During the many
years
researching Verrior/Verry ancestry in this parish and those surrounding
it, a few items of interest have been collected along the way. These
are now presented in the hope that this small contribution may aid
others with an interest in the place. (Pages on the VERRY family
are here).
Anciently the area of South Herefordshire (Archenfield) was quite lawless. The breach with Rome 1534, was a new cause for disorder for in the Welsh borders Catholic feeling ran strong. In that year an Act was passed for the punishment of Welshmen attempting assault in Herefordshire. By the Act of Union 1536, the border lordships were assimilated to England. Herefordshire had been subjected to consistent intrusion by the Welsh. Even the Pye (ap Hugh) family were involved, for in 1523 Walter Apie, in Dewchurch sued out a pardon for burglary at Dewsall in the house of John A'Court, with intent to murder him, for which he was outlawed. Earlier, Thomas Barre of Dewsall had complained that John Aberhall of Archenfield had sent John and Walter ap Pee (Pye) and others numbering sixty, in war-like array to cut his hay and corn. The archives are full of such disturbances at this early period.
Based on the parish
register entries, the population of Much Dewchurch was probably
no more than 300 in the Elizabethan period and possibly as low as 250.
After the
Reformation
there were a noteworthy number of Rescusants (usually
Roman Catholics) in the parish, paying their fines for being
so at various periods.
"Saint David's is the parish church of Much Dewchurch, the Welsh name of which is Llandewi Rhos-Cerion (St David's in the Moor of Medlars). (Note: the allusion is possibly to Medlar Trees, but usually attributed to mead, anciently an important trading commodity.) It is situated on a ridge which separates the head waters of the Worm Brook from the brook running down from Orcop Hill which is known as the Mynde Brook; and commands the ford over Lowe Lane and which forms part of the original high road from Hereford to Abergavenny and the coast of the Bristol Channel and on the other side to Monmouth and Chepstow.
The parish was originally included in the Welsh principality of Archenfield and as early as AD 531 a large portion of it became the property of the See of Llandaff which until AD 1131 included much of South Herefordshire. Llanfrother - the "Church of the Brothers" - in the parish of Hentland was in being before AD 450 and served as a training ground for teachers of Christianity. At Much Dewchuch before AD 500 monks were living in a cluster of huts with a sick house and humble chapel which stood in the orchard which now lies between the Post Office and church. It has been said , with little foundation, that the great St David, Patron of the Welsh was born at Much Dewchurch. But there is far better reason for believing that parts of the existing church are the work of Welsh monks, inmates of the adjoining monastery.
Poor Man's Wood, which runs down the side of Coles Tump above the Mynde is really "Devil's Wood", for in Saxon times as now in Germany, Satan is often spoken of as the "Poor Man" and preserved memories of the rights in which the ancient inhabitants offered victims to Coel the God of Heaven. Everyone in the parish knows the legend that if a tree is felled in that wood, the owner of the Mynde or his heir will die within the year.
In the administration of Archenfield the Hundred Court met at Wormelow in the parish. A funeral mound there is said by tradition to cover the remains of Modred, that nephew of King Arthur who was murdered by his uncle at Gamber Head. Unfortunately the tumulus was removed when the road was widened in the early 19th century and there seems to be no record to show that remains, if any, were found in it.
The village however from its position at the ford over the Worm was a more important place than Wormelow and until recently was the ecclesiastical centre of the district. The first church which remained until the 11th century was evidently a long low building and probably ended in a small semi-circular apse. In 1057 the Welsh raided Herefordshire, took the city of Hereford and burnt the cathedral. In consequence every effort was made by the English to strengthen fortification of the borderland. Edward the Confessor had been brought up in Normandy by Norman counsellors. Probably by their advice he gave grants of land in the Welsh Marches to Breton speaking Normans, a Welsh dialect who undertook to organise their holdings for defence. The church was rebuilt in the year before the conquest 1066 and must have been in a position of some strength. Its thick walls and narrow windows, some of which still remain, were by no means insignificant for defence in days when sieges were mostly carried on with bows and arrows. Thus this long narrow building pierced only by narrow window slits formed in itself a fortress to store property and serve to protect the highway heading up from the ford towards Monmouth.
It was not until the 14th century that any great changes were made. Windows gradually became larger. The upper part was pulled down to allow this change. The reconstruction had been finished before 1350 when the ravages of the Black Death by decreasing population checked the progress and caused it to be replaced by the style known as perpendicular, more economical of labour and material. We know that the Black Death must have committted great ravages for in 1348 three vicars held the parish within that year.
The southern porch of the church dates from about 1370 and the figures of a king and bishop on the outer arch are generally held to be portraits of King Edward III and Adam of Ordeton. It seems more probable that the bishop is Lewis de Charleton who built the White Cross at Hereford in 1361.
After the Reformation circa 1540 the side altars were removed and a large gallery built at the west end of the nave, almost blocking up the entrance to the tower. This gallery remained until 1876 when the church was restored by the late Sir James Rankin. The churchyard is most beautifully kept by the caretaker, Mr George Payne. The large yew tree by the church goes back to medieval times."
Reade then goes on
to
relate a history of the Pye's, their monuments and the Pye/Bodenham
altercation. The typescript is held by the Hereford Record Office.
Coles Tump
is a
natural feature with enclosure at the west end of Orcop Hill. As to its
origin I offer another explanation. Circa 1290 Ivor de Wormeton of
Dewchurch, "son of Cradoc Cole de la Monede" (ie Cradoc Cole of the
Mynde) gifted a parcel of land to Walter de la Barre, Lord of
Dewchurch. And a further document of this time refers to Ivor Cole.
This seems a more credible origin of Coles Tump.
The church has
several
monuments of the Pye family. The
inscription of one was removed
in the
19th century apparently because of Victorian sensibilities.
Much Dewchurch was not immune to the jostling for positions in church according to one's perceived rank or status. During the Elizabethan period, Roger Pye took a case to the Star Chamber against Richard Bowa and Richard Lewis regarding seating in the church. Lewis was owner of the Kivernoll estate, a man of some substance recorded as "gent" in the parish register. His tomb was removed from the church during refurbishment in 1877. The surname Bowa is of interest. It evolved through variants Boway, Bowyer to Bower and is likely the origin of Bowers Wood in the west of the parish."John PYE of the Mynde 1547. Here lies the body of John Pye of Mynde, a traveller in far countries, his life he ended. He left behind him Walter his son, heir of Mynde and forty two children. He was 106 years old truly. He was at Jerusalem and at the sepulcher of Christ. He was married three times and fathered an additional 43 children. He had also 22 children by concubines, in all 66 children. He completed the 24 Acts of Chivalry which few men could do them all."
In the Elizabethan
period
the hamlet of Kevernowe (now Kivernoll) was an
important
settlement rivalling Much Dewchurch village. It is accordingly
indicated
as such on Saxton's Map of Herefordshire, 1577. At that time there were
still afforested areas in and around the parish. In the north the Haywood
("forest de la Haye") - or its southern remnant - extended to Much
Dewchurch. In 1578 it was the subject of a dispute. Citizens who had
rights of pannage and lopping the wood for their use, expressed their
dissatisfaction in court. It was recorded that the farm lands of
"Coydmore" (ie Coed Mawr - "big
wood"), and the Strodd had been lately enclosed and built upon. In fact
much of the parish seems to have been enclosed and its fields hedged
from
early times, leaving little common pasture. Thus Much Dewchurch did not
suffer the agitation which occurred in other parts of England over
enclosure
of commons.
Near the church is
the
site of a Welsh Celtic Monastery founded in the 6th and dissolved in
the 11th
century. About 400 metres east of the church is the site of a deserted
medieval village, the outline of which may still be discerned. Possibly
it was abandoned in the period of the Black Death circa
1349 and the present village built, or expanded at the existing
location.
For 1666, a "plague"
year throughout much of England, the register indicates a small rise in
the number of burials. But it is not such as to warrant a conclusion of
disease
visitation. However, for 1568 and 1571 a distinct rise in mortality is
evident.
This supposes that the register was properly kept, which appears so. In
1567 five burials were recorded, about the average for the period. In
1568
they peaked to 14 and in 1571 to 23. Those for 1568 included six
members
of the Gronowe family buried between 5 November and 18
December. In
1571 there is no obvious family grouping except perhaps three persons
named
Morgan. The bubonic plague (caused by a virus carried by rat
fleas)
is essentially a summer phenomenon, but these peaks in mortality were
generally
in winter months. Probaby it was some other cause such a influenza. No
burial
entry is annotated "pestilence" or the like, as seen in other registers.
