At the time of the Norman Conquest, just 900 years ago, Bridgwater was a manor or hamlet owned by Merleswaine (a Saxon Thane) and it was known by the Saxon name 'Brugie' (the bridge). There were no more than 30 houses and a small Saxon church, probably built of wood, which stood on or close to where St Mary's Church now stands.
After the Conquest, when many English manors were given to Norman barons, Brugie was given to Walter de Douai, from where is derived its present name, Bridgwater (Brugie Walter).
In 1138 Robert de Courci, a descendant of one of the barons, founded a priory of Benedictine nuns at Cannington. Since that time, Catholic life in Bridgwater has frequently been associated; with the village of Cannington.
In 1180, during the reign of Henry II, the manor of Bridgwater came into the possession of William Brewer, who became one of its greatest benefactors.
He started work towards the building of a stone bridge over the River Parrett to replace the wooden bridge at Eastover. Within a year of King John ascending the throne, William Brewer persuaded him to grant Bridgwater its first charter in 1200 AD, making it a free borough. He also obtained permission to build a castle as fortification for the town.
William Brewer and his son became the leaders of a great religious development in Bridgwater. During the reign of Pope Honorius III, about the year 1219, the Canons of St Augustine established a monastic house with chapel and hospital on land which is now part of Eastover, Broadway and St John Street. This establishment, known as the Community and Hospital of St John the Baptist, was partly within the East gate of the town which arched Eastover close to where the traffic lights now stand at the junction with Monmouth Street. The rest of the building and grounds, which covered quite a large area, were on land now known as St John Street. The community chapel was known as the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The monastic seal depicted Our Lady and the Child Jesus on the parapet of a four-arched bridge over a river. Our Lady is flanked by two saints, one of whom is St John the Baptist carrying a shield with the words Agnus Dei. A priest from this monastery said Mass daily in the chapel of Bridgwater Castle. The priests of this community were rectors of St Mary's, the parish church, and of St George's, Wembdon. The monastery also had links with the churches at Stowey and Woolavington.
In 1226 William Brewer senior died and his son, who bore the same name, succeeded him as owner of the borough of Bridgwater. Eleven years after the arrival of the Augustinians, William Brewer founded a Franciscan house and chapel which stood on land where Friarn Street and Broadway now meet. The Franciscans arrived in Bridgwater in 1230, only 21 years after Pope Innocent III had given St Francis permission to found his order. The friars devoted much of their time to study and they took on the education of the people and the care of the needy. One of the friars was responsible for hearing the confessions of the Benedictine nuns at Cannington.
Shortly after the building of the friary, the parish church of St Mary was rebuilt. The spire was added about a century later.
During the 14th Century Bridgwater had two Members of Parliament known as burgesses of Bridgwater. They became trustees of the chantry of the Blessed Virgin Mary and their seal depicted her with the Child Jesus on her knee. In those days the feast of Corpus Christi was a general holiday in the town, Preparation began many weeks beforehand and on the feast itself the whole population turned out for Mass and Holy Communion and joined in the procession in which the Sacred Host was carried through the streets.
During the 15th Century the craft guilds developed. These guilds were associations of people practising the same craft and their object was to provide material and spiritual benefits for its member. Each guild in Bridgwater supported a chantry which took the form of a side chapel in St Mary's Church where Mass could be celebrated. There was also a guild chapel known as St Saviour's built by a local merchant, William Pole. This chapel was on land close to where Blake Hall now stands and though the chapel ceased to exist several centuries ago it is still remembered by St Saviour's Avenue.
In the early part or the 16th Century, England, a Catholic country, stood out as a bastion against a few Europeans who were criticising fundamental doctrines of the Catholic Faith. Henry VIII wrote against these teachings and earned from Pope Leo X the title, "Defender of the Faith". Six years later this same king tried to persuade Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon but after two years' investigation into the marriage the Pope decreed that it was valid and therefore could not be annulled.
