Bishops Froome, Herefordshire

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

Transcribed by Rosemary Lockie, © Copyright 2002

BISHOP'S FROOME,
WITH HALMOND's FROOME, LEADON, STANFORD REGIS, AND WALTON.

BISHOP'S FROOME is a village and extensive and fertile parish consisting of the townships above named, distant 4¾ miles S. of Bromyard, 8 N.N.W. of Ledbury, 9 N.W. of Malvern, and about 12½ N.E. of Hereford; is in Radlow hundred, Bromyard union, petty sessional division, and county court district, and is a polling place for county elections. The population in 1861 (exclusive of Eggleton,[1] a detached township in Ledbury union) was 850; in 1871, 814; inhabited houses, 194; families or separate occupiers, 208. Eggleton contained in 1871 a population of 135, with 29 inhabited houses and 30 families or separate occupiers. The area of the parish is 3,950a. 3r. 29p., and the rateable value, £7,041 2s. 6d. Eggleton contains about 630 acres, the rateable value being £905. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor, and the principal landowners are Rev. William Parsons Hopton, Major Browne, James Moilliet, Esq., James Thomas Mutlow, Esq., Elisha Caddick, Esq., James Gardener, Esq., John Imms, Esq., and John Allcott, Esq. The soil is loamy clay; subsoil, pure clay; chief crops, hops, apples, wheat, beans, peas, and pasture.

Bishop's Froome is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of South Froome; living, a vicarage; value, £496 tithe rentcharge, with residence and 126 acres of glebe; patron, John Hopton, Esq.; vicar, Rev. William Parsons Hopton, M.A., of Trinity College, Oxford, who was instituted in 1826, and is also prebendary of Hereford and rural dean. The parish register begins with the year 1564. The church (St. Mary's) was thoroughly restored, and a new aisle added in 1861, at a cost of £2,020, defrayed by rate and subscription. The nave is divided from the chancel by handsome Norman arches; the chancel was rebuilt in 1835 at a cost of £600. The eastern windows contain handsomely stained glass, giving nine pictorial illustrations of the birth and death of our Saviour; the crucifixion being in the centre. There are some noticeable monumental remains here. The tower, which is square and embattled, contains a clock and a peal of six bells. A new porch was erected in 1872 at a cost of £100.

A church, dedicated to St. Matthew, was erected in 1864-65 at Froome's Hill, as a chapel of ease to the parish church. It was built from the designs of F.R. Kempson, Esq., of Hereford, and is an excellent specimen of the Early English style; cost £1,100, towards which the Church Building Society contributed £110, the remainder being made up by subscription. The building accommodates about 100 persons, and consists of nave with south porch, a double bell-cot on west gable, chancel with circular apse, and vestry on north side of chancel. There is a national school for boys and girls, with a certificated master, under Government inspection; average attendance, 78. Many bequests have been left to the poor of this parish. There is a Congregational chapel at Froome's Hill. Cheyney Court, the seat of James Moilliet, Esq., J.P. for Worcestershire, is a fine modern mansion. Hall Court is the residence of Major John Michael Browne, J.P., D.L. Halmond's Froome is a township S.E. of the village; Leadon, Stanford Regis, and Walton are also townships.

[1] The township of Eggleton will be found under a separate heading.

POSTAL REGULATIONS.- Mrs. Ann Wilkins, Sub-Postmistress. Letters are received through Worcester and arrive via Bromyard at 9.10 a.m.; despatched thereto at 3.35 p.m. Bromyard is the nearest money order and telegraph office. Post town, Worcester.
Parish Church (St. Mary's).- Rev. William Parsons Hopton, M.A., Vicar; Rev. Henry L. Graham, M.A., Curate; Messrs. William Page and John T. Ockey, Churchwardens; Richard Davies, Parish Clerk.
St. Matthew's Chapel of Ease, Froome's Hill.- Rev. H.L. Graham, Curate.
National School (boys and girls).- Mr. David Thomas Davis, Master; Mrs. Elizabeth Vernalls, Sewing Mistress.
Froome's Hill School (boys and girls).- Mrs. Prosser, Mistress.
Congregational Chapel, Froome's Hill.- Rev. Thomas Edwards, Minister.
Relieving Officer and Registrar of Births and Deaths for Froome District of Bromyard Union.- Mr. Frederic Nicholas.
Carrier to Bromyard.- Walter William Firkins, from Froome's Hill, every Monday, returning from the Rose and Lion, Bromyard, about 3 p.m.
Carrier to Malvern.- Walter William Firkins, on Wednesdays.
Carriers to Worcester.- Samuel Morris, from Halmond's Froome, every Friday evening, returning on Saturday evening; James Davies, from Halmond's Froome, every Saturday, returning the same day; W.W. Firkins from Froome's Hill, every Saturday, returning from the Reindeer at 2:30 p.m. the same day.

