ROSS is a market town and ancient borough, pleasantly situated on a bold eminence overlooking the river Wye, and the delightful scenery for which the district is so celebrated. It is a station on the Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester branch of the Great Western railway, and is the junction of the Ross and Monmouth railway; is distant 132 miles W.N.W. of London, 12 S.E. of Hereford, 12 N.E. of Monmouth, 18 W.N.W. of Gloucester, 24½ S.S.E. of Leominster, 13 S.W. of Ledbury by road and 26½ by rail, 25 from Cheltenham, 58 from Bath, 55½ from Bristol, 113½ from Oxford, 120¾ from Reading, 36 from Ludlow, 63 from Shrewsbury, 105 from Chester, 120¾ from Birkenhead, 122 from Liverpool, and 143 from Manchester. The parish of Ross comprises an area of 3,118 statute acres, and is divided into Ross Borough and Ross Foreign. It is in the south-eastern part of the county and hundred of Greytree; is the head of a poor-law union, highway district, county court district, and petty sessional division, and is a polling place for the election of members for the county. The population of Ross, according to the census returns in 1851, was 4,017; in 1861, 4,346; in 1871, 4,589; with 929 inhabited houses, and 1,088 families or separate occupiers. The houses and population enumerated in 1871 were as follows:-

HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, ETC.- It is always difficult to ascertain the correct etymology of places founded at remote periods, and more particularly where no record exists which can assist the inquiry; but in this, as in most other instances, the want of authentic documents has been supplied by conjecture. Ross probably derives its name from the Welsh Rhos (a mountain meadow, or a moist large plain), and was adopted by the Saxons, with a slight variation. The district in which Ross is situated formerly comprehended the site of the city of Hereford, together with a considerable part of the county, and was a division of the ancient Siluria. It was called by the Britons Erenwe or Ergin (a hunting country), and was governed by independent sovereigns, in the number of whom was the famous St. Dubritius, Archbishop of Caerleon and King of Ergin, who succeeded his grandfather Pibanus. By the Saxons it was called Archenfield, Irginfield, and Urchenfield. It is now reduced to the small compass of the deanery of Archenfield which comprises nineteen parishes of the hundred of Wormelow, five parishes of Webtree, and three in the county of Monmouth. When the Romans were in possession of it, the chief towns of the district were Magna and Ariconium.

The former place is supposed to have gone to decay soon after the departure of the Romans, and the site is now called Kenchester (from Ken or Kyn, first or chief, and Chester, equivalent to the Castra of the Romans). Antiquaries are now agreed in considering Kenchester as the real Magna Castra. Ariconium is reported by tradition to have been destroyed by an earthquake. The extent and limit of its site are at present discernible by a blackness of soil, strikingly different from all around it, which, together with the circumstance of there being very few traces of buildings remaining, accord with the tradition; and many Roman coins and other antiquities have also been found there. It is distant about three miles eastward from the town of Ross, and about three-quarters of a mile northward from the Gloucester road, and is now called Rose or Bury Hill. The kingdom of Ergin was subjected by the Saxons in the reign of Offa, and became a province of Mercia. The men of Archenfield were renowned for their valour; they were "the first in the field and the last to quit it"; and many privileges were conferred upon them, which are duly certified in Domesday Book. The district has long been distinguished for the valuable breed of sheep called "Ryeland".

The manor of Ross appears to have been very early in the possession of the see of Hereford. Few manors in the realm can show an historical pedigree of such high antiquity as that of Ross. About the year 1135, Robert de Bethune, bishop of the diocese, procured from King Stephen a grant to hold a weekly market on Thursdays. Henry III. constituted it a free borough; it continued to send members to Parliament till the thirty-third year of Edward III. (A.D. 1360), but the privilege was relinquished the following year, on the petition of the inhabitants. Henry also granted free warren to Bishop Ralph de Maydeston, and confirmed the market to Peter de Aquablanca and successors. The same king granted the annual fair (now called the wool fair) to last three days, the vigil, the festival, and the morrow of St. Margaret.