Henry, by the Act of Supremacy, declared himself to be the Supreme Head of the Church in England. So started what is usually called the Reformation which caused the division between English Christians which has lasted until the present time. Thomas Cromwell was entrusted with the task of ensuring that the clergy swore the Oath of Supremacy and between the years 1534 and 1540 he seized Church property and suppressed the monasteries to provide money for the State. Almost immediately Bridgwater was affected by the King's declaration of his own supremacy over the Church. The Franciscans left their house and chapel in Friarn Street and the friars became scattered throughout the land. There is no trace of the friary on the site to-day but in 1934 when Council houses were being built in that area excavations revealed parts or the church. Several bases of pillars of the nave were unearthed and a number of heraldic tiles which were collected are now exhibited in the Blake Museum.
The Benedictine priory at Cannington was dissolved and the nuns were forced to disperse. The property was not destroyed and it passed into the hands of the Rogers family. Since then the convent has experienced several interesting changes of ownership which will be described later. It is now part or the Somerset Farm Institute and the old buildings have been wonderfully well preserved.
The Augustinians remained about two years longer in Bridgwater. This was only achieved by the clergy accepting the King's supremacy when troops threatened the closure of their hospital. Soon the brethren found that their action had given the hospital only a temporary respite. The wealth of the community had dwindled and this probably accounted for its remaining open a little longer. In 1536 another group of troops marched through the town to the hospital at Eastgate. The townspeople knew that their inheritance, which had stood for 300 years, was now about to be destroyed. The estates were divided and the buildings allowed to fall into ruins. There is no trace of the community and Hospital of St John the Baptist remaining on the site to-day.
After the monasteries in Bridgwater had been dissolved, the Benedictine abbey at Glastonbury suffered desecration. Abbot Whiting and two of his companions were executed and the Abbot's body was quartered. One quarter of the body was dragged along the road to Bridgwater where it was stuck on the top of the East gate as a warning to the townspeople against further opposition to the Act of Supremacy.
The Faith Is Kept Alive At Cannington
By the end of the 16th Century just before the death of Queen Elizabeth I, a new religion with new doctrines had been established in place of the Catholic religion. The Church of England, as it was called, rejected the doctrine of Transubstantiation and Holy Mass was declared unlawful. Harbouring a priest was a treasonable act but this did not prevent priests from travelling disguised as peasants, and saying Mass privately with risk of death to both priest and householder.
From 1580 most of the priests keeping the Faith alive in England were trained at the Jesuit College, Douai, France. One great leader of this dangerous campaign, Robert Persons (often spelt "Parsons"), was born at Nether Stowey, educated at Stogursey, Taunton and Oxford and was brought up in the new religion. Whilst studying medicine in Europe be became a Catholic and was later ordained a priest in the Society of Jesus. He returned with another Jesuit, Edmund Campion, to England and worked secretly for twelve months in the Gloucestershire area before being recalled to Rouen to train other young men for the missions. Another priest who came to England shortly afterwards was Alexander Briant born in Somerset. He was tortured and executed at Tyburn the same day as Edmund Campion and both are included in the Forty Martyrs. Before his capture and martyrdom Alexander Briant gave the Last Rites of the Church to the father of Robert Persons. About the beginning of the 17th Century priests from the Benedictine and Franciscan orders eagerly volunteered to come over to England to assist the Jesuits. They also travelled the countryside as peasants to avoid detection.
Robert Persons was never permitted to return to his native land because the Pope considered his literary abilities should not be wasted. He lived for some years in Rome where he wrote many brilliant papers which are still used by theological students. When he died in 1610 Robert Persons was buried at the English College in Rome. By this time the Tudor reigns had ended and James I, the first Stuart king, was on the English throne. The life of English Catholics had not become any easier. The attempt by Guy Fawkes and a few more misguided Catholics, to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 had been used as an excuse for attacks on all Catholics. Incidentally, John Popham, the Lord Chief justice who presided at the trial of Guy Fawkes wasborn at Huntworth Gate near Bridgwater.
