Avenbury, Herefordshire Family History Guide

Avenbury is an Ancient Parish in the county of Herefordshire.

Other places included in the parish: Munderfield Row

Parish church: St Mary

Parish registers begin: 1661

Nonconformists include: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Parishes adjacent to Avenbury

Historical Descriptions

Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales Circa 1870

Avenbury, a parish in Bromyard district, Hereford; on the river Frome, 1 ½ mile SSE of Bromyard, and 7 ½ E of Dinmore r. station. It includes a detached tract, situated near Bridenbury; and its post-town is Bromyard under Worcester. Acres, 3,233. Real property, £4,155. Pop., 371. Houses, 74. The property is divided among a few. Limestone occurs. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Hereford. Value, £80. Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church is good. There was anciently a small priory.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850

Avenbury, 1 mile S.E. Bromyard. P. 382.

Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.

Directories

Avenbury Littlebury’s Worcestershire Directory 1879

Avenbury is a parish in Herefordshire, pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Froome, and intersected by the Bromyard and Ledbury turnpike road. It is distant 1 ½ miles S.E. of Bromyard, 11 N. of Ledbury, and 14 N.E. of Hereford; is in Broxash hundred, Bromyard union, county court district, polling district, and petty sessional division. The population in 1861 was 371; in 1871, 395; inhabited houses, 78; families or separate occupiers, 79; area of parish, 3,233 acres; annual rateable value, £3,982; soil, clayey; subsoil, red sandstone; chief crops, wheat, beans, hops, and apples. The representatives of the late Dean of St. Asaph are lords of the manor, and the trustees of the Worcester charities, William Barneby, Esq., Mrs. Best (of Suckley), and Rev. F. B. Hooper, are the principal landowners. The living is a vicarage in the diocese and archdeaconry of Hereford and rural deanery of North Froome; value, £100, with residence and 8 acres of glebe; patron, Rev. Arthur Childe-Freeman, vicar, Rev. John Wilson, M.A., Trinity College, Dublin, who was instituted in 1877.

The church of St. Mary is an ancient Gothic structure, with nave, chancel, porch, and low square tower containing three bells. It underwent considerable repair and improvement in 1876. The tower, “a splendid specimen of those massive square buildings, with deeply-splayed windows, which date from about the thirteenth century,” has been cleaned and pointed, and the roof carefully repaired. Seven new lancet windows have been inserted in the north and south walls of the church, and one in the tower. An east window, of three lights, has been recently put in. various improvements have also been made in the interior of the church, the chief of them being the removal of the gallery, and the throwing open of the fine tower arch and window beyond. There is a massive circular Norman font, and a long slab of sandstone in the chancel, on which is incised the figure of a knight in mail, cross-legged, but without any inscription. The earliest register is dated 1661. A school board has been recently formed for this parish, and a new school has been erected at Munderfield row, to accommodate 50 children. There are a few small charities. Birchy Field, the residence of the Hon. Beauchamp Mowbray St. John, J.P., is a freestone mansion in the modern English style, commanding a delightful view of the surrounding country. There is a detached part of Avenbury joining the parish of Bredenbury. Munderfield Row is a hamlet on the Ledbury road, about 1 ¾ miles S.W.
Postal Regulations. – Letters are received from Worcester via Bromyard, and arrive by messenger from the latter place about 8 a.m. Bromyard is the nearest money-order and telegraph office. Letters should be addressed – Avenbury, Bromyard, Worcester.
Parish Church (St. Mary’s). – Rev. John Wilson, M.A., Vicar; Messrs. Richard Allies and Frederick J. Cook, Churchwardens; Henry Partridge, Parish Clerk.
Avenbury School Board. – Mr. Joseph Burrow Weeks, Bromyard, Clerk.
Board School (boys and girls), Munderfield row. – Miss Thomas, Mistress.

Private Residents.
St. John Hon. Beauchamp Mowbray, J.P., Birchy field
Wilson Rev. J., M.A. (vicar), The Vicarage

Agricultural & Commercial.
Allies Richard, farmer, Little Froome
Birchley J., fmr. & hop gwr., The Heath
Chapple Rev. J. (Wesleyan), Northfields
Cook Fredk. J., fmr & hop gwr., Brook ho.
Corbett Joseph, farmer, hop grower, and cattle dealer, The Noakes farm
Corbett Richd., farmer, Rough Mintridge
Dennis Thos., cider retlr., Munderfield row
Green Mrs. Sarah, cot. Farmer, Wigghall
Gurney Thomas, wheelwright, carpenter, and shopkeeper, Munderfield row
Hayling Richard, farmer, Stocks farm
Holloway Benjn., farmer, Upper Hopton fm.
Lane Tracey, farmer, Cusop
Oliver R., fmr & hop gwr., Avenbury crt.
Page Miss Harriet, farmer, Northfields
Partridge Henry, miller, Froome mill
Perry Jas., fmr. & hop gwr., Sawbery hill
Philpott S., fmr. & dlr., Up. Venn farm
Thomas Henry, farmer and hop grower, Munderfield row
Thomas Miss, schoolmst., Munderfield row
Todd Benjn., fmr., hop gwr., brick & drain pipe manufr., Burgess & Greeve farms
Watkins Jas., blacksmith, Munderfield row
Watkins Rd., blacksmith, Munderfield row
Weeks Joseph Burrow, farmer & hop grower, The Kilns; res., Bromyard.
Williams Mrs. Jane, farmer, Goodships
Yates George, farmer, Lower Venn

Source: Littlebury, Littlebury’s Directory and Gazetteer of Worcester & District, Third Edition. Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. 1879.

