St Edrins – St Edren

There is little doubt, as the editor of Owen’s Pem. points outs, that the church of St Edrens is the ‘Ecclesia de Treffdyauc’ mentioned in the Taxatio as having been assessed in 1291 at £3 6s 8d for tenths to the King, the amount payable being 6s 8d. This church is evidently the same benefice, which is called Trefnok in a statute of Bishop Reginald de Drian, and is therein stated to have been granted by Robert, son of Elyder, to the cathedral and canons of St Davids—a gift which in 1278 Bishop Richard Carew confirmed to the canons.—Stat. Menev.

There appears to be no mention of this benefice in the Valor Eccl. In 1594 it was a curacy in the patronage of the canons of St Davids Cathedral.—Owen’s Pem.

Under the heading ‘Not in Charge’ :--St Edrens alias St Edrins Cur. Church of St Davids. £4 certified value.—Bacon’s Liber Regis.

An Order in Council was issued on 14^th September 1841 approving the exchange of the patronage of the perpetual curacy of St Edrens (owned by the dean and chapter of St Davids Cathedral) for that of the rectory of St Elvis, owned by the King.

On 19^th August 1907, a faculty was granted for the replacement of the floor of the sanctuary with tiles, and to provide new altar rails in the parish church.

Canon Payn, in his MS. called Collectanea Menevensis, puts on record a curious old tradition, which still remains in the memory of old persons, in connection with this church. ‘The grass in the churchyard,’ he says, ‘is in great esteem on account of its efficacy and wonderful effects in curing people, cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs, which have been bitten by mad dogs. The people cut the grass with a knife and eat it with bread and butter, the cattle are turned in to graze; and no symptons of madness have ever afterwards appeared, provided they would eat some quantity of the grass; but there have been some instances where horses and sheep would not graze in the churchyard and which died in a short time afterwards. This account is attested by persons of veracity resident in the neighbourhood.’ This account was given in 1811 by the Rev. John Jenkins, the vicar, [of St Dogwells] but instances occurred in the time of Mr. Meyler, the vicar in 1840-1876, when persons came to the churchyard to eat the grass. Mr Jenkins also stated in 1811 that there was a cavity with a stone trough in the chancel wall of the church, in which the persons put what they chose to pay for the grass, and these gifts were the perquisite of the parish clerk.

The earliest mention of the renting of this benefice among the records of ST Davids chapter is in the account of William Waryn, the communarius for 1490, which shows that the tenant in that year was Magister William ap Howell, the rent being paid by 40s. On 26t^h July 1615, George Bird of Coventry was granted a lease of the benefice for 21 years at the annual rent of £2 13s 4d. In July 1629, Nicholas Binks, clerk, one of the vicars choral of the cathedral, obtained a lease for 21 years at the same rent, but in 1660, when a lease for 21 years was granted to Thomas Philipps, of Lampeter Velfrey, the rent was raised to £5 6s 8d. In July 1670, Richard Philipps of Haverfordwest obtained a lease for 21 years at the same rent, and in July 1697, Philip Philipps of Lampeter Velfrey was granted a lease for a similar term at the same rent, but in addition had to pay the stipend of a curate to serve the church. In July 1733, the rectory of ST Edrens was leased for 21 years to Thomas Philipps of the parish of Lampeter Velfrey, gent., at the yearly rent of £11 6s 8d and in July 1768, a lease was granted for the same term to Phillipps Philipps of Lampeter Velfrey at £5 6s 8d rent and a stipend of £5 to the curate and a fine of £15 15s. In July 1794, a lease for the same period and on the same conditions was granted to Thomas Philipps of Jeffreyston, Esq., the fine paid on this occasion being £21, this lease was renewed in July 1801, by the same tenant for 21 years at the same rent, but the fine was £37. This last lease seems to have come into the possession of Rebecca Williams of the parish of St Thomas, Haverfordwest, who in July 1809, was granted a new lease for 21 years on the surrender of the lease of 1801, the same rent being reserved but the fine being £88.

Pertpetual Curates.

Graham Davies, Ó 2001.
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