Westhide, Herefordshire

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

Transcribed by Rosemary Lockie, © Copyright 2004

WESTHIDE is a parish situated between the main road leading from Hereford to Worcester (over Froome's hill), and the Hereford and Gloucester canal, which forms the northern boundary. It is distant 6 miles N.E. of Hereford, 9½ S.W. of Bromyard, and about 2 N.E. of Withington station on the Worcester and Hereford branch of the Great Western railway (West Midland section). It is in Radlow hundred, Hereford union, petty sessional division, and county court district, and Ocle-Pychard (Burley Gate) polling district. The population in 1861 was 174; in 1871, 164; inhabited houses, 37; families or separate occupiers, 38; area of parish, 1,172 acres; annual rateable value, £1,917. The Right Hon. Lady Emily Foley, of Stoke Edith park, is lady of the manor; and John Brooke, Esq., and the Rev. Langton Edward Brown, are the principal landowners. The soil is deep clay; subsoil, red marl; chief produce, wheat, hops, beans, fruit, roots, &c. The land is very fertile and well wooded, but rather hilly. There are two quarries in the parish, one of road-stone, the other of an inferior kind of wall-stone. Westhide is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Weston; living, a vicarage, annexed to Stoke Edith rectory; joint value, £540, with residence and 124 acres of glebe; patroness, the Lady Emily Foley; vicar, Rev. William Henry Lambert, M.A., of Merton College, Oxford; who was instituted in 1858, and resides at Stoke Edith rectory. Westhide living is worth £220 yearly, with residence and 22 acres of glebe.

The Rev. Frederick William Homer, of King's College London, is the resident curate. The church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, was completely restored (except the tower), and chancel rebuilt in 1866-67, at a cost of £787; architect, T. Blashill, Esq., 10 Old Jewry chambers, London, E.C.; builder, Mr. Charles Bufton, of Ocle-Pychard. Many parts of this church are very ancient. It consists of a nave with vestry on the north side, western tower, a side aisle or chapel, a south porch and chancel. The side aisle is a very good specimen of 14th-century work. It contains the founder's tomb and effigy, and other interesting memorials. The restoration of the tower is contemplated when funds are available. It is an instance, not uncommon in this part of the kingdom, of a tower which has been commenced upon a large scale, but never carried to any great height. There is a national school, with teacher's residence, erected in 1863 at a cost of about £400. The school-room is built to accommodate 42 children; the present average attendance is about 30. Westhide Court, situate near the church, is at present unoccupied.

POSTAL REGULATIONS.- Letters are received through Hereford. The wall letter-box is cleared at 3.45 p.m. on week-days only. Tarrington is the nearest money order office. Postal telegrams may be sent from Withington and Stoke Edith railway stations. Post town, Hereford.
Parish Church (St. Bartholomew's).- Rev. William Henry Lambert, M.A., Rector; Rev. Frederick William Homer, A.K.C., Curate, Messrs. John Munn and George Moseley, Churchwardens; George Rock, Parish Clerk.
National School (boys and girls).- Miss Mary Preece, Mistress:
PRIVATE RESIDENT.
Homer Rev. Frederick William (curate), The Parsonage
COMMERCIAL.
Brown Frank, mason, Belmont cottage
Chamberlain Thomas, farmer, Dodmarsh
Corbett Joseph, blacksmith
Jones Jas., frmr. & hop gr., The Farm
Meredith Jn., frmr. & hop gr., Townsend
Moseley Geo., frmr. & hop gr., Court farm
Moseley William, farmer and hop grower, Upper house
Munn John, farmer and hop grower
Panniers William, farmer, Lower farm
Parsons Thomas, cot. farmer, Ash grove
Preece Miss Mary, schoolmistress, School house
Rock George, parish clerk
Smith Saml., frmr. & hop gr., Woodmanton

OCR/Transcription by Rosemary Lockie in July 2004.

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