St. Peter Port, Guernsey - Town Church - Philco postcard c.1905-10

• Postcard

   

• Picture / Image:  Town Church [St. Peter Port], Guernsey
• Publisher: Philco Series (No. 4598/5)
• Postally used: no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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The Town Church is also known as the "Parish Church of St Peter Port",^[1] "Sancti Petri du Portu" and the "Town Church of St Peter, Apostle & Martyr".^[2]

The earliest known religious building on the site was in 1020 with a reference to a small rectangular chapel; however, a building probably existed in the 8th century. The current building, probably started in the 13th century was completed in its current format by 1466.

The Town Church is considered the main island church so serves both the States of Deliberation and the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey as well as the parishioners of Saint Peter Port.

The current rector is the Reverend Matthew Barrett.

A church referred to as "Sancti Petri du Portu Mari" in 1048, may be a reference to the chapel on the site first recorded in 1020,^[3] was given to the Benedictine Abbey of Marmoutier by the Duke of Normandy. ^[1] The Island was divided up into parishes in the 11th century and the Town Church became the parish church for Saint Peter Port.^[3]

There is a granite carving of a spaniel's head - probably a mason's mark, and of the same design as one at the Vale Church.

In 1135 the church was described as standing next to a mill which was in the churchyard.^[4]:157 By 1250 the current church building had replaced the earlier chapel, it had two transepts that were used as chapels.

The earliest record of a rector of the parish is Pierre Le Valleys in 1282.^[3] The Town Church had the roof destroyed in 1305 and the rebuilt church was consecrated on 1st of August, 1312 at which time two chapels were in use dedicated to St. Julien and St. Jacques. The Bishop of Coutances, Robert de Harcourt, officiated, guests included the Abbot of Mont St Michel and the governors of Caen, Cherbourg and Southampton.^[5]

Between 1466 and 1473 the church, including the spire, and the stair turret was completed in the main format that we see today.^[4]:163

The break from the Catholic faith by Henry VIII of England resulted in the control of the church moving from the Diocese of Coutances to Winchester, this was followed by a return to Catholicism with Mary I of England in 1553 and the occurrence of a notorious event, the Guernsey Martyrs where the three women were tried by the Ecclesiastical Court in the Town Church in 1556.^[6] Elizabeth I of England became the Protestant Queen in 1558.

The change to Presbyterian rule in 1563 saw changes to the practices in church as well as the removal of frescos and ornamentation.^[3] There were also 100 people on the Island during this period who were burned at the stake, hanged, branded or flogged after being accused of witchcraft. Noisy behaviour inside or outside the church was punished with a spell in the stocks set up in Town Church Square.^[7]

The church has been Anglican since 1662 when the book of Common Prayer was translated into French on the orders of King Charles II of England for use in the Channel Islands.^[3] [7]

Services over the centuries were originally conducted in Latin, then French, then a mixture of French and English and only in the last century, mainly in English. It is now a tradition to hold worship services in the Town Church at Easter and Christmas in both Latvian and English.^[8]