Page:Cornwall (Salmon).djvu/206

 CORNWALL St. Mnbyn (4 m. E. of Wadebridge) has a church whose tower makes a fine landmark. The dediration is usually given as a virgin St. Mabena, but it is more likely the Welsh St. Mabon, brother of Teilo. The tower (Perp.) has been damaged by lightning; its statues and corbels deserve notice. Madron (2* m. N.W. of Penzance) is really the mother church of Penzance ; the dedica- tion, much debated, is perhaps to the Irish St. Medrhan or Maternus ; perhaps to the Madrun who came to Cornwall from Wales. An attempt has been made to prove that, by a not uncommon Celtic mutation of letters. Madron is really Padarn, the femous Welsh saint of Llanbadarn Vawr. Both W. C. Borlase and the Rev. Lach-Szyrma think so ; but they have not proved their case. The church is said to have been built by Henry de Pomeroi, in the reign of Richard L, and given to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John ; but of this early building nothing remains but the font, and this, standing on a rough block of granite, has been badly used. Parts of the tower and chancel are fourteenth century ; other parts are Perp. of different dates. Some tiny statuettes of archangels will be noticed, possibl}- removed from an ancient reredos. The parish schools were founded by George Daniell, whose epitaph in the churchyard is as follows: — " Belgia me birth, Britaine me breeding gave ; (Cornwall a wife, ten children, and a grave". 172