On the windowsill in the north aisle of Manaccan church is a small plaque commemorating the discovery of Titanium by Rev William Gregor in 1790 (or 1791). A Cornishman by birth, William Gregor was the Rector of Creed and a well-known amateur scientist.

Shown some black sparkly sand found at Tregonwell Mill, just outside the Manaccan, he identified it as FeTiO3 and named it Menachanite (why not Manaccanite?). It was later re-named Ilmenite after the Ilmensky Mountains in Russia where it was also found.