156 CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 



is not orientated, and the substructure is so rude and cyclopean 

 and mortarless, tliat it may very well date from the time of S. 

 Non. Hard by is a Holy Well. 



After David was born, Non took her child to be baptised at 

 Porth Clais, where was S. Ailbe recently arrived from Ireland, 

 and he admitted him to the Christian Church. The well 

 where he was christened still flows. 



The biographer of S. David assures us that she was of 

 singular innocence of soul, and that she had no other children. 

 This, however, does not agree with the Irish accounts, which 

 speak of David having had sisters, Magna, mother of S. Setna, 

 and Mor, mother of 8. Ellen. 



It is quite possible that the story of her seduction by Sandde 

 is due to a misconception of the mediaeval biographer, who found 

 that she was called Non, and supposed that therefore she was a 

 iVww, and he presents the outrage accordingly as being doubly 

 odious. It is not unlikely that she was the wife of Sandde, — the 

 son of a neighbouring prince or king, and it was not till 

 after her husband's death that she retired from the world and 

 became a nun. According to the Breton tradition her true name 

 was Melaria, and this is not improbable, as Mechel, Marchel, or 

 Melaria, daughter of Brychan is by one account represented as 

 having been one of Gynyr's wives. 



The sister of S. Non was S. Wenn (Grwen), the wife of Selyf 

 Duke or King of Cornwall, who lived at Grallewick, " between 

 the Lyner and the Tamar." 



It was apparently due to this relationship, that Non was 

 induced to settle in Cornwall. There her principal foundation 

 was at Altarnon, an important parish comprising over 11,200 

 acres, with church, holy well, and sanctuary. 



Another church bearing her name is Bradstone in Devon. 



Another is Pelynt (Plou-nin), where there is a Holy Well. 



Boyton church is supposed to be dedicated to the Holy 

 Name (Nomen), but more probably had an earlier dedication to 

 S. Non. The Holy Name is a comparatively modern introduc- 

 tion into the calendar. The festival was not introduced till 

 between 1420 and 1500. In 1530, Pope Clement VII conceded 



