St Brides - St Bridget

It is not certain in whom the patronage of St Bride's Rectory was originally vested.  In 1535-6 John Wogan of Wiston, Pems., was patron (Valor Eccl.), who on 14 Oct 1577, sold it to Francis Laugharne of St Brides.--Deed in the possession of Dr. Henry Owen's descendants of Poyston.  The dedication of the church is now ascribed to St Bridget, but the deed referred to describes it as the 'church and rectory of St Murros [?St Mary's] and St Brides.'  In 1594 the church was held 'in grossa,' that is to say, it was not appendant to any manor.--Owen's Pem.

Described as Ecclesia de Sancta Brigida, this church was in 1291 assessed at £13 6s 8d for tenths to the King, the sum payable being £1 6s 8d.--Taxatio

Ecclesia Sancte Brigitte.--Ecclesia ibidem ex collacione Johannis Wogan armigeri unde Morganus Griffith est rector habens unam rectoriam sine terris.  Et valet fructus hujus rectorie per annum xvj.  Inde sol' in visitacione ordinaria quolibet tercio anno xvj.  Et in visitacione archidiaconi quolibet anno v ix.  Et remanet clare £15 12s 11d.   Inde decima 31s 3½d.--Valor Eccl.

Under the heading 'Livings Discharged' :--St Bride's alias Bridis R.  Ordinario quolibet tertio anno, 1s 4d.  Archidiac. quolibet anno, 5s 9d.  John Wogan, Esq., 1535; Rowland Philipps, Esq., 1725; William Allen, Esq., 1744; William Philipps, Esq., 1765.  Clear yearly value, £35.  King's Books, £15 12s 11d.--Bacon's Liber Regis.

On 10 July 1868, a room at St Bride's Hill was licenced for divine servic during the rebuilding of the church.

Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Wales, ed. 1833, says:  'There are still the remains of an ancient chapel on the beach [of St Bride's Haven], which, according to tradition, was subsequently appropriated as a salting-house for curing the fish (of a considerable herring fishery, now discontinued for many years).  In the cemetery belonging to this chapel were numerous stone coffins, of which several have been washed away by the encroachment of the sea, which has here gained considerably on the shore, as was proved some years ago, during an extraordinary recess of the tide, by the discovery of several stumps of trees.'--Paroch. Wall.

Rectors.

Graham Davies, Ó 2001.
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