STEPHENS-inBRANNEL (ST.), a parish in the
eastern division of the hundred of POWDER, county of
CORNWALL, 4 miles (W. by N.) from St. Austell, containing
2479 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy,
annexed, with that of St. Denis, to the rectory of
St. Michael Carhaise, in the archdeaconry of Cornwall,
and diocese of Exeter, and in the patronage of Lord
Grenville. The church is an ancient building, principally
in the Norman style, with a detached square
tower. There is a place of worship for Independents.
A school is endowed with a small annual income. Several
tin and copper mines have been opened in the
neighbourhood, but have been found unproductive,
except one, called Strawberry mine, which is worked
on a small scale. The parish abounds with moOrstone,
which is much used in building, and with a
species of fine white clay. In the clay-works are
found a black kind of spar, and some beautiful
transparent regular polygonal chrystals, called Cornish
diamonds. Here are vestiges of a circular intrenchment,
surrounded by a foss, comprising about
an acre.