|
St Pierre is a former parish and hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, 3 miles south west of Chepstow and adjacent to the Severn estuary. It is now the site of a large golf and country club, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, which was previously a large manor house and deer park belonging to the Lewis family. ==History== The manor of St Pierre was originally part of the parish of Runston, now a deserted village, and was later amalgamated for civil purposes with the neighbouring parish of Mathern. It is uncertain whether the name originates from a Welsh family, Pŷr, or is of Norman origin. Around 1380, St Pierre was owned by Sir David ap Philip, who served under King Henry V in France, and the name of his son, Lewis, was later adopted by his family and descendants as their surname. The manor continued to be held by the Lewis family until about 1910. Thomas Lewis, Esq., married the daughter of Sir Richard Levett, Lord Mayor of London, and other Lewis family members also made propitious marriages. Several members of the family became High Sheriffs of Monmouthshire.〔Sir Joseph Bradney, ''A History of Monmouthshire'', 1904–33〕 Others became Members of Parliament, including Thomas Lewis who was MP for Monmouth, Newport and Usk between 1713 and 1752. His family took over and developed the "New Passage" ferry service across the Severn from Black Rock, in competition with the "Old Passage" service run from Beachley by the Duke of Beaufort.〔Ivor Waters, ''Turnpike Roads – the Chepstow and New Passage Turnpike Districts'', 1985, ISBN 0-906134-31-5〕 In 1925, the mansion and deer park were sold to Daniel Lysaght.〔(Archives Network – St. Pierre estate records )〕 It was thought that the family had ended with the death of Thomas Lewis. Direct decedents, however, still survive and thrive. Given the recorded history of the family lineage this makes it one of the oldest families in the United Kingdom. The Lewis family still retain their surname and family crest, usually worn as a signet ring depicting a griffin. The family continues to grow though they no longer live in the locality, but instead across the country from Cheshire to Brighton, occupying positions in the city and the legal profession. The church of St Peter has a Norman doorway and windows, but was largely rebuilt in later centuries. In the chancel are two ancient slabs bearing an inscription in Norman French to Urien de St Pierre, lord of the manor who died in 1239.〔(Medieval gravestones )〕 There are also numerous monuments to members of the Lewis family.〔(Kelly's Directory 1911 )〕 The former manor house includes a 16th-century gatehouse, but the remainder of the building was largely built in the 19th century. Major extensions have been added since the house became a hotel in the 1960s. It was bought by Tintern Abbey Hotels in 1961, and a golf course (now "the Old Course") was opened in 1962 with a second course in 1975.〔(St. Pierre at Golf Travel England )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「St Pierre, Monmouthshire」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|