Abbeydore, Herefordshire

Extract from Littlebury's Directory & Gazetteer of Herefordshire, 1876/7
with Private and Commercial Residents

Transcribed by Marion B. Wilkinson, © Copyright 2001

ABBEY DORE, ABBEY DOYER, or DORE, is a parish situated in the Golden Valley, 11 miles S.W. of Hereford, 14 W. of Ross, and about 2½ N.W. of Pontrilas station on the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford branch of the Great Western railway (West Midland section). The parish derives its name from its situation on the river Doyer, which is a celebrated trout stream. It is in Webtree hundred, Ewyas Harold polling district, and Herford county court district; is the head of a union, highway district, and petty sessional division. the population in 1861 was 551; in 1871, 533; inhabited houses, 90; families or separate occupiers, 91; area of parish, 5,390 acres; annual rateable value, £5,257. Captain Thomas Freke Lewis is lord of the manor and chief landowner. The Rev. A. Clive, W. Laslett, Esq., and Mrs. Feilden are also landowners here. The soil is a sandy loam; subsoil, clay and sandstone; chief crops, wheat, barley, beans, oates, &c.

Dore Abbey was founded for Cistercian (or white) monks, by Robert, Lord of Ewias, about the end of the reign of Henry I., or the beginning of that of King Stephen, in whose third year various gifts were made to it by Harold de Ewias, father of the above Robert. Besides the valuable endowments made by the founder, considerable benefactions were bestowed by other eminent personages; and King John increased the possessions of the monks by a grant of all the land between the Dore river and a rivulet called Trivel brook. His successor, Henry III., in his seventeenth year, confirmed all the grants, charters, and donations that had been made to the abbey from its foundation. The monks having thus acquired extensive possessions, and become very affluent, began the erection of a magnificent church, which was completed in a very elegant manner in the Pointed style of architecture.

At the time of its suppression, the revenues of this abbey were, according to Dugdale, £101 5s. 2d.; but Speed records the yearly income at £118 0s. 2d. In the 31st of Henry VIII., the site and demesne land of Dore Abbey were granted to John Scudamore, Esq., of Holme Lacy, who afterwards purchased the tithes of the parish, which having been originally granted to the Earl of Devonshire, had passed through various hands. The chapter-house, cloisters, and other buildings belonging to the abbey were pulled down, and the materials sold soon after its suppression, together with part of the church; but enough of the latter is still left to show that it was built in the cathedral form, and that its architecture was very elegant.

During the reign of Charles I., John Viscount Scudamore obtained a license to rebuild this fabric, and to endow it with all the appropriated tithes of the parish; it was not, however, entirely rebuilt, but underwent considerable repairs, and in the year 1634 was reconsecrated by Theophilus Field, Bishop of St. David's. This edifice, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is a large and handsome building, and has a western transept, chancel, north and south aisles, porch, font, and beautiful stained glass windows, with a well-proportioned and massive tower in the Norman style, containing six heavy bells.

It has several curious monuments and tablets, and a remarkable stone coffin, which was found under the church. Beneath an arch is a mutilated figure, carved in freestone, said to be the effigy of Robert de Ewias, founder of this abbey, who is recorded to have been buried here, together with Robert, his son, and several others of his family. Another broken and defaced statue, in the north aisle, is said to represent Sir Roger de Clifford, the younger, who was also buried here, as were Sir Alan Plokenet and William Grandison, Lords of Ewias Harold, and various other illustrious persons. There are two handsome monuments in memory of Rev. William Watts and Rev. Digby Cotes, former rectors of this parish. The living is a rectory, in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Weobley; value, £688, with residence and 9 acres of glebe; patron, Captain Thomas Freke Lewis; rector, Rev. Alfred Phillipps, Associate of King's College, London, who was instituted in 1868.

There are charities of about £40 yearly value. The National school for boys and girls is under Government inspection; average attendance about 50. It is endowed with £7 10s. per annum. Upwards of £160 have been recently spent upon the enlargement and improvement of the school. The union workhouse is capable of accommodating about 150 inmates. The guardians meet at the board-room every alternate Monday. Dore Union district comprises 27 parishes in Herefordshire and 2 in Monmouthshire, extending over an area of 74,917 statute acres; and contained in 1871 a population of 9,556, with 1,997 inhabited houses. The justices for Dore petty sessional division meet at the police station fortnightly. It has been recently proposed to construct a railway through the Golden Valley to join the Great Western line at Ponrilas. Abbey Dore Court is the seat of Captain Thomas Freke Lewis, J.P. and D.L.

