| Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1949:1051 Okasha/1993:37(i)(a) Okasha/1993:37(i)(b) |
| Site: | PNZAN |
| Discovery: | first mentioned, 1845 Courtney, J.S. |
| History: | Okasha/1993, 194: `Until 1829 the cross stood `at the north-east corner of the Green Market'. In September 1829, during road-widening, the cross was moved a few metres to stand at the junction of Greenmarket and Causewayhead...Haliwell recorded that the house on this corner was demolished in the summer of 1861 but that the cross remained there, he continued: `it is said that the Corporation intend to remove it to a more conspicuous position near the Town Hall'. The cross was subsequently moved, before 1870, to the western end of the Market House...On 15th July 1899 the cross was moved to Morrab Gardens and in the summer of 1953 to its present position. Pool suggested that the original site of the cross may have been one of the two places with the field-name `Park-an-Grouse' (Cross Field), one of which, on the north side of Alverton, is near to Greenmarket'. Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 1: `Earlier this year, the Penzance Market Cross...was moved for the fifth and (one hopes) final time, to a new stance on the SW front terrace of the rebuilt Penlee House Art Gallery and Museum, Morrab Road, Penzance. The moving, monitored and photographed by C. Thomas...involved an apparatus of slings and a mobile crane'. |
| Geology: | Macalister/1949, 181: `granite'. |
| Dimensions: | 2.15 x 0.56 x 0.25 (Okasha/1993) |
| Setting: | in ground |
| Location: | Penzance; Current location. Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 1: `on the SW front terrace of the rebuilt Penlee House Art Gallery and Museum, Morrab Road, Penzance'. |
| Form: | Incomplete Information Macalister/1949, 181--182: `The cross is granite...but tapering to the top. It consists of a shaft, expanding to a circular head with a cross indicated by triangular sinkings (outlined only on the front face). There is a hole on each side of the stone, on the lower arm of the cross'. Okasha/1993, 195: `The stone is a complete cross with carving on all sides of the shaft...Photographs of the stone when it was being moved show it being broken at the bottom and suggest that there must be only a small proportion of the shaft inside the modern base'. |
| Condition: | complete , some Macalister/1949, 181: `At one of these transfers, part of the back of the cross was hacked away'. Stone appears from photographs to be broken at the base. It is weathered. |
| Folklore: | none |
| Crosses: | none |
| Decorations: | figural; frame; geometric ribbon interlace Macalister/1949, 181: `The devices on the shaft of the cross are as follows:--- Front: Ten panels arranged in pairs. The two upper pairs have an interlacement (worn almost to invisibility) alternating with rows of dots. The three lower pairs are blank, except the sinister panel of the topmost of these, which has a row of dots. Nothing can now be traced in the other five panels. Sinister side: Five panels. Topmost panel blank. Second panel, a figure in a full skirt, facing outward; holding something triangular in the right arm. Third panel, rows of dots. Fourth panel...[inscription PNZAN/1/2]...Fifth panel, some unintelligible letters [inscription PNZAN/1/3]. Back: A figure, outlined, wearing a long tunic. Beneath, about one-third of the surface of the shaft chipped away. Beneath that again, four panels: the upper dexter bearing an inscription in three lines, apparently continued in the lower dexter [inscription PNZAN/1/1]: the upper sinster blank, the lower sinster, rows of dots... Dexter side: Four panels: the topmost plain; the second apparently (but doubtfully) bearing two <- shaped lines interlacing; the third, rows of dots; the fourth, the outline of which is incomplete below, a small rudely drawn figure'. |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | --]CUMBUIN || FO[-- | --]UICUMG: || [P][-- | --]ENITH[I] || C[-- Expansion: --]CUMBUIN FO[--]UICUMQ: P[--]NITHIC[-- Macalister/1949 181 reading only |
