AGM and Research Update

At our AGM on August 10th, 21 History Group members heard a review of the successful year.

2017-18 has continued to be a success for Cusop History Group with membership numbers growing to 53 and continued good attendances at talks and outings. We have had a number of interesting queries and contacts during the year via the website and Facebook. Our Utah member with ancestors from Cusop visited and has been in contact about his research which we have been able to assist with. A former Hay resident now living in Devon, found an old Little Book of Common Prayer belonging to LG Wheeler, Cusop Rectory. With a bit of investigation we found that this was the vicar’s wife who lived in Cusop in 1941. The book has now found it’s way back to Cusop.

We had inspiring presentations from John Wilks, including some of the outstanding questions about the history of Cusop Church. He read out this interesting extract from a record of a visit by the Woolhope Club in July 1899 presented by Charles Lillwall of Llydyadyway.

“Cusop Church, which we see today, presents a very different appearance to what it did previous to restoration in 1857. Outside, the church was then covered many coats deep with Reformation whitewash, while inside, a lath and plaster ceiling covered the whole church. At restoration the outside whitewash was scraped away, disclosing the walled-up priests’ doorway in the north wall of the nave.Inside, the ceiling was taken down, opening up the fine 14th century roof. But if these restorers of 1857 made these undoubted improvements to the church, they swept away at the same time a very great deal of antiquarian interest and have in a great measure altered the whole character of the building.The three lighted 14th century east window in the chancel was taken out, and the present one was inserted. The two side windows of the same date however remain. All the windows in the nave which were Norman, were also removed, with the exception of one behind the south door; this and the interesting arch communicating between the chancel and the nave, stamp the character of the church. Round the course of the arch was originally an ornamentation; this has been chipped away, with the exception of a small fragment still to be seen inside the chancel. Over the arch was a handsome rood loft, the entrance to which, as was always the case, was by a flight of steps from the chancel. The walled up doorway is still to be seen.The ancient porch was also removed with its stoup and bells overhead. One bell as inscribed Lewis Watkins, and the other Phillip David, and both had the date 1670. At the restoration the present porch was erected, also the belfry, and new bells were hung. The floor of the church was made deeper by seven inches: in doing this the old pavement was taken up and a large quantity of bones removed, these were all re-interred in the churchyard.Cusop church is dedicated to St Mary and was built by the Monks of Llanthony, or rather re-built by them on probably an older foundation, towards the end of the 12th, or beginning of the 13th century. The Prior and Convent of Llanthony were the patrons of the living, down to the dissolution of the monasteries, when the patronage was sold by the Crown to Nicholas Arnold with the Llanthony estates, from whose family it was purchased by Edward Harley, and until recent years was the property of the Earls of Oxford and Mortimer. Behind the colouring, the walls of the chancel were covered in frescoes. That on the north wall represents a female figure, probably the Virgin Mary, to whom the church is dedicated. This was discovered some three years ago.”

There are various projects which could be sub-divided, if anyone was willing to take on parts of them, such as the project involving Cusop Church - just who were the three people in the graves beyond the chancel, for instance?

Janet Robinson gave a fascinating update on her work in finding a full set of Parish Magazines which have varied over the years going back to 1909 and will eventually be housed at Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre. Jim Milner gave an inspiring and enthusiastic take on his personal approach to the research he has undertaken on the Census and Victoria Terrace. This created a great deal of interest and a number of volunteers came forward to look further into specific areas of research. Attendees also enjoyed looking at the historical maps on display.

We have a Research Evening on Friday September 14th, 7pm at Cusop Village Hall, when findings from more historical areas of interest will be presented by the group of local researchers and more historical artefacts including the 1866 Cusop Apportionment Maps will be on display. Come along and find out more about your local area - visitors welcome. If you have a topic you would like to research or would like to help the group with information, photos or enthusiasm, please contact us.