St Peter

This church is now just a preserved shell due to damage in WW2. It was the ‘mother church’ of Bristol and some of the stonework in the old tower is thought to be of Saxon origin. Arrowsmiths Dictionary of Bristol (1906) reports that the church was repaired in 1749, 1795 and again in 1870 and the only part of the church that remained of the early fabric was the tower.

The following memorial inscriptions were noted in Arrowsmiths Dictionary of Bristol (1884):

ALDWORTH Family of. A sumptuous tomb with figures of himself and wife, 1634
ESTERFIELD John, twice Mayor and an Alderman. A brass was inserted in the stone, but it has now disappeared.
HARRINGTON George, Mayor and Alderman of the City. Died Jan. 2nd 1639
LOUDE Robert. Incised brass, representing a priest in Eucharistic vestments bearing a chalice. Died February 23rd 1461
NEWTON Athalin. A storied monument, having a canopy supported by six fluted pillars, upon the sculptured sarcophagus lies the effigy of a lady, supposed to be the above-named wife of John Newton of the Newtons of Barr’s Court.
NORTHALL Henry. Died May 9th 1673 aged 70.
NORTHALL J. Son of the above. Died February 20th 1669 Aged 39.
NORTON Andrew. Three brasses to his memory and his two wives Elizabeth and Ellen 1527.
SAVAGE Richard. Poet who died a debtor in Newgate Bristol1743. An inscription states his grave to be about six feet from the north wall of the church.
SMITH Thomas. Died 8th October 1730.
STEAR Capt. Richard, aged 23 and his brother Eugene aged 16 drowned near Blackmore August 20th 1722.
WASBROUGH Matthew, Inventor of the fly-wheel. Brass plate. Died October 21st 1781 aged 28.