St Petrock

St Petrock is the most celebrated of the Celtic saints. Details of his life are somewhat obscure. He lived in the 6th century and is said to have been the son of a Welsh chieftain. He is believed to have sailed from Wales to study in Ireland, and from there returned to Cornwall, where legend has it he arrived in a large shell (a coracle?). He landed at Haylemouth and founded a monastery at Lanwethinoc, now called Padstow (Petrockstowe). About thirty years later he founded another monastery at Nanceventon, where he also built a mill and a chapel. He later lived as a hermit on Bodmin Moor, and subsequently built a monastery on the hilltop for the twelve disciples who had followed him. At the end of his life he set out to visit the other monasteries he had founded, but he died at Treravel on the way. He was buried at Padstow, but in about 1000 A.D. his relics were moved to Bodmin, in 1177 these relics were stolen by a malcontent Bodmin canon, who took them to Saint Meen in Brittany. Bartholomew, Bishop of Exeter, investigated the matter and brought it to the attention of the King (Henry II), who intervened and secured their return to Bodmin.

Churches were dedicated to St. Petrock in Cornwall, Devon (18), South Wales and Brittany, and this may suggest that his travels were wider ranging than indicated above. He may well have visited North Devon, and surely it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he founded the first Christian community at West Anstey, where the church now bears his name.

St. Petrock's feast day is 4th June (although 14th September and 23rd May are quoted in some church calendars). Like several other hermit saints, he had a special affinity with wild animals, and is generally portrayed with a stag as his emblem.

Other saints commemorated are Petrock (Parracombe and Timberscombe), Carantoc (Carhampton), Dubricius(Porlock) and Beuno at (Culbone).

In the medieval period there was continuing reverence in south-west England for the memory of Celtic saints who were honoured in the dedications of coastal Exmoor churches and at West Anstey, whose church is dedicated to St Petroc or Petrock. Petroc is said to have came from South Wales in the 6th century and to have been educated at an Irish monastery. He came to Cornwall, reputedly Trebetherick by the Camel estuary, with several followers and settled at Lanwethinoc which reputedly already had a church. Here he founded a monastery which took its name from him, Petrocstow, now Padstow. He is also credited with founding churches at Bodmin and Little Petherick near Wadebridge, as well as in Wales and Brittany where a medieval life of St Petroc was preserved. Among the many stories of his healing powers he is said to have converted a local king to Christianity when he rescued a deer the king was hunting. He died at Padstow and his relics were enclosed in a shrine before the high altar. There are 18 Devon churches dedicated to him, and Timberscombe in Somerset. His feast is celebrated on the 4 June. Walter of Coutances, Justiciar, the principal officer of state, in the late 12th century gave a reliquary to hold Petroc’s relics, now in Bodmin, Cornwall. Significantly the bishop of Coutances had held estates in Anstey and Molland in 1086

Contributed by: John Houseman