This parish extends from near Wendron Church almost to the Loo Bar, in the form of a long stripe running a little west of south; rather more than a quarter part of this stripe, at its northern extremity, rests on granite; all the remainder belongs to rocks of the porphyritic series. The extensive workings of Whele Vor mine are partly situated in this parish, which is intersected by numerous veins and courses of porphyry.
SOUTHILL.
This parish will be found in vol. II. p. 229.
ST. STEPHEN’’S in BRANNEL.
HALS.
St. Stephen’s in Brannel is situate in the hundred of Powder, and hath upon the north Roach and St. Denis, east St. Mewan, west Probus, south Creed.
In the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester into the value of Cornish Benefices 1294, Ecclesia de Sancti Stephani, in decanatu de Powdre, was rated at £8. 7. 5d. In Wolsey’s Inquisition 1221, it was valued to First Fruits, together with St. Denis and Carhayes, and goes in consolidation and presentation with it, £27. 10s. 6½d. as a rectory, and for the vicarages of St. Stephen’s and St. Denis £14.; in all £41. 10s. 6½.: all which churches were endowed by Richard Earl of Cornwall, King of the Romans, who annexed the patronage thereof to his lordship and manor of Branel aforesaid. The patronage now in Tanner; the incumbent Tanner: to which rectory of St. Michael Caryhayes those vicarages are appropriated or impropriated, and the rectories thereof for life. This parish was rated to the four shillings per pound Land Tax 1696, £283. 4s. 9d. But whether those vicarages are obliged to the residence of the said rector for certain times with cura animarum, or are sinecures, I know not.