BISHOP'S FROOME,
WITH HALMOND's FROOME, LEADON, STANFORD REGIS, AND WALTON DIRECTORY.

PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Allcott Mr. John, Woodcrofts
Browne Major John Michael, J.P., D.L., Hall court
Cook Mrs., Lower house
Dowding Miss Margaret, Millfields
Edwards Rev. Thomas (Congregational), Froome's hill
Gardiner Mr. James, Batchfields
Graham Rev. Henry L., M.A. (curate), The Hanburies
Hopton Rev. William Parsons, M.A., J.P., & D.L. (vicar of Bishop's Froome, prebendary of E-Withington in Hereford cathedral, and rural dean of South Froome), The Vicarage
Imms Mr, John, Wellington
Inett Mrs., Furlongs
Moilliet James, Esq., J.P. (for Worcestershire), Cheyney court
Nash Mr. John, New house
Ockey Mr. Charles, Bromtrees hall
Ockey Mr. John Taylor, Leadon court
Page Mr. John, Cheyney Court farm
Page Mr. William, The Hill
Phillips Mrs., Upper house
Smith Mrs., Court mill
COMMERCIAL.
Allcott John, farmer, hop grower, and landowner, Woodcrofts
BARRETT JAS., builder & contractor, The Briars, Halmond's Froome, and Bromtrees Hall brick and tile works
Browne Thomas, farmer, The Birches
Bullock Michael, carpenter, builder, &c.
Chambers Saml., veterinary, Batchfields
Clinton George, cooper, The Rhea
Coldwell Jas.,farmr.& hop grower, Instone
Coldwell Thomas, miller, Paunton mill
Cooper Thomas, mason
Daniels John, farmer, The Meadows
Davies James, carrier, Halmond's Froome
Davies Richard, parish clerk
Davis David T., master of National schl.
Dutson William, Green Dragon Inn
Edwards Mrs. Elizabeth, farmer and hop grower, Dovefields and The Rhea farms
Firkins Walter W., shopkeeper and carrier, Froome's hill
Firkins William, farmer, Sponning
Gardiner James, farmer, Batchfields
Gardiner James Thos., farmer, The Leys
Gibbs Thomas, farmer, Newlands
Gibbs Thomas, farmer, Old house
Green Edward, farmer and hop grower, White house
Hardy Thomas, shopkeeper
Hooper Thomas, gardener
Hoply William, sawyer'
Imms John, farmer, hop grower,and landowner, Wellington and Walton farms
Jay George, farmer, Furrows farm
Johnsons Mrs., miller
Lewis James, draper & grocer, Mudwalls
Loggin Miss Mary, farmer, Vine-tree
MorrisSaml., carrier & farmer, Halmond's Froome
Morris Samuel, farmer, New house
Mutlow James Thomas, farmer, hop gr., and landowner, Paunton court & Broadfield court; res., Oldbury ho., Worcester
Newman James, farmer, Lower Walton
Nicholas Frederic, registrar of births & deaths and relieving officer for Froome district of Bromyard union
Ockey Charles, farmer and hop grower, Bromtrees hall
Ockey John Taylor, farmer & hop grower, Leadon court
Ockey Richard, farmer, Froome's court; res., The Moorend, Castle Froome
Page John, farmer and hop grower, Cheyney Court farm
Page Wm., frmr. & hop grower, The Hill
Palmer William, farmer
Parker James, farmer, Round moors
Powell Thos., farmer, Hopton & Frogend
Powell Thomas, farmer, Handburies
Probert Jonah, Wheatsheaf Inn
Prosser Mrs., schoolmistress, Froome's hill
Prosser Thomas, miller, Court mill
Pudge William F., Chase Inn, grocer, butcher, and farmer
Sandford Mrs., farmer, Mudwalls
Shepherd Mrs. Esther, frmr., Halfway hed.[Ed:sic]
Smith Sam., farmer & miller, Upper ho.
Vale William W., farmer and hop grower, Mayfields, Halmond's Froome
Vernalls William, painter, &c.
Watkins John, blacksmith
Watkins John, jum, blacksmith
Went George, shopkeeper & beer retailer (Major's Arms), Halmond's Froome
Went John, farmer, Richlow
Wilkins Mrs. Ann, sub-postmistress and shopkeeper, Post office
Williams Henry, carpenter & wheelwright
Woodhouse Richard, boot and shoe maker
Yates Ch., tailor & farmr., Batchfield cot.

OCR/Transcription by Rosemary Lockie in June 2002.

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