In 1637 when much of
Herefordshire including Hereford and Ross were gripped by "plague" Much
Dewchuirch appears to have been little affected.
|
|
ANOTHER VIEW OF ST
DAVID'S |
INTERIOR
|
The register has
NOT
been published in book form. The LDS Church have filmed the original
register and Bishops Transcripts as follows. These films can be ordered
into your nearest LDS Family History Centre.
Baptisms/Marriages/Burials
1558-1786 Baptisms/Burials 1787-1812 |
Film
0994233 Item 11-14 |
Baptisms
1813-1869, Marriages 1754-1837 Banns 1824-1915, Burials 1813-1893 |
Film
0994234 Item 1-5 |
Baptisms,
Marriages, Burials 1661-1849 |
Film
0992328 Item 1 |
Baptisms,
Marriages, Burials 1661-1849 (duplicate filming) |
Film
1594263 Item 3 |
The Hereford
Record
Office have vestry and parish meeting records for the period 1828-1925
only. Hubert Reade, local historian noted in 1925 that the earlier
records had disappeared.
If you feel some certainty of having an ancestor in this parish, email me for a look-up. Note that I hold a copy of the original register 1558-1670 only. It is being transcribed and the results will be put on this site (eventually!).
ELIZABETHAN FAMILY NAMES IN MUCH DEWCHURCH
SOURCE: BURIALS IN THE REGISTER 1558-1600.
Spelling has been left as it was generally spelled. Later versions of the name are indicated - others will be obvious, eg Abevon - Bevan. In this period F=V, Ff=F.
Tornor (Turner), Blacke, Wever, Yorke, Powell, Corke, Phelpott, Gronowe, Doberlowe, Griffithe, Rawlins, Jaffery, Davis, Webbe, Amorgan (Morgan), Martin, Powell, Ballard, Lewes, Townsing (Townsend), Sampsons, Howell, Willym (Gwyllam), Symons, Jenkin, Gill, Ap Thomas, Apie (Pye). Ferryer (Verior), Rogers, Wilkock, Parratt, Prytfoote, Abeath, Prosser, Abraham, Beall, Morse (the vicar), Mathews, Jamys (James), Bowa (Bower), Edmons, Tylar, Agreene, Curryer, Aprychart (Pritchard), Danyell, Meyricke, Warmecombe, Ayleway (Alloway), Aphewe, Hodge, Harrys (Harris), Probart, Taylor, Gyll, Tomy, Warroppe, Pyson (Purson), Lawrence, Abevan, Wakefield, Pateshall, Barrow, Parry, Tallgate, Williams, Gonnell, Pigge later Bigge, Poike (alias Harrys), Sare, Lissott.
The "Welshness" is evident from this list. Apparently Welsh was still spoken in South Hereford as late as the 18th century.
Hubert Reade in his history of the Parish says that nearly all of the names in the parish register at this time were Welsh. That clearly is not the case and it will be seen from the above list that the parish had become substantially English by Elizabeth's time. Presumably many of these families were descendants of migrants from elsewhere in England as the majority of names in the medieval accounts of Aconbury Nunnery next to Dewchurch are Welsh.
Some family names in the Pye family records predate the parish register 1558, but endured well into the next century. An example is Eysam's Ford across the Worm Brook to Dewsall Court. The Eysam family name is later found in the parish register of St Martin, Hereford. Another, Reignold's Ridge, where there was apparently an outcrop of sand suitable for glassmaking, is Reynold's Ridge on the 1841 Tithe map.
1566 baptised John and John, two children of the shoemakers.
1566 buried John and John, two children of the shoemakers.
1578 baptised Davye and John the supposed sonnes of William Davis born at the church house.
1571 baptised Moyses a base born in Gryffith Whyler's house.
1594 baptised Ric. sone of Hugh Harry alias Poike.
1621 buried Mathew (a Moor) servant to Phillip Rogers, gent.
1622 an unbaptised infant the daughter of Nicolas butler to Sir Walter Pie buryed the 15th of Aprill.
1623 baptised Elizabeth the illegitimate daughter of Joane Price alias Boway and is imagined of one Morgan a miller.
1623 baptised Elizabeth daughter of Daniel of the Tree in Cockes Brooke.
1623 buried a boy wandering poor creature.
1623 buried Thomas Williams a wandering child
1624 buried John Parrie a wandering creature.
1624 That good Matron Mrs Brigott Pye of the Meend was buried the fowerteenth day of November.
1625 buried John Cheste a servant at the Lowe
1628 Henrie Calverley of Calverley in the Countie of York Esquire married Joyce Pye daughter of Sir Walter Pye 28 July (and having come so far he stayed, perhaps with the Pye's as Henry and Joyce had children christened and buried in subsequent years.)
1634 buried a poor beggar boye
1634 buried Richard Smith scoole master
1635 buried Walter Pye, Knighte, Judge of Azzises and Attorney of the Court of Wards and Liveries.
1638 baptised Floris a poor infant born in the highway.
1640 John sonne of John Barche (of Bristoll) and Mary his wife baptised 18th day of March.
(possibly passing through the parish as there is no further entry for the name.)
1655 buried Richard James the blindman
1656 buried Simon Thomas a poore pitifull long languishing boy left upon the parish.
Herbert Boughton, vicar died in 1668
and for that year the
acting vicar noted in the register -
"I found this year unregistered and an imperfect record of those christenings and burials above mentioned in this place affixed, which I thought necessary to transcribe it being in Mr Boughton's own hand as it may help give some light to some persons, although not satisfy any that may desire to know ye births or deaths of their friends"
Jas. Andrews, Clerk
In his last year Boughton
kept the registrations on loose notes. He was probably ill. He and the
churchwardens were required to enter the register after each Sunday
service. They did not obviously, and I suspect that this requirement
was not observed in many places. Thanks to Mr Andrews the year 1667
seems reasonably complete.
1636 |
Stephan
MEREDYTH for Mrs Ann PHILLIPS, Widow Richard HOWELLS for Mrs Kathrine SMITH, Widow |
1637 |
William
PATESHALL Stephen MEREDYTH |
1640 |
Edward
BULLEN |
1641 |
Thomas PRICE |
1642 |
Thomas
SMITH George PIGGE |
1643 |
Mr
Thomas ROGERS Mr William GREENE |
1649 |
Thomas
GRONOW Simon HOSKINS |
1650 |
Mr
Simon STACY Mr Thomas PATESHALL |
1651 |
Thomas
SMYTH Snr Thomas SMYTH Jnr |
1652 |
Thomas
MARKEY, Gent William BATEMAN |
1653 |
Thomas
PRICE Robert VERRIOR |
1654 |
Floris
GRYFFITH Walter GWATKIN Jnr |
1655 |
Charles
ROGERS Snr Thomas HOOKE |
1656 |
John
WILLIAMS Charles HOWELLS |
1657 |
John
WILDE Thomas SMITH |
1658 |
John
WILDE Thomas SMITH Jnr |
1659 |
Charles
MEENDE John ? |
1660 |
John
HOWELLS Charles MEEND |
1661 |
Thomas
PRICE Robert VERRY |
1662 |
Robert
VERIOR Thomas PRICE |
1665 |
Walter
GWATKIN Edmond POWELL |
1667 |
John
VERIOR Charles BULLEN |
1669 |
Charles
ROGERS Charles HUNT |
1670 |
Francis
WEBBE Lewis HARRIS |
1441
John CARESCOMBE |
1???
Roger PARLOR |
1533
John DOWNDE |
1561
Thomas MORS |
1575
Richard POWLE |
1601
Walter WILLIAMS |
1619
John TILSTON |
1637
Robert TETLOWE |
1660
Herbert BOUGHTON |
1678
James ANDREWS |
1698
Jenkin KNILL |
1715
Samuel ROGERS |
1725
Baynham BALKELEY |
1742
Roger SIMPKINSON |
1770
Henry HOSKINS |
1793
William SOUTH |
1803
James WILLIAMS |
1812
Ralph LOCKEY |
1834
William HASSALL |
1850
John TOURNAY |
1878
Jacob MILLIER |
1910
Enoch BRADLEY |
According to the
Valor Ecclesiasticus, Roger PARLOUR was
vicar in 1535. Thomas MORS or
MORES was the first post-Reformation vicar.
