St Mary's Church Manorowen
The Parish Church of Manorowen was probably built upon an old ecclesiastical site of the Celtic Church before Norman times and dedicated to St. Mary, though even this is clouded by the mists of time since the original name may well have been St. Gnawan. It certainly began with 'maenor', an early Welsh tenurial unit. In 1326, it was a knight's fee called 'Maynornowen' and in early documents until the mid18th century, it was Maenornawan. It is thought the latter part was derived from the name of a man called Nawan ap Gnawan inscribed as Grawan on an Elizabethan chalice held in the church.
According to the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales, we learn that the church is within the Diocese and Archdeaconry of St. Davids and comes under the Rural Deanery of Dewisland and Fishguard. 'Pembrokeshire Parsons' tells us that the benefice of Manorowen. St. Mary, belonged to the Bishop of St. Davids, and Bishop Gower, on 17th February 1335, granted this church to the subchanter and vicar’s choral of S1. Davids Cathedral, together with certain lands and messuages on condition that they should daily say Mass for the bishop and his successors and for the canons in the chapel of S1. Mary and, yearly, on the day of his death, should say an Office for the dead at the High Altar for his soul and for the souls of his successors and of the canons.
There is no valuation of this benefice in the Valor Eccl., the only reference to it in that authority being that the College of St. Mary near the Cathedral Church (of St. Davids) received from the Church of Manorowen 50s. a year.
Prior to December 1727, the tithes of Llanreithan and Manorowen were held on lease by Thomas Jones of Brawdy, at the annual rent of £20 and on the 1st of the month, he renewed the lease at the increased rent of £29, but the Lower Chapter agreed to provide curates for the two parishes.
We are told that the population of Manorowen in 1563 was listed as 21 households; in 1670, the number of Hearth Taxpayers was 14 and in 1801, the number of families was still only 28. In 1999, the number of people in the Parish, over the age of 18 and eligible to vote, was 51.
The current building was substantially rebuilt in 1872 to the plans of Foster and Wood of Bristol. On the south wall of the nave is a coffin shaped slab to the memory of Richard Fenton, K.C.,F.A.S., the well known Pembrokeshire historian and his wife Susanna and other relatives. His book "A Historical Tour Through Pembrokeshire" published in 1811, reprinted in 1903 and again in 1994, is recognized as the definitive account of Pembrokeshire at the turn of the 18th century.
He was born at Rhosson, St. Davids, in January, 1747, educated at the Cathedral School, St. Davids, Haverfordwest Grammar School and Magdalene College, Oxford. In 1774, he entered the Middle Temple as a Law student where he became the close friend of Oliver Goldsmith and through him met his future wife, the daughter of Baron Pillet de Moudon. He was also well acquainted with Edmund Burke, Sir Joshua Reynolds, David Garrick and Samuel Johnson.
He was called to the Bar in 1783 and about the same time, married the beautiful daughter of Baron Pillet de Moudon. He followed his profession on the Welsh Circuit and was eventually appointed Consulting Counsel to the Treasury. Later, he bought a house in Machynlleth and from there he explored the whole of Wales often accompanied by Sir R. C. Hoare, the celebrated antiquary.
In 1793, he decided to devote all his energies to literature and history and returned to Pembrokeshire where he built the mansion of Glyn-y-mel in Lower Fishguard. There he wrote his celebrated book "A Historical Tour through Pembrokeshire". It begins with an account of the life and work of his great-grandfather, John Lewis, Esp., country gentleman and antiquary, who built and lived in, the second mansion at Manorowen. The family continued to live there until the early 19th century and Fenton derived great pleasure from his frequent visits to Manorowen during the lifetime of his aunt, Mrs. Lewis. Richard Fenton will long be remembered as an accomplished linguist, poet, business man, traveler and historian, deeply mourned when he died in November, 1821.
The Rood Cross was erected by the Johns family as a lasting tribute to the family connection with the church, also the stained glass window behind the altar. The windows on the north side are dedicated to the memory of James Hamilton Langdon Yorke. Many people have made substantial contributions to the maintenance and upkeep of the church over the years and several members of notable Country families are buried in the churchyard. Under the east window externally, is a 17th century tablet to the memory of Ursula Paynter, wife of David Paynter of the Manor Dale and daughter of Thos Philipps, High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire, domiciled at Trellewellyn, Manorowen. She died in 1672 at the age of 32.
The famous Methodist preacher, The Reverend David Jones (The Angel of Llangan) is buried in the churchyard in a tabletop tomb maintained by the County Council. He was born in 1736 on a small farm near Lampeter (Abenceiliog) and ordained deacon in 1758. When a curate, he was sent to Crudwell, Wilts., and came to the notice of the Countess of Huntingdon who secured him a parish and living at Llangan in 1767. There he began his long and fruitful ministry which was to spread throughout Wales and even to the major cities of England.
He was a contemporary of Richard Fenton who wrote of a chance meeting when they traveled on the same coach to Pembrokeshire: "The other traveler turned out to be one of the most eminent Methodist preachers in the Principality, and well known all over England, having been, and I believe still is, one of the officiating chaplains to Lady Huntingdon. At Tavern Spite, we changed horses and alighted for a few minutes. They crowded around the preacher as if he were an angel dropped from heaven. Everybody knew him and children plucked his coat to share the good man's smile. Here at Narberth, we left the preacher who was engaged to hold forth that evening, I presume, to a crowded audience, as the roads were lined with people coming from all quarters, and the town was already full as on market day. We shook hands and I shall always remember him with a degree of affection."
Of the Last Invasion of Britain 1797, The Revd. David Jones wrote in his diary: "Feb. 23rd. Heard at Llanddarog, on my way to Manorowen that the French had landed at Fishguard and therefore traveled all that night and next day the 24th found that there were from 1200 - 1400 of them in the parish of Llanwnda with arms and ammunition, most of them in a camp at Trehowell farm, but being panic struck in the afternoon, they came in two divisions to Goodwick sands and surrendered to a small number of Militia and some country people convened there by Lord Cawdor and others. 'Blessed be God for this seasonal deliverance'.
Feb. 24th. Arrived at 9 a.m. in the morning. 4 p.m. Saw the French surrender". Some prisoners captured in the Last Invasion were confined in Manorowen church until they could be transported to the County gaol.
St. Mary's, Manorowen, was united with St. Gwyndaf, Llanwnda, in 1841 under the incumbency of Arthur Hill Richardson, but appears to have separated again during the early 1870s. It was during the ministry of Edward Lincoln Lewis from 1906 that the building of St. Peter's, Goodwick, took place and from that time the two parishes have enjoyed the ministry of the same Vicar.
VICARS
The earliest known incumbent was one John Gogh, who, on 1st June 1328 (the earliest date referred to by any authority) was presented by the King, Edward III, (1327 - 1377) by reason of the voidance of the see (Pat. Rolls).
1407 - Lewis ap Roppert
1741 - John Davids
1769 - Nicholas Roberts
1799 - Thomas Williams
1830 - Arthur Hill Richardson
1830 - James Propert Williams
1870 - Thomas Johns
1906 - Edward Lincoln Lewis
1923 - James Jones
1940 - W. H. James
1952 - Vernon Johns
1968 - Kenneth M. Littler
1975 - C. D. Lyn Griffiths
1987 - T. Devamanikkam
1991 - Stephen B. Thatcher
1996 - Brian Barnes
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