Saint Peters Church

The extracts have been taken from the following web site.
http://johndoxey.100freemb.com/StPetersConisbrough/

They form some of the key dates and findings of the church. The web site is definitely worth a visit.

According to Kenith Barraclough "from information researched by Peter Ryder whilst working for the now defunct South Yorklshire County Council, Archaeological Department. It was this department, that commissioned a servey of all Saxon Churches in South Yorkshire. It was Peters survey, that gave this church at Conisbrough the official title of 'South Yorkshires oldest building."

Some of the evidance to provide this claim has been listed below.

“These things show historically that Christianity was a part of the life of the inhabitants in Yorkshire some 300 years before St Columba and St. Aidan " Christianised ' the area. Roman soldiers and local inhabitants are believed to have worshipped at " Strafford Sands" a river ford on the River Don, below Conisbrough.
The Preaching cross is believed to have served as a meeting point for Christian gatherings until around 540ad, when the first wooden Church is said to have been built on the same site.
It was officially accepted in 1982 that St. Peters Church was the oldest building in South Yorkshire, with a date of 740 to 750ad.
Historians and Archeologist are working to prove that it was in fact built circa 670 / 680ad., this would date it with Bishop Biscups Church Northumberland [ dated 674ad. ] and the Church at Ledsham North Yorkshire.
Given a date of 740 / 750ad, this would coincide with the writing of " The Book of Kells' and 30 years prior to the construction of Offa's Dyke. and would be five or ten years later than St. Aiden used Lindisfarne as a base from which to reconvert Northumbria, which had lapsed back into paganism about 633 ad.”

“Wulfhere the King of Mercia in 664 ad A.D. Confirmation and grant of land to St Peter's Minster, Medeshamstede; at Conisbrough.”

“In 1086 at the time of the Domesday Survey, the lordship of Conisbrough included lands in 28 townships scattered throughout South Yorkshire, including Anston, Aston, Aughton, Barnburgh, Bilham, Braithwell, Bramley Bramwith, Clifton, Cusworth, Dalton, Dinnington, Edenthorpe, Fishlake, Greasbrough, Hatfield, Harthill, Hoyland, Kirk Sandall, Long Sandall, Ravenfield, Stainforth, Thorne, Tudworth, Wales, Whiston and Wilsic. Some of the above had churches which were dependent on the mother church of St. Peter's Conisbrough.”

“The Church was only once held under siege and this was in 1325, when a commission of enquiry was appointed because Roger de Flete a former constable of the Castle complained.
"That whereas he went to the Church of Conyngesburgh to audit the accounts of various Kings Bailiffs and to levy the Kings moneys according to his office. Alan, William, John, and Elias de Vescy and others assaulted him in the execution of the Kings business, and his men and servants, so that he lost their services for a great time, and besieged him in the Church and prevented him from doing his business."

“In 1822 at the time of Rev Thos Braithwaite curate, George Haigh was the parish clerk. In 1831 James Alexander esq Doncaster possibly was the subscriber for the following entry in the Lewis Topographical Dictionary .
CONISBROUGH, a parish in the southern division of the wapentake of STRAFFORTH and TICICHILL, West riding of the county of YORK, 65 miles (N. E. by E.) from Rotherham, containing 1142 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, rated ir . the Icing's books at £8.12.8|-. and in the patronage of the Archbishop of York. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is of Norman character, combined with the early, the decorated, and later style, of English architecture : it had a chantry, founded in the 14th of Edward II.: there are several monuments, together with a curious stone, adorned with many hieroglyphics. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. A schoolroom was erected upon waste land by subscription in 1812 amounting to £7. 10. per annum, arises from the rent of the old school premises, and an. endowment of £2 a year. This is a place of high antiquity, having been connected with all the different dynasties by which Britain has been governed. The Britons called it Caer Conan; the Saxons Cyning, or Conan Burgh, both signifying a royal town. A Roman road is discoverable not far hence. Conisbrough is stated to have been the seat of a civil jurisdiction, which comprised twenty eight towns. The castle, standing upon an eminence above the river Don, is of uncertain foundation some consider it to have been built by Queen Cartismandua, others by the Romans, and others again by the Saxons. It is first mentioned as a fortress belonging to Hengist, the Saxon leader, who was defeated here, in 487, by Aurelius Ambrosius, and again in 489, at which period, according to Geoffry of Monmouth, he was made prisoner, and subsequent beheaded at the northern gate of the citadel; a tumulus near the place is stated to cover his relics. This account, however, has not been universally credited : there can be little doubt that a fortress existed here previously to the Conquest but the structure, the ruins of which now constitute so interesting an object, was probably erected by Earl Warrenne, to whom the Conqueror gave the manor. In this castle Richard, Earl of Cambridge, second son of the Duke of York, and grandson of Edward III., was born; he was beheaded for conspiring against Henry V. The round tower, or keep, is almost perfect; the rest forms a picturesque ruin. Several human skeletons have been discovered.”