The church is considered to have been founded around 550 AD in honour of St Just the Martyr. For the first 400 years, it was served by the Celtic clergy from the adjacent cell of Lanzeague. Around 950 AD it was taken from the Celtic Church by the Bishops of Cornwall, Crediton and Exeter. In 1140, the church was given by Robert Warelwast, Bishop of Exeter to the Canons of Plympton Priory, and served by their vicars. In 1189 the patronage was recovered from the Priory by John le Sor, Lord of Tolverne, and from that date the incumbents have been Rectors.
It was restored in 1872 and re-opened by the Bishop on Monday 18 November 1872 who arrived at the church on HMS Ganges, the guest of Captain Tinklar.[2] New pews and the pulpit and reredos were provided. A new stone arch opening into the north transept was provided, and the floor was paved with Minton and Hollins encaustic tiles. The altar rails were removed and the altar placed on a level reached by two granite steps. The seating and other woodwork was executed by Messrs Borlase of St Just, and the mason's work was done by Messrs Clemens of Truro.
The organ was originally in St John the Evangelist's Church, Treslothan. It was moved here in 1966 by Hele & Co and has subsequently been modified by Lance Foy. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[3]
Virtual Pipe Organ App
In 2018 the organ was made available as a 'Virtual Pipe Organ' on iPhone and iPad, with 50% of the revenues from the app donated to the parish organ fund.[4][5][6]
Rectors of St Just in Roseland
William de Sancto Justo 1265 - 1282
John 1282 - 1297
Philip de Cornubia 1297 - 1308
Philip de Careveldross 1308
Sir Reginald le Seor 1308 - 1322
Benedict de Arundelle 1322 - 1329
Sir John de Eysi 1329 - 1333
Sir Richard de Barnkescombe 1333 - 1349
Sir Richard Soor 1349 - 1383
Sir Thomas Raulyn 1383 - 1431
Ralph Morwille 1431 - 1433
John Stepkyne 1433 - 1458
William Perys 1458 - 1504
Sir William Vycy 1504 - 1506
Alexander Geffry 1506 - 1529
Warin Perys 1529 - 1535
John Tregate 1535 - 1542
John Luer 1542 - 1543
John Collyns 1543 - 1547
Sir John Joan 1547 - 1572
John Vivian 1572 - 1576
William Foorth 1576 - 1584
John Jackson 1584 - 1589
John Nicholson 1589 - 1627
John Nicholson (son) 1627 - 1646
Edward Sheffield 1646
John Day 1662 - 1695
Joseph Dill 1696 - 1710
Joseph Maye 1710 - 1711
Thomas Wolrige 1711 - 1722
Thomas Bedford 1722 - 1733
Jonathan Daddow 1733 - 1742
Thomas Carlyon 1742 - 1793
John Pasmore 1793 - 1804
Edward Rodd 1804 - 1836
Clement Carlyon 1836 - 1888
Hubert Carlyon 1888 - 1893
Courtenay Atwool 1893 - 1901
Humfrey Davis 1901 - 1930
James Vavasor Hammond 1930 - 1945
John Eugene Brownlow Cattell 1945 - 1950
Albert Edward Coulbeck 1950 - 1970
Peter Jeffrey Durnford 1970 - 1983
Bernard Trevor Morgan 1983 - 1988
Edward Robert Andrews 1988 - 1999
Paul Graham Wignall 1999 - 2002
John Graham Slee 2002 - 2008
Kenneth John Boullier 2008 - 2018
Notable people
The grave of Charles Bowen Cooke (illustrated above right), a notable locomotive engineer, is in the churchyard.