Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/230

222 once a chapel near this well, "which was then held in great repute for the cure of all kinds of diseases, and a granite figure of St. Roche stood on the arch of the building that still covers it.

Good Friday was formerly kept more as a feast than a fast in Cornwall. Every vehicle was engaged days beforehand to take parties to some favourite place of resort in the neighbourhood, and labourers in inland parishes walked to the nearest seaport to gather "wrinkles" (winkles), &c.

On the morning of Good Friday at St. Constantine, in West Cornwall, an old custom is still observed of going to Helford river to gather shellfish (limpets, cockles, &c.); this river was once famous for oysters, and many were then bought and eaten on this day.

"Near Padstow, in East Cornwall, is the tower of an old church dedicated to St. Constantine. In its vicinity the feast of St. Constantine used to be annually celebrated, and has only been discontinued of late years. Its celebration consisted in the destruction of limpet-pies, and service in the church, followed by a hurling match."—(Murray's Cornwall.) Another writer says: "The festival of St. Constantine" (March 9th) "was until very lately kept at St. Merran" (Constantine and Merran are now one parish) "by an annual hurling match, on which occasion the owner of Harlyn" (a house in the neighbourhood) had from time immemorial supplied the silver ball. We are informed, on good authority, that a shepherd's family, of the name of Edwards, held one of the cottages in Constantine for many generations under the owners of Harlyn by the annual render of a Cornish pie, made of limpets, raisins, and sweet herbs, on the feast of St. Constantine."—(Lysons' Magna Britannia.)

At St. Day a fair was formerly held on Good Friday, now changed to Easter Monday.

"On Good Friday, 1878, I saw a brisk fair going on in the little village of Perran Porth, Cornwall, not far from the curious oratory of St. Piran, known as Perranzabuloe."—(W. A. B. C., Notes and Queries, April 23rd, 1881.)

But, although many still make this day a holiday, the churches are now much better attended. Good Friday cross-buns of many kinds are sold by the Cornish confectioners; some, highly spiced, are eaten