Oh sorry, I wasn't trying to say it wasn't the source of the legend. I was trying to establish that the original writer did not do any clothing analysis on the church benches and so he didn't create the legend. That's what I meant when I said it was another case of someone seeing a knee length garment and assuming it was a kilt.

I figure that someone sees the page and sees an old date, Cornwall and figures with something hanging down to about the knee and takes the pews out of context and viola!
I agree whole-heartedly with your interpretation.