"The royalty and demesne of Ross did of long time appertain unto the see of Hereford, and was a parcel of the lands of the bishopric; but it is reported that Queen Elizabeth did take it from the bishopric by exchange, which since hath appertained to the Devereux, Earl of Essex, Viscount of Hereford, till within these twelve years, by the death of Robert, Earl of Essex (who died September, 1646), for want of issue of his body, it went to his sisters, by one of which it came to the Marquess of Hertford".^[2] It afterwards came into the possession of the Marquess of Bath, who in 1815 sold the property and manor. It now belongs to Kingsmill Manley Power, Esq., J.P., D.L., of Hill Court, near Ross. A court leet used to be held annually at Michaelmas, at which the officers of the town were appointed. A mayor was chosen by the jury of the court leet, and appointed by the lord of the manor; a court baron was held by the lord of the manor a few days after the court leet. The government of the town is now vested in commissioners, chosen under the "Ross Improvement Act". (For list of the commissioners see page 563.) There is no corporation, although Ross is styled a borough, nor does it exercise any municipal functions.

NOTABILIA.- This town has been immortalised by Pope in his well-known theme, "The Man of Ross". The splendid eulogium of the poet does not exaggerate the merits of the philanthropist. John Kyrle was descended from an old family long resident at Walford, near Ross, and was born on the 22nd of May, 1637, at the White house in the parish of Dymock, Gloucestershire. After graduating at Balliol College; Oxford (at which place a piece of plate presented by him is still shown), he came to reside at Ross, where for many years his life was one course of active and disinterested benevolence. At what time he first took up his abode in Ross, is not recorded; it appears, however, that in 1683 he served the office of high sheriff for the county of Hereford. He died November 7th, 1724, and was buried in the chancel of Ross church.

Among the many mementoes of Mr. Kyrle with which the neighbourhood of the town abounds, may be mentioned the public walk which bears his name, and The Prospect, near the church. This piece of land Kyrle rented of the Marquess of Bath on a lease of 500 years, and underlet to a tenant named Fisher, subject to a right which he reserved for the inhabitants of Ross to walk therein. From this spot the view of the river and the surrounding country is enchanting, and the beautiful horse-shoe form in which the river flows beneath the town is very striking. In the centre of the meadow, opposite The Prospect, are still standing the remains of a gigantic oak tree, which, it is said, once stood on the edge of the stream - and from the very visible addition which has been made to this meadow within the last few years, there is no doubt that such was the case. From some records preserved in the town it would appear that this tree is upwards of 1,100 years old: a great portion of the remains of it was destroyed by fire in 1854.

From "The Prospect" may be seen May hill and Penyard park on the east; the Chase wood, Howle hill, Leys hill, Coppet hill, Symonds' Yat, with Staunton church and the celebrated Buckstone in the background, Great and Little Deward hills, on the south. To the west stands the ridge of Goodrich, with its ancient castle and modern court, the delightful Pencraig overhanging the Wye. Beyond these, rising in all their grandeur, are the Graig and Garway hills, the Great Skirryd or Holy mountain, the Little Skirryd, and the Blorenge and Sugar-loaf, near Abergavenny; the Hatterall hills or Black mountains, extending in one continuous chain along the side of the Golden valley to the town of Hay; and beyond these, the Brecknockshire Beacon. To the north, we have the hills of Orcop, Saddlebow, and Aconbury, the modern church and pretty village of Much Birch; and across the river the eye embraces a view of the Woolhope and Dormington hills, Caplar camp, and Marcle hill, Rudge-hill, Perrystone, and Linton. Close at hand are Springfield and Brampton Abbotts, Ashe, Bridstow, the village of Wilton, with its bridge and castle; while beneath rolls the majestic Wye, its placid bosom studded with pleasure-boats, and its banks dotted with anglers and pleasure-seekers: Large quantities of salmon are caught in this river.

Passing underneath "The Prospect" are the old and new roads to Hereford and Monmouth. The town being proverbially healthy and pleasant, and, notwithstanding the exposure of some parts, very warm in winter, is a favourite place of residence. Ross has been several times honoured with the presence of royalty. Henry IV. slept here twice; as did Charles I. on his way to Raglan; and the house still stands at the bottom of Church street where the ill-fated monarch spent the night. George IV. passed through here, on returning from Ireland, in 1821. The Bishops of Hereford once bad a palace here, but it was in ruins in Leland's time; its site was where the Royal Hotel now stands.

