St. Mary's Old Church, St. Mary's
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's is a parish church
in the Church of England
located in Old Town
on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall
, United Kingdom
.
for the island of St Mary's. Over the centuries countless members of the old Scilly families have been buried here, as have been the crews of numerous ships lost near the Isles. The churchyard has been enlarged and redesigned several times. Today it is divided into several sections with the oldest surrounding the church itself. This part of the cemetery features a monument to Augustus Smith
(1804–1872) as well as mass graves of passengers drowned in the sinking of SS Schiller
(1875). During the 19th century, terraces were cut into the hillside to make room for more burials. The grave of Lieutenant Roy Graham (1924–2007), who led the 1967 naval diving expedition that discovered the wreck of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell
's flagship HMS Association, can be found in one of the newer sections of the cemetery.
Harold Wilson, Lord Wilson of Rievaulx
, KG
OBE
FRS PC, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976, was buried in the churchyard after his death in May 1995.
parishes, comprising
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
located in Old Town
Old Town, Isles of Scilly
Old Town is a village on St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly located south of Hugh Town. It is thought to be the oldest settlement on the island. There is a church, an Inn 'The Old Town Inn', two cafes, a village store and a day nursery. It is a popular tourist area and is only a short distance from...
on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The Anglican church of St Mary was built at Old Town, Isles of Scilly during the 12th century, with re-building carried out in 1666 and 1743. By the nineteenth century, it was derelict and under the orders of Augustus Smith, Lord Proprietor of the Islands, it was restored.Churchyard
The churchyard of Old Town church serves as the principal cemeteryCemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
for the island of St Mary's. Over the centuries countless members of the old Scilly families have been buried here, as have been the crews of numerous ships lost near the Isles. The churchyard has been enlarged and redesigned several times. Today it is divided into several sections with the oldest surrounding the church itself. This part of the cemetery features a monument to Augustus Smith
Augustus Smith
Augustus John Smith was governor of the Isles of Scilly for over thirty years, and was largely responsible for the economy of the islands as it is today.-Biography:...
(1804–1872) as well as mass graves of passengers drowned in the sinking of SS Schiller
SS Schiller
SS Schiller was a 3,421 ton German ocean liner, one of the largest vessels of her time. She plied her trade across the Atlantic Ocean, carrying passengers between New York and Hamburg for the German Transatlantic Steam Navigation Line...
(1875). During the 19th century, terraces were cut into the hillside to make room for more burials. The grave of Lieutenant Roy Graham (1924–2007), who led the 1967 naval diving expedition that discovered the wreck of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
's flagship HMS Association, can be found in one of the newer sections of the cemetery.
Harold Wilson, Lord Wilson of Rievaulx
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, KG
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRS PC, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976, was buried in the churchyard after his death in May 1995.
Parish structure
St Mary's Old Church is within the United Benefice of the Isles of ScillyIsles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
parishes, comprising
- All Saints' Church, BryherAll Saints' Church, BryherAll Saints' Church, Bryher is a parish church in the Church of England located in Bryher, Isles of Scilly.-History:All Saints' Anglican church claims to be the most westerly church in the Anglican provinces of Canterbury and York....
- St Agnes' Church, St Agnes
- St Martin's Church, St Martin's
- St Mary's Church, St Mary's
- St Nicholas's Church, Tresco
Source
- Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus PevsnerSir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
(1970) Cornwall; 2nd ed. (The Buildings of England). Penguin; p. 209