Petrockstowe

Saint Petroc's Rectors

Provided by Michael Wright

From before the Norman Conquest to the dissolution of the monasteries the parish priest (rector) was chosen by the Abbot of Buckfast and some may have been monks.

After the dissolution of the monasteries Henry VIII gave the patronage to the nobility the first of these being the Dennis/Denys family, then to the Rolle family and the most recent being the Barons Clinton. The patrons had the power to choose whoever they wished to be the rector more recently this has been in consultation with the Bishop and Wardens Anthony Gregorie was ejected by Cromwell after Mr Lewis Stucley saw a letter by the rector implying that he had been involved in procuring money for her majesty and testified to this before a committee which had him removed from his living which he regained from Charles I. Before these events the rector preached routinely twice a day and people came from Barnstaple and Pilton to hear him preach.

William Trevithicke who replaced Anthony Gregorie was ejected August 24 1662 from his living for refusing to sign the "Conformity Declaration." Rev Louis Woolcombe held the office when the church was rebuilt

On the death of Rev William Smale the church authorities decided that the old vicarage was too expensive to keep up and sold it to Rev Smale's son and built a new rectory on the vegetable garden

See the Village web-site for details & pictures of the church.

Brian Randell, 31 Aug 2002