PRESENT CONDITIONS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, ETC.- The public spirit of Kyrle seems to animate the present "men of Ross", to which is owing in great measure many of the advantages it enjoys, equalled perhaps by few other towns of its size in the kingdom. The town is lighted with gas, and the streets are well paved and neat in appearance. There are three banking establishments, viz., branches of the Gloucestershire Banking Company and the West of England and South Wales District Banking Company, in High street, and the National Provincial Bank of England, in the Market place. An excellent market is held at the Corn Exchange, on Thursdays, for corn, butter, cheese, poultry, &c. The great market for sheep and cattle is held on the second and last Thursday in each month. The vegetable market is held in the space under the market-house. Fairs are held on the second Thursday in the months of March, May, June, July, October, and December. Agricultural implements, &c., are manufactured here to some extent by Messrs. S., A., & H. Kell, and Messrs. Perkins & Bellamy. There is a large brewery carried on by the Alton Court Brewery Company, Limited; a tannery (established in 1837 by Messrs. George Smyth & Co.), and several flour mills in and near the town.

There is no special staple trade or manufacture, though formerly it was one of the seats of the iron trade. A brisk business is maintained with the Forest of Dean and neighbouring villages. There are two weekly newspapers published in the town. The Ross Gazette, established January 3rd, 1867, is the leading paper of the district. It contains full reports of all the local news, and a well-chosen and readable summary of the home and foreign intelligence of the week. It is printed by steam power, and pub-. published by the proprietor, Mr. William Hill, every Wednesday evening, with a second edition on special occasions on Thursday morning; 4 pp., 28 cols.; price one penny. The "Man of Ross" newspaper was established July 5th, 1855, by Mr. J.W.F. Counsell. This journal advocates no party principles, but gives the news of the week, with a miscellany of general information, &c. It is published every Thursday, price one penny.

Within the last few years a considerable stimulus has been given to building operations in the town; the demand for villa residences is greatly on the increase, and facilities now exist for the extension of the town on all sides. The hotel accommodation is good. The " Royal" Hotel (erected in 1837) adjoins " The Prospect", and commands the charming scenery for which that eminence is so justly celebrated. It is a noble and elegant structure, surrounded on the side overlooking the Wye with ornamental lawns and evergreens, from which elevated situation it is discernible for many miles throughout the country; and, from the comfort and accommodation provided, it has become the favourite resort of tourists, visitors, and commercial gentlemen. The influx of visitors to this pretty town has steadily increased from the date of the completion of its commodious and finely-placed hotel. The salubrity of the site is undeniable.

The "Swan" Hotel at the top of Edde Cross street, was erected about ten years ago, for the reception of families and commercial gentlemen. The "King's Head", in High street, and the "George", in Gloucester road, are both good commercial and posting houses. The Market-house is a quaint old building 72 feet by 36 feet, in the Italian style of architecture, occupying a conspicuous site in the centre of the town. It has a small square clock-tower, or campanile, with clock and four dials : the double pierced gable at either end, and the colonnade below of pink stone, have won the admiring gaze and exercised the brush of many an artist. It was erected by the Thynne family; the date of its erection is shown by a white stone medallion on its eastern end, containing a bust of Charles II., who is also commemorated in the very curious monogram which may be seen on the south-east corner. The upper part of the building is used as a Town-hall; the justices for Ross petty sessional division meet here every alternate Friday at 11 a.m., and the county court is held every alternate month.

Opposite to the market-house stands the house once occupied by the "Man of Ross" - a wooden construction of the Elizabethan period. The handsome timber framing is fearlessly displayed, many of the beams being enriched with carving. Possessing a frontage of more than 50 feet, it must have been one of the best houses in Ross, and, some time after the decease of John Kyrle in 1724, was converted into an inn - "The King's Arms" - the great posting-house of the district. The inn was discontinued in 1805, when the premises underwent some slight changes. At present the house is divided into two; the one occupied by a chemist, and the other by a bookseller. Over the shop of the chemist is a bust of the "Man of Ross" in a carved oak medallion surrounded with the following inscription : "John Kyrle, the Man of Ross, died Novr. 7th, 1724, aged 88".

