St. Levan exceeds perhaps every other parish in the whole county for
bold and romantic scenery.
First it possesses Trereen Dinas.
This magnificent promontory has towards the land one of those ancient
entrenchments which so much distinguish the western coast, from whence
the word dinas. There the point runs out into the sea, rising into a
succession of natural granite towers in spires, and aiguilles, and the
first presenting a perpendicular front, is crowned with the far-famed
Loging Rock.
Without calling in question the religious uses made of this stone in
rude and barbarous times, it may be declared as a certainty to be
entirely natural. Among the thousands of rocks lying scattered in all
directions, some possessing a convex surface have accidentally rested
on the flat surface of another. Many such rocks are known, but this
one transcends in size, and occupies a most commanding station. The
rock has been measured with the greatest care, and it is believed to
weigh about ninety tons, yet any one, by applying his shoulder to the
edge, and favouring the vibrations, can easily cause the stone to log
through a very sensible angle.
Doctor Borlase, in his most learned and ingenious speculations on the
religion and policy of the Druids, paid considerable attention to rock
monuments in general, and especially to this, the most remarkable of
all. In p. 180 of the Antiquities, second edition, Doctor Borlase
says, “In the parish of St. Levan, Cornwall, there is a promontory
called Castle Treryn. This cape consists of three distinct groupes of
rocks. On the western side of the middle groupe, near the top, lies a
very large stone, so evenly poised, that any hand may move it to or
fro; but the extremities of its base are at such a distance from each
other, and so well secured by their nearness to the stone which it
stretches itself upon, that it is morally impossible that any lever,
or indeed force (however applied in a mechanical way) can remove it
from its present situation.”
This rather over-strong expression piqued the vanity of a gallant and
intrepid officer, commanding an armed vessel on the coast, in 1824,
who maintained that nothing could be impossible to the courage and
skill of British seamen, and therefore, attended by ten or twelve of
his men, Lieutenant Goldsmith, nephew of the celebrated novelist and
poet (for it would even be unjust to withhold his name, as connected
with a transaction on the whole redounding to his credit), went on the
eighth of April to the rock, and there, by a continued application of
their united strength, they threw this huge mass into vibrations of
such extent as to cause the convex surface at last to slide from its
horizontal base, most fortunately in the direction opposite to that in
which they stood. The rock was saved from falling to the ground, and
from thence probably into the sea, by a narrow chasm which caught it
in the descent.
Mr. Goldsmith having thus achieved what had been declared impossible
by the highest authority that Cornwall could produce, must have
congratuled himself on such complete success; but the sensations of
all the neighbourhood were entirely at variance from those of the
gallant officer; fears were even entertained for his life; and a
meeting of the Magistrates and principal persons was contemplated, for
the purpose of representing the affair to Government: but the Editor
of this work being then in London, and having the honour of being
known to all the Lords of the Admiralty, he went there, and
representing the exploit that had been performed in the light of an
indiscreet frolic, he proposed that the Admiralty should lend a proper
apparatus, and send it from Plymouth, while he on his part would
endeavour to raise an adequate sum of money; and that Lieutenant
Goldsmith, having thrown down this natural curiosity, should
superintend the putting it up again. The terms were accepted, and
thirteen capstans, with blocks, chains, &c. were sent from the
dock-yard.
The Editor having commenced a contribution of money with twenty-five
pounds, raised it to a hundred and fifty; and on the 2d of November,
in the presence of thousands, amidst ladies waving their
handkerchiefs, men firing _feux-de-joye_, and universal shouts, Mr.
Goldsmith had the satisfaction and the glory of replacing this immense
rock in its natural position, uninjured in its discriminating
properties.
In consequence of the Editor making a second application to the
Admiralty, and of his commencing another contribution of money with
five pounds, Lanyon Cromlech was also replaced by the same apparatus.
The walk of about a mile and a half along the cliffs from Trereen
Dinas to St. Levan Church, is grand and romantic in the highest
degree. Between the two points is inclosed Porth Kernow, where the
water is beautifully transparent, over a fine sand composed in part of
minute shells quite entire, and of various species and genera, to be
collected on the beach. The church itself is in a most sequestered
spot, and said by Mr. Tonkin to be dedicated to St. Levina, who was a
British female, and suffered martyrdom under the Saxons before their
conversion to the Christian faith.
The relics of St. Levine or Lewine were long preserved and honoured at
Seaford, about ten miles from Eastbourn in Sussex, till, in 1058,
eight years before the Norman Conquest, her remains, together with
those of St. Idaberga, another female, and a portion of the relics of
St. Oswald, were carried beyond the seas, and deposited in the abbey
of St. Winock at Bergh in Flanders, amidst a variety of miracles
attested by Drogo, an eye-witness, and published in the great
collection of the Bollandists.
