Two Southeastern Views of St. Petrock's Church, pre 1915 and 2021
Title
Two Southeastern Views of St. Petrock's Church, pre 1915 and 2021
Subject
Description
Two images of a southwestern view of St. Petrock's Church, separated by more than a century. The top postcard may be dated 1909, if not earlier. The bottom photograph can not only be dated more exactly, being the 30th of September 2021--but it is also known it was taken at 5:30 AM. The photographer of the upper photograph cannot be named with certainty but is likely Herbert John Hole, who identified himself professionally as Bert Hole. The bottom photograph was taken by Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff. The top photograph was donated in 2020 by Tim Collins of Whitelackington near Ilminster, Somerset, who partially grew up in Timberscombe. The second photograph was shared by Mr. Moncreiff, who came to Timberscombe in 2007, during his 32nd year of service with the Royal Navy.
Despite the number of years between the photographs, little is actually different with both depicting the church's south aisle and the eastern end of the chancel. The gate, which enters the churchyard from Church Street, is one of three churchyard gates, with the other two on the northern front of St. Petrock's. It is not the same gate in both photographs (certainly not to be expected of a wooden gate after over 110 years of British weather) but efforts have been made to recreate similar styles. (The newer gate was constructed by William Schofield of Steart Farm, a carpenter and a member of the Board of Governors of Timberscombe School in the mid 20th century) (1). The biggest difference on the 2021 photograph is a chimney has been added near the south aisle's southeastern corner rising from the stoke hole, now basement broiler room of the church. This chimney is visible on SP-049, an RA Series Post Card that was likely photographed in the 1920's.
The supposition that the top photograph was taken by Bert Hole is partly based on the lettering, "St. Petrock's, Timberscombe", in the upper right corner. The type chosen and the tone of the photograph can be compared to SP-050 and SP-072, photographs respectively of the church and Timberscombe School, known to have been taken by Bert Hole in 1909 or earlier. Mr. Hole was born in 1871 and died early in 1915. The photograph seen here is a bit grainier in tone and with the chimney missing, conceivably could be earlier--indeed it could have been taken by Herbert Henry Hole (1836-1900), the father of Bert Hole and also a professional photographer (2). If so, it would not be uncommon for his son to reissue his father's work as a postcard, using his own labelling style.
Bert Hole was born in Williton and his home and studio was on Swain Street in Watchet (3) but he would have known his way around Timberscombe and St. Petrock's. On 28 July 1902, he married Alice Maud Williams there. She was born in Timberscombe, the daughter of Robert, a shoe-maker and Eliza Ann (nee Morie) Williams (4). Both of the sons of Bert and Alice Maud Hole, Herbert Harold and Roland Ralph Hole, were baptised at St. Petrock's (5) and at least two of their three daughters, Vera Gwendoler and Rita Maud, began attending Timberscombe School after their father died (6).
Before 2007, Ian Moncrieff and his wife, Marion (nee McLennan) Moncrieff and their two grown sons, had owned a house in Hampshire that was rented out when Moncrieff returned from the Falkland Islands in November 2006, having been the Commander of British Forces. Moncrieff was re-appointed as an Admiral to be National Hydrographer in Taunton at the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), during which time, he and his family were renting a property in the village of Trull. Deciding to live in Somerset, the Moncrieff's found a house for sale on Great House Street in Timberscombe, that was then known as The Rectory, being owned by the Church and utilised as a home for the local vicar. A purchase was accomplished within a month and Ian and Marion renamed the house "Waterside". In 2020, Moncrieff retired from the Royal Navy after 35 years of service and on the Queen's Birthday Honours List was awarded a CBE for his leadership at UKHO (7).
A keen photographer, Moncrieff started photographing wildlife (www.ianmoncrieff.com) in 2001 when he was the Captain of HMS ENDURANCE, working in Antartica. The photograph above was snapped on his I-phone by Admiral Moncrieff, while taking his dog, Fergus, on an early morning walk, when they saw the rainbow over St. Petrock's. Moncrieff quickly posted the image to his twitter account (8), an ability that Mr. Hole could have hardly imagined.
In both photographs, inside the churchyard gate and on the church, two semi-detached gabled rooftops run from the east to the west. The roof on the left (with a cross on its eastern peak) is over the church's south aisle, the site of past speculations concerning the age of the church and at times, even its name.
