The church of this parish has been recently new built with the
assistance of the parliamentary grant. Its situation near the sea adds
much probability to Mr. Tonkin’s interpretation of the name. The great
tithes are appended to those of Maddern, and belonged to the family of
Nichols, now Le Grice.
This parish has to boast of an ancient military work, more curious
perhaps than any other in the west of England. It consists of two
inclosures nearly circular; the inner 174 feet in diameter, the inner
wall 12 feet thick, and still remaining from 10 to 12 feet high;
outside this is a vacant space 30 feet wide, and then the second wall,
having a diameter of almost 230 feet, and built like the other, but
less solid and not so high. The stones are all laid after the
Cyclopian manner, unhewn and without cement; yet, by great labour and
repeated trials, so adjusted as to form a close, even, and apparently
smooth front. All round the interior surface of the inner wall are
traces of rooms resembling in their situation modern casemates, and
near it appear the simple remains of an ancient town. A description
and plan of this most interesting ruin called Castle Chiowne, or
Chioune, contracted into Choon, which is well known to mean the house
in a croft, have been given by Doctor Borlase, in his Antiquities, p.
346 of the 2d edition. There is also a description by Mr. Britton in
the second volume of the Beauties of England and Wales; and a very
accurate plan and section, with a full description, may be found in
the Archæologia published in 1829, volume the 22d, p. 300, by William
Cotton, esq. M.A.
It is to be hoped that the proprietors of the soil will take care to
prevent any further destruction of this most ancient and curious
fortress, by effectually prohibiting a practice which has disfigured
even Rome itself, that of recklessly removing the materials for
domestic purposes.
At about 500 yards to the south-west of the Castle, is a cromleigh
noticed by Doctor Borlase, p. 232.
Morva also contains, either in the whole or in part, the most romantic
granite hill of the western formation. Carn Galva is entirely covered
with blocks of the largest size; and being deep in the granite
district, they have escaped that destruction of natural grandeur which
inevitably accompany the useful or beautifying improvements effected
by the hands of men.
Morva measures 1060 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 775 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 18 1 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 282 | 273 | 325 | 377
giving an increase of 33½ per cent. in 30 years.