The Changing Face of Rural Ross

Rural Ross farms, farmers & life at Ross-On-Wye

1823 – colour coded in green – Hildersley farm & lands

1831 – map showing Ross and the rural area {This includes Rudhall, Hildersley and Penyard}

Summary 11th to 15th century 16th to 19th century Landowners Tourism 19th Century Landowners Produce Railway 20th century Developments Hildersley and Model Farm

App. 1 Landed Gentry – inherited Rudhall/Westfaling Nourse/Harvey Clarke/Manley-Power App. 2 Landed gentry – nouveau riche Bankers – Baring Bankers – F Hamp Adams Slave owners - Bernard App. 3 The Bonnor family App. 4 References & sources

2 Summary

This review addresses the changes that have taken place in and around rural Ross from the 11th C. Ross is the hub of the area either side of the River Wye but the rural area either side of the river has always been an important part of the community.

The census returns consider the rural area to the southeast of Ross as Ross Foreign. This contrasts with urban Ross, the town itself. The parishes which abut this are Brampton Abbots and Weston-under-Penyard. The more influential landowners had lands in each of the three parishes. As such, the three parishes are considered as one rural zone though the focus is on the lands in and around Ross Foreign and especially Hildersley. More recent developments such as Model farm are covered to complete the review and bring the report up-to-date.

The changes through the years are captured through changes in society, class and ways of life. Newspaper extracts are included to provide insight into how the changes were reported and as such how society viewed them. Key topics are landownership, tenants, produce and communications.

Further reading on any particular area or topic and further research can be undertaken using the references included in the appendix.

11th to 15th century

Various records exist for the 500 years in the form of Manor Rolls, Court Rolls, and Deeds etc. as well as the ancestral lines of major families. These can be studied for detail but this paper only touches on a few.

The Domesday Book of 1086 provides an insight into the various locations throughout England and the relevant Herefordshire entries throw light on Ross, Brampton and Weston. “The lands of Ross (7 hides paying tax) were held by the Canons of Hereford". In the Lordship were 18 villagers, 6 smallholders and a priest with 23 ploughs, a mill and 3 slaves. There were 16 acres of meadow and the woodland was in the King’s Enclosure.

The villagers paid 18 shillings in dues. The Manor itself, along with the manors of Upton and Walford, were assessed at £14.

Brampton Abbotts (3 hides) was held by St. Peter’s church of Gloucester. It consisted of 28 people of who 16 were classified as slaves. The mill added to the overall value of the manor that was assessed as £4.

Durand of Pitres who was a Sheriff of Gloucester held Weston under Penyard. He also held Rochford in Herefordshire that was a similar orchard area. Weston was small with only 2 hides and 2 smallholders. Durand was a Norman and became sheriff on the death of his brother Roger. A direct descendant became the 1st Earl of Hereford.

The importance of Ross as a market town was emphasized when in 1138 the Bishop of Hereford was granted crown rights by King Stephen to hold a weekly market at Ross.

As examples of matters of Ross covered in the Calendar of Patent Rolls (records of proclamations of the king), a few examples are shown below. The spellings are as recorded and illustrate some of the difficulties faced when researching old documents. Many of the reasons behind the declarations are unknown but looking at historical events some ideas can be postulated.

3 On 22 March 1344 – i.e. in the reign of Edward III – Richard Talebot was charged by the king to “oyer and terminer” {investigate and determine} illegal activities in numerous parks in the See of Hereford. The king had taken these parks back from the bishopric by “reason of voidance”. Specifically, investigations were to address the taking of fish, wood and deer from the parks in Ross. This is likely to have been in and around Penyard.

On 21 Dec 1369 – i.e. in the reign of Edward III – “in the king’s gift”, Walter Almaly was presented to the church in Rosse in the diocese of Hereford.

On 20 Oct 1394 – i.e. in the reign of Richard the Lionheart – the king issued a general pardon to Jevan Jurkyn for not responding to a claim for a debt of 70 shillings to Robert Cok.

On 16 July 1408, i.e. in the reign of Henry IV - the king granted a pardon to William Godman of Rosse who had been indicted of “having on Monday after ascension of St Mary 7 Henry IV (i.e. almost two years prior) killed Thomas Barbor of Rosse co Hereford. {With prompt executions being the norm, William was a lucky man. The reasons for the pardon are not given}

On 16 April 1463 i.e. in the reign of Edward IV – a general pardon was granted to Thomas Harryes, late of Ross Co Hereford, yoman. The name reflects an ancestral line where Thomas was son of Harry.