The only object worthy of attention in St. Levan church is a plain
monument to Miss Thomasin Dennis, with the following inscription:
Thomasin Dennis,
de Trembath,
ingenio, suavitate, virtute
insignis,
doctrina insignissima.
Nata xxix die Septembris, 1771,
væ!
lenta sed præmatura morte
erepta
obiit xxx die Augusti 1809,
anno ætatis xxxviii.
Miss Dennis was born at Sawah in this parish, the daughter of Mr.
Alexander Dennis, one of the superior class of farmers, who occupy
their own estates held at quit-rents for lives. He afterwards removed
to Trembath in Maddern. Her superior genius displayed itself at a very
early age, in reciting poetry from our best authors, and then in
producing imitations of her own. “She lisped in numbers from her
mother’s arms.” French was acquired with equal accuracy and facility;
and then, observing that her eldest brother appeared to make an
inadequate progress in Latin, occasioned by the entire want of
attention on the part of the schoolmaster at Penzance, this young lady
under eighteen studied a classic language for the mere purpose of
helping forward her brother.
The celebrity which Miss Dennis had now acquired, brought her
acquainted with the Rev. Mr. Hitchins, the learned vicar of St.
Hilary, with the Editor of this work, and with several others, more or
less scholars, from all of whom she received the praises due to her
superior talents, and such instruction or assistance as they could
afford, by lending books, or by indicating the most approved methods
of proceeding; and with such slender help her progress was so great
and almost unexampled, that not only were all the Roman authors soon
read, but the Greek writers followed in a rapid succession, till
Æschylus and Pindar became her familiar acquaintance.
About this time Miss Dennis was induced to accompany Mr. and Mrs.
Josiah Wedgewood from Penzance, chiefly as a friend and a visitor, but
partly also, in return for their civilities and kindness, to overlook
the progress of their son; but her health began to fail, her only
sister fell into a consumption, she returned to nurse her, and died of
the same most pitiable complaint.
Εν Μακαρεσσι πονων ανταξιος ειη Αμοιβη.
Nothing of her poetry has been given to the public; nor would it now
be fair to print a few trifles. Miss Dennis proved herself adequate to
the composition of any work in prose, by publishing in 1806, at Mr.
Johnson’s in St. Paul’s Churchyard, “Sophia St. Clare,” in name indeed
a novel, but far superior in style of writing and in correctness of
sentiment, to the fictions of the day. From the want of incident,
however, similar to those which are characterized in the drama by
producing stage effect, the work failed of becoming popular.
This parish, after Trereen Dinas, is distinguished by the possession
of Tol-Peder-Penwith, about a mile westward from the church, the
approach to which lies under romantic cliffs, and crosses a short deep
vale, where boats are sheltered in a small cove apparently
inaccessible to human art or daring. At the very extremity of the
point an excavation has been made by the sea, of some portion less
compacted than the remainder of the rock, probably of a lode, which
opens to the surface in the form of an inverted cone. This place is
very dangerous of access, on account of the steep descent covered by a
slippery turf; but strangers are tempted to risk their lives in
approaching the abyss, by the dashing of the waves within it, and by
the tremendous roar of the sea. Two gentlemen from London were induced
to enter the cavern leading from the sea, and were surrounded by the
tide. One, who excelled in swimming, fortunately got out and
communicated the perilous situation of his companion to a neighbouring
farmer, who hastened with assistance and with ropes to the spot, and
succeeded in lifting him to the surface through the cone. Nor must the
circumstance be omitted, that, although the stranger was possessed of
a very large fortune, he could not prevail on his rescuer to accept
of the least pecuniary reward for preserving the life of a
fellow-creature.
The villages in this parish are of small importance. Bosistow belonged
in remote times to a family of the same name, giving for their arms
Azure, three escallops Vaire. Mr. Bosistow, now residing at Tredreath
in Lelant, is believed to represent this ancient family. In more
recent times Bosistow belonged to the Davieses.
All the farms in this parish have been constantly occupied either by
the freeholders or by persons possessing leaseholds, paying
quit-rents, for lives; in consequence, they have taken extreme care
against making parishioners, and in managing their Poor Rate, as will
appear from its small amount.
The parish feast is kept on the nearest Sunday to October the 10th.
St. Levan measures 2079 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 2063 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 94 4 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 400 | 434 | 490 | 515
giving an increase of 29 per cent. in 30 years.