Those paying fines
for
being (usually) Roman Catholics. Some dates may be
representative of surviving records. Many of these people are also
recorded in the Much Dewchuch register. Although unrecorded, they were
possibly serviced by the Priest who served Bodenham's chapel at Rotherwas.
The Black Swan Inn apparently had a so-called "Priest Hole"
according
to Reade's history of the Parish. (However see my notes regarding the
Black Swan.)
John
BODENHAM, Gent
of Bryngwyn 1676-84 |
Catherine
CADWALIDER 1665-76 |
Catherine
COOKE 1677-84 |
Howell
CYCLL, Yeoman 1600 |
Sibil,
wife of William GREENE 1616 (Widow 1628-30) |
Thomas
HOOKE 1665-81 Mary, wife 1665 |
Bridget
HARRIS 1665-76 |
Charles
HOWELL 1665 Mary, Wife 1676-7 |
George
HOWELLS, Labourer 1717 |
Richard
HOWELLS, Labourer 1717 |
Ann
PHILLIPPS, sister
of John PHILLIPS, Gent 1614-20 |
Katherine
Wife of
John PHILLIPS, Gent 1596-8, 1602 (recorded as a "notorious
papist") |
Margaret
PHILLIPS, Spinster 1614-28 |
John PRICE, Yeoman 1620 |
Thomas
PRICE, Yeoman 1717 |
James
PRICKARD 1616 |
John
PRICHARD/PRICCARD/PRICKETT, Yeoman 1606-23 |
Thomas
PROSSER, Yeoman 1623 Catherine, his wife 1623 |
Millia
ROGERS, Spinster 1630 Millia ROGERS, Wife of Richard ROGERS 1631 |
Alice
STALLARD 1602 |
Joan
WILLCOXE, Spinster 1602 |
"Prosperity to the Church of England 1723"
"A.B.P. Rudhall Cast VS all"
"Peace and Good Neighbourhood"
"Prosperity to this Parish"
"John Gwatkins, Charles James, Ch: Wardens"
"God preserve the Church of England"
(NOTE: Gwatkins
and James were churchwardens early 18th century).
From "The Church
Plate of the County of Hereford" 1903 (with hallmark dates).
Chalice
and Paten 1877 |
Mary
Adair PARSONS in memory of her husband, John TOURNAY PARSONS,
28 years Vicar - 1884 |
Alms
Dish 1686 |
Edward
PYE CHAMBERLAIN died 1728 and Anne died 1734 |
Silver
Paten 1840 |
T
G SYMONDS Esqure of Mynde Park 1840 |
These are recorded
in
"Matthews - "A Continuation of Duncumb's History of the County of
Hereford" 1912." (Email
for full inscription).
Benedicta ANDREWS 1728 |
Benedicta ANDREWS 1774 |
James ANDREWS 1644 |
Mary
ANDREWS 1746 |
Margaret BENNETT 1829 | Wilhelmi
BODEN(HAM) of Hildropp Co. Wilts, (Ancient) (ie
Hildrop Manor near Ramsbury) |
Joseph
CLEMENS 1756 |
Mary
JONES 1800 |
Thomas
JONES 1783 |
Elizabeth
KENT 1833 |
John
KENT 1794 |
John
KENT 1798 |
Elizabeth
KINNERSLEY 1807 |
Mary
LEWIS 1774 |
Susanna
MASON 1803 |
Thomas
MASON 1837 |
Elizabeth
MERRICK (of Thruxton) 1777 |
James
PHILLIPS 1809 |
Reginald
PHILLIPS 1864 |
Thomas
PHILLIPS (infant) 1800 |
Ann
PRICE (Infant) 1771 |
Ann
PRICE (no date - 18th century) |
Ann
Susan PRICE (no date) |
Cambell
Knollys PRICE (Westerbury Manor, Bucks) 1885 |
John
PRICE (no date
- 18th century) |
Ann
PYE CHAMBERLAYNE 1733 |
Edward
PYE CHAMBERLAYNE 1727 |
James
PYE 1646 |
Johannes
PYE 1547 |
Robert
PYE 1680 |
Walter
PYE 1625 |
Robert
RAVENHILL c. 1758 |
George
RAYMOND 1796 |
Anthony
STEPHENS 1738 |
Margaret
STEPHENS 1748 |
Ann
SYMONS 1765 |
Anna
Maria SYMONS (6) 1826 |
Elizabeth
SYMONS 1857 |
Frederick
Henry SYMONS (7 months) 1823 |
Frederick
Raymond SYMONDS 1804 |
Harcourt
Knight SYMONS 1821 |
John
SYMONS 1763 |
Raymond
SYMONS (3 months) 1824 |
Richard
Harcourt SYMONS 1850 |
Richard
Langton SYMONS (infant) 1843 |
Thomas
SYMONS 1818 |
Thomas
Hampton SYMONS 1831 |
Thomas
George SYMONS 1868 |
William
SYMONDS 1858 |
William
John Raymond SYMONDS 1808 |
Elizabeth
WILLIAMS 1767 |
James
WILLIAMS (Vicar)
1812 |
(At
DEWSALL) William MAYOS 1826 (of Monkhall, Much Dewchurch) Mary MAYOS 1838 |
BOOK OF PARISH MEMORANDUMS
The Rev. Hassell while vicar at Much Dewchurch in the early 19th century kept a note book about the church, parish and inhabitants. It is in Hereford Record Office. Some extracts -
Population
Much
Dewchurch (Much
Birch)
1801 -
482
1801 - 329
1811 - 578
1811 - 296
1821 - 585
1821 - 353
1831 - 573
1831 - 489
He notes that
between
1801-11 Mr Symonds of the Mynde Park estate "suffered" a
large cottage population to establish on waste land at Saddlebow.
"The register begins in the 2nd year of Elizabeth, 1558 and is remarkably well kept and complete, other than loss of some entries 1638-July 1639 and May 1645 to 1649. From the number of burials in March 1666 it is probable that the Plague arrived in the parish. Though the burial register does not so specifiy".
(The register has a short dissertation explaining how he found it in a dilapidated state and sent it to London for re-binding.)"The Parish of Much Dewchurch is somewhat circumstanced with respect to these Saturnalia which have in some instances led to very lamentable disorders in the neighbourhood. Its feast is on Old Michaelmas Day, not therefore a Sunday Wake unless the Holiday falls (as it will every 6th year) on a Lord's Day. There is then however no concourse, people seldom expecting it and little notice is taken unless it is a dance at the public house during the week, or a game of skittles." (He goes on to contrast Much Birch next door - "it is an uproarious meeting and a very great nuisance").
