Yarpole, Herefordshire

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

Transcribed by Rosemary Lockie, © Copyright 2004

YARPOLE,
WITH BIRCHER TOWNSHIP.

YARPOLE is a parish and village intersected by the Leominster and Ludlow road, and by the road leading from Ludlow to Presteigne, which passes through Bircher village. It is distant 5 miles N.N.W. of Leominster, 8 S.S.W. of Ludlow, 11 E. of Presteigne, 18 N. of Hereford, and about 2 N.W. of Berrington and Eye station on the Shrewsbury and Hereford railway. It is in Wolphy hundred, Leominster union, county court district, polling district, and petty sessional division. The population in 1861 was 630; in 1871,586; inhabited houses, 136; families or separate occupiers, 147; area of parish, 2,523 acres; annual rateable value, £3,588. The Rev. William Trevelyan Kevill Davies, of Croft castle, who is lord of the manor, Thomas Dunne, Esq., of Bircher hall, Arthur Henry Wall, Esq., and William Connop, Esq., are the principal landowners. The soil is clayey; subsoil, clay and gravel; chief produce, wheat, beans, hops, fruit, barley, oats, &c.

Yarpole is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of Leominster; living, a vicarage, united to Croft rectory; joint value, £240, with 93½ acres of glebe, and £14 from Bishop Croft's charity (of which the Dean and Chapter of Hereford are trustees); patron, Rev. W.T. Kevill Davies; vicar, Rev. Joseph Edwards, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford, who was instituted in 1839, and is also a prebendary of Hereford cathedral, and a rural dean. The church, dedicated to St. Leonard, is a neat stone edifice in the Decorated style of architecture, with a detached tower and spire (containing three bells) at some distance to the south-west of the fabric. It consists of a nave, chancel (rebuilt in 1853 by the Governors of Lucton school), southern porch, font, and some curious monuments. The building was restored by Mr. (now Sir) George Gilbert Scott, R.A., in 1863, at an expense of £1,705, of which the parish gave by rate £930. It was reopened in July, 1864. A new organ was erected in 1873 at a cost of £130, defrayed by the vicar and his personal friends. The charities are small, and are distributed chiefly in bread.

The Croft and Yarpole national school was erected in 1851 at a cost of £1,200, defrayed by the Rev. W.T. Kevill Davies, who also built a school-house in 1873 at a cost of £150, exclusive of site. The school is under government inspection, and has an average attendance of about 60 children. Bircher is a township and neat village, situated on the Ludlow and Presteigne road, and distant about ¼ of a mile N.E. of the church. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel on Bircher common. Bircher Hall, the pleasant seat of Thomas Dunne, Esq., J.P. and D.L., is a modern mansion, with very beautiful pleasure grounds and magnificent scenery. The Highwood, the seat of the Hon. Humphrey de Bohun Devereux, J.P. and D.L., is delightfully situated on an eminence in this parish, and commands a pleasing and picturesque prospect. The Knoll, now occupied by Edie Thomas, Esq., and Bycroft, at present unoccupied, are neat villa residences. Lady Meadow is an ancient building, now a farm-house in the occupation of Mr. William Hinton. Cockgate is a place in this parish.

POSTAL REGULATIONS.- William Mason, Sub-Postmaster. Letters arrive by messenger from Leominster at 9 a.m.; despatched thereto at 4 p.m. Kingsland is the nearest money order and telegraph office. Post town, Leominster.
Parish Church (St. Leonard's).- Rev. Joseph Edwards, M.A., Vicar; Thomas Dunne, Esq., and Mr. William Hinton, Churchwardens; Enoch Chamberlain, Parish Clerk.
National School (boys and girls).- Mr. John Leigh, Master; Mrs. Jane Leigh, Mistress.
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Bircher common.- Ministers various.
Registrar of Births and Deaths for Kingsland District of Leominster Union.- Mr William Mason.

YARPOLE,
WITH BIRCHER TOWNSHIP DIRECTORY.

PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Devereux The Hon. Humphrey de Bohun, J.P., D.L., The Highwood
Dunne Thomas, Esq., J.P., D.L., Birches hall; and University club, London S.W.
Edwards Rev. Joseph, M.A. (rector of Croft and vicar of Yarpole; rural dean of Leominster, and prebendary of Inkbarrow in Hereford cathedral), Croft rectory
Thomas Edie, Esq., The Knoll
COMMERCIAL.
Allen George, head gardener for Thomas Dunne, Esq., J.P., Bircher hall
Bengree Thomas, beer retailer
Brwen Richard, farmer, Brook house
Brown William, carpenter, Bircher common
Bynham John, boot and shoe maker, Bircher common
Catham Charles, farmer, Lower house
Chamberlain Enoch, farmer and parish clerk
Chamberlain Henry, blacksmith
Chandler Thomas, pump maker, Gorbett
Clee Thomas, farmer, Bircher common
Connop Harley, farmer and landowner, The Pound
Copner Thomas, farmer, Highwood farm
Crump Mrs. Elizabeth, shopkeeper, Bircher
Curran John, farmer and blacksmith
Davies Thomas, farmer
Davies William, boot and shoe maker
Edwards Richard, blacksmith, Bircher
Evans Thomas, farmer, Cockgate
Farmer John, timber dealer, Bircher common
Gent John, mason, Bircher common
George Mrs., farmer, Cockgate
George Philip, farmer, Bircher common
Gough Mrs., farmer
Hinton William, farmer, Lady meadow
Humphreys Samuel, grocer and farmer, Bircher
James Thomas, builder and wheelwright
Leigh John, schoolmaster, School house
Mason William, boot and shoe maker, grocer, sub-postmaster, and registrar of births and deaths, Post office
Meredith James, farmer, Bircher common
Moore George, farmer, New house, Bircher
Pinches George, farmer
Potter Isaac, farmer, Stone house
Preece Mrs., farmer
Price Edwin, cabinet maker, Bircher common
Roberts Henry, farmer, Church house
Smith John, plumber, painter, glazier, &c., Stone house, Bircher common
Smith Joseph, farmer and landowner, Bircher common
Smith William, farmer, The Leys
Spencer Edwin, farmer and hop grower, Court house, Bircher
Stanton Mrs. Elizabeth, shopkeeper
Strange Thomas, farmer, Bicton pool
Swain Edward, mason
Walton William, sawyer
Ward John, farmer, beer retailer, and cooper

OCR/Transcription by Rosemary Lockie in March 2004.

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