On the front of the other is a sign denoting to the stranger that it is the "House of y^e Man of Ross". By the courtesy of the proprietors, both may be seen, and the gardens behind will repay a visit. In the summer-house may be seen a richly-carved table and chair, made from an oak tree under which Nelson and a large party once dined at Rudhall. The garden was visited by the present Duke of Cambridge in 1835, and is deserving of the honour thus conferred upon it. In Mr. Powle's garden stands the identical summer-house of the Man of Ross, in which he read and ruminated, and laid down his plans.

The Corn Exchange, situate in High street, is a substantial building erected in 1862 at a cost of about £4,000. The principal façade is executed in Bath stone, Italian in design, with a Doric order surmounted by an Ionic. The hall, a very capacious and noble room, is used for public meetings, concerts, entertainments, &c.

The Ross Free Library, Reading-Room, and Recreation-Grounds, in Broad street, were generously presented to the inhabitants of Ross by their fellow-townsman, Thomas Blake, Esq., the present M.P. for the borough of Leominster. The institution was formally handed over to the trustees on the 31st of July, 1873. The building is commodious and convenient, comprising news and refreshment rooms on the ground-floor, and reading-room, book-room, chess-room, &c., on first floor. The reading-room, which is open from 9 a.m. till 10 p.m., is well supplied with the London and local newspapers, periodicals, &c. The library contains about 1,000 volumes of useful works. Every room is well furnished, lighted sufficiently, and properly ventilated. At the back are the recreation-grounds with gymnasium, croquet and bowling lawns; also lavatory, &c., admirably fitted with every modern sanitary improvement. This valuable institution has been founded by Mr. Blake, at a cost of about £2,000, chiefly for the benefit of the working class in his native town for ever.

The Ross Dispensary, in New street, was established in 1825. The number of patients relieved in the year 1875 was 350. The hospital department was established in April, 1872, and is intended for cases of persons suffering from severe disease or accident; the latter cases are admitted at all times without recommendation. The committee hope the funds will, at no distant day, become sufficiently large for the purchase of more commodious and suitable premises for the dispensary and the cottage hospital.

The Savings Bank and Government Annuity Institution, in the Churchyard, was established May 22nd, 1816, and certified under the Act of 1863. It is open on Thursdays from 9 till 10 a.m., and on Saturdays from 7 till 8 p.m. The Union Workhouse, situated in Alton street, has been recently remodelled at a cost of £7,800, to meet the requirements of the Poor-law Board. The alterations were carried out under the superintendence of Messrs. Haddon Brothers, architects, of Hereford, Malvern, and London. The guardians meet at the Board-room every alternate Monday at 11 a.m. Ross union district comprises thirty parishes (28 in Herefordshire and 2 in Gloucestershire), extending over an area of 55,320 acres, and contained in 1871 a population of 16,607. There is a Police station in Brampton street. The gas works, in Kyrle Street, were erected by the late Mr. Wall in 1832, and are now the property of Mr. James Harris, C.E.

PLACES of WORSHIP.- The parish church stands on an eminence on the south-west of the town. It is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, and is a spacious and handsome edifice consisting of a nave, one north and two south aisles, chancel, and north and south porches; but the great glory of the building is the tower with its spire, which is conspicuous for a great distance, and, from the elegance of its proportions and the commanding beauty of its situation, well deserves the honour of being mentioned in those well-known lines of Pope. The original spire was short and inelegant, and under good John Kyrle's auspices, forty-seven feet of it were taken down, and a spire of a different and much more taper form substituted. But on the night of the 5th of July, 1852, on a violent storm passing over the town, it was struck by lightning and so much shattered that it became necessary to rebuild it, which was accomplished at a cost of £600.

