Rowlstone or Rowlestone
Rowlstone appears to be an Old Norse personal one with the whole name meaning Rolf’s or Hroaldr’s tun or estate. Earlier forms include Rolueston, Rouleston and Rolleston. At the time of the Domesday survey the parish lay in the hundred of Cutestorn.
To the east of Rowlstone is the village of Ewyas Harold where Osbern Pentecost built one of the two earliest castles in Britain. Osbern was a follower of Edward the Confessor’s nephew Ralph, who was brought to England from Normandy as Earl of Hereford. The parish of Rowlstone, at that time, lay immediately on the border between England and Wales. The survival of Welsh place-names in the area is strong; over one third of the field names recorded in the Rowlstone tithe apportionment are Welsh.
The British church may have been active in this area of what is now Herefordshire from the late 6th century, from which time a church at Clodock may date. The former Welsh parishes were transferred from the diocese of St David’s to that of Hereford in 1852.
After the Norman Conquest, the Welsh territory to the east of the Black Mountains was occupied by Walter de Lacy who had been authorised to take and hold what he could. This area, which includes the parish of Rowlstone, later became known as Ewyas Lacy.
Although Rowlstone does not appear in Domesday, Henry de Ferieres, one of the smaller Herefordshire tenants-in-chief, held three churches in Cutestorn Hundred within the jurisdiction of Ewyas Harold castle. Roger (probably Roger de Lacy, son of Walter) held these under him. One of these is very likely to be Rowlstone, as this church, together with Llancillo and neighbouring Walterstone was later given to Llanthony Abbey by the de Lacys.
Roger de Lacy himself held the territory which comprised the parishes of Rowlstone and Llancillo. This was held under him by two Normans named William and Osbern, one of whom, or their successors, would have been responsible for the construction of the castle at Rowlstone.
In the 13th century John de Turberville held Rowlstone, obtaining a charter of free warren in 1266. Land in Rowlstone was held, in the 14th century by the Dinmore preceptory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, which had a bailiff for their possessions in the parish.
The manor of Rowlstone passed into the hands of the Scudamore family at the beginning of the 14th century when John, son of Vincent Skydemor of Berguenny (Abergavenny) became lord having paid £100 to Robert de Oka.
Kentchurch Court later became the main Scudamore seat in the area and in 1470 Roger Bodenham had Rowlstone “to hold of the chief lord [Scudamore] in fee by usual service”. Roger was the son-in-law of the previous tenant, Thomas Bromwyche, whose daughter, Joan, he had married.
Rowlstone church, St Peter’s, has a Norman nave with some of the best examples of the work of the Herefordshire School of masons.
Information from Archenfield Archaeology Ltd