Avenbury Kellys Herefordshire Directory 1863

Avenbury is a parish, 2½ miles south-east from Bromyard (its post town), 11 north from Ledbury, 13 north-east from Hereford railway station, and 153 from London, in Broxash hundred, Bromyard union and county court district. Frome deanery, Hereford archdeaconry, and Hereford bishopric; it is pleasantly situated on the Bromyard and Ledbury turnpike road; the river Frome runs through it. The church of St. Mary is an old stone building in the Gothic style, pleasantly situated on the banks of the Frome, with small square tower and 3 bells; the interior of the church consists of nave, chancel and a porch. The register dates from 1661. The living is a stipendiary vicarage, worth £80 yearly, with residence and 2 acres of glebe land, in the gilt of the Lord Chancellor; the Rev. John Shepherd, M.A., of Trinity College, Dublin, is the incumbent. Birchy Field, the residence of Mrs. Kempson, is a finely built structure of freestone, in the Modern English style, commanding an extensive and prospective view of the surrounding country. The population in 1801 was 371; the acreage is 3,048. The soil is clayey; subsoil, red sandstone. The representatives of the late Dean of St. Asaph are lords of the manor; Edmund Higginson, Esq., James Sanders, Esq., and John Freeman, Esq., are the chief landowners. The chief crops are wheat, beans, hops, and apples. There are charities of 40s. yearly value. Near Bridenbury is a detached part of the parish, which in 1861 contained 34 persons.

Munderfield Row, a hamlet, is about 1 mile and three-quarters south-west.

Parish Clerk, William Vernell.

Avenbury.

Kempson Mrs. Birchy field

Shepherd Rev. John, M.A. Vicarage

COMMERCIAL.

Allies Richard, farmer, Little Frome

Allies Thomas, farmer, Avenbury court

Bevan William, farmer, Stocks

Clark James, farmer, Heath farm

Davenport Jane (Mrs.), farmer, Lower Venn

Corbett Joseph, farmer, Noaks

Gilmour Patrick, farmer, Hackley

Hill James, farmer, Cusop

Holloway Benj. farmer, Upper Hopton

Leake William, farmer, Burgess

Leake Wm. jun. farmer, Upper Venn

Nott James, miller, Frome mill

Parlour John, farmer, Sawby hill

Philpott Stephen, farmer, Brook house

Williams Ann (Mrs.), farmer, Goodshop

Munderfleld Row.

Gurney John, wheelwright

Gurney Thomas, carpenter

Philpott Frederick, farmer

Pitt Peter, cider retailer

Watkins James, blacksmith

Letters are received through Bromyard, which is the nearest money order office.

Source: Post Office Directory of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and the City of Bristol, Printed and Published by Kelly and Co., Old Boswell Court, St. Clement’s, Strand, London. 1863.

Avenbury Cassey Herefordshire Directory 1858

Avenbury is a parish, 2 ½ miles south-east from Bromyard (its post town), 11 north from Ledbury, 13 north-east from Hereford railway station, and 153 from London; it is in Broxash Hundred, Bromyard Union, Frome deanery, Hereford archdeaconry, and Hereford bishopric. It is pleasantly situated on the Bromyard and Ledbury turnpike road; the river Frome runs through it, and the church, which is an old stone building in the Gothic style, with small square tower and three bells, is pleasantly situated on the banks of it; the interior of the church consists of nave, chancel, and porch. The living is a stipendiary vicarage, worth £80 yearly, with residence and two acres of glebe land, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor; the Rev. James Archibald is the incumbent. Birchy Field, the residence of Mrs. Kempson, is a structure finely built of freestone, commanding an extensive and prospective view of the surrounding country, in the modern English style. The population, in 1851, was 354, and the acreage is 3,048. The soil is clayey; subsoil, red sandstone. The representatives of the late Dean of St. Asaph, are lords of the manor. Edmund Higginson, Esq., James Sanders, Esq., and John Freeman, Esq., are the chief landowners. The chief crops are wheat, beans, hops, and apples. There are charities of 40s. yearly value.

Near Bridenbury is a detached part of the parish, which, in 1851, contained 21 persons.

Munderfield Row, a hamlet, is about 1 ¾ miles south-west.

Letters are received through Bromyard, which is also the nearest money order office.

Avenbury

Archibald Rev. James, Vicarage

Grape Richard, Esq., Wiggall

Kempson Mrs., Birchy field

Maund Miss, North fields

Nott James, miller, Frome mill

Farmers

Devenport Henry, Lower Venn

Fidoe Mrs. Mary, Stocks

Gillam William, Sawby hill

Gilmour Patrick, Hackley

Green William, Noaks

Hill Daniel, Cusop

Hill William, Avenbury court

Holloway Benjamin, Upper Hopton

Leake Wm., Burgess

Leake William, junr., Upper Venn

Morris Wm., Rough Mintridge

Nott John, Little Frome

Pearson James, Heath farm

Philpott Stephen, (& cattle dealer), Brook ho

Williams Edward, Goodshop

Munderfield Row

Dent Robert, farmer

Gurney John, Wheelwright

Gurney Thomas, carpenter and shopkeeper

Jones James, blacksmith

Pitt Peter, cider retailer

Watkins James, blacksmith

Source: Edward Cassey & Co.: History, Topography, and Directory of Herefordshire. Printed by William Bailey, 107, Fishergate 1858.

Bankrupts

Below is a list of people that were declared bankrupt between 1820 and 1843 extracted from The Bankrupt Directory; George Elwick; London; Simpkin, Marshall and Co.; 1843.

Hancocks Richard, Avenbury, Herefordshire, dealer in horses, April 27, 1825.

West Edward. Little Froome, Avenbury, Herefordshire, miller, Oct. 18, 1823.

Yapp Richard and George Hopton, Avenbury, cattle dealers, Sept. 24, 1830.