The church is dedicated to St. Petrock (or "Petroc") of Wales, believed to have lived from 468 to 564 A.D. and its founder (9). Between March and June 2020, as the result of a monitored trench being dug across the southern side of St. Petrock's ancient churchyard (to make a necessary mains connection), incontrovertible evidence of a Saxon settlement, likely religious, being at this site was unearthed. Subsequent carbon dating certified it was dated 777A.D. (10).
The church, as photographed here, likely stood by the early 1100's (11). In 1189, the church was "given", meaning necessary money was donated to the Cathedral of Wells by Cecily (sometimes seen as "Cecilia")of Timberscombe and her sisters, Alicia, Christina and Sara (12). What this donation implied was almost an announcement to Wells that Timberscombe too had its church and was now established, ready to communicate with a world beyond its village borders.
The south aisle was added to the rest of the church in the early 1500's (13). On the aisle's eastern end (closest to the gate) is a 3-light window with upper traceries, which contain three fragments of late-medieval glass--the oldest glass in the church, depicting respectively an angel's head, a floral device and the letters I, H and S, intertwined (14). Inside this window was a former chapel, believed to have been devoted to St. Michael's, giving St. Petrock's its identity issue with the church often referred to as the Church of St. Michael's and All Saints up to the 1900s (15). In the 20th century, this chapel became the location of the church's organ, donated by sisters, Lady Constance Ryder and Lady Audrey Anson, dedicated to their brother, Major The Honourable Robert Nathaniel Dudley Ryder, killed in the first World War(16).
It has also been proposed that a third altar existed within St. Petrock's, also in the south aisle but toward the centre, possibly a chapel dedicated to the five wounds of Christ, with two bosses depicting crucifixion wounds and a boss of a sacrificial lamb (often representing the crucified Christ) which survives on the barrel roof over this area of the south aisle (17).
As een in both photographs, the eastern end of St. Petrock's chancel extends further than the south aisle, with a 2-light mullioned window evident on the left side and a 3-light window topped by a 2-light trefoil mullion on the eastern end (18). This window, containing Victorian stained glass dedicated to James Hall Croft, the vicar from 1847-1870, is what overlooks the church's altar in the interior. The chancel was built around 1450 and restored in 1862 by Ewan Christian (1812-1895), a noted Victorian architect, best remembered for designing the National Portrait Gallery in London (19).
Over and past the Treborough slate rooftops (20)--which had restoration work completed in 2019--the top stage of St. Petrock's two stage tower is visible, with it's 2-light bell openings under hooded mouldings, believed to been completed by 1708 to replace an earlier tower and known to have been gifted by 16-year-old Richard Elsworth (variously seen as Ellsworth and Elsworthy) of Bickham Manor (21). The parapets and pinnacles above the bell openings were added during 1881 restorations by John Dando Sedding (1838-1891), the diocesan architect of Bath and Wells (22), followed by a very Victorian pyramid slate roof and topped by the rather Arts and Crafts weathervane decorated with "1708" and "RE", to honour the young Mr. Elsworth, who died in 1714, aged 22 (23).
Shot from slightly different angles, the photographs offer varying views of nearby structures. On the right side of the upper photograph a stone wall appears jutting into the road. This is likely the same wall that exists in modern times at the top of steps coming up from the bridleway in front of the Old Mill and that encloses the stables area of Great House Farm. Reaching Church Street, the wall curves northward along the road, ending at a gateway and entrance to Great House Farm.
An object can be seen in Church Street, past the edge of this wall. A close look shows there is a single wheel at its front and what could be handlebars above, almost suggesting an early form of motorbike. Also at this time, the church's wall, especially in front of the barren trees, is in a perilous state.
Of interest is the structure on the left end of the photograph, which is not on church property but abuts the back wall, on the northern border of the land and which belongs to the house behind the church, The Knapp, built c. 1836 (24). On the Tithe Map of 1843, a long narrow building runs horizontally, east to west, along this entire length of land, behind the churchyard. This elongated building, with a thatched roof is visible in watercolours painted during the 1830's, seen at SP-051 and SP-052. The building is gone by the time of the 1844-1888 Ordnance Survey Map, except for a section by the road, possibly a remaining part of the former long building or (more likely) something built soon after it was removed. In 2020, Martin Booth, the current owner of The Knapp recalled reports that the horizontal building had been a workhouse, feasible as in the first half of the 19th century the church was in close proximity to other workhouses, a poorhouse and lodging for "paupers" (25). The portion seen in this photograph could be a remnant of those days.
