This local custom takes place every five years on St James' day
(July 25th) here in St Ives, 2001 marking the 200th anniversary of
the date of the first one to be held.
The Knill ceremony begins with a parade around the town followed by
a procession to a monument which stands high above the town and is
known locally as "Knill's Steeple". A fiddler leads the
procession, which includes ten little girls dressed in white, together
with two widows, all from St. Ives. They dance around the Steeple
for 15 minutes before the assembly gathered there sings Old Hundredth
- "All people that on earth do dwell".
Benefactor John Knill, who was Mayor of St Ives in 1767 and Collector
of Customs for 20 years from 1762, originated the ritual and he was
present at the first ceremony held in 1801. He built the 50-ft high
"Steeple" as a mausoleum and intended that he should be
buried there but this did not happen and he is, in fact, buried in
London. However, the people of St Ives have faithfully carried out
this quaint ritual to his memory every five years since then, even
during wartime.
The coastline of Cornwall has always presented extreme danger.
Whether entering the English or Bristol channel a minor navigation
error for a sailing ship could result in disaster. Click on the
map to see what ships floundered on just a small stretch of Cornish
coast.
OLD POSTCARDS OF ST IVES
Sale of Herrings, St Ives
Porthminster
St Ives around 1910 - Click
on image for a bigger picture
Sloop Inn and quay side 1930
- Click on image for a bigger picture
Carbis Bay 1905 - Click on image
for a bigger picture
Porthminster Beach - Click on
image for a bigger picture
The harbour - Click on image
for a bigger picture
Carthew and the Island - Click
on image for a bigger picture
Digey, St Ives
Young maidens,
St Ives
Fish Street, St
Ives
Fisherman's Quarters,
St Ives
Awaiting the Fish,
a bit of old St Ives
The Sloop Inn,
St Ives
Church and Barnoon
Hill 1905
Click on image for a bigger picture
Leach Pottery 1930
Click on image for a bigger picture