Confirmations
Names of Much Dewchurch parishioners confirmed 1834-1839 with ages.1834 (AT LLANWARNE) |
1835 (at St WEONARDS) |
Mary
SEAL of Wormelow, 25 |
John WATKINS of Dewchurch, 26 |
Anne
MASON of Wormelow, 16 |
Rebecca SAUNDERS of Dewchurch, 18 |
Anne
THOMAS of Bryngwyn, 26 |
William
EDWARDS of Dewchurch, 35 |
Elizabeth
JONES of Bryngwyn, 17 |
Thomas
HARRIS of Corrage Farm, 17 |
Mary
GALLIERS of Prospect, 18 |
Mr
Charles BOXLEY, Prospect
School, 16 |
Mary
ADDIS of Village, 16 |
William
GARDENER of Prospect
School, 19 |
F
G SYMONDS Esq of The Mynde, 16 |
|
Mary
Anne PREECE of The Mynde, 16 |
1836 (at MUCH DEWCHURCH) |
||
Jane
DREWETT, 21 |
Lucy
CHARLES, 18 |
Mary
FARR, 19 |
Mary
WENT, 22 |
Martha
CHRISTOPHER, 58 |
John
CASTREE, 31 |
Thomas FARR,
23 |
George
WATKINS, 17 |
Susan
GRIFFITHS, 30 |
Anne
JONES, 21 |
Susan
BEVAN, 27 |
Joseph
BEVAN, 25 |
Keziah
BEVAN, 20 |
Sarah
THOMAS, 35 |
Walter
COOKE, 19 |
Ann
PRITCHARD, 30 |
Ann
GREEN, 50 |
Jane
THOMAS, 19 |
Charles
WENT, 16 |
Sarah
COOKE, 27 |
William
CASTREE, 34 |
Zachariah
CASTREE, 29 |
William
POWELL, 28 |
Mary
GWILLYM, 19 |
Eliza
SYMMONS, 20 |
Alice
EVANS, 18 |
Samuel BEVAN, 27 |
James
BEVAN, 23 |
Catherine
ADDIS, 60 |
Maria JAY, 28 |
James
SAYCE, 25 |
Joseph
GUNTER, 23 |
Mary
GREEN, 18 |
William
CASTREE, 20 |
James
JONES, 17 |
Mary
Anne WARING, 16 |
Mary
CHRISTOPHER, 20 |
William
CLARKE, 35 |
1838 (AT LLANWARNE) |
1839 (AT ST WEONARDS) |
||
James
THOMAS, 22 |
Frederick
FRENCH, 15 |
William
WHITHORN, 19 |
Henry
LLEWELLYN, 19 |
Robert
STREET, 16 |
Richard
PRICE, 17 |
William
CHRISTOPHER, 19 |
Edward
ADDIS, 24 |
George
PREECE, 34 |
Sarah
JONES, 18 |
Richard
ADDIS, 16 |
Mary
POWELL, 15 |
Anne
THOMAS, 16 |
Elizabeth
JONES, 16 |
Anne
EMBREY, 15 |
Elizabeth
WHITHORN, 18 |
Belinda
PREEDY, 16 |
Mary
HAINES, 30 |
Mary
Anne THOMAS, 21 |
Miss
Catherine LOCKEY, 16 |
Sarah
LILWALL, 17 |
Christiana
ROWLANDS, 15 |
Anne
HAYNES, 19 |
Ellen
WALKER, 16 |
Elizabeth
PRICE, 19 |
Margaret
PREECE, 34 |
MARY
VAYLE, 19 |
Elizabeth
LEWIS, 16 |
Anna
PRITCHARD, 40 |
Mary
PRITCHARD, 20 |
||
Sarah
DAVIES, 20 |
(Before 1858).
Much Dewchurch was in the Diocese of Hereford. Wills and
administration grants probated in the Consistory Court of Hereford are
held by the Hereford Record Office, having been transferred from the
National Library of Wales. I regret that the days of uplifting by mail,
a list of wills etc held for a specified surname, are over. Due
to increasing pressure of work, Hereford Record Office, like
most others, will probably give you a researcher's name to work on your
behalf. However there is a pay-as-you-come index accessible from the
Herefordshire Family History
Society site.
Here is a link for PCC Wills
index
on-line. For Much Dewchurch they are -
John BALLARDE 1560 | Roger LEWES 1564 | John
APPIE, gent, 1598 |
Richard
LEWYS, gent 1590 |
Edward PYE, Gent 1637 | Richard WILLIAMS, gent 1650 |
William GREEN, gent. 1650 | William WYLDE, yeoman 1652 | Fraunces WYLDE, Wid. 1653 |
Robert TETLOWE, vicar 1659 | Jane BODENHAM, wid. 1672 | Jenkin KNILL, vicar 1715 |
Samuel SMYTH, yeoman 1750 | Thomas SHEWARD, gent 1773 | Hungerford HOSKINS, vicar 1792 |
James PHILLIPS, gent 1809 | John BARROLL, vicar 1816 | Ann FENCOTT, wid. 1821 |
Edw. LILLWALL, farm 1839 | Phillip MORGAN, gent 1842 | Dorothy HASSALL, wid. 1844 |
Abstracts of Roger LEWES of Kivernoll 1564, BALLARD of Much
Dewchurch 1564, and VERRIOR/VERRY
Wills are on
GENUKI >HEREFORDSHIRE>PROBATE.
Some Coroners
Records are
extant (Hereford Record Office).
Examples -
DATE |
NAME |
CAUSE |
1731 |
William
BARROT late
of Much Dewchurch |
Fell
from his wagon |
1826 |
Mary
Ann KENT, Much Dewchurch |
Died
from clothing catching fire (Note: a very common cause) |
1826 |
John
BIGGS (of Much Birch) |
Clothing
caught fire |
1827 |
Ester
DOLLER aged 8 years, Much Dewchurch |
Sudden,
causes unknown |
There is also one
concerning John MARKEY Senior, Gent, "by
God's Visitation in
County Gaol" 1653. Possibly of the MARKEY's of Dewchurch or
nearby.
The early baptism registers for the Cwm Circuit were handed in to the Registrar-General's office in 1840 as required by law. A transcript is held by the Hereford Record Office. Sadly registers for 1840-1885 have not survived but (theoretically) births, marriages, deaths should have been registered in that period after Civil Registration began in 1837, although there was some resistance by some families in the early period especially.
Methodists were
buried in
the Church of England cemeteries except where they had their own. The
nearest Methodist cemetery to Much Dewchurch was probably Garway
or Hereford.
Records of the Cwm
Circuit are on the IGI for the years 1828-1837, but contain just
31 entries (Batch No. C065641). They were probably extracted from one
or more Preachers' notebook(s) which survived and thus probably do not
reflect the total activity of the mission.
MUCH
DEWCHURCH LANDOWNERS - Militia Tax 1663
Sir William POWELL
(alias Hinson of Pengethley) (ie
near Ross-on-Wye)
Walter PYE Esq (of the Myndd)
George MASON (Gent)
Herbert BROUGHTON (Vicar of Much
Dewchurch) (Boughton)
Mrs BODENHAM of Ross
Jane BODENHAM, widow ("Papist who
rented from the Exchequer for
herself")
John HOPKINS, Gent
Phillip MARKIE, Gent (Markey)
Charles ROGERS, Gent
Elizabeth STACIE (Stacy)
Walter GWATKIN
Thomas SMITH
Francis WEBB
John HOWELLS
Nicholas GRIFFITHS
Floris GRIFFITHS
Richard INCE
John GRONOWE
Katherine VAUGHAN
John ROGERS, Gent
John WACKINE or WALKLEY (Wackline)
Lewis HARRIS
List is in descending
order of value.
Names I have
annotated
are the
usual spelling in the Parish Register.
NOTE that these
owners were not necessarily residents of the Parish at that date.
SOME
LAND
OCCUPIERS - mainly 17th century and earlier. (Dates
representative from the Parish Register, Leases etc - and
incomplete.)
KEY: (M) Mynde Park Estate records, National Library of Wales; (B or Bodenham) Bodenham of Rotherwas estate records, Hereford Record Office (A2A Catalogue); Reade - Local Historian circa 1925; PR - Parish Register, Much Dewchurch (D). Spelling is per original documents.
Note: These estate
records
include those of predecessors insofar as land was acquired at various
periods. A major land owner, Powell of Pengethley is represented only
as predecessor to some Mynde Park Estate land. The catalogues can be
consulted via the following websites -
National
Libary of Wales (Mynde Park Estate).
A2A Catalogue (Bodenham).
