Reasons for Designation
Early Christian memorial stones are inscribed free-standing stones
commemorating named individuals and dating to the early medieval period (c.AD
400-1100). The stones are erect, roughly dressed or undressed slabs, bearing
incised inscriptions, usually set in one or more vertical lines down one face
of the slab, although in four examples the text runs horizontally across the
slab. All except two recorded texts are in Latin and, depending on their date,
may be inscribed in a script of Romanised capitals or an insular form of lower
case lettering called miniscules, or a mixture of the two. Six stones also
have inscriptions in an Irish script called ogham. Most inscriptions are
simple, bearing a personal name and often stating a family relationship, such
as `filii' (son of), to another personal name. Fourteen stones contain
elements of the simple inscriptions within a longer, complex inscriptive
formula, often including the phrase `hic iacet' (here lies). Additional
decoration is found on very few stones and usually comprises a cross within a
circle. Early examples, prior to the eighth century AD, may bear an early
Christian symbol called a Chi Rho monogram, compounding the first two Greek
letters of the name `Christ'.
Early Christian memorial stones are largely restricted to areas which retained
Celtic traditions during the early medieval period, with at least 139 recorded
from Wales. In England, they are almost entirely confined to the south-west
peninsula; of the 56 recorded examples, 37 occur in Cornwall, 11 in Devon, a
group of 5 in Dorset, and single examples in Somerset, Hampshire and
Shropshire. As a very rare and diverse class of monument important for our
understanding of the social organisation and the development of literacy and
Christianity during the early medieval period, all surviving groundfast
examples of early Christian memorial stones are considered worthy of
protection.
Details
The monument includes an early Christian memorial stone and a cross slab by
the southern entrance of the churchyard at St Hilary in west Cornwall.
The early Christian memorial stone survives as an upright granite shaft
measuring 1.9m high by 0.47m wide at the base tapering to 0.34m at the top
and is 0.25m thick at the base tapering slightly to 0.22m at the top. The
principal faces are orientated east-west. The west principal face bears an
inscription incised in an early medieval form of script derived from Roman
style capitals running down the shaft in two lines. The inscription has been
read `N NOTI NOTI' which translates as `Notus son of Notus'. The inscription
is clear and legible. There are some marks or letters above this inscription,
which have been interpreted in various ways, as masons marks, as CONG, to read
Congnoti, and as A W M. It is not clear whether the marks were for decoration
or were part of the inscription. The form of the inscription and the use of a
Latin name, suggest a sixth to eighth century date for this stone.
The early Christian memorial stone was discovered in 1853 after the church
of St Hilary had been destroyed by fire. It was found at the north west angle
of the chancel 0.6m below the floor, and had probably been used as a
foundation stone. By 1858 it had been moved to its present location in the
churchyard. It is Listed Grade II.
The cross slab survives as an upright granite slab measuring 1.27m high by
0.37m wide at the top tapering to 0.23m wide at the base and is 0.17m thick.
Its principal faces are orientated east-west. The east face bears a Latin
cross in low relief, the upper limbs having slightly expanded ends, and the
lower limb extending down the length of the slab. The upper part of the west
face is plain, the lower part is against a wall. This cross slab was probably
the lid of a stone coffin or a lych stone. It is Listed Grade II.
The gravel surface of the footpath between the memorial stone and the cross
slab, the three gravestones to the east of the memorial stone, and the granite
cattle grid or trim-tram to the south are excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath these features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
30446
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
