36 THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 



society had last year at the hands of Mr, Pendarves Vivian at 

 Bosahan, and looked back also to the generous manner in which 

 they were once entertained at Ootehele by the Earl of Mount 

 Edgcumbe. Mr. J. E. Collins, Mayor of Bodmin, seconded the 

 vote of thanks, and made some humorous observations which 

 were appreciated. He expressed a hope also that they would 

 soon be able to come to Padstow by the North Cornwall line. 

 Mr. Prideaux-Brune, in reply, said it gave him great pleasure to 

 see them there, and hoped the next time they were able to get 

 to Padstow they would have better weather. 



There was unfortunately no time to view the house (with its 

 many interesting portraits and its fine library) or the grounds, 

 in which there are some old crosses and other remains of antiquity. 



A brief visit was paid to the fine old church of St. Petroc, 

 on the way down to the conveyances. There the Bishop 

 of Nottingham read another interesting paper. Viscount 

 Moles worth's church is St. Petroc Minor, or Little Petherick, so 

 Padstow is Petroc Major or Great Petherick, and there are 

 dedications to St. Petroc also at Bodmin, Dartmouth, and Exeter. 

 St. Petroc is believed to have been a British missionary, who 

 came across to Padstow in 518, and settled and died at Bodmin 

 in 564. According to the legend, he came across the sea on a 

 millstone ; but Bishop TroUope thought that might mean that he 

 came across with a cargo of millstones, or that his ship was said 

 to be like a millstone. 



The site of the church was evidently the very old site of 

 a sacred building. The remains of an ancient cross near the 

 entrance to the churchyard he attributed to the Saxon era ; and 

 there was a very beautiful cross of a later date. But the present 

 building was perpendicular, there was no trace of Norman work 

 in it. The tower was of 14th century style. The kind of 

 fiamboyant tracery in some of the windows of the south chancel 

 aisle, he thought, did not indicate any different period, but was 

 merely the fancy of the architect, or of the benefactor for whom 

 the aisle (as a chantry chapel) was built. The Bishop called 

 attention also to the pulpit, the new screen, and to two old 

 bench-ends which have recently been discovered and made into 

 a seat for the sacrarium. These old bench-ends are very finely 



