Peterchurch, Herefordshire - Kelly's Directory, 1879

Extract from Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1879

PETERCHURCH.

PETERCHURCH is a parish and village 12 miles west of Hereford, 9 miles north-west from Pontrilas Station on the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford railway, 9 east from Hay and 156 from London, in Webtree Hundred, Abbey Dore Petty Sessional Division, Dore Union, Herefords County Court District, Weobley rural deanery and Hereford Archdeaconry and Diocese, situated very pleasantly on the River Dore, in the Golden Valley, on the Ross and Hay Road. The church of St. Peter is a handsome old stone building in the Norman Style: it has two chancels, nave, porches, tower with spire and 6 bells: It was entirely restored in 1874 by public contributions at a cost of £1,700, the spire in 1879 at £500: the interior of the church is especially handsome; it contains three fine Norman arches, several monuments, two stained windows, full toned organ and a rude piece of stone sculpture, representing at rout with a golden chain round its neck, and which is said to have been taken in the River Dore; from this circumstance the valley is said to have received its name of the Golden Valley. The register dates from the year 1605. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £375 without residence, in the gift of Percy Davies, esq. and held by the Rev. Thomas Prosser Powell, B.A. of St. John's College Oxford. There are chapels for Baptists, Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists. The charities are of about £15 yearly value: also almshouses for 6 aged women, with an endowment of 7s. per week and fuel. St. Peter's Well is reputed to have healing powers. The remains of Snodhill Castle are also in the parish. Urishay Castle, with a disused chapel, 1½ miles south-west, is owned by Richard Reece Delahay, esq. and let as a shooting box and farmstead. The representative of the late Rev. Thomas Prosser are Lords of the Manor of Snodhill, and the Rev. Sir George Henry Cornewall, bart. Richard Reece Delahay, esq. And the Rev. T. P. Powell are the chief landowners. The soil is rich loam; subsoil, clay and sandstone. The chief crops are wheat barley, oats, beans and Swedes. The area is 5,089 acres; rateable value, $5,783, the population in 1871 was 655.

   SNODHILL, a hamlet in this parish, is 2 miles north-west

   Parish Clerk.- William Howard

   POST & MONEY ORDER OFFICE & Savings Bank. Thomas Davies, Sub-Postmaster. Letters through Hereford arrive at 9 a.m.; dispatched at 5 p.m.

   SCHOOLS:-   National.- John Appleyard, master; Mrs. Caroline Appleyard, mistress.

   Free (Baptist).- Rev. Joseph Beard, master; Mrs. Emma Beard, mistress.

   CARRIERS TO HEREFORD.-Thomas Maddox, from Dorstone & Thomas Roach, from Peterchurch, Wednesday and Saturday, returning same day.

Beard Rev. Joseph (Baptist)	Powell Rev. Thomas Prosser, B.A., J.P. [vicar] Hinton Hall
Garrett Charles, Hinton Cottages	Williams Thomas Evans, Crossway
COMMERCIAL
Beaven John, farmer, Rose Cottage	Matthews Enoch, farmer, Upper Wellbrook
Bishop John, farmer, Lower Wellbrook & Pen-y-Lan	Medlicott William, farmer, Mowbage Lane
Bowyer Amos, builder and shopkeeper	Meredith Robert, farmer, Old Tays
Bowyer James, farmer and mason, Craft Hall	Morgan George, beer retailer and wheelwright
Cleland William, farmer, Trennant & Urishay Castle	Pearce Thomas, farmer, Snodhill Court
Davies Thomas. Farmer, New Enclosure	Powell James Thomas, farmer, Hinton Court
Davies William, farmer	Powell Thomas, farmer, Snodhill
Espener William, estate agent and land surveyor	Price Charles, farmer, Oatley Farm
Garrett Charles, shopkeeper, Hinton	Price Henry, farmer, Urishay Common
Garrett William, Boughton Arms	Price James, farmer, Dragon's Pool
Goodwin Edwin, farmer, Wilmaston	Price James, farmer, New House
Hancorn Ann (Mrs)., timber dealer	Pritchard Thomas, blacksmith
Howard William, beer retailer & wheelwright	Prosser Ephraim, shoe maker
Howells Richard, farmer, Cwm Crone	Prosser William, farmer, Stenchley
Hughes Isaac, corn dealer	Pugh William, farmer & mason, Wern-Eye
Jenkins John, chemist, Crossway	Roach Thomas, haulier, High House
Jenkins John, draper & grocer, Crossway	Watkins John & Thomas, blacksmith, Urishay
Jones Fanny, (Mrs.) farmer, Lower House, Snodhill	Watkins Sarah, (Mrs.), farmer, The Villa
Jones John, butcher	White George, mason
Lane Charles Edwin, grocer & draper, general outfitter, ironmonger, china & glass dealer, wine & spirit merchant, ale and porter stores. See advert	Williams George, farmer, Gobbets
Lewis David, farmer, New Lodge	Williams James, farmer, Mowbage
Lewis Walter, farmer, Lion's Hall Farm	Williams James, farmer, Pool Farm, Snodhill
Maddox Charles, farmer & beer retailer	Williams John, farmer, Greenway
Maddox James, miller, Trennant Mill	Williams William, farmer, Park Farm
Maddox William, farmer, Barley Knapp

[Transcribed by Richard Lane in January 2003
from a copy of Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1879 in Hereford Central Library]