John Knill
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John Knill (1 January 1733 – March 29, 1811) born at Callington in Cornwall was a slightly eccentric mayor of St Ives, Cornwall, in 1767 and Collector of Customs at St. Ives from 1762-1782. He built his own memorial, a 50 foot high granite obelisk known as Knill's steeple. He built this obelisk on a hilltop with the intention of being buried in a vault within it, but his body was interred elsewhere. The steeple bears on one side the coat of arms of Knill, with the motto Nil Desperandum; also the words of Johannes Knill 1782, Resurgam, and I know that my Redeemer liveth.
In his will Knill left money for the upkeep of his obelisk and also £25 for celebrations to take place every five years on St. James’ Day, 25 July. He directed that every five years £10 should be expended on a dinner, and that ten young girls dressed in white should walk in procession with music, from the market house to the monument, around which the whole party was to dance singing the hundredth psalm (All people that on earth do dwell). This quintennial commemoration is made the occasion for a good deal of jollity, in which the entire population joins, indeed the whole proceeding is quite mirth-provoking; nor is the least laughable part of it the look on the faces of the vicar and mayor, as they sedately waltz around on the upper step of the monument, hand in hand with the ten young girls. The first ceremony, in which Knill himself participated, took place in 1801.
The £25 was to be spent thus:-
- £10 for a dinner for the Trustees, who are the Mayor, Vicar, and Customs Officer, and two guests each. This to take place at the George and Dragon Inn, Market Place, St. Ives.
- £5 to ten young girls who have to be the daughters of either fishermen, tinners or seamen.
- £1 to the fiddler.
- £2 to two widows.
- £5 to the man and wife, widower or widow who shall raise the greatest family of legitimate children who have reached the age of ten years.
- £1 for white ribbon for breast knots.
- £1 to be set aside for a vellum book for the Clerk to the Trustees to record the proceedings.
The next ceremony takes place on 25 July 2011.