Unnamed
land |
John Lanwarne 1415 (lease Bodenham) |
Unnamed
land |
Miles
Water (Walter) Snr/Walter Vaughan Esq 1441
(Bodenham) |
Sadlebow | Pye (ancient) |
Mynde
(anciently -
"Brownes' place") Myndd = "Mountain" often written Meend. |
Pye
(from
late 1400's) Wyllim possibly bailiff 1559. Symmonds circa
1740. Now Mynde Park Estate. |
Bryngwyn (Manor) "Fair or White Hill" | Bodenham
(ancient) William Wilde, "farmer" (Bailiff?) 1652 (PR) (sequestered to Parliament this period) James Phillips 1787 (PR) James Rankin 1865 (PR |
Crickohill (also known as Crack-o-hill) | Thomas
Smith
1659 (PR) |
Lowe
Farm (or "The
Low") (possibly part of Kivernoll estate 1500's - Lewis) |
Robert
Verryer
1666 (B) Thomas Verry (nephew) 1688 Lease Bodenham |
Poole
Farm (possibly Powes
later) |
Elizabeth Verryor and son John 1651 Lease Pye. |
Ridby | Richard
Howell 1592 |
Ridky (perhaps as above) | John
Bigge 1559
(Bigge/Pigge?) (PR) |
The Rydd | perhaps Ridby? |
Rydby |
Roger
Pigge and sons to James David, Yeoman of Rowlston
1594 (M) |
Upper
Rydby |
Walter Gwatkin, the elder,
yeoman 1644 (M) |
Rydby Mill | Wallter
Gwatkin, gent, late
Alexander Foster 1662 (M) |
Bloomhall/Bloomhouse
near Rydbyes |
Charles
Hunt, carpenter 1646 (M) |
Garretts
& Powes (Pools?) |
George
Griffiths 1661 (M) |
Richardstown
(aka Richardson) |
Thomas
Scudamore, gent 1570 late
John William Howell and father
, William Howell Assigned by Pye to John Pigge 1577 (M) |
Holmes
Meadows |
Roger
Pye of Mynde 1577 (M) |
Voulers and Pontaynes | Richard Bows (Bowa, Bower) snr 1582 (M) |
Orenge
Field Farm |
Roger
Sayse, Kilpeck 1585 (M) |
Clynston/Clynson |
John Rawlings 1601 (M) |
Upper
Clynson |
Morgan
Williams before 1606 then
Griffith Rawlings (M) |
Webbs
Broade Meadow |
Roger
Webbe before 1605 (M) |
Skydmores |
John
Gwatkin 1605 (M) |
Cordmore
(Coedmawr) "big wood" |
Simon
Stacy,
gent 1658 (PR) |
Coedmore |
Charles
Rogers, grocer, London
1611 (M) |
Coyedmore |
Phillip
Rogers, gent 1622 (M) |
Coydmore |
John
Phillips 1632 (M) |
Coydmore |
Daniel Rogers, East Grinsteed, Sussex to Pye 1635 (M) |
Lakehouse
part of Coydmore |
Richard
Stallard, Haywood, yeoman
1638 (M) |
Coedmore,
Lordesmarch |
Richard
Stallard, Allensmore,
yeoman 1647 (M) |
Coydmore,
Olde Field |
William
Bateman, blacksmith 1656
(M) |
Mynde,
Grist Mill |
John
Morrice 1598 (M) |
Mynde,
Tenement |
Margaret
Phelpotts 1611 ex Roger Morgan (Bodenham) (M) |
Mynde
(Meende) Tenement |
Julian
Morrice, widow 1607, then
David James (Servant Pye (M) |
Meende
Town (ie Mynde) |
John
Weever 1613 (Bodenham) (M) |
Mynde,
tenement |
James
Hill 1657 (M) |
Skiviockes,
Priors Meadow |
George
Mason, gent, Kilpeck 1651
(M) |
Deston | William
Philpot
1607 (D) |
Kevenwherven (Cefn-y-ferfain = "ridge of the vervain") | John
Willym
of Llanwarne 1700 John Purshull 1713 Lease Bodenham |
Kivernoll
(Kevenowe in early records). Before the Reformation, Aconbury Nunnery
had land at Kevenowe. It was a hamlet and estate name. |
ap/Morgan,
- Millers various dates (Reade) Richard Lewis 1564 (Reade and PCC Will) Phillips 1580 (D) Thomas Smith Snr. 1663 (PR) William Wood 1708 William Watkins Jnr 1759 (and probably many others) |
Kivernoll
Manor |
Reginald
Hygate, Chappell, Co.
Essex 1577 (M) |
Kivernoll |
John
Powell, gent ex Prytfoote, Hancocks 1594 (M) |
Kivernoll,
Gwillyms Grove |
Richard
Ballard 1602 (M) |
Kivernoll,
Broad Meadow |
William
Vincent, yeoman 1605 ex
Thomas Webb (M) |
Kivernoll,
The Scudamore |
Roger
Webb son of Mathew, husbandman 1601 (M) |
Kivernoll |
Lease
assigned by John Phillips to
John James 1613 (M) |
Kivernoll |
Roger
Watkyns son of Lewys Watkins, yeoman, late Roger Webbe, grandfather (M) |
Kivernoll,
house at |
Late
Thomas Gwatkin, to Ursula Lewis, spinster "in consequence of
good service to Dame Elizabeth Pye" 1640 (M) |
Kivernoll,
Old Field |
George
Jones, gent, Llanwarne
1640 (M) |
Kivernoll,
house at |
Richard
Bateman, tailor 1652 (M) |
Kivernoll,
Little/Great
Scudamores |
Thomas
Rogers 1626 (M) |
Kivernoll
Estate |
Richard
Lewis died 1589 (Reade
and PCC Will) |
Hill Farm | Verry
1600's then Bullen. Lease Bodenham |
Hegmond Hell Farm (helde - "slope"). Hegmond, if a personal name, predates register 1558. | John Burgh
1635 later Weare, then Thomas Verrye 1657 and 1667. Lease Bodenham |
Castle
Field Farm, later Church Farm |
(??)
Lease Bodenham |
Pritfort/Pritfoot |
John
Williams of Dewsall 1659 (lease Pye) John Williams of Dewsall 1745 (lease Bodenham) Probably earlier Pritfoot - a name in the early register. |
Newhouse
also known as Noakes |
Edward
Pye Chamberlayn 1723 |
Maypole
and Pynocks |
James
Phillips 1801 (B) |
Unnamed
land |
Samuel
Pritchard 1739. Lease Bodenham |
Miles Higgins farm | Miles
Higgins
owner late 1400's (also recorded as Huggins) Thomas Phillips, Gent. 1621 (PR) then Thomas Baker Jnr |
The Blackhouse. Several unnamed "base" children christened and buried from this place. Wonder what it was? | In Parish Register 1500's. No occupier stated. Possibly where Blackhouse Field was near village or Blackhouse Farm. |
Monkhall also known as Munkhall (possible site of one of several pre-Reformation chantries). | Charles
Rogers,
Gent 1624 (PR) and 1591 (M) Guys Hospital Estate 1753 who leased to Mayos family. |
Buttas Court (Bettws-y-Coed)? "Dingle in the Wood"? | John Pearle 1629. Note however there was possibly a Butter/Buter family 13th Century. It is Butters Court 1831 ordnance map. |
Lath
Bridge Meadow |
John
Kidley, gent, Little
Birch 1669 (M) |
Gowers
Wood, Martaines etc |
Herbert
James, late George Mason 1686 (M) |
Coxbrooke |
Roger
Lyncke, labourer 1654 |
Grove Farm | Richard
Cooke
of Abeydore 1799.(B) |
The Dockyard | Richard
Miles
1642 (PR) |
The Bishops House (1552 Diocese of Gloucester.?) | Ballard
1564. From field name, possibly the farm later known as Old or Little
Lowe. (PCC Will Ballard) |
Old
or Little Low |
Possibly
Lowfields, parcel of Diocese of Gloucs. 1740 and earlier. (See
also Bishops House). It is Lawn Farm, 1831 Ordnance Map |
Swan
Inn (presumably Black Swan though not so named). |
Formerly Dubberleys. Property of Diocese of Gloucester, 16th century. (See separate note re Swan Inn.), George Griffith 1561, Floris Griffith, innholder 1665 |
Pigge
Farm |
Possibly
the Pigge family. Lease Diocese of Gloucester 16th century. Pigg/Bigg
family (PR) |
Lowe
Fields |
Bishop
of Gloucester (See Bishops House above) |
The
Green |
Robert
Berrow 1700's, lease Guys Hospital Estate (possibly Barrow). |
Unnamed
land and house |
Elizabeth
Verry widow 1727 (Bodenham) then Charles James |
Glaziers
Close (possibly site of old glass furnace?) |
Catherine
Jenkin (buried from here 1623) (PR) |
Stonyhouse
tenement |
Floris
Griffith, innholder 1665
(See
Swann), Thomas Adys,
blacksmith 1649 (M) |
Saddlebow
House |
Richard
Kidley, Bromley, yeoman
1606 (M) |
Saddlebow
Hill (land) |
Walter
Houthy, Orcop, labourer
1648 (M)
Thomas Summers 1656 (M) |
Saddlebow (house on) | Mary
Gynny 1649 (M) |
Saddlebow
Butts |
Edward
Bethan, clerk, Orcop 1659
(M) |
Saddlebow,
Hollings Cottage |
Thomas
Simmons, servant Pye 1660
(M) |
The following properties belonged to the Bryngwyn Estate at the time of sale 1915.
Buttas
Court |
Brygarth |
Bryngwyn
Cottage |
Church
Farm |
Grove
Cottages |
Ivy
Cottage |
Lodge
Farm |
The
Maypole |
Mileshiggins |
Hill
Farm |
Lowe
Farm |
Frogwells |
The
Old or Little Lowe |
Turfy
Hall |
Yew
Cottage |
The following properties belonged to the Mynde Park Estate at sale 1916.
