Lide, also known as Elide or Elidius, is a saint associated with the early medieval Christian settlement at St Helen's, Isles of Scilly. The ecclesiastical foundation on St Helen's was first attested in writing in the 12th century as "the island of St Elidius" when it was granted to Tavistock Abbey. [1] The site was a pilgrimage destination throughout the medieval period, and Pope Pius II granted an indulgence to visitors of "the chapel of St Elidius". William Worcester in 1478 described him as a bishop and son of a king, and wrote that his feast was celebrated at Tavistock Abbey on 8 August. [2]
In mainland Cornwall, the parish church of St Issey was recorded in 1287 as dedicated to "Issey and Lid", [3] and a chapel dedicated to "St Eledius" was recorded in St Mellion in 1448. The chapels of Helen and Loye near Land's End may also be related to Lide. Several saints known in Wales, including Saint Eliud, have similar names but are not known to have any connection to Lide. [4]
From the 16th century, Lide's identity became confused. In 1540 John Leland mentioned him as female, and wrote "yn tymes past at her sepulchre was gret superstition." In 1564 the island was first recorded as "St Helene" which eventually replaced the association with Lide entirely. [4]
Piran or Pyran, died c. 480, was a 5th-century Cornish abbot and saint, possibly of Irish origin. He is the patron saint of tin-miners, and is also generally regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall, although Michael and Petroc also have some claim to this title.
Petroc or Petrock was a British prince and Christian saint.
Wenna was a medieval princess and Christian martyr who flourished in Wales and Cornwall. Later venerated as a saint, she is honored at multiple churches in Cornwall and Devon.
St Issey is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom which lies approximately two miles (3 km) south of Padstow. The parish covers an area of approximately 4,500 acres (18 km2). At the 2011 census the parish population was 940. An electoral ward with the name of St Issey also existed before being replaced by St Issey and St Tudy in 2013. Its population at the same census was 4,111.
Mabyn, also known as Mabena, Mabon, etc., was a medieval Cornish saint. According to local Cornish tradition she was one of the many children of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog in Wales in the 5th century. The village and civil parish of St Mabyn is named for her, and the local St Mabyn Parish Church is dedicated to her.
Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. The Abbey was surrendered in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Nothing remains of the abbey except the refectory, two gateways and a porch. The abbey church, dedicated to Our Lady and St Rumon, was destroyed by Danish raiders in 997 and rebuilt under Lyfing, the second abbot. The church was further rebuilt in 1285 and the greater part of the abbey between 1457 and 1458.
Ia of Cornwall was an evangelist and martyr of the 5th or 6th centuries, flourishing in the area of St Ives, Cornwall. She is said to have been an Irish princess, the sister of Erc of Slane.
Juthwara or Jutwara was a virgin and martyr from Dorset. According to her legend, she was an eighth-century Saxon, and sister to Sidwell, though some historians have theorised she was a Briton living in the sixth century. Her relics were translated to Sherborne during the reign of Ethelred the Unready. Nothing further is known with certainty about her life.
Melor was a 10th-century Breton saint who, in England, was venerated in Cornwall and at Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, which claimed some of his relics.
Nicholas Orme FSA FRHistS is a British historian specialising in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, focusing on the history of children, and ecclesiastical history, with a particular interest in South West England.
St Helen's is one of the fifty or so uninhabited islands in the archipelago of the Isles of Scilly and has an approximate area of 0.1885 square kilometres. On the south side of the island is one of the earliest Christian sites in Scilly, an early medieval religious complex, which is thought to be the remains of St Elidius Hermitage, an 8th-century chapel lived in by Saint Lide,. There are also the remains of an isolation hospital used to quarantine sailors with plague. The island is the major part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest and some features have been given the designation of scheduled ancient monument. Access to the island is through chartered or private boat, although there are some season trips throughout the summer. St Helen's is currently managed by the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.
Endelient was a Cornish saint of the 5th and 6th century. She is believed to be a daughter of the Welsh King Brychan, and a native of South Wales who travelled to North Cornwall to join her siblings in converting the locals to Christianity. Legend says that she was a goddaughter of King Arthur, and that she lived as a hermit at Trentinney where she subsisted on the milk of a cow. The saint is commemorated in the church and village of St Endellion which bear her name; Endellion being an Anglicised version of her name. Her feast day is 29 April.
Merther is a small hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of St Michael Penkevil, in the Cornwall district, in the ceremonial county of Cornwall, England. It lies 2 miles (3 km) east of Truro, on the eastern side of the Tresillian River. In 1931 the parish had a population of 150. It was formerly the churchtown of the small parish of Merther, and also the site of a manor house and medieval chapel dedicated to St Cohan. The former parish church is now in ruins.
Christianity in Cornwall began in the 4th or 5th century AD when Western Christianity was introduced as in the rest of Roman Britain. Over time it became the official religion, superseding previous Celtic and Roman practices. Early Christianity in Cornwall was spread largely by the saints, including Saint Piran, the patron of the county. Cornwall, like other parts of Britain, is sometimes associated with the distinct collection of practices known as Celtic Christianity but was always in communion with the wider Catholic Church. The Cornish saints are commemorated in legends, churches and placenames.
Elwen was the name of an early saint or saints venerated in Cornwall and Brittany. The hagiographical material asserts that he came to Cornwall from Ireland in the company of Breage and six others, but this is attested late. A chapel at Porthleven in Sithney parish, Cornwall, dedicated to Elwen, existed from the 13th century until 1549, and in Brittany several sites and placenames are associated with possibly related figures.
Lammana Priory was a priory on Looe Island in Cornwall, UK, consisting of two Benedictine monks until 1289. It was owned by Glastonbury Abbey and the property was sold in 1289 to a local landowner.
Saint Helen's Church, also often incorrectly known as Saint Helena's Church, is an Anglican church on the 445 ha island of Lundy, lying at the mouth of the Bristol Channel, 19 km (12 mi) off the north coast, and part of the county, of Devon in England. As there is no resident priest on the island, the church is only irregularly used to hold services, though it is open to visitors. It is part of the Diocese of Exeter.
St Gwenog's Church is a Church in Wales church near Llanybydder, Ceredigion, Wales. It is a medieval building dating back to the late fourteenth century and is situated in the hamlet of Llanwenog on a minor road off the A475 near Drefach, Ceredigion. It is a Grade I-listed building.
Tresco Priory is a former monastic settlement on Tresco, Isles of Scilly founded in 946 AD.
Rumon of Tavistock is a saint venerated in the traditions of the Catholic, Anglican Communion, and Western Orthodox churches.