16th to 19th century

The 1600s was a momentous period for Ross. The English Civil Wars followed the plague of 1637 that had killed over 300 people in Ross. The Royalists were based at Ross and nearby Goodrich castle but the castle was placed under siege and, at the Battle of Wilton Bridge in 1644, the bridge was partially destroyed by the Parliamentarians. The rural area from 1800 onwards is well documented and some highlights follow in the next chronological section.

Landowners

The Rudhall family held a large estate that spread over the three adjacent parishes. Rudhall House was a 14th century timbered building that was successively remodeled. William Rudhall served as Attorney General for Prince Arthur Tudor and Katherine of Aragon and his eldest daughter and co-heir to the estate (Frances Rudhall) married into the equally prestigious Westfaling family. From the early 1600s through until the death of Mrs. Mary Westfaling in 1830, the Rudhall estate was in the same family. This is covered in more detail in the next chronological section. The Westfaling ancestors on Mary included several MPs for the periods from 1630s through to the 1760s and an Elizabethan Bishop of Hereford Herbert Westfaling (1532-1602). Marriage between equals was common and the Rudhall / Westfaling one was no exception.

OverRoss part of the Weston-under-Penyard estate was another large estate that had long standing local families at its heart. The Nourse family of Weston traces back to 1600 at Weston. The inheritance through primogeniture saw a succession of John Nourse take charge until 1808. At this time, the Nourse and Harvey families merged to form a new Nourse-Harvey dynasty. More information is in App. 1.

In the absence of census, voter registers and the like, it is only possible to identify a few of the tenants per estate and this is a much larger future piece of work. It is clear that large estates in a rural agricultural area engaged a number of locals, often with cottages being a part of the arrangement. The naming of the various sub-divisions of the estates on later maps indicated that cherry and apple and pear orchards were the norm while Herefordshire sheep and cattle have a long history in the area. The livestock would have occupied other meadows with the arable land providing hay for the animals.

4 A final piece in this section covers Hill Court. Only four families occupied the estate during the years between 1700 and 1980 with inheritance through cousins and nephews providing the continuity. These families themselves were notable and more details are readily available. For the period pre-1800 the Clarke family owned the Hill Court estate. The heads of the family were traders who invested their wealth in the house and estate. The direct line died out in 1806 when Jane Clarke died and passed the estate to her second cousin Kingsmill Evans. He, his family and the later family owners are covered in the next chronological section.

Tourism

From around 1745 to 1800, the use of the River Wye as a tourist attraction gained popularity. Dr. John Egerton started the river cruise journeys from the rectory in 1745. The popularity continued through into the mid 1800s with trips moving downstream to Tintern Abbey. The river and roads were sufficiently useful that the canal network was not developed locally.

One of the Ross coaching inns – The King’s Head – remains at the hub of the local community, with rooms for the traveller in the 20th century as in the past. Travellers from London or Gloucester going to Hereford would have found Ross a good resting point.

19th Century 1801 – 1850

Ross was largely a rural economy with artisans living in the town centre. There was also an active hide tanning industry that is demonstrated in the 1851 census returns. Brookend Tannery (SMR 19904) is recorded as a house with tan yard and workhouse. It was used from late 17th century until the mid 19th century when it was mostly converted into an inn. The site plans of the early 19th century show tanning pits, drying lofts and a bank mill. Given the importance of cattle farming and a growing glove making industry it is not a great surprise that this industry developed near Ross.

The 1823 colour coded map used on the cover of this paper shows landholding worked by William Bonnor. Information on the Bonnor family is shown in App. 3.

The newspaper article from the Morning Post in June 1824 describes the Westfaling lands and of special interest also includes the Hildersley farms managed by William Bonnor. The “lady aged 65” is Mary Westfaling. Information on her family is included in App. 1.

Mary Westfaling, the owner of the Rudhall estate which included Hildersley, died in 1830. The estate became an enlargement of the landholding of Lord Ashburton – of the Barings Bank family. Information on the Baring family is included in App. 2.

The second map on the cover of this paper is dated 1831 and Hildersley farm (centre) is shown as Hillsley. Mrs. Westfaling held a meadow called Hillsley some distance from the farm so the name appears to have been a variable over time.

