Peterchurch, Herefordshire - Kelly's Directory, 1941

Extract from Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1941

PETERCHURCH.

PETERCHURCH is a parish on the River Dore, in the Golden Valley and on the Ross and Hay road, with a station on the Golden Valley section of the Great Western Railway, 9 miles north-west from Pontrilas Station on the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford section of the same railway, 12 west from Hereford and 9 east from Hay, in the Hereford division of the county, Webtree Hundred, Dore petty Sessional division, Dore and Brentwardine rural district, Hereford County Court District, rural deanery of Abbey Dore, and archdeaconry and diocese of Hereford. The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone in the Norman style, consisting of apsidal chancel, with aisle, nave, north porch and western tower with octagonal spire containing a chiming clock and 6 bells, the tower was repaired in 1906 and the spire in 1879, 1906 and 1935: there are three fine Norman arches, three stained windows and a rude piece of sculptured stone, representing a trout with a golden chain round its neck, said to have been taken in the River Dore; in 1902 a new organ was provided, the church was restored in 1869: the north porch was built in 1888 to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria: there are 340 sittings, all of which are free. The register dates from the year 1711. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value about £325, with residence, in the gift of Lord Brocket, and held since 1934 by the Rev. William Sidney Daw B. A. of Durham University. Here is a Baptist chapel, built in 1879, with sittings for 250 persons, also a Methodist Chapel, There is a Methodist Chapel at Urishay, built in 1837, seating 100 persons. Fairs are held on Monday before February 2^nd, 1^st Monday in March (horse), 16^th May (hiring), last Monday in June, 1^st Monday in September, 1^st Monday in October, and last Monday in November. A market for cattle is held every fourth Monday and for poultry &c. every Monday. St. Peter's Wells, situated in this parish, which supply the village with water, are reputed to have healing powers. The charities, amount to about £9 yearly. The almshouses for six aged women are endowed, under the will of John Smith, with monies left by him in 1729. In this parish are the remains of Snodhill Castle, which existed in the reign of Stephen, and in the reign of Henry VI. was held with the manor by the great Earl of Warwick; Queen Elizabeth granted it to Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and about 1655 it was purchased by William Prosser, citizen of London, in whose family it still remains. There is also at Snodhill the ruins of an old chapel, of which Thomas Fairfax, the well-known Elizabethan composer, was at one time curate. Urishay Castle, 2 miles south-west, was demolished in 1921; in the castle grounds is a Norman chapel, long disused; it was purchased by subscription in 1914, partially restored and re-dedicated for public worship, but was again closed in 1923; the chancel contains an ancient stone alter with five consecration crosses on its surface. Fairfield is the property and residence of Thomas Henry Foster esq. Wellbrook Manor, probably built about 1400, is the property and residence of W. Wallace Young esq. Lord Brocket, who is Lord of the Manor of Snodhill, and Joseph Yeomans esq., are the chief landowners. The soil is a rich loam; subsoil clay and sandstone. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, beans and swedes. The area is 5,164 acres; the population in 1931 was 572.

   SNODHILL, a hamlet in this parish, is 2 miles north-west.

   Parish Clerk.- Herbert Pikes.

   Post. M.O. & T. Office. Letters through Hereford

   Police Station.

   Golden Valley Railway.

PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Best James Raymond, The Crossways	Jones Thomas A., Portway House
Colam L. Denereaz, Hinton Hall	Martin Rev. Clarence L. (Baptist), The Manse
Daw Rev. William Sidney B. A. (vicar), The Vicarage	Medlicott James, Hinton Cottage
Farr Albert Edward, The Palace	Powell Miss, Brockwell
Grifith Captain R. Glyn, Theldore	Price Miss, Hawthorn Villa
Grocott John Gerald Samuel B.Sc. School House	Smith William Edward, Snodhill Hall
Hallard Reginald Charles, Hillside	Stevens Reginald James, Hinton
Hancorn Miss	Young W. Wallace, Wellbrook Manor
COMMERCIAL
Bevan G. D. farmer, Urishay Court	Plough Inn (Mrs. Mary A. Jones)
Boughton Arms Public House (Mrs. Emily E. Phillip[s)	Price Arthur J., farmer, Cwm Farm
Bowen Eliz. (Mrs.), smallholder	Price Arthur Thomas, farmer, Stensley
Bowyer Sidney James, builder, Highway	Price Frank, farmer, Old Tay
Burke Thomas Samuel, insurance agent	Price Henry Thomas, farmer, Wellbrook Barn
Charles Eliz. (Mrs.), laundry	Price Herbert John, farmer, New Lodge
Davies John, farmer, Green court, Hinton	Price James, farmer, Dragon's Pool
Doon House Preparatory School (Lt. Col. G. F. W. Anson O.B.E head master).	Price John Arthur, farmer, Barley Knapp.
Evans Alfred, grocer	Price John, farmer, New Enclosure Farm.
Farr Laura (Mrs.), boarding house; excellent accommodation, Palace	Price Samuel, farmer, Oatley
Francis David John, C.R.S.I. sanitary inspector & housing surveyor to the Dore & Brentwardine Rural District Council, Urishay House	Price William Edgar, farmer, Urishay
Griffiths G. & W. Ltd. General merchants, Golden valley Stores	Price William Lewis, farmer, Park Farm (postal address, Dorstone)
Haines Eliza Ann (Mrs.), newsagent	Price William, farmer, Lower Wernhyr
Haines Roger, farmer, Snodhill Court	Prosser Leonard Clive, haulier & cattle transporter, distance no object, The Elms, Wellbrook Road
Hallard Reginald Charles, Rate No 1 District, Dore & Brentwardine Rural District Council, & clerk to the Parish Council, Hillside	Prosser William C., farmer, Upper Wellbrook
Hancorn John Leonard, farmer, Trenant	Reece Thomas, farmer, Hinton Court
Howard A. & K. (Misses), graziers, New House	Smith William, coal dealer, High House
Hughes Braithwaite, smallholder, Lower Old Tay	Stokes Tom L., farmer
Jenkins Beatrice (Miss), fancy draper	Thomas John Llewelyn farmer, Lower house
Jones Emmanuel, shoe maker	Tompkins Leonard, farmer, Wernhyr
Jones L. F. (Mrs.), boarding house, Portaway House	Village Hall (G. P. Griffiths, Chairman of Trustees)
Lane George Brakewell, haulage contractor, live stock transporter, coal merchant, motor engineer & agricultural contractor, Albion Garage	Walter Maurice Henry, farmer & dairyman, The Slade
Leighton Albert & Arthur, blacksmith	Watkins Albert Robert, farmer, Greenway
Lewis William Gordon, pea and bean stick merchant & haulage contractor, Craft Hall	Watkins David George, farmer, Penlan
Morris Leslie C., music teacher	Watkins Thomas J., farmer, Urishay Villa
Morris William John & Sons, butchers, Valley View	Williams Dewi Barnet, farmer, Upper house
Munkley Samuel, farmer, Prospect	Williams Thomas, smallholder, Basley Hose
Nag's Head Inn (Thomas Merrick)	Williams William, farmer, Gobbets
Payne William Henry, smallholder, Upper Mowbage	Wilson A., dentist (attends alternate Mondays)
Phillips John, farmer, Mowbage	Wright Philip Charles, smallholder, Middle Mowbage
Pikes Herbert, joiner & parish clerk	Yeomans J. L. & Sons, farmer, Wilmastone

[Transcribed by Richard Lane in January 2003
from a copy of Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire, 1941 in Hereford Central Library]