Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/524

 A HISTORY OF CORNWALL In those cases, however, where the churchyard and other crosses bear inscriptions the object is different, as they are thus shown to be commemorative. With regard to the geographical distribution of the crosses, they are as a whole more numerous in the west of the county, and, like the inscribed stones, gradually diminish in number towards the east, the north-east of the county being practically devoid of them. The material of the crosses is almost exclusively moorland or surface granite, but in a few cases grey or white elvan 1 has been employed and has proved to be an infinitely better material. Very little had been done up to recent years in recording or illus- trating the Cornish crosses. In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1805 is a curious plate 8 illustrating eleven 'Ancient Crosses in Cornwall,' but the sketches are very poor and convey little idea of the originals. The brief letterpress is interesting, and the article has resulted in the discovery of ' Kill Boy ' Cross, referred to in it, which had been missing for years. Samuel Lysons, in his Magna Britannia, vol. iii (1814), produced a plate illustrating those at Temple Moor, Roche churchyard, one in Sancreed churchyard, and Lanherne; he also mentions the two in Lanivet church- yard, and describes the inscribed cross-base at Redgate. J. T. Blight's Crosses and Antiquities of Cornwall (18528) was up to that time the most complete work on the subject. He illustrated 107 of the early crosses and mentioned the existence of some sixty others. Not the least valuable portion of his book lies in the information giving the position of several of the stones, as some have since been moved and others have entirely disappeared. There are good illustrations of some of the crosses, drawn by the Rev. W. Jago, of Bodmin, in Sir John Maclean's Deanery of Trigg Minor (1868-79). In 1896 my Old Cornish Crosses was published, containing 281 illustrations of the crosses and descriptions of nearly sixty others. By means of rubbings most of the interlaced ornament, etc. upon them, hitherto unknown, was revealed. The book also contains illustrations of the coped stones, and early cross slabs. Since 1845 several papers on the crosses have appeared from time to time in the journals of various archaeological societies, amongst which may be mentioned Archaeologia Cambrensis, the Archaeological Journal, and the Journal of the British Archaeological Association, The crosses may be divided broadly into two classes, Unornamented and Ornamented. Coped stones and early cross slabs, both of which belong to the same period, may be taken with the crosses, and it will be expedient to define the types, giving lists illustrating typical examples of each kind under consideration, arranging them in order according to their state of development. But it must be clearly understood at the outset that no two crosses are exactly alike : they simply possess certain 1 Elvan is the local name for trap dykes. 424
 * The Catholick Miscellany of February, 1827, reproduced almost the same plate, omitting one stone.