The State religion based on the teachings of Luther, the German reformer, was different from the Catholic religion in some fundamental doctrines but a section of the community wished to make even greater changes in the Church of England. These extremists were followers of the French reformer, Calvin, who advocated a very austere form of worship and belief and they wished to dispense with bishops in the Church of England. During the reign of Charles I, English politics became involved in these religious differences and Parliament became split into two groups. One group, the Royalists, followed the King and Archbishop Laud, while the other group known as the Puritans, was led by John Pym. This Parliamentarian was a member of the Pym family from Brymore House near Cannington, now Bryrnore School. The Puritans formed an army to defend themselves and this led to the Civil War in l642. The Puritan soldiers known as "Roundheads" were led by Oliver Cromwell when John Pym died. Like his namesake, Thomas, 100 years earlier, this Cromwell brought great destruction to the town of Bridgwater. In 1645 Cromwell's armies reached the town, in which 1,800 Royalist troops, Cavaliers, were billeted whilst last minute attempts to strengthen the defences were being completed. Bridgwater was under siege for 10 days and great damage was done to the Eastover area by heavy canons ranged outside the town. When the defences were broken, fighting continued inside until the Royalists surrendered after two thirds of the town had been destroyed. Fortunately St Mary's Church was not seriously damaged but the castle was left ungarrisoned and fell into complete disrepair, Charles I was executed and England was without a king for 10 years. During the last 6 years of the Commonwealth Cromwell took complete control as "Protector of England". Many Church of England clergymen were deprived of their living because they refused to adopt Puritanical services, Troops toured the country destroying many exquisite works of art which remained from Catholic times. Many churches in the villages around Bridgwater bear witness to this destruction. When Cromwell died the monarchy was restored and the previous king's son was crowned Charles II.
King Charles II became a Catholic on his death bed and his brother James, Duke of York, became the first Catholic to ascend the throne since the Reformation. There were two rebellions, encouraged by Parliament, to replace this king by a member of the State religion. The Duke of Monmouth, Charles II's illegitimate son, was the first contender but his army was defeated at Sedgemoor near Bridgwater in 1685. The people of Bridgwater fought for Monmouth against the Catholic King. In 1688, with England ruled by a Catholic, Pope Innocent XI appointed four bishops to govern Catholics in England and Wales. This was a little premature as Parliament was made up of non-Catholics who were arranging for William of Orange to land in England and take over the throne. When William landed, James II fled to France and life for Catholics in this country became even more difficult. The four Catholic bishops had little prospect of visiting their regions. This part of the country was in the Western Region which included all South West England, Herefordshire and Wales.
In 1713 Thomas Clifford, grandson of the first Lord Clifford, married and set up home at Court House, Cannington. They had a Catholic chaplain living with them and he was the first priest to live openly in the district since the Reformation. Thomas Clifford died at the early age of 32 and was buried at Cannington. His father, Hugh second Lord Clifford, often resided at Court House and when he died in 1730 he was buried alongside his son. Members of the Clifford family remained at Cannington with a priest in residence until 1768. When they left the resident priest was William Sutton who went to Axbridge. The property at Cannington remained in the possession of the Cliffords but neither a Catholic priest or religious resided there for the next 39 years.
At the beginning of the 19th Century the town of Bridgwater was developing and, to allow for this, the old town gates were removed. The population of the town was approximately 3,000 but there were very few Catholics amongst them. However, an important event in Catholic history occurred in the district and once again it was at Cannington through the generosity of the Clifford family. In 1807 a group of Benedictine nuns had to leave their house at Marnhulll, Dorset, which was required for use by the owner. Learning of their plight, Lord Clifford allowed them to come to Court House, which was most suitable having been a convent for Benedictine nuns before the Reformation.
In 1809 Bishop Collingridge was appointed Bishop of the Western Region and after a few years he took up residence at Cannington. From here he governed the whole of Wales, Herefordshire and South West England until his death on 3rd March l829. That year the Catholic Relief Act made it lawful for a Catholic to hold any office of State except sovereign, regent or chancellor.
On 7th July, 1831, the Benedictine nuns at Cannington opened their chapel to the public for Mass. Five years later the nuns left Cannington for Staffordshire but the Catholic mission at Cannington remained open under the title of "The Holy Name" with a resident priest.
Col.Clifford, I.B.E., A.D.C., D.L., the 13th Baron Lord Clifford and his family reside at Ugbrooke Park near Chudleigh. They allow the chapel, dedicated to St Cyprian, which is attached to their house, to be used by the local Catholics and the public is admitted for Mass on Sundays and Holydays.
By 1840 stage coach traffic through Bridgwater had increased so much that there were at least seven coaching inns in the town. The improved roads made it possible for the journey to London to reduced from seven days to 16 - 24 hours. The population of the town had increased in 40 years from 3,000 to l0,000 and the few Catholics amongst them made their way each Sunday to Cannington to hear Mass. The road to Cannington was, for the most part, only a country lane and the journey was actually made on foot.
