St Ives was bathed in summer sun as the life of John Knill was commemorated in a parade and ceremony that takes place every five years.
Fiddler Katrina Geraghty leads the young girls in a dance around Knill’s Steeple. Photographs: Darren Norbury/St Ives Local
The ceremony commemorated the wishes of John Knill, a former customs officer and mayor, who, in his will of 1797, required that a series of activities were followed every five years.
It was first staged in 1801, overseen by Knill himself. He was slightly eccentric and built his own memorial, a 15-metre granite obelisk known as Knill’s Steeple, on the summit of Worvas Hill. It was intended to be his mausoleum, but he died in London.
The Mayor, Andrew Mitchell, opens proceeding at the war memorial; the young maids dance up High Street; vicar Dr Nick Widdows performs the blessing at the steeple
He appointed three trustees (the customs officer, vicar, and mayor) to ensure that the memorial ceremony be carried out. The will calls for a fiddler to lead 10 dancing maids, accompanied by two widows of fishermen, seamen, or tinners, from the town to the monument. The party were then to process around the Knill Steeple, before singing the 100th psalm.
The presentation of money from the Knill chest; the trustees, customs officer Nick Jackson, Mayor Andrew Mitchell, and vicar Dr Nick Widdows; St Ives Freeman Tony Mason, beside town councillor Madie Parkinson-Evans
And this year, the trustees — Mayor Andrew Mitchell, parish vicar The Rev Dr Nick Widdows, and customs officer Nick Jackson — conducted the ceremony with aplomb.The event began at the War Memorial with an introduction to the ceremony, and the presentation of money to the dancing maids and widows. The party then paraded through the streets, headed by master of ceremonies Charles Guppy and fiddle Katrina Geraghty, with town councillors, civic staff, and St Ives Freeman Tony Mason in attendance.
Mace bearer Paul Bates; the procession making its way up Tregenna Hill; mace bearer Raymond Bridgewater reading the Knill blessing in Cornish
Once at the bus station, they were transported to the Cornish Arms, Carbis Bay, for light refreshments, then it was onwards to the steeple, where are large crowd had already gathered. The maids danced five times around the steeple, led by fiddler Katrina, and then they were joined by the trustees and civic party. And that was it for another five years. The terms of Knill’s wishes carried out to the letter.
