Aymestrey, Herefordshire

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

Transcribed by Rosemary Lockie, © Copyright 2002

AYMESTREY,
WITH COVENHOPE, LEINTHALL EARLES, LYE, AND YATTON.

AYMESTREY is an extensive parish and picturesque village, distant 7 miles N.W. of Leominster, 11 S.W. of Ludlow, 13 from Knighton, 18 from Hereford, 8 from Presteigne, 3½ from Wigmore, and about 3 from Kingsland station on the Leominster and Kington railway. The river Lugg, celebrated for its trout and grayling fishing, runs through the village, and the neighbourhood abounds in rich and varied scenery. The parish comprises the townships above named, and is situated on the Great Watling Street turnpike road, in Wigmore and Stretford hundreds, Leominster union and county court district; Wigmore petty sessional division and polling district. The population in 1861 was 855; in 1871, 775; inhabited houses, 168; families or separate occupiers, 182; area of parish, 6,353a. 1r. 31p.; annual rateable value, £6,541 7s. The Right Hon. Lord Bateman is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are Lord Bateman, Thomas Dunne, Esq., and J.G. Rodney Ward, Esq. The soil is loose gravelly land; subsoil, limestone; chief crops, wheat, barley, fruit, &c. There are limestone quarries in the neighbourhood, possessing the peculiar strata for which Aymestrey is noted, and in the stone fossils are found.

The parish is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Leominster; living, a vicarage with Leinthall Earles annexed; value, £341, with residence and 123 acres of glebe; patron, the Lord Chancellor; vicar, Rev. Thomas Green, M.A., of Worcester College, Oxford, who was instituted in 1866. The parish church is dedicated to St. John. It is an old stone structure in the Early English style, and has a square tower containing six bells. On the south side of the chancel is a fine specimen of herring-bone masonry. There is also an ancient monument, supposed to be to the memory of the founder and his wife. There is a national school for boys and girls; average attendance about 80. On an eminence to the S.W., above Aymestrey, is a small British camp, of a square form. In the neighbourhood is Mortimer's Cross, celebrated from a battle fought between the partisans of the rival houses of York and Lancaster, A.D. 1461; but the immediate site of the battle is in Kingsland parish. Covenhope is a township distant 1 mile from Aymestrey village. Leinthall Earles, a township and chapelry 2 miles N.E., will be found, fully described under a separate head. Lye is a township distant 2 miles from Aymestrey village. A Wesleyan chapel was erected at Lower Lye a few years ago. Yatton is a township almost adjoining the village of Aymestrey. Yatton Court, the property and residence of John George Rodney Ward, Esq., J.P., is a modern stone building, beautifully situated on the banks of the Lugg.

POSTAL REGULATIONS.- Mrs. Ellen Lowe, Sub-Postmistress. Letters are received through Kingsland, R.S.O., and arrive about 7.40 a.m.; despatched at 5.15 p.m. Kingsland is the nearest money order and telegraph office. Letters should be addressed - Aymestrey, Kingsland, R.S.O. (Herefordshire).
Parish Church. (St. John's).- Rev. Thomas Green, M.A., Vicar; J.G. Rodney Ward, Esq., and Mr. Abraham Griffiths, Churchwardens; Francis Wall, Parish Clerk.
St. Andrew's Chapel, Leinthall Earles.- Rev. T. Green, M.A., Vicar.
National School (boys and girls), Aymestrey.- Mr. _____ Master; Mrs. Ellen Lowe, Mistress.
Endowed School, Leinthall Earles.- Mr. _____, Master.
Wesleyan Chapel, Lower Lye.- Ministers various.
Carrier to Leominster.- Frederick Bywater (from Wigmore) passes through every Friday about 10 a.m., returning the same day at 8 p.m.

AYMESTREY,
WITH COVENHOPE, LEINTHALL EARLES, LYE, AND YATTON DIRECTORY.

PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Fortey James W., Esq., The Cottage, Aymestrey
Green Rev. Thomas, M.A., J.P. (vicar of Aymestrey with Leinthall Earles; surrogate for the diocese of Hereford), The Vicarage
Robinson Herbert J., Esq. (captain 15th L.A.V.), Aymestrey court
Ward John George Rodney, Esq., J.P., Yatton court
Woodhouse Thomas, Esq., Aymestrey
COMMERCIAL.
Anson Thomas, farmer, Lower Lye
Barnett James, farmer, Leinthall Earles
Bradford John, Mortimer's Cross Inn
Childs Samuel, farmer, Upper Lye
Davies John Hunt, farmer, Shirley; and at The Raft, Lingen, Presteigne, R.S.O.
Dunkerton Francis William, clerk to J.G. Rodney Ward, Esq., Yatton court
Edwards Thomas, farmer, Woodhampton
Faulkner William, blacksmith, Yatton
Freeman Edward, butcher
Freeman John, farmer, Aymestrey com.
Griffiths Abraham, farmer, Yatton
Hopton Elizabeth, farmer, Bach brook
Hopton Timothy, farmer, Aymestrey
Hopton William, farmer, Yatton
Hotchkiss Samuel, farmer, Gatley park, Leinthall Earles
Howard Miss Ann, shopkeeper, Leinthall Earles
James Thomas, farmer, Covenhope
Jones Matthew, farmer, The Hall, Leinthall Earles
Jones Thomas, farmer, Old field
Ley Jabez, inland revenue officer
Lowe Herbert, tailor, Aymestrey
Lowe John, farmer, Leinthall Earles
Lowe Mrs. Ellen, sub-postmistress, Post office, Aymestrey
Maxfield Edward, miller, Aymestrey mill
Meredith Samuel, farmer, Yatton
Monnington William, farmer, Lower Lye
Moore Francis, farmer, Leinthall Earles
Newman Ambrose, farmer, Leinthall E.
Norris John, grocer, &c., Aymestrey
Oliver James, farmer, Lower Lye
Pheasant John, shoemaker, Yatton
Preece Charles, Crown Inn, Aymestrey
Roberts Richard, frmr., Mortimer's cross
Robinson Captain Herbert J., farmer, Aymestrey court
Wall Francis, parish clerk, Aymestrey
Williams James, carpenter & wheelwright
Wynde Mrs. Ann, blacksmith, Aymestrey

OCR/Transcription by Rosemary Lockie in June 2002.

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