Ian Moncrieff's 2021 photograph shows a "Commonwealth War Grave" notice on the churchyard gate. Indeed the grave is evident immediately after entering the gate, being that of Private Reginald Thorne, who died at the age of 18 on the 5th of June 1917, after being transferred to an isolation hospital just before he was sent overseas. His brother, Lance Corporal Sidney Thorne did die, aged 19, in France. his body was never recovered (26). Reginald Thorne is the only Timberscombe fallen of World War I, who was returned and buried at Timberscombe.
Despite the number of years between the photographs, little is actually different with both depicting the church's south aisle and the eastern end of the chancel. The gate, which enters the churchyard from Church Street, is one of three churchyard gates, with the other two on the northern front of St. Petrock's. It is not the same gate in both photographs (certainly not to be expected of a wooden gate after over 110 years of British weather) but efforts have been made to recreate similar styles. (The newer gate was constructed by William Schofield of Steart Farm, a carpenter and a member of the Board of Governors of Timberscombe School in the mid 20th century) (1). The biggest difference on the 2021 photograph is a chimney has been added near the south aisle's southeastern corner rising from the stoke hole, now basement broiler room of the church. This chimney is visible on SP-049, an RA Series Post Card that was likely photographed in the 1920's.
The supposition that the top photograph was taken by Bert Hole is partly based on the lettering, "St. Petrock's, Timberscombe", in the upper right corner. The type chosen and the tone of the photograph can be compared to SP-050 and SP-072, photographs respectively of the church and Timberscombe School, known to have been taken by Bert Hole in 1909 or earlier. Mr. Hole was born in 1871 and died early in 1915. The photograph seen here is a bit grainier in tone and with the chimney missing, conceivably could be earlier--indeed it could have been taken by Herbert Henry Hole (1836-1900), the father of Bert Hole and also a professional photographer (2). If so, it would not be uncommon for his son to reissue his father's work as a postcard, using his own labelling style.
Bert Hole was born in Williton and his home and studio was on Swain Street in Watchet (3) but he would have known his way around Timberscombe and St. Petrock's. On 28 July 1902, he married Alice Maud Williams there. She was born in Timberscombe, the daughter of Robert, a shoe-maker and Eliza Ann (nee Morie) Williams (4). Both of the sons of Bert and Alice Maud Hole, Herbert Harold and Roland Ralph Hole, were baptised at St. Petrock's (5) and at least two of their three daughters, Vera Gwendoler and Rita Maud, began attending Timberscombe School after their father died (6).
Before 2007, Ian Moncrieff and his wife, Marion (nee McLennan) Moncrieff and their two grown sons, had owned a house in Hampshire that was rented out when Moncrieff returned from the Falkland Islands in November 2006, having been the Commander of British Forces. Moncrieff was re-appointed as an Admiral to be National Hydrographer in Taunton at the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), during which time, he and his family were renting a property in the village of Trull. Deciding to live in Somerset, the Moncrieff's found a house for sale on Great House Street in Timberscombe, that was then known as The Rectory, being owned by the Church and utilised as a home for the local vicar. A purchase was accomplished within a month and Ian and Marion renamed the house "Waterside". In 2020, Moncrieff retired from the Royal Navy after 35 years of service and on the Queen's Birthday Honours List was awarded a CBE for his leadership at UKHO (7).
A keen photographer, Moncrieff started photographing wildlife (www.ianmoncrieff.com) in 2001 when he was the Captain of HMS ENDURANCE, working in Antartica. The photograph above was snapped on his I-phone by Admiral Moncrieff, while taking his dog, Fergus, on an early morning walk, when they saw the rainbow over St. Petrock's. Moncrieff quickly posted the image to his twitter account (8), an ability that Mr. Hole could have hardly imagined.
In both photographs, inside the churchyard gate and on the church, two semi-detached gabled rooftops run from the east to the west. The roof on the left (with a cross on its eastern peak) is over the church's south aisle, the site of past speculations concerning the age of the church and at times, even its name.
The church is dedicated to St. Petrock (or "Petroc") of Wales, believed to have lived from 468 to 564 A.D. and its founder (9). Between March and June 2020, as the result of a monitored trench being dug across the southern side of St. Petrock's ancient churchyard (to make a necessary mains connection), incontrovertible evidence of a Saxon settlement, likely religious, being at this site was unearthed. Subsequent carbon dating certified it was dated 777A.D. (10).
