Brief History of Petersfield Parish

Twentieth century

The High Altar was placed in the apse and marble-topped alabaster altar rails were installed and the cross at the top of the dome was put in place on November 10th 1900, finally completing the original design. Eventually, Mrs Cave moved to Lyme Regis and her son Charles moved into Ditcham House. He had been received into the Church in 1882 and educated at the Oratory School and Cambridge. He became a prominent member of Peterfield society.

In November 1904 Dom. F.Bernard Hutchison from Ampleforth became incumbent and remained until he died in 1913. The population of Petersfield was then about 3,265 and the congregation numbered about 110. By 1939 it had risen to 199.

The Mission continued to be supplied with priests by the Benedictines of Ampleforth and later Belmont, until 1946 when Fr Henry Clarke became the first secular incumbent, a post he kept for 26 years.

In 1912 a Working Men’s Institute was erected and opened on the stick factory land. Mr Charles Cave presented the site and gave £250 towards the £1,200 spent on the building.

A church at Liss

During the war years, a flourishing Mass centre for Liss became established at Leacroft in Mrs Eleanor Jackson’s private chapel. By 1951 about forth or fifty people regularly used it and enquiries were made with a view to finding a plot for a church.

Mrs Jackson gave a small plot of land which was later sold and the sum invested. The site at HIllbrow was purchased in 1963 and the Colt building chosen was completed and opened in 1966. The first Mass was said there on Sunday June 5th 1966 although the church was not blessed until November 12th in that year by Bishop Worlock. The original oratory at Leacroft was dedicated to St Agnes and so that was chose for the dedication of the new church.

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