5 Landowners

According to the 1838 Tithe records, the principal landowners and associated farms were Lord Ashburton, John Cooke and Kingsmill Evans. Lord Ashburton had purchased the Rudhall estate after the death of widow Mary Westfaling in 1830. The Rudhall-Westfaling families have been previously discussed and an abbreviated family tree is included in App. 1. The purchased estate included the lands being farmed by William Bonnor at Hildersley. This farm is covered in more detail later. John Cooke was a prominent lawyer and he held a large section of land to the southern edge, abutting Penyard Park. Lord Ashburton held the park in 1872 as part of the manor of Weston-under-Penyard. Penyard was a former hunting park with lodge under the Bishop of Hereford landholding. In 1838 John Usborne held Penyard Park. Kingsmill Evans has been mentioned earlier as part of the Hill Court review.

A newspaper article of 1845 recorded some of the contributors to offer relief to the victims of a major storm in Ross. Amongst the contributors were as follows:

J W R Hall Springfields £ 10 Kingsmill Evans Hill Court £ 5 Mrs. Nourse £ 1 F H Adams £ 1 B Watkins Merrivale £ 1

A number of MPs and other Hereford dignitaries made donations of £20 but the bulk of the contributors paid £ 1. The total raised was £ 418 that went towards relieving the total estimated cost of damage of £5000.

19th Century 1851 – 1900

The latter half of the 19th century saw a rise in population and very different occupations. The arrival of the railway and the extra demands of visitors combined in this regard. Agriculture remained important but landholdings were changing. The 1876 Littlebury’s directory shows how changes had occurred after the 1838 Tithe period. By the end of the century, Manley Kingsmill Manley-Power was lord of the manor of Ross, while William V Bonnor Esq. was described as one of four significant landowners.

The census enumerator form for 1861 gives a summary of the numbers covered by his work in Ross 6. It describes buildings and 800 people as male or female. The total for Ross Parish was close to 3700 people.

Inhabited Uninhabited M F Total buildings buildings Ross Boro 68 3 176 182 358 Ross 63 3 177 192 369 Foreign Workhouse 1 0 36 34 70 Ross Forei

The description of the route used by the enumerator in 1881 – very similar to that of 1861 – is shown opposite.

In 1891, amongst the census returns (Sunday April 5) for Ross District 6 was Mr. T Roberts, a painter and photographer. He was in a “travelling caravan or photographic studio standing near station”. The importance of tourism and the opportunity to earn money from travellers was clear. This was the weekend after Easter – March 29.

6 Produce

The old map of rural Ross names plots such as Cherry Orchard, Pear Orchard and Old Orchard. The area had regular sales of livestock, primarily cattle and sheep. Woodlands were regularly cut and / or coppiced. Hay was a by-product of meadows and some arable plots and this served as feed for the various animals.

The October 1858 Hereford Times reported on stock sales of the Ross Agricultural Society. The stock included cattle (bulls, yearlings, cows etc.), sheep and breeding pigs. The August 1860 newspaper report of the Ross Cottage Garden Society illustrated how varied was the produce at cottage garden level. Potatoes, lettuce, broad beans, celery, leeks, turnips, marrows and cabbage were each categories where prizes were awarded. Gooseberries, cherries, apples, raspberries and redcurrants were all categories for the competitors. This was enhanced by the output of large farms such as Hildersley that produced over 40 acres of beans, peas, swede, cabbage and potatoes.

Railway

The map below, dated 1887, shows the route taken by two railways around Ross. By the second half of the 19th century, the river was used for bulk shipments and tourists while the road network was gradually being improved. In the period before the Great Western Railway and nationalization, the railways were privately funded projects.

The first project, the Hereford to Ross to Gloucester railway, was built between 1851 and 1855. As mentioned, the census of 1861 reflected this by noting the new occupations. The Bill went before Parliament in 1852, by early 1853 the funds were being raised by debentures and by Nov 1853, the published timetable showed Ross on the route from London via Gloucester. The line opened fully in 1855 and ran for about 100 years in different forms. The second line, Ross to Monmouth was built between 1865 and 1873. This was a run by GWR from the outset, paying a lease fee to the railway company. The decline in rail services in the 20th century hit the Ross to Monmouth line with the last passenger services run in 1959. By this time, the motorcar had supplanted the rail as a primary mode of transport.