The church, as photographed here, likely stood by the early 1100's (11). In 1189, the church was "given", meaning necessary money was donated to the Cathedral of Wells by Cecily (sometimes seen as "Cecilia")of Timberscombe and her sisters, Alicia, Christina and Sara (12). What this donation implied was almost an announcement to Wells that Timberscombe too had its church and was now established, ready to communicate with a world beyond its village borders.
The south aisle was added to the rest of the church in the early 1500's (13). On the aisle's eastern end (closest to the gate) is a 3-light window with upper traceries, which contain three fragments of late-medieval glass--the oldest glass in the church, depicting respectively an angel's head, a floral device and the letters I, H and S, intertwined (14). Inside this window was a former chapel, believed to have been devoted to St. Michael's, giving St. Petrock's its identity issue with the church often referred to as the Church of St. Michael's and All Saints up to the 1900s (15). In the 20th century, this chapel became the location of the church's organ, donated by sisters, Lady Constance Ryder and Lady Audrey Anson, dedicated to their brother, Major The Honourable Robert Nathaniel Dudley Ryder, killed in the first World War(16).
It has also been proposed that a third altar existed within St. Petrock's, also in the south aisle but toward the centre, possibly a chapel dedicated to the five wounds of Christ, with two bosses depicting crucifixion wounds and a boss of a sacrificial lamb (often representing the crucified Christ) which survives on the barrel roof over this area of the south aisle (17).
As een in both photographs, the eastern end of St. Petrock's chancel extends further than the south aisle, with a 2-light mullioned window evident on the left side and a 3-light window topped by a 2-light trefoil mullion on the eastern end (18). This window, containing Victorian stained glass dedicated to James Hall Croft, the vicar from 1847-1870, is what overlooks the church's altar in the interior. The chancel was built around 1450 and restored in 1862 by Ewan Christian (1812-1895), a noted Victorian architect, best remembered for designing the National Portrait Gallery in London (19).
Over and past the Treborough slate rooftops (20)--which had restoration work completed in 2019--the top stage of St. Petrock's two stage tower is visible, with it's 2-light bell openings under hooded mouldings, believed to been completed by 1708 to replace an earlier tower and known to have been gifted by 16-year-old Richard Elsworth (variously seen as Ellsworth and Elsworthy) of Bickham Manor (21). The parapets and pinnacles above the bell openings were added during 1881 restorations by John Dando Sedding (1838-1891), the diocesan architect of Bath and Wells (22), followed by a very Victorian pyramid slate roof and topped by the rather Arts and Crafts weathervane decorated with "1708" and "RE", to honour the young Mr. Elsworth, who died in 1714, aged 22 (23).
Shot from slightly different angles, the photographs offer varying views of nearby structures. On the right side of the upper photograph a stone wall appears jutting into the road. This is likely the same wall that exists in modern times at the top of steps coming up from the bridleway in front of the Old Mill and that encloses the stables area of Great House Farm. Reaching Church Street, the wall curves northward along the road, ending at a gateway and entrance to Great House Farm.
An object can be seen in Church Street, past the edge of this wall. A close look shows there is a single wheel at its front and what could be handlebars above, almost suggesting an early form of motorbike. Also at this time, the church's wall, especially in front of the barren trees, is in a perilous state.
Of interest is the structure on the left end of the photograph, which is not on church property but abuts the back wall, on the northern border of the land and which belongs to the house behind the church, The Knapp, built c. 1836 (24). On the Tithe Map of 1843, a long narrow building runs horizontally, east to west, along this entire length of land, behind the churchyard. This elongated building, with a thatched roof is visible in watercolours painted during the 1830's, seen at SP-051 and SP-052. The building is gone by the time of the 1844-1888 Ordnance Survey Map, except for a section by the road, possibly a remaining part of the former long building or (more likely) something built soon after it was removed. In 2020, Martin Booth, the current owner of The Knapp recalled reports that the horizontal building had been a workhouse, feasible as in the first half of the 19th century the church was in close proximity to other workhouses, a poorhouse and lodging for "paupers" (25). The portion seen in this photograph could be a remnant of those days.