The height from the base of the tower plinth to the top of the vane is now 208 feet, being four feet higher than Kyrle's spire. The pinnacles, said to have been designed by him, are of a most airy lightness. The church was built at various periods during the prevalence of the Middle and Third Pointed Styles of architecture. The interior is 76 feet 6 inches by 84 feet 8 inches; the chancel is 50 feet 10 inches in length. Upwards of £3,000 have been laid out on its restoration within the last twenty years. In 1874 an organ chamber was built on the south side of the chancel, and a new reredos has been erected at the east end as a part of the memorial to the late rector, Dr. Ogilvie. A new communion table, credence table, oak lectern, Glastonbury chair, &c., have also been presented.

At the east end of the principal south aisle are several monuments to the Rudhall family, the ancient proprietors of the manor of Rudhall, in this parish. The north altar tomb of the series is the most ancient. It represents Serjeant Rudhall, with his wife, Anne Milborne, granddaughter of Sir John Milborne, of an old Herefordshire family; the recumbent effigies are exquisitely sculptured in marble, by an Italian hand, gilt and coloured where required, in the costume of King Henry VII. The large mural monument, just above their, feet, bears date 1609. The altar tomb on the south was completed in 1636. In the chancel is a plain flat tombstone, still more worthy the attention of the Stranger, for under that stone lies John Kyrle, "the Man of Ross;" against the wall, close by, is an elaborate marble monument to his memory, erected in 1766, £300 having been bequeathed for the purpose by Lady Dupplin. A memorial tablet has been placed on the South Side of the chancel by the family of the late Dr. Ogilvie. It is of statuary of the purest kind, with an elaborately carved alabaster border, fixed on a background of polished dove marble. It is vesica-shaped, and was designed and executed by Mr. John Hards, Sculptor, of Ross. It has the following inscription:-

The east window in the chancel, consisting of four lights, was restored in 1873, and filled chiefly with ancient painted and stained glass, as a memorial to the late Dr. Ogilvie. Messrs. Baillie & Mayer, of Wardour street, Oxford street, London, were the artists, and the stonework was executed by Mr. John Hards, who also erected the new reredos in this church in 1874, and restored the west window in 1862. At the east end of the north aisle there are two elm trees of considerable height, which have sprung up in this singular situation from the expanded roots of trees on the outside, which were planted by Mr. Kyrle. They are preserved and cherished with much care and veneration. The tower contains a melodious peal of eight bells. A new chiming apparatus was erected in 1874 by Mr. George Gutsell of this town.

Over the south porch is a parvis, which serves as a room for holding vestry meetings in. In the churchyard, not far from the north door, are two urn-tombs higher than the others, in memory of two great benefactors to their native place - Walter Scott, "the grateful restorer of the Blue Coat school", and James Baker, who left £26,666, the interest of which is devoted to the relief of the poor inhabitants of the parish. At the north-east corner of the churchyard is an old Stone cross which commemorates a visitation of the plague under which the parish Suffered. On its base is the following:- "Plague Ano. Domi. 1636. Burials, 315. Libera nos Domine". A considerable addition to the churchyard was made on the south Side in 1858. One of the first monuments placed in the new ground is a slender cross in the Early English Style, to the memory of Mabel Fiennes, daughter of George Strong, Esq. This side of the churchyard is planted with noble elms, and commands a beautiful and extensive view.

The registers begin with the year 1691. The living is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Ross; it is a rectory and vicarage, value, £1,100, with residence and 982 acres of glebe; patron, the Lord Bishop of Hereford; rector and vicar, Rev. Robert Henry Cobbold, M.A., of St. Peter's College, Cambridge, who was instituted in 1873. The dean and precentor of Hereford cathedral are endowed with two-thirds of a large portion of the great tithes of Ross; the other tithes belong to the rector, who has also a manor of divers messuages, lands, and tenements in the capital manors of Ross Borough and Foreign, with chief rents amounting to 40s. yearly, besides offerings.

