CORNWALL St. GeniKnts is so named after Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre (the Welsh Gannon or Harmon), who came to Britain in 430, together with Lupus of Troyes, for the purpose of sup- pressing the Pelagian heresy. For Pelagian, as Mr. Willis Bund remarks {T^e Celtic Church in Males), it might be as well to read pagan; the Christian veneer, slight and only partially spread, was rubbing oft". Germanus was emi- nently successful — though he had to return a few years later on a similar mission. His efforts certainly had great effect in spreading Christianity throughout Britain and Ireland. That he visited this part in person is probable if not certain; but there are difficulties in the matter of the establishment of the Cornish bish- opric at St. Germans. (See Bodmin.) There was no territorial see in Cornwall at all until the influence of the Saxons was becoming powerful ; and the foundation of such a see, probably about 930, may safely be associated with the victorious progress of Athelstan. The Welsh authorities tell us that in 981, owing to the ravaging of Bodmin by Danes, the see-town was removed from that place to St. Germans; but in reality it was Padstow that was ravaged, not Bodmin. One thing is absolutely certain ; in 994, if not earlier, St. Germans was the ecclesiastical capital of Cornwall, and remained so till, before the middle of the next century, the Cornwall see was merged in that of Devon- shire at Crcditon. The date of this removal, and whether it was done by Canute or Edward