ACTING MAGISTRATES FOR THE DORE DIVISION.- Rev. Archer Clive, M.A., Whitfield, Chairman; Rev. Charles Lionel Eagles, M.A., Longtown Vicarage; Rev. David John George, M.A., Trelough; Robert Henry Lee Warner, Esq., Tyberton Court; Captain Thomas Freke Lewis, Abbey Dore Court; Herbert H. Wood, Esq., White House, Vowchurch; Major Charles Meysey Bolton Clive, Whitfield; Captain Charles Guy Trafford, Michaelchurch Court; Edward Scudamore Lucas Esq., Kentchurch Court; and Rev. John Crugar Murray-Aynsley, M.A., Great Brampton, Madley. Clerk to the Justices-Thomas Llanwarne, Esq., 8 St. John street, Hereford. The following Parishes and Places are comprised in the Dore Petty sessional division.- Abbey Dore, Bacton, Crasswall, Dulas, Ewyas Harold, Foothog, Kenderchurch, Kentchurch, Kilpeck, Kingstone, Llancillo, Llanveynoe, Longtown, Madley, Michaelchurch Eskley, Newton, Peterchurch, Rowlstone, St. Devereux, St. Margarets, Thruxton, Treville, Turnastone, Tyberton, Vowchurch, Walterstone, and Wormbridge.
DORE UNION.- Rev. Archer Clive, M.A., J.P., Chairman; Josiah Davies, Esq., Vice-Chairman; Thomas Llanwarne, Esq., solicitor, 8 St. John street, Hereford, Clerk to the Guardians, and to the Rural Sanitary Authority; J.A.F. Suter, Esq., National Provincial Bank, Hereford, Treasurer; Alfred William Roberts, Esq., Hereford, Auditor; Rev. George Vaux Collison, B.A., Bacton, Chaplain; David Evans, Esq., L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S., Kingstone, Medical Officer of Health to the whole Union, and Surgeon to Madley District; James Lane, Esq., M.R.C.S., Grosmont, Surgeon to Kentchurch District, and to the Union House; Charles Warren Price, Esq., M.R.C.S., L.S.A., Longtown, Surgeon to Longtown District; Mr. William Johnson, Master; Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, Matron; Messrs. Henry Miles (Longtown) and Thomas Lewis (Ewyas Harold), Relieving Officers; Mr. George Wood (Upper Jewry, Abbey Dore) and Mr. Philip Gwillim (Cwm Dulas, Ewyas Harold), Sanitary Inspectors.
The following Parishes and Places are comprised in the Dore Union.- Abbey Dore, Bacton, Crasswall, Dulas, Ewyas Harold, Grosmont (Mon.), Kenderchurch or Howton, Kentchurch, Killpeck, Kingstone, Llancillo, Llangua (Mon.), Llanveynoe, Longtown, Madley, Michaelchurch Eskley, Newton, Orcop, Peterchurch, Rowlstone, St. Devereux, St. Margarets, Thruxton, Treville, Turnastone, Tyberton, Vowchurch, Walterstone, and Wormbridge.
REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES.- Thomas Llanwarne, Esq., 8 St. John street, Hereford, Superintendent Registrar; Mr. Thomas Lewis, Ewyas Harold, Registrar of Marriages; Mr. Thomas Lewis, Brook cottage, Ewyas Harold, and Mr. Philip Gwillim, Cwm Dulas, Ewyas Harold, Registrars of Births and Deaths.
DORE HIGHWAY DISTRICT.- Thomas Llanwarne, Esq., Hereford, Clerk; J.A.F. Suter, Esq., Hereford, Treasurer; Mr. George Wood, Upper Jewry, Abbey Dore, and Mr. Philip Gwillim, Cwm Dulas, Ewyas Harold, Surveyors.
POSTAL REGULATIONS.- Miss Elizabeth Mary Clarke, Sub-Postmistress. Letters arrive from Hereford at 9 a.m.; despatched thereto at 5.20 p.m. Ewyas Harold is the nearest money order office. Pontrilas is the nearest telegraph office. Post town Hereford.
Parish Church (St. Mary's).- Rev. Alfred Phillipps, A.K.C., Rector; Mr. George Addis and Mr. J. Watkins, Churchwardens; William Vizard, Parish Clerk.
National School (boys and girls).- Miss Elizth. Mary Clarke, Mistress.
Police Station.- Mr. William Cope (of Hereford), Superintendent for Abbey Dore Division; John Phillips, Resident Sergeant.
Carrier to Hereford.- Lucy Powell, every Wednesday and Saturday; stops at the Oak Stables, Gwynne street, Hereford; returning therefrom at 3.30 p.m. the same days.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Lewis Captain Thomas Freke, J.P., D.L. (master of the Herefordshire hounds), Abbey Dore court
Phillipps Rev. Alfred, A.K.C. (rector), The Rectory
COMMERCIAL.
Addis George, farmer, Hollingwood
Bray Thomas, farmer, Cock yard
Clarke Miss Elizabeth Mary, schoolmistress and sub-postmistress
Dale James, farmer, New barns
Dale John, farmer, Upper Jewry
Davies Thomas, shoemaker & shopkpr.
Deakin James Edward, farmer, Kingstone grange
Dyer William, farmer, Blackmoor
Dyke John, farmer, Moorhampton park
Evans George, farmer, Dore's Cwm farm
Fowler William, farmer, Lower house
Gardener C.R., farmer, Kerry hall
Giles Edward, carpenter
Gough Wm. Cleeton, farmr., Quarrell's grn.
Hughes Ephraim, farmer, Hill farm
Johnson William, master of Dore union
Jones John, farmer, Cwm farm
Lloyd James, farmer, Longwood
Parry James, farmer, Dontons
Phillips John, police sergt., Police sta.
Powell Mr. Danzy, Jewry cottage
Powell Lucy, carrier to Hereford
Powell James, farmer, Upper House farm
Powell Thomas, farmer, Newbrooke
Probert Richard, farmer, Farm house
Prothero James, blacksmith
Righton Jas., farmer, Woodward's farm
Sayce Job, miller, Abbey Dore mill
Slade Francis, farmer, The Grange
Smith John, farmer, Tan house
Spencer Thomas, farmer, The Foxes
Vizard William, parish clerk
Watkins J., farmer, Duffryn
Watkins Reuben, farmer, Lower Jewry
Wilks John, farmer, Blackbush
Wood George, surveyor to the Dore highway district, and sanitary inspector to the Dore union, Upper Jewry

Transcription by Marion Wilkinson in June 2001.

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