Rev Jane Davies
Listen to the interview
Summary
Based on the interview conducted on 22 August 2017
Born at Manor Farm in 1958, Rev Jane Davies’ (née Williams) story is deeply rooted in the fields, classrooms, and churches of Fownhope. The eldest of four, she grew up on a sheep farm and attended Fownhope School, where her love of learning—and sums!—blossomed under the gentle guidance of Mr and Mrs Payne. It was they who first took young Jane to church, noticing her love of singing, and inviting her to join the choir at just six years old. That was the beginning of a lifelong calling.
Jane remembers village life with warmth and clarity—from ice creams at lunch, to Sunday School at the chapel, Brownies above the Green Man, and acting as secretary to Fownhope Football Club at just 14. Though she briefly left Herefordshire for training and a stint in Yorkshire, her heart—and ministry—has always belonged to rural communities.
Ordained at a time when women in the clergy were still controversial, Jane stepped forward with quiet courage, becoming the first woman priest in her deanery. At the time of interview, she was supporting other women in ministry as Dean of Women’s Ministry for the Diocese of Hereford. Throughout, she’s found joy in being part of life’s most meaningful moments—from weddings to funerals, baptisms to Club Walks—especially in parishes where people knew her before the collar.
Jane speaks movingly of returning to Fownhope, where she can just be Jane: the farmer’s daughter who once dreaded sewing class, loved her Bible, and never rode a pony again. Her ministry is shaped by the village that shaped her, and she remains deeply grateful for the love and support she’s received.
As she puts it, “I wouldn’t change my job for the world.” And Fownhope, no doubt, is proud to call her one of its own.
At the time of publishing this oral history on the village website (in 2025), Jane is enjoying her retirement helping out other parish priests in their ministry.