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Knill Steeple
In 1782 John Knill, a Customs Officer, erected a mausoleum on Worvas Hill. He had intended to be buried there, as he 'abhorred the practice of burial within the body of the Church' that was prevalent at the time and the churchyard already overcrowded.
However, owing to difficulties of consecration this idea had to be abandoned and upon his death at Gray's Inn Square on March 29th 1811 he was subsequently buried at St. Andrews Church, Holborn.
Designed in 1779 by the architect John Wood, Knill Steeple is a triangular pyramid of hewn granite, 50ft high, containing within its base a cavity large enough for a single interment. Rising in courses of cut blocks of granite the pyramid is capped with metal and provided with a lightening conductor. An arch in the base gives access to the cavity but this has always been sealed up except during the memorial ceremony. A low guard wall of granite was constructed in 1829 to protect the foundations. On one face is carved the word 'Resurgam', with the Coat of Arms and Motto (Nil Desperandum) of John Knill. The second face bears the inscription 'I know that my Redeemer liveth' while the third side is inscribed 'Johannes Knill 1782'.
It was John Knill's wish to be remembered by the people of St. Ives for whom he held a real affection so every five years on St. James's Day, July 25th a strange ritual is performed in the town. The first ceremony took place in 1801 and Knill was in attendance to prance with the participants who dressed in their white ribbons and uniforms of office to dance around the mausoleum to the old Cornish 'Furry Dance' tune before singing the Old Hundredth psalm.
Carried out even during the war years, this Quinquennial celebration had its 200th Anniversary in the year 2001. Heading the Knill Trust was the Worshipful Mayor and Standard of the Mace, the Vicar of St. Ives and the Customs Officer, together with the Master of Ceremonies and The Fiddler who escorted the two widows and ten maidens (of ten years old at most) dressed in white. The bizarre congregation climb to the top or Worvas Hill to dance around the steeple observed by dozens of local townspeople.
There is more to this Customs Officer and Mayor of St. Ives who left the town to take a post as Customs Officer in the West Indies where, rumour has it, he made a small fortune. There are extensive views of the area of Penwith from Worvas Hill and it is written that he possibly used the monument to send signals out to sea, be it for smuggling or spying.