The First Post-Reformation Church
In 1845 the population of Bridgwater was over 10,000 when a Church of England clergyman, Revd. J. Moore Capes, built St John the Baptist's church and preached the opening sermon there in April of that year. Two months later he announced his intention of becoming a Catholic and several parishioners of St John followed his example. Mr Moor Capes, by then a Catholic layman, undertook the responsibility of establishing the first Catholic parish in Bridgwater since the Reformation. With the agreement of Bishop Baggs (Bishop in charge of a now smaller Western district without Herefordshire and Wales), a fund was opened to raise £850 to build a church. This was collected quickly and the chief contributors were Mr Moore Capes, the Knight family of Cannington, and Dr Wiseman (later Cardinal Wiseman).
The new church site which is now part of Gordon Terrace and St John Street was purchased and it included the land then known as St John's Close and two cottages. The foundation stone was laid on 2nd October 1845 and the church of St Joseph was opened in February 1846 with sung Mass. This little chapel was only 50 x 25 feet and the organ was one, previously used in St John's Church. Prior to this, whilst the chapel was being built, Mr Moore Capes allowed his drawing room to be used and it was there that the first public Mass since the Reformation was celebrated in Bridgwater. At first the little chapel was served by the priest from Holy Name, Cannington, and the first priest to do this was Jacob Illingworth who travelled into Bridgwater on horseback.
In 1850 Pope Pius IX increased the number of Bishops in England and Wales by splitting all four districts into dioceses. Bishop Joseph W. Hendren was the first Bishop of Clifton. In 1852 Thomas Francis Rooker, a native of Manchester, became the first parish priest of St Joseph's, Bridgwater, and two months later he was appointed Canon. One of the cottages in St John Street was adapted as a presbytery and the other cottage as a Catholic school. Many Irish immigrants were arriving in England because of the potato famine in Ireland and some settled in Bridgwater and were quickly integrated into the parish. In 1869 after 17 years as parish priest Canon Rooker died and was buried in the cemetery beside his church in Gordon Terrace.
The next parish priest was a Frenchman, Abbé Bouvier, a man of great missionary zeal. He found that at Highbridge, where there were many railway workers, about 40 Catholics (including children) were unable to attend Mass. With the permission of Bishop Clifford (second son of the 7th Baron Lord Clifford of Chudleigh) he erected a Catholic mission at Highbridge. Mrs Buckle loaned a room of her house in Coronation Road, which is between London Motors Garage and the turning to Burnham, for use as a chapel. Later the house was occupied by Mr & Mrs J.A. Grimshaw, grandparents of the late Archbishop of Birmingham. The house became known as "Chapel Cottage" but the mission was "Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Joseph". Catholic children from Highbridge attended St Joseph's cottage school at Bridgwater travelling daily by train. The priest from Bridgwater said Mass at Highbridge on the second Sunday of each month and had to travel by cab.
The other Sundays the men of the Highbridge congregation just said the Mass prayers and read the Epistles and Gospels. This arrangement continued from August l871 until 1886 when the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart from Glastonbury said Mass at Highbridge every Sunday. Two years later when a chapel was opened at Burnham the mission was closed. Before that happened Abbé Bouvier left Bridgwater in 1876 and was replaced by the Reverend J.J. Corbishley who stayed for three years. During his time in 1878 the problem of accommodating the people in St Joseph's little church in Gordon Terrace became acute. There were 60 Easter communicants but the parish was blessed with good fortune. Bishop Clifford received an offer of £500 to extend the church from Mr Philip Hewitt of Langport who was then living in Boulogne. The diocesan architect, Father Scoles of St George's Taunton, was a personal friend of Mr Hewittt and he, along with the Bishop, inspected the premises. They decided that the expense of extending the church would not be justified and the money should be used towards the cost of a new church. In 1879 Revd. J.J. Corbishley left the parish for a convent in Taunton and be was replaced by Father J.J. Archdeacon. Father Archdeacon stayed only nine months at Bridgwater but during that time plans were made to purchase a site and build a new Catholic church nearer the centre of the town.
