One could almost fill a book on the parish of Bosbury, for it literally teems with historical and genealogical interest, dating right back from Saxon times. Instead of being the quiet old-world village it is today Bosbury was once a place of considerable importance. Its ancient Saxon name was Bosamberig, or Bosa’s town, and according to Leland, Bishop Athelstan died here in 1056. The Norman prelates also lived at Bosbury.
  It was the favourite residence of the great Bishop Cantilupe, St. Thomas of Hereford; and his friend and successor, Bishop Swinfield, died here in 1316. The church, which has seatings for 394 persons, and is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was erected in the twelfth century. The embattled tower is a massive 12th century structure, containing six bells and a clock, and is detached from the church.
  There are seven instances of this in Herefordshire, the other six being Garway, Holmer, Ledbury, Pembridge, Richard’s Castle, and Yarpole. It was originally surmounted by a wooden spire, and was probably built as a place of safety during the Welsh raids.

  The church has a Norman doorway and a long nave, divided from its side aisles by six pointed arches, resting on round pillars, with capitals characteristic of the Transition period. The clerestory windows, the triple lights of the west end, and the very beautiful lancet windows of the side aisles, are of the same date (about 1180). The interesting fan tracery screen of oak dividing the nave from the spacious chancel, has been restored as a memorial to “Edna Lyall”, (the pseudonym of Ada Ellen Bayley), the distinguished novelist, who died in 1903, and is buried near the churchyard cross.

  The chancel was entirely rebuilt by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners at the last restoration, when an organ chamber was built on the north side of the chancel for the reception of an organ, presented to the parish by Mrs. Hope sister of Mrs. Higgins of Bosbury House, at whose cost also, the chamber and warning apparatus were erected. There are very curious and well preserved sepulchral monuments on either side of the altar; one representing a recumbent figure of John Harford, with the date 1573; the others having figures of Richard Harford, son of the former, and his wife.
  The pre-reformation open seats in the nave have been preserved. There are some fine specimens of ancient carving inserted in the pulpit. On the south side of the nave is the chantry of Sir Rowland Morton, a beautiful specimen of late Pointed architecture, temp, Henry VII.

  This chapel is embattled on the exterior, and is lighted by windows of the shape and tracery of the time it was erected. Near this, is the oldest inscription in the church, painted on the wall in old characters in memory of the father of Bishop Swinfield, who died in 1283, but the inscription is almost illegible. The font near the west end of church is of large size, square, and profiled on five short pillars, and is of 13th century date. An old Saxon font, discovered under the nave in 1844, has been erected at the west end.

  Various gifts were made to the church for use in the Church and Sacrarium in 1898, including four beautifully embroidered altar frontals, sanctuary hangings etc. The altar re-table was painted in gold and colours, and lych-gate and churchyard wall was restored in 1900. In the churchyard is a well restored cross of red sandstone, probably 14th century. It bears the inscription, “Honour not the + but honour God for Christ.” The Puritans in the 17th century spared the cross on condition that this was inscribed on it. The parish registers begin with the year 1558. In the church is a painted list of the vicars of the parish from 1200 to 1920.
  The present vicar is the Rev. H. E. Grindley, who was instituted into the living about four years ago. He is assisted in work in connection with the church by the two churchwardens, Mr. Thomas William Green and Dr. Alfred Golland.

  Fastened to the wall at the far end of the church is a beautiful oaken screen, which was erected by public subscription as a memorial to the brave men of the parish who made the Supreme Sacrifice in the Great War. Their names are inscribed as follows:—
  1915: Pte. Ernest Ballard, April 17th; Pte. Arthur John Palmer, May; Pte. Alan Buchanan, June 16th; Pte. George Rouse, June 20th; Pte. Henry James Jones, September 25th; Pte. Matthew Thompson, December 27th.
  1916: Pte. William Thompson, May 5th; Pte. Wilfred Gideon Hill, August 24th; Pte. Arthur Preece, September 7th; Pte. George Thomas Powell, September 8th.
  1917: Pte. Thomas Henry Lewis, April 6th; Pte. Michael Ockey, September 26th ; Sergt. James Green, November -th; Pte. Archibald Frank Burwood, December 7th
  1918: Pte. Thomas Edward Rouse, March 15th; Dvr. Ernest Henry Young, March 15th: Pte. William Herbert Morris, M.M., November 1st.