| Okasha, E. (1984): | --]MBUIN || FO[-- | --]UMQ: || P[-- | --]TNI || C[-- Expansion: --]MBUIN[--]UMQ:[--]TNI FO[--]P[--]C[--] Okasha/1993 197--198 reading only |
| Thomas, C. Thorpe, C (1998): | [.]CUMBUIN || FO[-- | [.]UICUMQ: || P[-- | [.]ENITHI || C[-- Expansion: P[RO]CUMBUNT IN FO[RIS] QUICUMQUE PACE UENIT HI[N]C [ORET] Translation: They lie here in the open. Whosoever in peace comes here, let him pray (for their souls). Thomas/1998 186--89 concise discussion Thomas/Thorpe/1998 1--2 reading only |
| Orientation: | vertical down |
| Position: | inc ; broad ; n/a ; panel Okasha/1993, 196: `Text (i) is set on the back of the shaft in two panels which together measure 44 cm. in height (to the break) by 21.5 cm'. |
| Incision: | inc |
| Date: | 900 - 1099 (Okasha/1993) Okasha/1993, 198: `this stone is dated to the tenth or eleventh century on artistic grounds'. 1007 - 1007 (Thomas/Thorpe/1998) Dating due to `three chronograms, all giving the date MVII' in text PNZAN/1/1. |
| Language: | Latin (rbook) |
| Ling. Notes: | none |
| Palaeography: | Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 1: `The lettering is in final stage...of Insular bookhand'. |
| Legibility: | some Okasha/1993, 197: `Text...is legible and complete'. |
| Lines: | 3 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | REGIS+RI | CATICRUX Expansion: REGIS +RICATI CRUX Macalister/1949 181 reading only |
| Okasha, E. (1984): | [RE..+.] | [CR--] Expansion: [RE..+. CR--] Okasha/1993 198 reading only |
| Thomas, C. (1998): | R{*}GISI | CRUX Expansion: RECGISI CRUX Translation: The cross of Recgisi (PN). Expansion: RAEGISI CRUX Translation: The cross of Raegisi (PN). Thomas/Thorpe/1998 3--5 reading only |
| Orientation: | vertical down |
| Position: | inc ; narrow ; n/a ; panel Fouth panel down on the `sinister' side. |
| Incision: | inc |
| Date: | 900 - 1099 (Okasha/1993) Okasha/1993, 198: `this stone is dated to the tenth or eleventh century on artistic grounds'. 1007 - 1007 (Thomas/Thorpe/1998) |
| Language: | Latin (rbook) |
| Ling. Notes: | none |
| Palaeography: | Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 1: `Insular bookhand'. Okasha/1993, 197: `it is uncertain what script is used'. |
| Legibility: | poor Okasha/1993, 197: `highly deteriorated'. Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 3: `complete and undamaged'. |
| Lines: | 2 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | D+FI | --A]I Expansion: D+FI [--A]I Macalister/1949 181 reading only |
| Okasha, E. (1984): | D+[.] | [..] Expansion: D+[--] Okasha/1993 198 reading only |
| Thomas, C. Thorpe, C (1998): | D+T/I | X Expansion: DOMINI CRUX CHRISTI Translation: (This is) a cross of the Lord Christ. Thomas/Thorpe/1998 4--5 reading only |
| Orientation: | vertical down |
| Position: | inc ; narrow ; n/a ; panel In the fifth panel down on the `sinister' side, below PNZAN/1/2 |
| Incision: | inc |
| Date: | 900 - 1099 (Okasha/1993) Okasha/1993, 198: `this stone is dated to the tenth or eleventh century on artistic grounds'. 1007 - 1007 (Thomas/Thorpe/1998) |
| Language: | Latin (rbook) |
| Ling. Notes: | Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 3--5, argue for this text to be in Latin. |
| Palaeography: | Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 1: `Insular bookhand'. Okasha/1993, 197: `it is uncertain what script is used'. |
| Legibility: | poor Okasha/1993, 197: `highly deteriorated'. Thomas/Thorpe/1998, 3: `complete and undamaged'. |
| Lines: | 2 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |