Throughout the early part of the nineteenth century belief in the fairies remained very general among the country and small town people, as the following story illustrates:
Late one night about the year 1810 a certain journeyman taylor, named William Dunn, was returning to his home at Sparnick Downs, near Truro. Just as he was passing Kea churchyard he was startled by seeing a troop of small people crossing the path immediately in front of him. They were about eighteen inches high, all dressed alike, with black 'sugar-loaf' hats, and little red cloaks. They descended the bank from the adjoining common at a run, crossed the road in a single file, ascended the hedge and disappeared into the dim churchyard beyond. Dashing his stick after the fairy crew the man climbed the fence and peered over, but the piskies, perhaps offended at his discourteous action, had disappeared, and no further sight of them was vouchsafed him.
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