St Endellion Church

St Endellion is a Prebendal church. The church stands near an ancient, probably early Brittonic, cemetry, so that the church-site, may have origins stretching back long before documentary records.

By 1291 there were four clergy, as there have generally been ever since. 

The number before that date is uncertain, since in 1272 William of Tragev was admitted to half of the church, formally that of John of Winchester. Either these two men held half the church an dthe other half was divided into two prebends, making three, or they each held two prebends out of an earlier division of four.

Which ever is correct, the half share seems to have been divided or re-divided into two in 1275, making four prebends altogether. During the 13th and 14th centuries the prebends had no permanent names. Each was identified simply as 'the prebend held by so-and-so', this being the name of teh cleric who had last held it or was currently doing so.

The church of St Endellion church, staffed since the 13th century by a rector and three prebendaries. Although the clergy did not form a community, the Reformation abolished the prebendaries in 1548; they were, however, restored ten years later.

Little is recorded of the history of St Endellion church from the 13th century to the Reformation. One glimpse comes from the will of William Doune, archdeacon of Leicester and prebendary of the church, made in about 1361. He bequeathed £10 to repair the chancel; and if that could not be done, half the money should be used to repair the nave and half to feed the poor. A further £2 was given for buying or repairing vestments. Lacy's intervention of 1444 provides us with another brief insight, but there is no account of what reuslted from it and although the church was rebuilt in the 15th century, it is not possible to say whether these events are connected.

The rebuilt church, which survives today, consists of a chancel, nave, and two wide nave aisles.

For practical purposes the church is a parish church to which three prebendaries are attached on historic grounds without legal responsibilities or emolunments.