Page:The parochial history of Cornwall.djvu/94

52 ST. BLAZEY. HALS.

St. Blazey is situate in the hundred of Powdre, and hath upon the east Tywardreth and the Parc; south, the British Channel; north, Luxulion; west, St. Austell. At the time of the Norman Conquest this district was rated either under Tywardreth, Towington, Trenance, or Treverbyn. In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, before mentioned, Ecclesia de Fanum, appropriata Dom'ni de Tywardreth, in Decanatu de Powdre, this parish was taxed to the Pope's first fruits, or annats, iiiil. vicar ejusdem nihil propter paupertatem. In Wolsey's Inquisition, and Valor Beneficiorum, it goes as a daughter church in presentation and consolidation with St. Austell. The patronage in the King, the incumbent Hugoe, the sheaf or rectory in Mr. May; and the parish rated to the 4s. in the pound tax, 1696, £92. 3s.

Quæry, whether the word fanum be not, by the scribe, a corruption of Foy-town? In the inquisition aforesaid, however, let it be remembered that, Ecclesia de Fanum must be interpreted as the church or temple, consecrated to divine service, appropriated to the house of Tywardreth, as both those churches of Fowey and St. Blazey are. As for the tutelar guardian from whom the same and the parish is denominated, Blaze, he was born in Sebaste, a city of Cappadocia in Asia, whereof he was bishop, and governed his church so well, that the priests of the idols (then worshipped comparatively all the world over,) took distaste at him for his preachments against idolatry; and exhibited a complaint against him to Agricolaus, the emperor Dioclesian's president in those parts, by whom he was examined as to this and other parts of Christian religion; which he