Mr. Tonkin has not given any information respecting St Merina, nor is
any such name to be found.
The barton of Harlyn, or Arlyn, belonged to the family of Tregewe;
from that family it passed by a marriage to the family of Michell, and
with the heiress of Michell to Peter. Perthcothen, which belonged to
the family of Trevethen, is now the seat of another Mr. Peter.
The manor of Trevose having formed a part of the very extensive
property acquired by the Roberts’s, was purchased from them by the
Morices of Werington, and in the division of property between the
coheiresses of that family, it fell to the share of Molesworth of
Pencanow; one part of it is held on lease by Mr. Peter, of Harlyn, and
another belonged to the late Mr. Rawlings, of Padstow.
There is not any thing remarkable about the church. The stone in that
immediate neighbourhood, at a place called Catacluse, is very
favourable for building, and for ornamental work, as may be seen in
the fonts at this church and at Padstow, and also in the ruins of the
old church, dedicated to Constantine.
The Editor has been favoured with the following communication
respecting this ancient building, by William Peter, Esq. of Harlyn.
“Constantine church is now in ruins, and the parish (if it
ever was one) has been long merged in that of St. Merryn.
The festival of Constantine is still celebrated by an annual
hurling match, on which occasion the owner of Harlyn
supplies, and has (according to parish tradition) from time
immemorial supplied, the silver ball.
“Adjoining the church of Constantine was a cottage which a
family of the name of Edwards held for generations, under
the proprietors of Harlyn, by the annual render of a pie,
made of limpets, raisins, and various herbs, on the eve of
the festival. This pie, as I have heard from my father and
from more ancient members of the family, and from old
servants, was excellent. The Edwards’s had pursued for
centuries the occupation of shepherds on Harlyn and
Constantine commons. The last died about forty years ago,
and the wreck of their cottage is almost buried in sand.”
The font and the pillars of Constantine church are handsomely
carved out of Catacluse stone, and Mr. Peter adds, that the font
was transferred by his great-grandfather to St. Merryn Church,
when it underwent a thorough repair.
Under Catacluse Cliffs is a small pier, constructed by the late
Mr. Peter for the shelter of coasting vessels and boats.
The feast of Constantine is kept on the nearest Sunday to the
10th of March.
The feast in honour of the comparatively modern Saint to whom St.
Merryn Church is dedicated, is celebrated on the nearest Sunday
to July the 7th, the Translation of St. Thomas of Canterbury
(Becket).
The great tithes belong to the Chapter of Exeter, and the Bishop
collates to the vicarage. It has been remarked that three
successive gentlemen of the name of Gurney held the living for
above a century.
The diversion of hurling, mentioned by Mr. Peter as taking place
on the festival in honour of Constantine, is now wholly
discontinued, or kept up on this particular occasion as a mere
remembrance of former times, when the manners of society were
more adapted to such rude exertions of activity and strength. For
an account of hurling see Carew, p. 195, Lord Dunstanville’s
edition.
St. Merran measures 3,644 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 4,084 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 428 18 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 425 | 458 | 537 | 576
giving an increase of 35½ per cent. in 30 years.
The Rev. John Bayley, the present Vicar of St. Merryn, was collated
in 1803 by the Bishop of Exeter.