It is perhaps too much to assume that they were given by the Great
Alfred, although his visits to St. Neot must have brought that most
illustrious of our kings into this neighbourhood.
The baptising of bells, and their dedication, have so much prevailed,
that these were in all probability cast long since the time of Alfred;
but his name should have been their protection, if other protection
were wanted than their consecrated use.
The following monkish lines not unfrequently appear on bells made
prior to the reformation:
Laudo Deum verum――Populum voco――Congrego clerum
Defunctos ploro――Fugo fulmina:――Festa decoro.
Great Tom of Oxford, (called Thomas Clusius) while it remained at
Oseney Abbey, and before it was re-cast for its present station in
1670, had this curious legend:
In Thomæ laude resono BIM BOM sine fraude.
It weighs 17,000 lbs.
St. Minver measures 6604 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 8,354 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 834 17 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 788 | 851 | 1028 | 1110
giving an increase of 41 per cent. in 30 years.
Present Vicar, the Rev. George Treweeke, also Rector of Illogan,
presented by William Sandys, esq. in 1817.