Blacksmith
Shop |
Coedmoor
Farm |
Kivernoll
Farm |
Saddlebow |
Pool Farm |
Peartree
Cottage |
Pool
House |
Proberts
Orchard |
Whitehouse |
There were of
course, many small holdings which are now unidentifiable.
For example Bateman the tailor (of Kivernoll) leased a small
parcel of land from Pye in the 1600's. Presumably he and other
tradesmen kept a small number of animals for their own use, or turned
to the soil in times of dearth.
The Kivernoll
Estate, of
uncertain size, but considered by Reade to be large in
Elizabethan times, was owned by Richard LEWIS, who died 1589,
styled "gent". His daughter Catherine married John PHILLIPS of
Dyffryn-Tudewai in Llandewi Rhydderch and their eldest son James
PHILLIPS eventually acquired the estate. (See also Recusants.)
No estate papers appear to have survived. Reade suggests it was Lewis
who was one of the sponsors of a
glass furnace. He also suggests that the Kivernoll estate extended
towards
the village and included the Low Farm, or a part of it, but I have been
unable to confirm this.
Many of the places
listed
above are on the Ordnance Survey map and on the 1881 Census
on-line. The Land Tax Records for Much Dewchurch 1776-1831
at Hereford Record Office should be more useful source for that
period. As will be appreciated from the above records, I have
for the moment concentrated efforts on the more difficult period 17th
century and earlier.
It should be
appreciated
that many of these farms must have been bought/sold or otherwise passed
to other landowners, possibly more than once. An example is the Old or
Little Lowe. Once probably a property of the Diocese of Gloucester, it
was in the 19th century, a part of the Mynde Park estate (Symonds ex
Pye). But at the sale of the Bryngwyn Estate 1915, it was part of that
manor (Bodenham's). Without a proper land registration system, tracing
property ownership in England is usually difficult, if not impossible
and often
of inconclusive or fragmentary outcome. It should also be appreciated
that a farmer might at any time, take on leasehold (or rental) of other
land, adjacent or some distance away, perhaps even, though not usually,
in a distant parish. And likewise a leaseholder may become a
freeholder, through his
diligence or good fortune. As general in South Herefordshire, copyhold
estates
were few, leaseholds more common, as were
rentals. In the
earlier period especially, gavelkind was practiced by some, the tenure
by which all sons inherited equally.
Do remember too
that land
boundaries are invisible with respect to parish boundaries. The Gwatkin
and Mayos families clearly had land interests straddling Much Dewchurch
and Dewsall. My own kin at Hegmond Hell farm, so far as I can discern,
had his house in Much
Dewchurch but most of the farmland over the boundary in Much Birch.
Thus
he appears in the registers of the latter. In each of these examples
better
access to neighbouring chuches must have been a factor. Often the
history of
one
parish cannot be considered in isolation!
Negotiations began in
1728 but because of reversionary clauses, Guys Hospital (of London) did
not finally acquire all of their Herefordshire estates from Bridges,
Lord Chandos until 1754. From that time
almost the whole of Aconbury
parish was held by them. However there were also parcels of land in Much
Dewchurch.
Bridges had acquired most of their property following
marriage into the Pearle family of
Dewsall and Aconbury,
the original owners. Guys Hospital estate records include deeds
relating to their predecessors.
1680 |
William
SMYTH Snr |
meadow
and coppice wood adjoining Much Dewchurch (probably Dewsall) |
1708 |
William
WOOD |
of
Kivenowe, Yeoman |
1720 |
William
SMITH |
Labourer,
Cottage, three acres of coppice |
1720 |
Thomas
GWATKIN |
Yeoman,
house and land |
1724 |
John
THOMAS |
Green
Farm |
1779 |
Thomas
MAYOS |
the
Monkhall farm in Much
Dewchurch and Dewsall |
1788 |
Robert BERROW | Yeoman, Green Farm (possibly BARROW) |
1799 |
John
MAYOS and Walter MAYOS |
Monkhall,
Yeoman ) Monkhall and land at ) Kivernoll Kivernoll ) |
1677 |
Benjamin
MASON, Gent, in Manor of Stretton Sugwas, and his wife
"sole daughter and
heir of Simon Stacy, deceased" |
1695 |
Mary
WOOD, widow - lease at Aconbury |
1710 |
William
BARRELL, yeoman, house called Houseover and land in Dewsall and
Much Dewchurch |
1714 |
Thomas
PARRY, cottage at the Green, Sellack |
1715 |
William
GWATKIN, yeoman, capital messuage and other houses, lands
in Dewsall and Much Dewchurch, late Thomas ESSE |
1715 |
Vowchurch,
CharlesTHOMAS, Tyler of Much Dewchurch |
1717 |
Mary
WOOD, widow and Richard her youngest son, lease at Aconbury |
1775 |
Timberline,
Parish of Madley, John ROBERTS of
Much Dewchurch, yeoman |
1779 |
Farm
of Dewsall, with apple orchard late Ann SMITH and farm called
Coldnose, in Dewsall
and Much Dewchurch, late William GWATKIN deceased |
1783 |
Timberline,
Parish of Madley, John ROBERTS late of Much Dewchurch |
1815 |
House and land Much Birch, Mary SKYRME of Much Dewchurch, widow |
1836 |
House
and land Much Birch, Ann JONES of Much Dewchurch |
(Map dated 1841.
Apportionment 1846)
The parish field names have been recorded and mapped, based on the 1841 Tithe Survey, by the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club Archaeological Research section. (They can be contacted care of Hereford Record Office.) Some field names seem to have been not much older than 1841 and many purely descriptive - "old field by the house". The booklet comes with a very large fold-out map showing fields, roads. Taking field names in the Mynde Park Estate records of the 17th century and comparing them with those in 1841, showed a large number identifiable in both records. However, it was difficult to conclude that whole farms in 1841 were those of some 200 years previous, chunks of land having been divided, sold or leased, attached to neighbouring farms and so on. But the exercise should be worthwhile for those with Much Dewchurch ancestry. I will be pleased to help with any enquiries - email. The peculiar shape of the parish is well illustrated, with its long "tongue" of land stretching past Dewsall, which possibly explains why some families in the north of the parish were using Dewsall church at various times. And of course if one knows the name of an ancestor's farm at that period it can easily be found on the survey map, complete with field names, some of which identify land use. An extremely valuable tool for 19th Century ancestry in this parish.
In February 1641/42
Sir
Walter Pye of the Mynde in Much Dewchurch and others raised
a military force for the King and occupied Hereford City, but was
forced to surrender it in April 1643. He and others were taken prisoner
to Gloucester, then to Bristol. It is quite possible "lesser" folk from
Much Dewchurch were involved, whose names went unrecorded.
The ancient camp on
Aconbury Hill above Much Dewchurch was occupied, commanding an
extensive view of the countryside including Pye's fortified mansion.
The large houses were defended and - "often reduced to their own
resources, and left to collect for themselves, they became pests rather
than protectors - their fortresses were converted into nurseries of
lawless vice and
hunger ridden desperation. The distance from which they fetched their
contributions left little chance of escape to the settled householder,
who was liable to be drawn upon by both parties " (Memorials
of the Civil War Between King Charles 1 and the Parliament of England
as it Affected Herefordshire" - Webb, two volumes, Longman
Green, London 1879).
Miles HILL who acted as
Commissary for the Scottish troops encamped on Dinedor and Aconbury
hills, recorded that he had to provide for 9000 infantry and 1500
cavalry after the
departure of 4000 of them. But he records nothing specific
about the 3,000 or more Scottish women (and children) who accompanied
them bearing "skeans" or long knives. This Miles Hill kept records of
their deprivations. His figures are probably unreliably conservative,
but for Much Dewchurch he recorded 40 pounds
and
for the more prosperous parish of Peterstow, just six pounds.