  The interests of the parish are admirably looked after by a Parochial Church Council, the names of those elected at the Easter meeting being affixed on the church door as follows:—Ex-officio members: The Vicar (chairman), Thomas Wm. Green, churchwarden; Alfred Golland, M.D., churchwarden, and representative of the Ruri-Decanal Conference; Edward Ballard Thompson, representative on Diocesan Conference; Wm. Bishop Collett, representative on the Ruri-Decanal Conference.
  Elected members: Annie Collett, Marian Buck, Louisa Turner, Fredk. James Former, Charles James Field, Marian Constance Parker, Alan Cotton.
  From a book on the history of the parish, written by a former vicar, the Rev. Samuel Bentley, it would seem that there was originally a Saxon church at Bosbury, but all that remains now is the font at the west end, found during the alterations about fifty years ago. In the year 1200 Master Swan, the clerk, was appointed vicar of Bosbury by King John. He gave him the right to hunt the hare, fox, and wild cat with dogs, through all the manors, both in forest and warren. The manors were in substance as ancient as the Saxon Constitution, though perhaps differing a little in some immaterial circumstances from those that exist before the Norman Conquest.

  One of the most interesting landmarks in the history of Bosbury is the Crown Inn, formerly the mansion of the Harford family. In the inn is a beautiful oak-panelled room, which was part of of a house occupied by the steward of the manor, Richard Harford, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The date 1571 is to be seen in the centre over the fireplace, with the initials “R.H.” and “M.H.” on either side. On the massive chimney piece were originally four shields, but one is missing. Those remaining are (1) Arms of the Wrottesley family; (2) crest and arms of Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire; (3) arms of Fox, of Bromfield. Three bosses remain in the ceiling: (1) Arms of Bishop Bkipp; (2) the Scrope arms; (3) arms of the first Marquis of Winchester. It has been stated that Prince Rupert stayed at the Crown Inn on his way to the battle of Worcester, but it is thought that this was a mistake, and that it must have been the battle of Ledbury. In 1910, the Woolhope Club visited Bosbury, and the then vicar, Rev.T.W. Harvey, explained to the visitors a number of interesting incidents connected with it. The visitors, he said, might have noticed the house known as Temple Court, the sight of the Preceptory of the Knights Templars, a fraternity which held a position of much importance and influence in the Middle Ages. In country places the head of the house, who was called the preceptor, lived with two or three of the brethren, and usually they had a chapel and their own priest. The privilege of sanctuary was accorded to the Upleadon Precentor, and instances were on record of criminals having fled for refuge to Temple Court. The Order was suppressed by the Pope in 1312.

  The Pope’s order was so far obeyed in England that the knights were sent to the Tower of London and among them were Thomas de Tholouse, the Preceptor of Temple Court, and Thomas de Chamberleyne, one of the brethren. They were afterwards set at liberty and pinioned*, and many of the estates of the Templars passed to the “Order of the Hospitallers” or “Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.” Temple Court was one of these, and was attached to the Commandery or Preceptory of Dinmore, in the county of Hereford. The Knights Hospitallers were a fraternity founded in 1048 by one Gerard. England was one of their most important stations, though like the Templars, they were not an English order. At the suppression of the monasteries, in the time of Henry VIII., a great amount of unseemly trafficking in church lands and property took place. However, one John Scudamore, gentleman usher of the King’s Chamber, one of the surveyors of divers abbeys within the county of Hereford and others appointed to be supressed, became possessed of a portion of the tithes of Bosbury (those yielded by the Catley township), whether by gift, purchase, or exchange is not known. These tithes were alienated for about 100 years, and might have remained in that condition until this day but for the considerate act of one of his descendants, John Lord Scudamore, who restored them to Bosbury and to other parishes in the county by special Act of Parliament. It is rather interesting to find a man asking for an Act of Parliament to restore money to the Church. It was not the usual method. One of his descendants, Archdeacon Berkeley L. S. Stanhope, was once vicar of the parish.

  An immense piece of Silurian rock was discovered under an old cross, on the church steps, when it was removed about 100 years ago. There is a tradition, although there is no ground for the assumption, that it was a stone of sacred import, and the cross had been built over it to consecrate it for a Christian purpose.
  The cross was erected probably about the 14th century. It is said that it owed its preservation to the circumstance that a former vicar of Bosbury pleaded for it successfully with the captain of the Parliamentary soldiers who were sent to mutilate it, the condition being imposed that the words “Honour not the Cross, but honour God for Christ”, should be engraved on it. The letters are not legible now.
  Edna Lyall told the story of the cross, and her grave is close by. Her brother, the Rev. Burges Bayley, was a former vicar. People came to Bosbury from all parts of the world because of the information which Edna Lyall disseminated.
  The grave of Edna Lya11 lies close to the old preaching cross. The stone is inscribed as follows:—

  Ada Ellen Bayly
  Edna Lyall.
  February 8th, 1903.
  “My trust is in the tender mercy of
God for ever and ever.”
  Another interesting old building in Bosbury is the old Court Farm, the site of the ancient Palace of the Bishops of Hereford, and, by permission of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lane, the Woolhope Club inspected the old gateway, the only part of the palace now remaining, and one of the fine rooms with a fine ceiling. The latter has very fine beams, heavily moulded. It was the roof of the old Refectory.
  There is a post office in the village, and the Postmistress is Mrs. Drew. The village school is resided over by Mr. J. K. Job.

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