This parish is greatly distinguished as being the most western in
England, and containing within it the promontory, which, without
reference to the cardinal points, evidently terminates the granite
chain, which stretching out from Dartmoor, extends by links, apparent
at intervals at the surface, to this point, the most distant on the
continent of England. The same range appears again in the Scilly
Islands, and it may possibly join the similar granitic districts in
France.
It is a very curious circumstance, that, notwithstanding the great
numbers of square leagues composed entirely of granite in Cornwall and
in Devonshire, that magnificent rock never appears in the cliff except
for a few miles on each side of the Land’s End; but there it is seen
piled in high masses one on the other, which, coupled with the great
Atlantic swell of the waves, present a general effect the most
magnificent that can well be imagined. And what adds still more to the
grandeur of the scene, about a mile from the extreme point, a lofty
range of rocks, called the Longships, rises out of the sea. On the
most elevated point of this rock a light-house was constructed about
fifty years ago, nearly after the model of Mr. Smeaton’s building on
the Eddystone; this column has the advantage, however, of standing at
a great height above the water, so as, perhaps, never to receive an
actual blow from the most violent wave; yet so tempestuous is the sea,
that for three months together all communication has been intercepted
between the lampmen and the shore.
The latitude and longitude of the Land’s End appear, from the
Trigonometrical Survey, to be, latitude 50° 4′ 7″; longitude 5° 41′
32″; in time 22m. 46s. west from Greenwich.
The church of this parish is a very conspicuous object in every
direction. It is on the usual plan of churches in this district, and
is built of granite with a granite tower. In it are some monuments,
particularly to the Ellises, who have relinquished the three eels
mentioned by Mr. Hals as an armorial bearing, and instead have
sculptured on these stones the blazon appropriated to the name
throughout England, Argent, on a cross Sable five crescents of the
Field.
The church town has a pretty good inn, capable of affording
entertainment, and even beds to parties――
Led by the fable of Belerus old,
Or the Great Vision of the Guarded Mount.
This inn is distinguished by a sign bearing two inscriptions suited to
its peculiar situation. Travellers proceeding to the Land’s End, find
the board inscribed with these words,
The last public house in England;
returning, they see on the other side,
The first public house in England.
About half a mile further eastward than the church town, is a village
called Mean, probably from the great number of large rocks
interspersed among the houses. In the very midst of the village is a
large flat rock, on which three kings are reported to have dined
together at some remote period; and a prophecy of Merlin is added to
the tale, that a larger number of kings will be assembled round this
rock for the same purpose previously to some great catastrophe, or to
the destruction of the world itself.
Not far from Mean is Whitsand Bay, from whence Athelstan is said to
have embarked for the Scilly Islands, and to have landed on his
return. King Stephen is also said to have landed here; and King John
on his return from Ireland; and lastly, Perkin Warbeck; but various
other bays have derived a similar name from their white sands, and
therefore the honours bestowed on this remote and dangerous cove may
be very doubtful.
Mr. Hals has adverted to the fertility of this parish, and noticed the
production of twenty Cornish bushels, equaling sixty Winchester
bushels, of barley on one acre. The parish certainly is very fertile,
being situated on granite peculiarly abounding in felspar; but the
Cornish acre, derived from the Saxon pole of eighteen feet, exceeds
the Norman acre in the proportion of six to five, therefore the
produce is reduced to fifty bushels.
It is much to be lamented that a variety of measures should remain in
different parts of the United Kingdom.
In Ireland the pole is 21 feet. Their mile consists, like our own, of
320 poles, but of course exceeds our measure in the proportion of 21
to 16½, or as 14 to 11.
The Irish acre, like our own, contains 160 square poles, but exceeds
it in the proportion of 21 squared to 16½ squared, or as 14 squared to
11 squared, as 196 to 121, as 13 to 8 very nearly.
The patron saint selected for this parish by Mr. Hals, is stated to be
a Persian of that name, who was seized at Babylon, and delivered to
the fury of wild beasts at Rome, which, as in the case of Daniel,
became mild and abstained from hurting him; but here the parallel
ends, for Valerianus, instead of acknowledging the God of one so
miraculously preserved, ordered gladiators immediately to kill the
saint, and they obeyed. Reference is made to the Agonal of Baronius;
but this saint is little known in England or by English writers.
A much more likely patron may therefore be discovered with Mr. Tonkin,
in another St. Senan, of whom Dr. Butler gives the following account:
“St. Senan, Bishop and Confessor, was born in the county of
Hy-Conalls in Ireland, about the latter part of the fifth
century, and was a disciple of the Abbots Cassiolus and
Natal or Naal. He then travelled for spiritual improvement
to Rome, and thence into Britain. In this kingdom he
contracted a close friendship with St. David. After his
return to Ireland he founded many churches; and a great
monastery in Inis Cathaig, an island lying at the mouth of
the river Shannon, which he governed, and in which he
continued to reside after he was advanced to the episcopal
dignity. The abbots his successors, for several centuries,
were all bishops till this great diocese was divided into
three, namely, Limerick, Killaloe, and Ardfert.
“St. Senan died on the same day and year with St. David; but
he was honoured in the Irish church on the 8th of March. A
town in Cornwall bears the name of St. Senan. See his Acts
in Colgan, p. 602.”
The Persian saint is said to be honoured on the 30th of July in the
Greek church, so that the parish feast, which is kept on the nearest
Sunday to St. Andrew’s day, has not any reference to either of the
supposed patrons.
Sennen measures 2223 statute acres.
Annual value of the Real Property, as £. _s._ _d._
returned to Parliament in 1815 2148 0 0
Poor Rate in 1831 161 2 0
Population, { in 1801, | in 1811, | in 1821, | in 1831,
{ 431 | 495 | 637 | 689
giving an increase of 60 per cent. in 30 years.