An article on the Civil
War
in Herefordshire can be found here
THE PYE/BODENHAM ALTERCATION
Reade in his
typescript
history of the parish wrote -
"Catholicism was still represented amongst the Herefordshire gentry and amongst those who remained faithful to the ancient church were the Bodenham's of Bryngwyn Manor (Much Dewchurch) who suffered severely under the burden of the Penal laws.Well, that is the version still being talked of in the village in the 19th century, if not later. However, the following, which I believe is the more probable version, is quite different concerning the death of PyeThe Quarter Sessions accordingly ordered John Bodenham the then owner of Bryngwyn to appear before them in January 1681 to take the Oath of Allegiance. He refused and Pye set out to arrest him. He found him cutting a hedge in front of his house but Bodenham refused to surrender and rushed him with a bill-hook. Pye was rescued by some farm labourers back to the Mynde where he died from his injuries January 3, 1681. Pye's funeral was the occasion of a great Protestant demonstration and a long pamphlet recounting the Martyrdom of this servile hero was published in London. Bodenham was carried off to Hereford and tried, but was acquitted on claiming benefit of clergy (having paid his recusancy fines). The walnut tree under which Pye fell is flourishing today (1936) and is even now believed that on the anniversary of the assault the two combatants may be seen struggling in mortal combat."
This altercation, apart form the deprivations of the Civil War and occasional visitations of diseases, was the major event that occurred in the parish. The irony is that, according to the Pye family research, the Pye's were lately Catholics and were related by marriage to Bodenham."Herbert Aubrey to [Sir Leoline Jenkins]. I see by the printed papers concerning Mr Robert Pye's death, there are "pia mendacia" as well as "piae fraudes", but such gross falsities will bring the truth of the late horrid plot into question., Before the print came down, the two common newsletters had the same false account, but I will give you a faithful state of the whole business. Last Easter sessions Mr Pye, Mr Edward Jones and Mr John Scudamore were ordered to tender the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to Mr John Bodenham, who had declined to take them. They accordingly issued out warrants. The constables made return that they were abused and had stones thrown from the house at them and were threatened. Before Allhollantide last. Mr Pye met Mr Bodenham near his own house at the Mynd and told him of his refusal to take the oaths and of the abuses done to the officers and of the obligation on himself to make the order obeyed and pressed him to give security to appear at the next Sessions, which he refusing, Mr Pye said he would not let him go, and charged two persons of Mr Bodenham's company to assist him to apprehend him, but they rather interposed to prevent Mr Bodenthan being taken. Mr Pye, neverthess. though he had nothing in his hand but a walking stick, persisted in endeavouring to take him, but he went back and, Mr Bodenham eagerly pursuing struck at him with a bill and hit him on the arm and broke his coat. Mr Pye fell, but confessed he had not great hurt. After this Mr Bodenham promised Mr Pye to appear at a certain day, but did not come, and sent him word he was not obliged to keep his word with him. As Mr Pye since informed me, Mr Bodenham left the country on it and never saw Mr Pye alive from that time till his death. The manner of Mr Pye's death was this. On Saturday 22 January, he came in the morning to Hereford. He was very well and cheerful. He was pretty late with some of his friends and rode home in a very cold night and sickened in a day or two. Three doctors attended him, but his fever increasing put an end to his life on the 30th. He was buried on Candlemas Day and the very person said to murder him was one of his bearers. Two of the doctors agreed that he died of a malignant fever, of which Sir William Powell, Mr Richard Marriott and Mr Paine of Caple died, not being four or five days sick. Dr Fielding said his lungs were immersed in blood. This is as true an account as I can give till I send his deposition, but what relates to his sickness, death and burial is certain. This you may impart as you see cause and further that, whereas the print affirms another justice to be stabbed by a Jesuit in the same county, it is notoriously false and such unreasonable gross lies will do great harm even to the truth of their ill actions, which are treacherous enough. [S.P. Dom. Car. II. 415, No. 32]. Annexed, A true copy of Mr Pye's information at the Hereford sesions 12 January1680 [-1]. Giving an account of his attempt to apprehend Mr Bodenham as above [Ibid. No. 32).
Short narrative of what passed between Mr Pye and Mr Bodenham as in the above letter, adding that about 10 days ago Mr Pye died of a malignant fever. [Ibid. No. 32 A.]"
Hubert Reade
obviously
unaware of the above record, published his verson of events in his
essay "Ghosts of Much Dewchurch" (Trans. Woolhope Club
July 1928). He also published a note about it in the "Hereford
Times" January 1925 which brought forth a letter from a former
owner of
Bryngwyn who related that her mother had heard about the incident
90 years previous.
The PYE family
papers including leases and rentals are in the National Library of
Wales, Aberystwyth and for 1620-1640 at
Sheffield
Record Office.
Both sets of records are catalogued for personal
searches. Some Bodenham material including
leases is in Hereford
Record Office
and is
catalogued. Unfortunately there is little for the 16th Century. St
Peter's Abbey, Gloucester held land in Dewchurch and Gloucester
Record Office
hold the Court books for 1499-1518 and miscellaneous
material for the subsequent Bishop of Gloucester's holdings. Other
deposited papers include Guys Hospital and its
predecessors,
the Bridges and Pearle families and Patershall,
all deposited at Hereford Record Office.
Link to a history of the Pye Family
Those born out of the
Parish at the 1881 Census were considerable, a process which had been
accelerating through previous decades. Some of the trades and
businessmen in 1881 were -
NAME |
OCCUPATION |
PLACE BORN |
James
BEAVAN |
Carpenter |
Kilpeck |
Owen
BISHOP |
Schoolmaster
and Organist |
Jersey |
John
BOWEN |
Postmaster
and Grocer |
Lyonshall |
Cornelius
HARRIS |
Tailor |
Preston-on-Wye |
John
PERKINS |
Haulier
(carman) |
Orcop |
James
PHILLIPS |
Mason |
Kilpeck |
James
POWELL |
Coal
Agent |
Ewias
Harold |
William
PRICE |
Draper |
Dewchurch |
John
PROSSER |
Coat
Agent |
Grosmont |
Herbert
SOUTHALL |
Wheelwright |
Dewchurch |
James
SOUTHALL |
Blacksmith |
Dilwyn |
John
STINTON |
Boot
and Shoe maker |
Leominster |
William
THORNLEY |
Clogger |
Lancashire |
James
TREADWELL |
Basket
Maker |
Hereford |
Henry
VAUGHAN |
Mason
|
Abbeydore |
"Progress has left
this
tiny corner of England far behind but following a walk along its
short main street we were glad because time here is of no importance
as an elderly farmer, licking his beer in the Black Swan proudly
emphasised ----- 'Hasn't changed since me grandfather's day and
that's
how we like it' ------- 'Who wants progress with its noise and greed.
Not us --- 'ere the clocks ain't master of men. As for the woman folk,
they visit town only when need be. Now tell me lass', studying me
through
watery brown eyes - 'tell me about Australia. Sounds a nice little
country".
Twilight spreading we departed from the Black Swan feeling both happy
and enriched."
|
|
MUCH DEWCHURCH 1990'S |
CHURCH SCHOOL HOUSE |
|
|
TOLL HOUSE |
BLACK SWAN INN |
KELLY's POST OFFICE DIRECTORY 1856 (abstract)
Much Dewchurch
(description and residence)
- " a township, large parish and compact village,
distant six and a half miles south-south-west from Hereford, two and a
half south-east from the Tram Inn Station on the Newport. Abergavenny
and Hereford line of railway (ie at Kivernoll) ..... is in Wormelow
Hundred and Hereford Union Archdeaconry, bishopric and deanery of
Archenfield and is situated on the high road leading from Hay to Ross.
The soil is a red clay and the subsoil red sandstone. The population in
1851 was 810. The parish contains 4,876 acres whch are applied to
pasture, arable and meadow. Thomas George Symons Esq. of Mynde Park is
lord of the manor and, with James Phillips
Esq. of Bryngwyn, is chief
landowner. There is an old Roman Camp in this parish, situate about a
quarter of a mile from the church. The church is dedicated to St.
Michael, is a structure of great antiquity, exhibiting the Norman,
early English and perpendicular styles of architechture and has been
recently restored. It consists of a nave, chancel and porch with a
square tower surmounted with a low-pitched roof of oaken shingles and
contains a peel of six bells; in the interior are two ancient monuments
to the Pye family, dated AD
1547 and one to the Bodenham's
of
Rotherwas. Here is a Day School for boys and girls, superintended by
the present incumbent. Mynde Park
is the property and residence
of Thomas George Symons Esq.
There are two hop-yards in the parish. The
benefice is a vicarage worth 440 pounds yearly, with residence and four
acres of glebe land and is in the patronage of the Bishop of
Gloucester. The Rev. John Tournay Parsons MA is the
incumbent.
