Part 2…A Sunday morning drive in Cornwall didn’t disappoint…Three days and counting…

Sunday morning’s visit to two churches was not only exciting but highly entertaining when we entered the Parish Church of St. Tudy to find several parishioners and Reverend David Seymour sipping on coffee and tea with what appeared to be homemade biscuits.

We wandered into the church a short time after the service ended when several parishioners had coffee, tea, and biscuits.

The moment we tucked our heads to enter the short door to the historic 17th-century church, we were welcomed with open arms, offered to partake of the drinks and biscuits, and immediately engaged in lively chatter.

The cemetery was filled with history.

Whenever Brits hear our American accents, they can’t help but share stories of beautiful experiences they had visiting the US, most often to New York, Las Vegas, and various parts of California.

Birds are nesting in this louvered window.

One of the parishioners was excited to share his story of having his wedding vows renewed several years ago performed by an Elvis Presley impersonator at a chapel in Las Vegas.  

Others inquired about our travels, but we didn’t share as much as usual, preferring to hear their stories about their lives in St. Tudy and their love of Cornwall.

The church’s bell tower is similar to those in the “Game of Thrones” series and other historical movies and TV shows.

The pride the English express about living in Cornwall, is evidenced in each person we’ve met. One of the gentlemen, a gentleman indeed, walked me over to the plaque on the wall commemorating Captain William Bligh, proud of the bit of history bestowed upon this community and church.

A stone plaque on an interior wall in the church to commemorate Admiral William Bligh, 1754 -1817 depicted in the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty.”  The original movie was filmed in 1935 (see here). Vice-Admiral William Bligh FRS was an officer of the Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. The Mutiny on the Bounty occurred during his command of HMS Bounty in 1789; after being set adrift in Bounty’s launch by the mutineers, Bligh and his loyal men reached Timor, a journey of 3,618 nautical miles.”

He explained that the famous Captain was buried in the church’s cemetery, but he wasn’t exactly sure where the headstone was placed in his honor. We’d have loved to read his tombstone, but there were hundreds of headstones, and it would have taken hours for us to find it.

Simple yet beautiful pipe organ.

The grass in the cemetery was thick, and the underlying soil was uneven, making such a trek a tripping hazard. However, Bligh died in London, where his official burial monument is located. Below is a photo of his tomb.

Captain William Bligh’s tomb is located in London. (not our photo)

From this site:
“Bligh died in London in December 1817 and was buried at what was then St. Mary’s Church, his family’s local parish church. It is now the Garden Museum, and Bligh’s tomb is surrounded by lovely plantings.”  


He wrote the following to his wife, exactly as it was written (including typos):  “Know then my own Dear Betsy, that I have lost the Bounty…on the 28 April at daylight in the morning Christian having the morning watch. He and several others came into my Cabin while I was a Sleep, seizing me, holding naked Bayonets at my Breast, tied my hands behind my back, and threatened instant destruction if I uttered a word… -William Bligh to his wife, c. June 1791″

It has stained glass windows at the altar.

Again, for more on this story about William Bligh, please click here.

Once the conversations ended and the parishioners began to leave to continue their day, the Reverend welcomed us to stay and take as many photos as we’d like. All of a sudden, this church had a special meaning to both of us.

Cushions for the parishioners.

We were anxious to learn more details about the church and were able to find some morsels, as we’ve included today.


From this site:
“The parish church is dedicated to St Tudius, a sixth-century monk and missionary who has a strong association with Brittany and may even have been the important Breton Saint Tugdual. The church, whose graveyard contains an interesting ‘clink’ building and a pre-Norman carved stone, dates back to the fifteenth century.

The side altar with a square baptismal font.

The family of Captain William Bligh, of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame, lived in St. Tudy for many generations at Tinten Manor. Captain Bligh was born here in 1754, the fateful voyage of the HMS Bounty took place in 1787. The church town is the only village in St Tudy parish, characterized by rolling farmland and woods.

Tom next to the main door of the church, the only entrance we could find.  “In some churches in the UK, the “Devil’s Door” is a small side door, a structural feature found in the north wall of certain medieval and older churches in the United Kingdom. They are widespread in the historic county of Sussex, where more than 40 extant churches have one.  They have their origins in the early Christian era when pre-Christian worship was still popular and were often merely symbolic structures—although they were sometimes used as genuine entrances. Before and during the Middle Ages, the north face of a church was considered to belong to the Devil and to people considered heathen. Churches were invariably built to the north of roads and tracks, to ensure their main entrance was on the south side.”

More stained glass windows.