Treleigh parish was constituted in 1846, being carved out of a northern section of the parish of Redruth and it covered 2200 acres, with a population of about 3000. Villages and hamlets within this rural parish, now dissected by the A30 road and the Penzance to London railway line, includes Treleigh, North Country, a north section of Redruth, Radnor, Wheal Plenty, Parc Erissey, Sinns Barton, Forge, Gilbert’s Combe and North Downs.

During the nineteenth century the Parish gained considerable wealth through such mines as Wheal Peevor, United Downs, Wheal Prussia, North Downs, Cardrew and Treleigh Consols. The wealth and increased population of the region justified the creation of a new parish and church as well as three nonconformist chapels. When Treleigh became a parish in it’s own right in 1846, a former blacksmith’s shop at Treleigh Mine was initially used for church services. This was quite inadequate and the present church, churchyard and vicarage were built and consecrated on 26th September, 1866. The church has a seating capacity for 300 and, designed by J. Piers St Aubyn, is cruciform in a Gothic style, the chancel decorated in the Byzantine tradition, it cost about £1,300. The church has a low belfry at the west end and, after the Second World War, a vestry was constructed abutting this tower. The dedication was to St Stephen. Within this neat church there are 14 commemorative plaques which mention 25 people. A vicarage was constructed next to the church which has been described as a “Commodious building”, it is now private property. In 1987 Treleigh parish became part of the Redruth with Lanner and Treleigh Team Ministry.

It was not until 1866 that the parish had its own burial ground, this was owned and maintained by the church parish council and was sited around the new parish church. The first person to be buried in this churchyard was Gordon Chadwick. This churchyard was extended to the west of the church in 1904 and a further extension, this time to the north was acquired in 1935 but not utilised for burials until 1948. The churchyard was closed in 1994, although, at the time of the survey, a few plots still await use and there is now a Garden of Remembrance. Maintenance is now the responsibility of Kerrier District Council. At the time the inscriptions were surveyed there were 1418 memorials in the churchyard mentioning 3036 people. There are various other memorials within the parish boundaries and these were all recorded.