“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.
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 | 4,084 | 0 | 0 |
| Poor Rate in 1831 | 428 | 18 | 0 |