Etymologies, deceptive at all times, become so in a tenfold degree when they are sought in the varying pronunciations of an unwritten language. But car, caer, &c. are known (like Rocca in the Italian) to mean a fortress, a castellated house, a dwelling; and hay, running colloquially into hayes, is an enclosed fence or yard. Carhayes may
therefore signify the castle surrounded by a basse court or enclosure.
Although Carhayes is several miles detached from the two adjoining parishes of St. Stephen and St. Dennis, yet it forms with them one united benefice, purchased by Mr. Pitt, with the other Mahon property. This more than usually improper association cannot by possibility escape the attention of those, who are engaged in reforming such abuses as may have crept into our Church Establishment.
This parish measures 815 statute acres.
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Annual value of the Real Property, as returned to Parliament in 1815 | 1,114 | 0 | 0 |
| Poor Rate in 1831 | 188 | 9 | 0 |
| Population,— | |||
| in 1801, 86 | in 1811, 104 | in 1821, 174 | in 1831, 197 |
giving an increase of 129 per cent. in 30 years.
Present Rector, the Rev. Charles Trevanion Kempe, presented in 1806 by Arthur Kempe, esq.
THE GEOLOGY, BY DR. BOASE.
This parish is composed of the series of rocks extending over the adjoining parishes of St. Ewe and Gorran.