Various denominations of dissenters have commodious chapels here. The Congregational chapel, in Gloucester road, is a handsome building in the Geometrical Decorated style of architecture, erected from the designs of Benjamin Lawrence, Esq., of Newport (Mon.) It is built of local red sandstone, with Bath stone dressings, and Forest stone in the arches. The foundation-stone was laid by H.O. Wills, Esq., of Bristol, June 3rd, 1867. The cost of building was about £1,450; accommodation is provided for 400 persons. The old Congregational (or Independent) chapel, in Kyrle street, was founded by the Rev. Anthony Collier in 1662, on being ejected from Moreton-on-Lugg, by the Act of Uniformity. This building is now called the "Lecture-room", and is used for divine service in connection with the Church of England. The rector, or his curate, officiates once on Sundays, and lectures on Wednesday evenings.

The Wesleyan chapel, in Edde Cross street, was erected at a cost of about £1,000. It is a stone building with Bath stone facings, and will seat about 250 persons. This edifice was opened for worship on June 4th, 1867. The Baptist chapel, in Broad street, was erected in 1819. The interior is neatly fitted and will seat about 200 persons. A new organ, by Bevington & Sons, of London, was added in 1871. The Particular Baptists have a chapel in Wilton road. The Friends' Meeting House is in Brampton street, near the railway bridge. The Plymouth Brethren have a neat chapel in Henry street, erected in 1866. The Roman Catholics have a chapel in the Crofts.

SCHOOLS.- The new board schools in Cantilupe road form a handsome pile of buildings, and afford accommodation for 420 children. They were erected by Mr. William Bowers, of Hereford, from the designs of Mr. George Pearson, of Ross. The total cost of building (including site) was £6,137. The loftiness of the rooms and the general internal arrangements render these schools exceedingly healthy and comfortable. The boys' schoolroom is 61 feet by 20 feet, and the classroom 20 feet by 18 feet; the girls' schoolroom and classroom are the same dimensions as the boys'; the infants' schoolroom is 80 feet by 22 feet, and the classroom 22 feet by 20 feet. The schools were opened by Thomas Blake, Esq., M.P., on June 1st, 1874. The number of children under instruction is about 300; viz., boys, 110; girls, 110; and infants, 80. There is an excellent national school for boys and girls, situate in the Churchyard. The average attendance is about 150. There is also an infant school in Arthur's lane.

Walter Scott's Charity, or Blue Coat school, situated in Arthur's lane, is a substantial building built of brick faced with Forest stone. The front, of a rather imposing appearance, with a portico at the entrance, looks towards Dean hill, which at the time of its erection was the principal thoroughfare from the West to London, sixteen or eighteen coaches passing its doors daily. Walter Scott, the founder of the present school, was a native of this town, but left at an early age in very needy circumstances. . The following letter, preserved in the school, shows how he was educated, and is a testimony of his gratitude to the institution to which he was indebted for his education, the school being very insignificant prior to his death, which took place on Dec. 4th, 1786, at the age of seventy years:-

The school was fully re-established December 4th, 1798. There are thirty boys and thirty girls on the foundation, who are educated and clothed gratuitously. The governing body of the charity consists of the Bishop of Hereford, the Knights of the Shire, the Rector of Ross, the Churchwardens and Overseers of Ross, four trustees, and every annual subscriber of two guineas and upwards.

CHARITIES.- The charities belonging to this parish are very valuable. James Baker, a native of Ross, and originally a nailer by trade, but latterly of Compton street, Clerkenwell, ironmonger and marine-store dealer, by will, dated 5th November 1835 (proved in the Prerogative Court, 11th July 1836), gave to three trustees, their executors, administrators and assigns, all the residue in the funds, and securities for money, and other his personal estate, in trust to pay to his wife, Sarah Baker, an annuity of £500 during her life, to Elizabeth Ann Pascoe an annuity of £100 during her life, to Elizabeth Rolt (afterwards the wife of Shadrack Sharman) an annuity of £100 during her life, to Susannah Marshall an annuity of £50 during her life, to James Cooke and his wife an annuity of £50 for their joint lives and the life of the survivor; and subject thereto he gave all the said trust moneys, stocks, and securities, to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor, for the time being, of the parish of Ross, on trust, to distribute the amount of the interest and dividends therefrom, twice a year or oftener, in clothing, fuel, and food, among the poor inhabitants of the said parish not receiving alms, for ever, preference to be given to such as were born in the parish.

