Further to David's Posting on Bradford Churches, there is a catalogue of the Vicars of Bradford listed in "Pen and Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford", and the first of these was Richard de Halton, Presbyter, who was appointed in 1293. His patrons were Robert Rector, with the assesnt of Alice de Lacy. There are many pages in the book devoted to The Parish Church, but this paragraph tells us a bit more about the present church:- "The present church, dedicated to Saint Peter, was erected in the time of Henry VI., and was completed about the thirty-sixth year of that king's reign (1458), having taken twenty-seven years in the building. The body of the church alone consumed twelve, and the steeple or tower, fifteen years in their erection, the latter, indeed, not being quite completed till full fifty years after the church. "There can be little doubt," says Mr. James, "that the present structure, probably the third on the same site, occupies the ground where the old Anglo-Norman church-the "kirk on the wood" of olden times,-stood, surrounded by the remains of Sylvia, once covering the whole of the hill-side." My query is, "Who is Sylvia? What is she, That all our swains commend her?" "Holy, fair, and wise is she; The heaven such grace did lend her That she might admired be" The word "Sylvia" is in italics, so is it some kind of wild flower, bush? Anybody know? Malcolm Hutton ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Binns" <davidbinns@qual-chem-tech.co.uk> To: <ENG-YKS-BRADFORD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 11:23 PM Subject: [ BRAD] Churches 1873 Part 1 > Hello Listers, > By request here is a list of chuches with very brief details relevant to FH research. There is more information about the architecture, size, cost and the like for the older chuches. Contact me directly if you are interested. Parts 2 and 3 of this posting will deal with nonconformist chapels. > Bradford Churches 1873 From Yorkshire Past and Present: > > " For members of the establishment" > > 1) The parish church of St Peter. Erected about 1458. > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.459 / Virus Database: 258 - Release Date: 25/02/2003