Falmouth
Parish Church
The Church
of King Charles the Martyr
A Short Tour of the Church
The foundation stone for the Church was laid in August
1662 and it was consecrated in 1665, so in comparison with many other Cornish
churches the Church of King Charles the Martyr is practically new! It is,
however, only one of seven churches in England dedicated to Charles the Martyr.
The Church was dedicated to the memory of King Charles
I, who was executed on January 31 1649, by the Parliamentarians, after the
English Civil War (1642-1646). At the end of the war his heir, later Charles
II, fled into exile via Pendennis Castle, a mile or so from where the church
now stands, and planned to build 'a chapel for public worship ... and when the
wars ceased, to send an able and conscientious chaplain to preach God's word
therein'.
Following the Restoration of the Monarchy
however, it was Sir Peter Killigrew, of nearby Arwenack Manor, who, having a
long-standing ambition to found a town and a church on the Haven, sent an
emissary to the King in London in 1660, seeking the grant of a Charter for the
new town of Falmouth. He also offered land for a church, parsonage and
churchyard if the King would sponsor the project.
Although much altered over the years since it
was built, the Church is a lovely place of worship and has many fascinating
items to attract and interest visitors. A few of them are shown here.
The Lady Chapel
The Window behind the altar contains the
oldest stained glass in the Church. It is 18th Century Italian glass, collected
in the mid 19th Century by the Revd William Coope, the then Rector, who was an
inveterate collector of religious artefacts with which to decorate the Church.
We have also the Revd Coope to thank for the carvings on the Pulpit.
The
Warrior Chapel
The triptych was painted by John Riley-Wilmer
1927. The altar frontal, a crown and sword above the word "Remember",
was worked by Diana Maynard in 1992. "Remember" was the last word
spoken by Charles I prior to his execution. Its presence here is doubly fitting
as the Chapel forms our war memorial and contains the roll of honour for both
world wars. There is also a book of remembrance for those killed in
"Operation Chariot", the raid on St Nazaire in France in 1942.
Also in the Warrior Chapel is a plaque presented by
the Protestant churches of the Netherlands in gratitude for Falmouth's care of
the Dutch servicemen who were stationed in and around the town during the
occupation of their country during the Second World War.
The Font
The carved wooden cover and pedestal of
the font date from 1758 and are thought to have been made together with the
credence table beside the High Altar. The credence table is said to contain a
secret drawer, but no-one has ever found it.
The East Window
The window above the altar was given in 1913.
In the centre is Our Lord seated in majesty, flanked by four angels with,
below, the archangels Gabriel as prince, Michael as warrior (he seems to have
borrowed St George's shield for the sitting) and Raphael as priest.
We hope you have enjoyed your
"visit" to our Church. Please come and visit us in person when you
are next in Cornwall. The following blessing was given by the Bishop of Truro
at his enthronement in Truro Cathedral in 1997:
"To
the prayers of the whole company of heaven I commend you;
may Mary the Mother of our Lord pray for you;
may Piran, Petroc and all the saints of Cornwall pray for you;
may Michael and the angels of God befriend you;
and the blessing of God Almighty;
the Father; the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you
always."