Category: Information

THE CHURCH TOWER AT WENVOE

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In 1699, the church tower was moved from the north side of the church to its pre-sent position at the west end of the church. In the absence of any documentary evidence for this re-building of the church tower in the late 17th century, we have to look at the national and local situation that the village of Wenvoe found itself in.

In 1688 King James II had fled the country. While in exile he was still king and the succession was confused because his son Charles (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was in France. Meanwhile, William of Orange had been invited to the throne of England with Mary, the eldest daughter of James to “ Protect the Protestant Religion and the Glorious Revolution and the liberties of the people”. They were crowned in 1689 as William III and Mary II. Mary died in 1694, and William died in 1702 upon which Queen Anne succeeded. How much these events affected life in Wenvoe is a matter of supposition. Were these momentous events in the national life announced from the steps of the Church Cross in the churchyard or did the fact that the prayers in church for the Royal Family bring home the changes in national life?

The earlier generations of the Thomas family at Wenvoe Castle, had supported Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth, at the end of the 17th century. The 1st baronet Sir John Thomas had strong royalist feelings having been advanced to the dignity of a Baronet, by William and Mary on 24th December 1694. The family held the advowson* of the living of Wenvoe Church and made the appointments of a priest to the church. At the time we are concerned with, the Rector of Wenvoe was Philip Hawkins who had been appointed in 1681 on the death of Samuel Hughes. The Rector and two churchwardens appointed at the vestry meeting, held each year, looked after the fabric of the buildings by use of the Church Rate. This was money raised from every house and portion of land within the parish boundary, for keeping the fabric of the church in good order. The amount they wished to raise was decided by them and the people meeting together each year.

The church rate was not a popular means of taxation, and non-payment saw the parishioner hauled up before the Justices of the Peace. In later years with the growth of Non-conformity, this payment to the established church was a source of discontent as the church received payment from the Government of the day towards their running costs, while the non-conformists had to pay their own way in building their meeting houses and chapels.

At the end of the 17th century, Wenvoe Church was in need of repair. The church tower on the north side of the church must have been in a dilapidated condition, and the radical decision to move and rebuild at the west end was taken. At this time, the church building consisted of a nave and chancel, separated within by a low archway. The roof was much lower than to-day’s roof and burials were taking place within the church itself, for the local gentry and other persons of note. The Rector, with the encouragement of the Thomas family and his churchwardens, must have used the Church Rate to fund the demolition and re-building of the tower, and perhaps with some financial support from the Castle.

The poor and dangerous state of the tower could be attributed to the after effects of the Battle of St Fagans in 1648. When the village war memorial was being built in the 1920s a cannon ball was found, indicating that the effects of the war had spread far and wide in the villages surrounding St Fagans. Church towers were often places where the local muskets, rifles and pikes etc. were stored for use by the local militia, when called upon in defence of the realm, and were places of defence and so targets to be attacked during the fighting.

During the construction phase, the church building must have been out of use for some time, and from the parish registers, the following has been extracted over three years 1698, 1699 and 1700.

In 1698 there were 8 Baptisms between June to Dec.

In 1699 there were 6 Baptisms between May and Jan.

In 1700 there were 11 Baptisms between June and March

In 1698 there was 1 marriage in Sept.

In 1699 there were 3 marriages between Dec. and Feb..

During this time the year ran from on March 25th to March 24th.

Baptisms and Marriage services would have needed the use of the church to perform these, but there are lengthy gaps in time between these events.

The only firm evidence we have is the plaque on the west face of the tower recording the rebuilding. This plaque is a replacement for the original, and was placed there, gratis, in 1935, by Mr Sid Llewellyn.

The original plaque sets out the account of removal and rebuilding

“THE TOWER OF THIS CHURCH WAS REMOVED FROM THE FARTHEST PART OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BODY OF THE CHURCH TO THE EAST AND WAS REBUILT IN THIS PLACE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1699. Wil Morgan, Wil Wade Churchwardens.

However, in 1890 Mr Frank Bright wrote an account in a publication called St Peter’s Chair (a copy of which is in the G.R.O. in Cardiff) of a visit he made to Wenvoe Church and recorded that there was a Latin inscription as follows, which was not inscribed on the replacement tablet. “Procol O Procol este Profani” a translation is “Keep away, O Keep away you profane ones”.

Why this was not included could be down to the fact that the lettering was by this time deeply eroded and could not be read.

The purpose of writing this account marks the present on-going work to repoint all four faces of the tower due to frost damage loosening the mortar infill around the masonry. Not only is this a danger to the general public, but the work will restore the tower, making it fit for purpose for future generations.

Parry Edwards, May 2021

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(* Advowson or patronage is the right in English law of a patron to present to the diocesan bishop a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation.)

 

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