Black House, Mileshiggins, The Greens Farm, New
House, Saddle Bow, Kivernoll, Lowe, Maypole, Hill, Cracohill, Grove,
Cocksbrook, Monk Hall, Ridby, The Lawns, Jewshayes, Tump, Brisland,
Little Lowe, Rhydd, Pool Farm, Pool Cottage and the Mynde, Bryngwyn, -
are the chief places here."
GENTRY |
|
LOCKEY,
SR Esq |
Pool
Cottage |
PARSONS
Rev. John Tournay BA |
Vicarage |
PHILLIPS,
James Esq. |
Bryngwyn |
SYMONS,
Mr William |
Mynde
Park |
WAREING,
Mr William |
Kivernoll |
TRADERS |
||
BARNETT,
Margaret (Mrs) |
"Tram
Inn" |
|
BARROLL,
Margaret and Susan (Misses) |
Shopkeepers |
|
BERROW,
Wm. |
Farmer |
The
Greens Farm |
BIGGS,
Robert |
Farmer |
Kivernoll |
CASTREE,
John |
Farmer |
Little
Saddlebow |
CASTREE,
Zachariah |
Farmer |
Black
House |
CROSS,
John |
Butcher |
Kivernoll |
DREW,
Joseph |
Rate
Collector |
The
Lowe |
DREW,
Richard |
Farmer |
The
Lowe |
EDWARDS,
William |
Yeoman |
Maypole |
ELLIOT,
John |
Farmer |
The
Cottage |
EVANS,
Sarah (Mrs) |
Shopkeeper |
Willock's
Bridge |
FARR,
Thomas |
Farmer |
Pool
Farm |
FRENCH,
Thomas |
Steward
|
Mynde
Park |
GILBERT,
William |
Farmer |
Mileshiggins |
HARRIS,
John |
Carpenter |
|
HOBBY,
James |
Parish
Clerk |
|
JONES,
Wm. |
Farmer. |
Coed
Moor Common |
JONES,
John |
Farmer |
New
House |
JONES,
William |
Farmer |
Pool
Wharf |
LLEWELLYN,
Jas. |
Harness
Maker |
Ridby |
LLEWELLYN,
John |
Saddler |
Crackhill |
MANSELL,
Thomas |
Farmer |
Hill
Farm |
MATLEY,
James |
Farmer |
Grove
Farm |
MINARD,
John |
Farmer |
Cocksbrook |
MORGAN,
Cornelius |
Corn
Mill |
Ridby |
NOURSE,
T |
Carpenter
and Wheelwright |
Wormelow
Tump |
OLIVER,
William |
Farmer |
The
Lawns |
PACKWOOD,
William |
Relieving
Officer |
Prospect
House |
PAYNE,
James |
Farmer |
Kivernoll |
PEARCE,
Daniel |
Farmer |
Monk
Hall |
PHILLIPS,
James |
Mason |
Kivernoll |
POWELL,
John |
Yeoman |
The
Lodge |
PRICE,
Daniel |
Carpenter
and Shopkeeper |
Kivernoll |
SIMMS,
John |
Shopkeeper |
|
SMITH,
James |
Farmer |
Ridby
Court |
SOUTHALL,
James |
Blacksmith |
|
SPARKES,
Wm. |
"Black
Swan" and Tailor |
|
WARING,
William |
Collector
of Assessed Taxes |
Kivernoll |
WATKINS,
Thomas |
Farmer |
Brisland |
WHITEHORN,
William |
Shoemaker
and Sub-Postmaster |
|
WILLIAMS,
James |
Farmer |
Saddle
Bow |
Post Office: | William WHITEHORN, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Ross at half past 10 am; dispatched at half past 3 pm per messenger to Harewood's End, thence by mail to Ross. Nearest money order office is at Hereford. |
Church Day and Sunday School | for boys and girls. Mr Joseph WISE, master. |
Primitive Methodist Chapel: | no stated minister. |
Carriers
|
(passing through) Meadmore, from Orcop Hill to Hereford, Wednesday and Saturday, returning same days. Powell from Llangarren to Hereford, Wednesday and Saturdays, returning same days. |
National
School
|
with accommodation for 133 children - average attendance 54. |
Sub-Postmaster: |
John BOWEN (post, money order and savings bank). |
Nearest telegraph office: | Tram Inn, Kivernoll. (John PROSSER - sub-Postmaster). |
Vicar:
|
Rev. J F MARILLIER MA |
Churchwardens. | J RANKIN Esq MP and Mr Richard FARR |
Parish
Clerk:
|
Albert SOUTHALL |
National
School Mistress:
|
Miss K REDMAN |
Station Master: | Charles CAUDLE - Tram Inn Station ( West Midland Section Great Western) |
Assistant
Overseer: |
Mr W H WILTSHIRE, Bryngwyn Cottage. |
PRIVATE
RESIDENTS |
||
BELTON,
Samuel |
Prospect
House |
|
BENNETT,
Major Thomas M |
Monkhill |
|
CHITSON,
Mrs Mary |
Poole
House |
|
HOLME,
Harold |
Pool
Cottage |
|
MARILLIER,
Rev. Jacob Francis MA |
Vicar |
The
Vicarage |
RANKIN,
James MA (Cantab) |
MP
for the Northern Division of
Herefordshire JP, DL (for Herefordshire) and County Councillor |
Bryngwyn
and 35 Ennismore
Gardens, Princes Gate, London SW |
ROGERS,
Miss Mary |
Kivernoll |
|
SYMONS,
Thomas Raymond |
JP |
Mynde
Park |
COMMERCIAL |
||
BARRELL,
Thomas |
Blackhouse |
|
BARRELL,
Thomas |
Bettws
Court |
|
BOWEN,
John |
Shopkeeper
and Sub Postmaster |
|
BOWEN,
Thomas |
Salesman
for the South Wales
Coal Company |
Tram
Inn Station |
CAUDLE,
Charles |
Station
Master |
Tram
Inn |
COOKE,
James |
Farmer |
Coed
Moor Common |
COOKE,
Thomas |
Farmer |
Pool
Wharf |
DEW,
William |
Farmer |
Kiverknoll |
DIMERY,
Charles |
Farmer |
Jews
Hayes |
DIGWOOD,
Thomas |
Head
Gardener for Thos. Raymond SYMONS
MP |
Mynde
Park |
EDWARDS,
Thomas |
Farmer |
Kiverknoll |
EDWARDS,
William |
Farmer |
Maypole |
FARR,
Mrs E |
Farmer |
Cracohill |
FARR,
Richard |
Farmer |
Pool
Farm |
GRIFFITHS,
William |
Farmer |
The
Lawns |
GRIFFITHS,
William |
Farmer |
Hill
Farm |
GROWCOTT,
John |
Farmer |
Lodge
Farm |
HARDWICK,
Amos |
Blacksmith |
|
HARPER,
Albert |
Farmer |
Ridby
Court |
JENNINGS,
Henry John |
Farm
Steward |
The
Mynde |
JONES,
James |
Farmer
|
Mileshiggins |
JONES,
Thomas |
"Black
Swan Inn" |
|
LEE,
Robert |
Farmer |
Little
Lowe |
LEWIS,
Charles |
Farmer |
The
Green Farm |
MORAN,
Joseph |
Bailiff
for James RANKIN MP, JP, DL |
Grove
Farm |
NASH,
William |
Head
Gamekeeper for James RANKIN MP
JP DL |
Bryngwyn |
PHILLIPS,
James |
Mason |
|
PRICE,
John |
Wheelwright |
Kiverknoll |
POWELL,
George |
Farmer |
The
Lowe Farm |
PROSSER,
John |
Coal
Merchant and Agent for
Hadfield's Manures |
Tram
Inn Station |
REDMAN,
Miss Kate |
Schoolmistress |
|
SHAW,
Elijah |
Steward
for James RANKIN MP, JP, DL
and agent to the
North British and Mercantile Insurance Company |
Bryngwyn
Cottage |
SOUTHALL,
Albert |
Blacksmith
and Parish Clerk |
|
VALE,
William |
Cottage
Farmer and Haulier |
Kiverknoll |
WALTERS,
James |
Cottage
Farmer and Haulier |
Coedmore |
WALTERS,
John |
Farmer
|
Rhydd
Farm |
WILLIAMS,
James |
Farmer |
Saddlebow
Farm |
WILLIAMS,
James |
Farmer |
New
House |
NOTES:
While I have endeavoured to ensure accuracy, no such guarantee is given. As always check, or arrange to have checked, original sources. In some cases I may be able to amplify the data - e-mail.