Brief History of Petersfield Parish
Nineteenth century
In 1808 a Board of English Catholics was formed which included representatives of the bishops as well as laity. Its chief clerical representative on the Board was one of Petersfield’s most illustrious sons, William Poynter, the Vicar Apostolic of London. Poynter was Principal of St Edmund’s College near Ware in Hertfordshire and Vicar General of the Midlands District. He later became Vicar Apostolic.
The Catholic Mission in Petersfield was established due to a family, the Caves, who came to live in the Petersfield area.
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From 1883 to 1885, Mr Laurence Trent Cave and his wife spent their summers at Bordean House, near Langrish, where she obtained the privilege of a domestic chapel in the house. In 1885 Mr Cave bought the Ditcham estate. Unfortunately, on 4th March 1888 the old house was destroyed by a fire which started in the central heating cellar.
The family was on a trip abroad at the time and when they returned they had to live in Park Barn Cottages just down the hill. They set up an iron chapel for the use of local Catholics. The first Mass was said there on Sunday August 26th 1888 and it was said there every Sunday until the family returned to London in November. |
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The French Empress Eugenie (below) had erected a chapel in Farnborough in 1887 for Napoleon and the Prince Imperial.
There was a Norbertine priory next to it for Premonstrat-ensian Canons. The Prior and sub Prior regularly said Mass at Ditcham. In December 1888 two priors from Farnborough started the Mission in Petersfield itself, saying Mass every Sunday in what had been the showrooms of Henry Cox’s Carriage works in the Square (now Rowland Son & Vincent’s showroom).
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The rebuilding of Ditcham House (above) was completed in 1889. It contained a public oratory with a frescoed ceiling and panelled walls dedicated to St Philip Neri, founder of the Oratory. Fittingly, the first Mass there was said by Fr Sebastian Bowden from Brompton Oratory which is where the Cave family heard Mass when they were in London.
1890 - 1897>>
Twentieth Century>>
Final Chapter>>
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