Ian Moncrieff's 2021 photograph shows a "Commonwealth War Grave" notice on the churchyard gate. Indeed the grave is evident immediately after entering the gate, being that of Private Reginald Thorne, who died at the age of 18 on the 5th of June 1917, after being transferred to an isolation hospital just before he was sent overseas. His brother, Lance Corporal Sidney Thorne did die, aged 19, in France. his body was never recovered (26). Reginald Thorne is the only Timberscombe fallen of World War I, who was returned and buried at Timberscombe.
Creator
possibly Herbert John (Bert) Hole or perhaps Herbert Henry Hole /
Ian Moncrieff
Ian Moncrieff
Source
Date
pre 1915
30 September 2021
30 September 2021
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
The southeastern side of St. petrock's Church, photographed from Church street, c. early 20th century and 2021 / Timberscombe /. southern side of village
Acquisition Date
2021
2021
2021
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Church and Chapels / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2021
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10.5 X 17 (A)
10 X 16 (B)
11 x 14.5
10 X 16 (B)
11 x 14.5
Institution Name
ST. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) Timberscombe School MINUTE BOOK, 3 April 1930- 4 June 1974, recording that Mr. William Schofield joined the School Managers on 20 May 1946, page 132 and as recalled in August 2023 by Edward and Wendy (nee Stevens) Schofield of North Hawkwell Farm, the son and daughter-in-law of Mr. Schofield (2) "Secure the shadow: Somerset Photographers 1839-1939" by Robin Ansell, Alan Collier and Phil Nichols, The Dorset & Somerset Family History Society, 2018 (3) 1911 England Census (4) Somerset, England, Marriage Registration, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 and 1911 England Census (5) Somerset England, Church of England, Baptisms, 1918-1914 (6) Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, 1897-1944, Nos. 315 and 335 (7) as recalled by Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff in November 2021, discover.admiralty.co.uk/government and admiralty.co.uk/Admiralty Press Releases Library (8) as posted on twitter by Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff in September 2021 and as recalled by him in November 2021 (9) earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios (10) "The Parish George of St. Petrock, Timberscombe, Somerset, The Results of Archaeological Monitoring ", Ref: 18-30/2000, April 2021, by James L. Brigers, PA PROSPECT ARCHAEOLOGY, Middlezoy, Somerset (11) "St. Petrock's Church Timberscombe", church pamphlet written by Marion Jeffrey, 1917 (12) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH", by B.L.K. Henderson and G.E.O. Henderson, printed by E. Goodman and Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955 (13) "St. Petrock's Church Timberscombe" (14) "Stained Glass in Somerset, 1250-1530" by Christoher Woodforde, Oxford University Press, First Edition, 1946, Kingsmead reprint, 1970, pages 54 and 65 (15) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCPMBE AND ITS CHURCH" (16) "TIMBERSCOMBE'S FALLEN OF WORLD WAR I, compiled by Harvey Grenville, produced for St. Petrock's Church and the parish of Timberscombe to commemorate the centenary anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, 1914 (17) "TIMBERSCOMBE St. Petrock", Somerset Churches Project, August 2019, Archaeological Assessment, 2019, David and Jerry Sampson, Buildings Archaeology, English Heritage, British Listed Buildings.co.uk, 2019 (18) History England.co.uk (19) "St. Petrock's Church Timberscombe" and en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Ewan_Christian (20) Historic England.co.uk (21) "St. Petrocks Church Timberscombe" (22) the Specifications of John Dando Sedding, as reprinted in "TIMBERSCOMBE St. Petrock", Somerset Church's Project, August 2019, Archaeological Assessment, 2019, David and Jerry Sampson, Buildings Archaeology, 2019 (23) "SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING for the LIFE & GENEROSITY & EXAMPLE of RICHARD ELLSWORTH, DIED 1714 , FOUNDER OF TIMBERSCOMBE SCHOOL, 12th July, 1964" Timberscombe School Program (24) as recalled in 2018 by Joy and Martin Booth of The Knapp, Timberscombe (25) at the time of the Tithe Map 1843, the future Church Steps Cottage, just north of St. Petrock's Church, was being utilised as a Poor House and nearby on Great House Street, both the future Marigold Holme and Slade Cottage were occupied by families classified as paupers (26) "TIMBERSCOMBE'S FALLEN OF WORLD WAR I"
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2021
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-338
Technique
Copies
Citation
possibly Herbert John (Bert) Hole or perhaps Herbert Henry Hole /
Ian Moncrieff, “Two Southeastern Views of St. Petrock's Church, pre 1915 and 2021,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed April 28, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3609.
Comments