And the trustees were directed, after paying debts, expenses, and legacies, and setting apart a sufficient sum for the payment of the annuities, to transfer the surplus of the testator's personal estate to the said churchwardens and overseers; and when any annuitant should die, to transfer, likewise, the amount of stock set apart for the payment of such annuitant, it being the testator's intention that the interest dividends of the whole of his residuary estate should go, as he had desired, for the benefit of the poor of the parish of Ross.

It appears that for many years after the testator's death, which happened in June 1836, the whole of the income from his residuary personal estates, after payment of debts, legacies, funeral and testamentary expenses, was absorbed in payment of the several annuities, and that in November 1846, a suit was instituted in the Court of Chancery by the executors, against the churchwardens and overseers, and the Attorney-General for the administration of the estate and the execution of the trusts of the will under the direction of the court. The funds then brought into court by the executors amounted to the sum of £26,666 13s. 4d. Consols, being the testator's personal estate, placed to the credit of the several annuitants for answering their respective annuities, have been dealt with under the directions of the court. The duties of clerk, which are very onerous, are ably performed by Mr. Frederick Wm. Wintle, who was appointed in 1870.

In addition to Baker's and Scott's charities there are - Webbe's Hospital, in Corps Cross street, erected A.D. 1613, for seven persons, viz., four women and three men, who are allowed 5s. each weekly : Rudhall's Hospital, in Church street, for five poor men or women, with an allowance of 30s. per annum to each : Pye's Almshouses were the gift of the Rev. Mr. Pye, vicar of Foy, A.D. 1600; they were rebuilt in Edde Cross street, A.D. 1679; the present houses and the garden adjoining thereto were given in exchange for the old almshouses, February 3, 1792, by Walter Hill; they were further endowed by Thomas Roberts, Esq., A.D. 1854: Perrock's Almshouses, in Arthur's lane, for four poor widows, were founded by Richard Worcester, A.D. 1510, and endowed by Thomas Perrock in 1605; were rebuilt in 1771.

SEATS IN THE VICINITY, OBJECTS OF INTEREST, ETC.- The neighbourhood of Ross is ornamented with mansions and pleasant seats in almost every direction. Rudhall, once the seat of the family of that name, from whom it passed to the Westfalings, and on the extinction of that family a few years since, to Lord Ashburton, is now the residence of Miss Julia F. Mortimer. Hill Court is the seat of Kingsmill Manley Power, Esq., J.P., D.L., lord of the manor of Ross. An avenue of noble elms, nearly half a mile in length, leads to the mansion; at the extremity of the park, separated by the park wall from Horn green and the road, stands a cross to mark the site of a ruined chapel. Over Ross House is the residence of Miss Baker and Miss Bernard, and Lincoln Hill House that of Miss Beeston. Cubberley House is the residence of William Hutcheson Collins, Esq. Springfield and The Chase are at present void. The above are all in the parish of Ross.

The seats in the surrounding parishes will be found under their respective heads. Among the objects of interest may be mentioned the ruins of Goodrich castle, Wilton castle, Symonds' Yat, Great and Little Deward hills, &c. The Ross and Monmouth railway, opened January 1874, follows the course of the Wye, nearly the whole of the twelve miles of line, and runs through some of the finest scenery in England. On the top of the Chase hill is a Roman camp. Wilton bridge, crossing the Wye, consists of six arches. It was built in the reign of Elizabeth, but partially destroyed by General Rudhall during the Civil Wars, and afterwards restored. The river Wye and its beautiful scenery will be found very interesting to the tourist. From the opposite bank of the river the views are most picturesque; above the town, on an elevated ridge of rock, stands the church; the town occupies the rising ground, and the Penyard and other hills close the scene beyond. Little now remains of the ruins of Penyard castle, which was never very extensive. The lawn is pretty, and the widespreading oaks afford shade to many a pleasant picnic.

[1] The apparent decrease of houses and population in the foreign of Ross since 1861 is attributed to an extension of the boundaries of the borough of Ross, in which there has consequently been an increase.

[2] Harleian MSS.