NEWTON CHURCH

FOUNDING OF NEWTON CHURCH.

The masts of historical obscurity prevent an easy elucidation as to when, and by whom, the church at Newton was founded. According to Iolo Morganwg, the Welsh XVIIIth century scribe, its builder was Gwrfan, Blshop of Llandaff. This is substantiated by the fact that a certain Urban (Gwrfan), was episcopal chief of Llandaff at this period (1107-1133); it is recorded, too, that, because of some land spoliation the Cathedral at Llandaff had endured, compensation was offered him by the Normans, and it is easily possible that he sought redress by an extension of his influence in the Manor of Newton. The date usually assigned to the origin of the church is later than 1170, and, at this tame, the Bishop was Nicholas ap Gwrfan.

Piecing together the fragments of evidence, the most likely theory is that the church was established by Norman Crusading Knights, of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and that its original founder was the head of the de Sandford family, who were Lords of Newton towards the end of the 12th century. This supposition is based on the followed facts :

The climax of the 12th century witnessed the birth of the Crusading Movement. The atmosphere of South Western Europe had become electrified by the news that Jerusalem, the Holy City, was under the Saracen yoke. In Wales itself a memorable itinerary was conducted by Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury, accompanied by Giraldus Cambrensis. This was designed to win adherents for the Holy War. By this time, the Manor of Newton had passed from Sir Richard de Cardiff to his son-in-law, Sir Thomas de Sandford, whose family surname still persists in the locality. The fact that the latter's son was christened Jordan, presumably after the River of Holy Writ, lends credence to the belief that Sir Thomas himself had been stirred by the chivalrous quest of the Crusades.

The association of the new church at Newton with such a Knightly Body would harmonise with a widely current practice; for what is more probable than that, at a time when the natives of Tir Iarll are known to have been chafing under Norman Rule, Sir Thomas should have sought the influence of his fellow Hospitallers by erecting a church capable of being used as a military defence against the troublesome Welsh ? It is historically true that the Knights Hospitallers were, as a custom, granted church lands, which could be used as a basis of military operations against a potential enemy. That Newton Church was associated with the knights Hospitallers is further borne out from the fact that two Maltese Crosses at present grace the eastern portion of the Church, one in the gable of the chancel, the other in that of the nave, these are of fresh significance when it is remembered that the Knights Hospitallers were also known as Knights of Malta, their badge being the identical Maltese Cross. The name of the church, too, strengthens this theory. For St. John was the name, not only of the original Baptist who was the traditional saint of the Parish, but of the Patron of this same Knightly Order, namely, St. John, the Almsgiver, a former Patriarch of Alexandria. The bestowal of the name St. John would thus satisfy the demands of local piety, and wed the building more firmly to the affections of the Knights themselves. Further confirmation of this view is found in the figure of a Lamb and Flag, to be discerned on the western face of the Tower; this emblem was adopted, not only by the Knights Hospitallers, but also as the legendary symbol of St. John the Baptist, the Patron Saint of the Parish.

[Last Updated : 11 Nov 2002 by Gareth Hicks]