Peterchurch, Herefordshire - Kelly's Directory, 1926

Extract from Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1926

PETERCHURCH.

PETERCHURCH is a parish on the River Dore, in the Golden Valley and on the Ross and Hay road, with a station on the Golden Valley Railway, 9 miles north-west from Pontrilas Station on the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford section of the Great Western Railway, 12 west from Hereford and 9 east from Hay, in the southern division of the county, Webtree Hundred, Dore petty Sessional division and union, Hereford County Court District, rural deanery of Abbey Dore, and archdeaconry and diocese of Hereford. The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone in the Norman style, consisting of apsidal chancel, with aisle, nave, north porch and western tower with octagonal spire containing a chiming clock, erected at a cost of £146, and 6 bells: there are three fine Norman arches, three stained windows and a rude piece of sculptured stone, representing a trout with a golden chain round its neck, said to have been taken in the River Dore; in 1902 a new organ was provided, the church was restored in 1869 and the spire in 1879: the north porch was built in 1888, from funds raised by voluntary subscriptions, to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria; the tower and spire were repaired in 1906. The register dates from the year 1711. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £350, with 1½ acres of glebe, in the gift of Mrs. Powell, and held since 1920 by the Rev. Joseph Henry Trestrail Kilgour M.A. of Edinburgh University. Here is a Baptist chapel, built in 1879, with sittings for 250 persons, also a Wesleyan Chapel, There is a Primitive Methodist Chapel at Urishay, built in 1837, seating 100 persons. Fairs are held on Monday before February 2^nd, 1^st Monday in March (horse), 16^th May (hiring), last Monday in June, 1^st Monday in September, 1^st Monday in October, and last Monday in November. A market for cattle is held every alternate Monday and for poultry &c. every Monday. St. Peter's Wells, situated in this parish, are reputed to have healing powers. The charities, amounting to about £9 yearly, are given to the poor on the 1^st of January in each year. The Schools and also almshouses for six aged women are endowed, under the will of John Smith, with monies left by him in 1729.. In this parish are the remains of Snodhill Castle, which existed in the reign of Stephen, and in the reign of Henry VI. was held with the manor by the great Earl of Warwick; Queen Elizabeth granted it to Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and about 1655 it was purchased by William Prosser, citizen of London, in whose family it still remains. There is also at Snodhill the ruins of an old chapel, of which Thomas Fairfax, the well known Elizabethan composer, was at one time curate. Urishay Castle, 2 miles south-west, was demolished in 1921; in the castle grounds is a Norman chapel, long disused; it was purchased by subscription in 1914, partially restored and re-dedicated for public worship, the chancel contains an ancient stone alter with five consecration crosses on its surface. Fairfield is the property and residence of Thomas Henry Foster esq. Wellbrook Manor, probably built about 1400, is the property and residence of Lt. Col. Frank Howard Aulton. Captain Thomas Percy Prosser Powell O. B. E. is Lord of the Manor of Snodhill, and Joseph Yeomans esq. and James Williams esq., are the chief landowners. The soil is a rich loam; subsoil clay and sandstone. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, beans and swedes. The area is 5,164 acres; rateable value, £5,268, the population in 1921 was 528.

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

   Parish Clerk.- Herbert Pikes.

   Post. M.O. T. & T. E. D. Office.- Edwin James Jenkins, sub-postmaster. Letters through Hereford

   Wall Letter Box, Hinton, Snodhill & Nag's Head.

   Public Elementary Schools, built, with residence for master, in 1857, and classroom added in 1885; the school was endowed in 1856 with monies left in 1729 by John Smith; accommodation for 95 children. It is leased to the County Education Authority. Charles William Pollard, master; Miss E. Williams, mistress

   Police Station.- Reginald J. Broben. Constable.

   Golden Valley Railway.- Ernest James Sutton, Station Master.

PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Aulton Lt. Col. Frank Howard, Wellbrook Manor	Morgan Mrs. Hawthorn Villa
Best James Raymond, The Crossways	Price Miss, Hawthorn Villa
Cook Mrs. Snodhill Hall	Randall Harry, Hinton Cottage
Foster Thomas Henry, Fairfield	Roderick Rev. Havelock (Baptist)
Gardiner Miss,	Smith John, Hillside
Hancorn James	Webster Edwin Charles, Brockwell
Kilgour Rev. Joseph Henry Trestail (vicar), Hinton Hall	Williams James Richard, Hinton
Medlicott Henry B., J.P., Mowbage	Williams Rees, senior, Urishay House
COMMERCIAL
Bowyer James, builder	Pikes Herbert, cycle agent & parish clerk
Davies Thomas, farmer, Snodhill	Price Arthur, farmer, Barley Knapp
Earle Cecil P., farmer, Hinton Grange	Price Arthur, farmer, Wernhyr
Gaze William, smallholder	Price Charles (Mrs.), farmer, Cwm Farm
Griffiths G. & W. Ltd. General merchants, Golden valley Stores	Price Ernest, farmer, Old Tay
Gwilliam David, farmer, The Slade	Price James junior, farmer, Dragon's Pool
Haines Roger, farmer, Snodhill Court	Price John, farmer, New Enclosure Farm.
Hallard Reginald Charles, Rate Collector for Peterchurch, Long Lane	Price John, farmer, Urishay.
Hardwick Eliza (Mrs.), Laundry,	Price Lewis, farmer, Lower Snodhill
Jenkins Beatrice (Miss), fancy draper	Price Samuel, farmer, Oatley
Jenkins Edwin J., stationer, Post Office	Price Samuel, farmer, Wernhyr
Jones Edgar & Sons, Boughton Arms Hotel	Price William, farmer, Park Farm
Jones Emmanuel, shoe maker	Pritchard William, farmer, Urishay Court
Jones Mary A. (Mrs.), Plough Inn	Prosser Enoch J., farmer, Upper Wellbrook
Jones Thomas A., coal merchant, Basley House	Prosser Seth H., farmer, Stensley Farm
Lane Brothers, grocers	Reece Thomas, farmer, Hinton Court
Lane, Annie E. (Miss), grocer, Hinton	Rooke Thomas, small holder
Love Allan, farmer, Wellbrook Barn	Smith William John, blacksmith, Hinton
Medlicott Henry B. J.P., farmer, Mowbage	Smith William, coal dealer, High House
Meredith Robert (Mrs.), farmer, Urishay Villa	Watkins Arthur, farmer, Pen-y-Lan
Monkley Samuel, farmer, Prospect	William Rees, beer retailer
Morris William John, farmer & butcher, Valley View	Williams Enoch (Mrs.), farmer, Gobbets
Mutlow Richard, farmer, Trenant Farm	Williams John, farmer, New Lodge
Norman Cyrus, farmer	Williams William A. (Mrs.), refreshment rooms
Peterchurch Men's Club (Edwin Webster, president; Edwin James Jenkins, secretary	Williams William Archer, monumental mason
Phillips John, farmer, Greenway	Yeomans Joseph, farmer, Wilmastone

[Transcribed by Richard Lane in January 2003
from a copy of Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1926 in Hereford Central Library]