Holme Lacy, Herefordshire - Kelly's Directory, 1856

Extract from Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1856

Transcription by Richard Lane © 2002

HOLME LACY.

HOLME LACY, or HOM LACY, is a township, parish, scattered village, and railway station, situated on the banks of the River Wye, being intersected by the Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester Railway, distant 139½ miles from London, 30¼ from Gloucester, 114¼ from Liverpool, 4½ south-east from Hereford, and 8 north-west from Ross, and is in the Hundred of Wormelow, Hereford Union, archdeaconry, and diocese, and deanery or Irchenfield. The church of St. Andrew is situated near to the River Wye, and consists of a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, with a substantial square tower containing a fine peal of 8 bells. In the interior of this edifice are several monuments erected to the memory of the ancient Scudamore Family; the late Duchess of Norfolk lies interred here. This building is of stone, and exhibits the Norman style of architecture. The living, a vicarage annexed to the chapelry of Boulstone, is valued at £543 annually, with good residence and about 12 acres of glebe land, and is in the patronage of Sir Edwin Francis Scudamore Stanhope, Bart. The Rev. Francis Lewis, M.A., is the incumbent; The Rev. Silvanus Brigstock, B. D., the Curate. Here is a Free School for boys and girls; also a Sunday School for boys only, which is a neat stone erection, built in the year 1833, at the expense of Lady Stanhope, of Holme House. Holme Lacy was for some centuries in the ancient family of the Scudamores, whose ancestor, St. Scudamore (so called from the scutum amoris divini which he adopted for his arms), attended William the conqueror in his expedition to England. Philip Scudamore, a descendent, settled here in the 14^th century. This remained the principle seat of the family till the year 1716, when the last Viscount Scudamore dying, the estate vested in his only child, a daughter. By Charles Fitzroy Scudamore, Esq., (her second husband), she also had a daughter, to whom the property descended. This Lady married the late Duke of Norfolk, in 1771, and the estate of Holme Lacy, together with various valuable estates in this county and in Gloucestershire, was added to the princely domains of that nobleman. The greatest part of Holme House (now the property and residence of Sir Edwin Francis Scudamore Stanhope, Bart.), was built by the last Viscount Scudamore, who was the friend of Pope, who frequently wooed the muses here. The good taste of the present proprietor allows the mansion to remain unaltered, the more ancient part of which displays the Elizabethan Style. Its situation is quiet and retired, commanding a beautiful but confined view in the front. The apartments of this noble building are decorated with family portraits, and valuable paintings by Vandyck, Janson, Holbein, and other great masters. The old garden, on the south front, was formed after the model of Hampton Court, Middlesex, and displays a very specious terrace. The extensive grounds and parks of this estate are most pleasantly situated. Sir Edwin Francis Scudamore Stanhope, Bart., of Holme House, is lord of the manor, and the chief landed proprietor. There are charities of about £18 yearly value connected with this parish. Near the parsonage house is a remarkable pear-tree, covering a large space of ground, and forming an orchard of itself, which, according to records dated 1776, yielded from fourteen to sixteen hogsheads of perry, of 100 gallons each, and is accounted for as follows: - A large branch having been broken by the wind, its head fell to the ground, the butt still adhering to the trunk; some time after it appeared to have struck into the ground, taken root, and formed a scion. Willing to encourage this lusus naturae, the incumbent gave orders for other layers to be made from the tree, in a similar manner, which became rooted and bore fruit. At the bottom of an extensive meadow is a ferry, which crosses the river from here to the village of Fownhope. The population of this parish, in 1851, was 322.

   BILLINGSLEY, Hollinton, The Tump, The Bower, and Upper and Lower Bogmarsh, are farms here.

Brigstock Rev. Silvanus, B. D. Vicarage
Stanhope Sir Edwin Francis Scudamore, Bart., Holme House
Stanhope Rev. Berkley Lionel Scudamore, Holme House

 

TRADERS
Bonnor John, farmer, The Bower	Powell George, farmer, Canon Dale
Cook James, gamekeeper	Prickett James, farmer
Downing John, farmer, Lower Bogmarsh	Prosser Joseph
Elliott Samuel, farmer, Upper Bogmarsh	Sexty Thomas, farmer, Hollinton
Imms Thomas, farmer, The Folly	Smith Timothy, farmer, The Tump
Magness Matthew, blacksmith	Ward Francis, sub-postmaster
Morris John, stonemason	Wellington William, tailor, Holme Park
Pearce John, shopkeeper

[Transcribed by Richard Lane in December 2002
from a copy of Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1856 in Hereford Central Library]