E D Pearson 1993, 126 pages, 56 illustrations and maps
When Miss Edna Pearson died in 1985, she had nearly completed her researches into St Peter’s Church, Bromyard. Her manuscript has now been edited and published together with her earlier studies, Bromyard Church Registers and Stanford Bishop Church.
Bromyard was on of the bishop of Hereford’s manors before Domesday and the influence of the Church has been crucial to the growth of the town. It was a 13th century bishop who developed Bromyard as a financial enterprise.
Unlike some church histories, the architecture has not been over emphasized: amongst other subjects Miss Pearson included sections on medieval worship, the right of sanctuary, the plague, local benefactors, bells and musicians, Monday sermons, not forgetting the furore created by the introduction of surplices for the choir. Anyone interested in the role of the Church in their own community will find this an enjoyable and enlightening read.