Cornish 15th century structure in three diminishing stages, battlemented and pinnacled on top. The first stage contains a West door (now blocked), a window in perpendicular style and a flight of steps in the corner which leads to the clock mechanism on the second stage, and the bells in the final stage, which have louvered openings and an exit to the roof. The St Just bell bears the names of churchwardens among whom is that of Admiral Vernon, or "old grog" as he was known from his introduction of the rum ration to the Navy, and who was also famous for his victories over the Spanish, which apparently entitled him to become honorary churchwarden of St Just.
Two Medieval Wall Paintings can be found on the North wall between the windows are , sole survivors of some six which were originally there, the other four disappearing when the plaster was removed for repairs to the wall during the restoration work of 1866. the paintings are bordered by a running pattern of rude foliage twisted around a straight continuous stem, common on capitals and woodwork in the 15th century. One painting represents a subject popular at the time, the wounded Christ surrounded by the tools of the period, as "a warning to the Sabbath Breakers ", not as previously thought , " Christ blessing the trades". The other represents St. George and the Dragon, unusual features being the black claws and red feet of the dragon and the maidens waving their kerchiefs from the battlements. Beneath the pictures was found in a cavity containing a skull and bones, some pieces of coloured glass (possibly from the ancient windows), and a metal thumb ring made of an alloy of gold and brass, and on it rudly engraved the letter P, enclosed in a circle, and having on each side four dots;. the bones and glass have long ago disappeared, but the ring is still extant in the safe keeping of the church.
There was also found in the earth beneath the floor, the upper portion of a floriated cross of gilded copper. It was about six inches in lenght by four in width, and similarly ornamented on both sides, and had been affixed to a flat surface by copper pins.
The Rood Screen the opening entrances across the chancel can still be found for the roodscreen. The carved oak alter in the Lady Chapel together with the piece incorporated into the alter rails are all that remain of the Rood Screen. (These have been kept in memory of Canon Taylor and Mr Jack James, much loved Vicars of the parish).
The Bishop's Chair is said to have been made from some carved oak which once adorned the church. A 1625 oak pew end is now fixed to the vicars stall in the chancel.
The Font is of Pentewan stone somewhat crudely carved it is believed this is of post Reformation date.
The Large Ensign on the West wall was given to the church for safe keeping by Captain Russell Grenfell, a member of one of the distinguished families in St Just, and flew on the Revenge at the battle of Jutland.
1746-the massy brass chandeliers are the gift of John Edward's of Truthwall, they cost £20. John Edwards made a large part of his fortune from an outcrop of natural copper on Carnyorth moors.
The Pulpit- Is early 19th century.
1866- Mr Piers St Aubyn restored the church.
1867 - There is no ancient stained glass in the church, except possibly one minute piece in the West end window of the South aisle, the mediaeval windows having been removed during the Reformation. The current windows have been erected as memorials to local families.
1896-The beautifully carved rerodos of Derbyshire alabaster in memory of William Holman, a local foundry owner. Shows figures of fourteen Cornish Saints. the Eagle Lectern is also in memory of the Holman Family.
The rerodos obscures one of the three windows in memory of the Harvey James family, who owned Botallack mine.
1934- Further memorial windows introduced.
1935- The stained glass War Memorial was installed, originally in memory of those who fell in the First World War, but also accepted as a memorial to those who died in the Second World War.
Notes.
The wrought iron above the chandeliers is the work of a local man John Leggo, who had his smithy in Angle Street and who, legend has it, was famed for his ability in manufacturing Half Crowns (A coinage before decilamisation)
At one point an inscribed stone of great antiquity with the traditional Greek Chi/Rho, found at St Helens Oratory on Cape Cornwall joined the market cross down the vicarage well. We do not know if these items have ever been retrieved.
The curious thing are the four shields on the capital arch by the organ. Being on the eastern respond those of Beaupre, Bray and Fitz Ive, and on the Western a device of our Lady. Beaupres, we know were lords of the manor of Bray, both families holding their courts at St Just. The third set of alms belong to the prominent family of FitIve and Isabel FitzIve was wife of Sir Steven Beaupre. As a Lady chapel would be the first that one would expect to build, the assumption is these belong to a Chantry chapel built by Sir Steven, his wife (and his brother the Rector) and the Bray's in the early 14th century, a suspicion that is confirmed by the remains of a Squint in the North Wall by the High Altar through which the mass priest could see the parish priest turn to read the Gospel (the signal for the mass priest's service to begin).