Building of the Present Church and the Old School
The site chosen for the new St Joseph's Church was in Binford Place alongside the quay on the West side of the River Parrett. The property, which included the house now known as St Joseph's Presbytery and adjoining land, was purchased on 23rd December 1879 for £800 from Mr & Mrs Mullens. Within a month of the purchase, Father Archdeacon moved from his cottage in St John Street to become the first parish priest to live at St Joseph's Presbytery.
Two months later in March 1880 he was transferred to Bristol, Father Patrick Walsh (1880 - 1881) became the next parish priest. He was chaplain to the Clifford family at Chudleigh when Bishop Clifford persuaded him to come on temporary loan to Bridgwater but his stay was extended to 18 months. Meanwhile Mr Philip Hewitt, who originally donated £500 for proposed extensions to the old church in Gordon Terrace, sent another £1,000 when he learned of the decision to build a new church.
Plans prepared by Father Scoles, the diocesan architect, were sent out to tender and Mr Kitch of Salmon Parade submitted the lowest tender for building. In September 1881 Father Scoles (1881 -1891) was appointed parish priest at St Joseph's and Father Walsh returned to the Cliffords at Chudleigh. The foundation stone of the present St Joseph's church was laid on 24th October 1881 by Cannon Kennard of Holy Name, Cannington. The church and altars were designed by Father Scoles. The cost of the church was £866-10-0. Father Scoles, living next door to the site, was able to supervise the building work as it progressed and, on Thursday 22nd June, 1882, "St Joseph's Church on the Quay" was opened by Bishop Clifford.
The old property in Gordon Terrace was used as a school and social hall for about a year. In 1883, after Mr Philip Hewitt had donated another £300 towards the parish development, Father Scoles designed a new school. Building commenced immediately on land beside the new church. The work was completed in two months and the school was opened on 27th March 1883, the same year that the present Town Bridge was built.
Eighteen pupils arrived the first day and several others were enrolled a few days later. The surnames of the first children at the school included Burke, Doran, Elson, Hembury, Hobbs, Loxston Musgrave, O'Brien, Parsons, Ryder, and Williams. One of the pupils was Frank Loxston, then aged nine years, who is now one of our oldest parishioners. Mr Loxston's wonderful memory enables him still to recount incidents which occurred so long ago. His memoirs have been extremely useful in the compilation of this history.
It was intended that the school room built in 1883 would eventually be for infants only, and property would be purchased in Binford Place for a large school to hold 200 children. The property included a house, next door but one to the Presbytery and coaching stables owned by Mr Alpin. This site which cost £600 was never used for a school and, after being leased again to Mr Alpin, it was eventually sold. Shortly after the school had been opened Mr Hewitt came to Bridgwater and cleared all debts outstanding on the parish. The Bishop insisted that this great benefactor, whose health was failing, should live at the Presbytery.
Mr Hewitt was unable to go outdoors so the small balcony was built on the north wall of the church with a communicating door from the presbytery. When Mr Hewitt sat in the little balcony to attend Mass he was screened from the congregation by a curtain which hung on a rail above.
In order to bring a community of the Sisters of Charity to Bridgwater, Father Scoles made a bid to purchase a large house which stood opposite the church where the borough library now stands. When this bid failed he bought two cottages in King Street behind the school for £400. These were modified for use as a convent and additional living quarters were built over the school. On the August 1885 the Sisters of Charity took up residence in the upper rooms of the property now known as "The Old School", and thus became the first religious order in Bridgwater since the Reformation. They took over the education of children in the school and a high standard was maintained.
The following year Father Scoles purchased the cottage next door to the Church which is now known as "The Parish Room" He then bought the remainder of the cottages in the row where the Co-operative Society property now stands. In 1888 he used this site to build a laundry for the sisters to take in washing from the townspeople. The laundry designed by Father Scoles was by the standards of these days, very efficient. It even had a spin dryer installed and the sisters employed a about 20 girls to assist them. In June 1891 the Sisters of Charity left Bridgwater and a month later Father Scoles was transferred to Yeovil. Whilst at Bridgwater Canon Scoles was a great public benefactor. He built Bridgwater's first public baths which were used until their demolition for the building of Broadway in 1958. The Borough Council showed its appreciation of his work by presenting Father Scoles with an illuminated address and purse of £50 when he left Bridgwater.