Huntington, Herefordshire

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

Transcribed by Rosemary Lockie, © Copyright 2004

HUNTINGTON is a parish situated on the river Arrow and on the borders of Radnorshire, about 4 miles S.W. of Kington, 7 N. of Hay, 11 S.W. of Presteigne, 16 W. of Leominster, and 24 N.W. of Hereford; is in Huntington hundred, Kington union, polling district, county court district, and petty sessional division. The population in 1861 was 279; in 1871, 244; inhabited houses, 45; families or separate occupiers, 46; area of parish, 1,937 acres; annual rateable value, £2,314. The Executors of the late James Cheese, Esq., with Henry Romilly, Esq., and Charles Payne Evans, Esq., are the chief landowners. The soil is light; subsoil, stony; chief produce, wheat, barley, oats, and roots. Two considerable fairs are held here annually on July 18th and November 13th, for all kinds of stock and wool, and rank among the best held in the West Midland district. Huntington is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Weobley; living, a rectory, annexed to the vicarage of Kington; joint value, £661, with residence; patron, the Lord Bishop of Worcester; rector, Rev. Henry Thomas Whately, M.A., of Christ Church, Oxford, who was instituted in 1860. The Rev. W. Barclay, M.A., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, is the curate.

The church is a plain stone edifice, consisting of nave, chancel, and wooden turret with two bells. About a quarter of a mile N. from the church stood the castle, which is now in ruins. It was formerly a considerable border stronghold, and gave name to the hundred, "Huntington castle", says Leland, "longid to the Duke of Bokingham". It was in form nearly oblong; the keep was on the south-west side. The foundations have been so ransacked for stones to erect buildings in the neighbourhood, that there remain only a few fragments of the walls at present. It was surrounded by a mound and a moat, or fosse, and had the green on the north-east side (about an acre of land); the moat was formidable and deep. On the north-west side over the moat was a drawbridge. The walls were seven feet thick; and the general plan of the structure resembled the castle at Clifford, and was probably erected in the reign of William the Conqueror.

In this parish is a free school for boys and girls, built and endowed in 1791 by Edward Goff, of London, coal merchant. It has been recently re-modelled. It is under a master, and has an average attendance of about 40 children. It is also used as a chapel by the Congregationalists. A school has been erected at Mahollem, between Huntington and Kington, by H. Romilly, Esq., of Huntington park, for the use of the children of this parish and an outlying portion of Kington. It is under government inspection, and is conducted by a mistress appointed and chiefly supported by Mr. Romilly; average attendance, about 40. The principal residences in the parish are - Huntington Park, the seat of Henry Romilly, Esq., and Huntington Court, at present unoccupied.

POSTAL REGULATIONS.- Letters arrive by messenger from Kington at 11 a.m. Kington is the nearest money order and telegraph office and post town.
Parish Church.- Rev. Henry Thomas Whately, M.A., Rector; Rev. W. Barclay, M.A., Curate; Henry Romilly, Esq., Churchwarden; Evan Thomas, Parish Clerk.
Parochial School (boys and girls), Mahollem.- Mrs. A. Schofield, Mistress.
Goff's Free School (boys and girls).- Mr. John Henry Lloyd, Master.
Congregational Chapel.- Rev. William Jones, Minister.
Assistant Overseer.- William Lewis.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Jones Rev. Wm. (Congregational minister
Romilly Henry, Esq., Huntington park
COMMERCIAL.
Barnett Mrs. T., farmer, Arrow cottage
Bound John, farmer and carpenter
Brace George, farmer, Penland
Burgoyne Henry, mason and stonecutter
Edwards Charles, miller, Park mill
Hammond Henry, farmer, The Hengoed
Hobby Mrs. Wm., farmer, Burnt Hengoed
Hughes George, farmer, Upper house
Jones Jas., cottage farmer, Greenfield cot.
Jones John, farmer, Lower house
Lewis John, farmer, The Lodge
Lewis Thomas, farmer, Penland
Lewis William, boot and shoe maker
Lloyd John Henry, schoolmaster
Mainwaring Thomas, farmer, Great Penland; William Beavan, bailiff
Meredith Bridgewater, farmer, Park farm
Morris Thomas, miller, Hall's mill
Moss Charles, boot and shoe maker
Pritchard Thomas, cattle dealer, The Firs
Rees William, farmer, Upper Hengoed
Stephens E., cottage farmer, Cae-Cwm
Thomas Evan, Swan Inn, and blacksmith
Vale John, cot, frmr., Little Gwernybwlch
Wigmore E., farmer, Pentiley
Williams John, farmer, Little Hengoed
Worthing John, grocer & provision dealer

OCR/Transcription by Rosemary Lockie in April 2004.

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