20th century 1901 - 1950

The first half of the 20th century saw Ross evolve further as a town. There were demands for more housing which inevitably led to the sale of many farming lands closest to the southern edge of Ross. The Ross population had grown from about 2500 at the end of the first half of the 19th century and approached 4000 by the end of the 19th century. The location was attracting retired people to add to the increasing local population.

7 Developments

In Jan 1901 a heated debate between the two Ross authorities occurred regarding the boundary line of Ross. A proposal was reported in the local newspapers in which Hildersley, OverRoss and the railway were key landmarks in defining the boundary. The proposal was closely linked with the intention of defining areas for house building.

The 1901 census (Easter Sunday March 31) confirmed the presence of a travelling show in Ross. Three families of showmen were gathered on the Brampton Rd. on the then outskirts of Ross. The total parish count was about 4000 people and the listings show the diverse range of employment engaged in by the people.

During this period there were the two World Wars. Ross was not immune to having casualties though its location was not sufficiently close to major cities to suffer bomb damage. The Ross war memorial records 105 soldiers who gave their lives in WWI and 44 in WW2. The recent availability of the 1939 War Register allows the shape of the community just prior to WWII to be reviewed.

Hildersley

In the rural area, the ownership of the various properties continued to change. The February 1906 Ross Gazette featured a major article on the stock sale of Hildersley. There were 470 sheep and 33 cattle plus a number of horses plus agricultural equipment. Buyers came from a wide area and the sale was completed with a value of over £2300 raised. The sale arose after the death of William Viner Bonnor (App. 3). It was mentioned that Hildersley had been in the occupancy by the family for 150 years. The new occupant, Mr. Protheroe was to be surprised six months later when the landlord Mrs. Lloyd put the estate up for sale. The Sept 1906 Ross Gazette describes the sale of Hildersley as an attractive freehold residential estate of 271 acres, let to J G Protheroe for £546 p.a. with two adjacent meadows of 30 acres let to W H Probert for £100 p.a. Mrs. Lloyd, widow, was hoping to sell but the newspaper indicates that the properties bid failed to reach the reserve and so were withdrawn.

Above Feb 1906 Ross Gazette Opp. Sept 1906 Ross Gazette

The occupier who succeeded Mr. Protheroe was Thomas Walker Wall. He took possession in early 1908 and continued to operate as a dairy farmer. He sold up his stock and implements in late 1910 and was promoting the commercial opportunity of sugar beet farming. He was still resident in April 1911. A new owner of part of Hildersley was Hereford Council. It purchased four cottages on the property and offered land in blocks of 1 to 50 acres. This is borne out by the next time that Hildersley appears on the market in 1917. At this time, during WWI, the lands and stock of Hildersley were again up for sale as shown below but with a reduced acreage of approximately 100 acres compared to the historic 271. In May 1939, a sale notice appeared in the Birmingham Post. It reports that the Hildersley estate of 109 acre was withdrawn for sale at £4900 but that a sale was completed after the auction.

1917 1917

20th century 1950 - 2000

Rural Ross continued to evolve as the large landholdings became increasingly fragmented and new business opportunities arose through technology, innovations and infrastructure. The map of 1952 shows the residual railway lines and main roads. In the bottom right hand corner the end of the M50, marked in blue, is shown. The latter provided a fast track route from the Midlands into South Wales – for business logistics and tourists alike. With the railway closing in 1959 and the M50 arriving in 1962, there was a continuity of service to and through Ross.

In the 19th century, a norm was developed for a “Model Farm”. The layout was standardized and aimed at optimizing small scale farming through efficient use of technology.

The farm buildings were arranged in a typical E-shaped compact layout that was labour saving and efficient. They consisted of a north range of barn, granary, steam engine house and storage buildings, with three arms of stock buildings adjoining: in the middle was the feeding house for fattening cattle which consisted of three bays of ten stalls each, with a set of shelter sheds and a yard on each side of it - one for fattening sheep and one for loose cattle. Attached to the end of the north range were stables with eleven stalls for working horses and a piggery on the outside wall, while wagon and implement sheds faced outwards from the sheep yard arm. Manure collection was by means of a cistern in each tarmacadam yard. There was also a weighbridge - de riguer for the model farm. Ref. The Model Farms of Victorian Gloucestershire: Celia Miller

Ross had it’s own Model Farm, built on what was previously part of the Hildersley estate. The earliest newspaper reference to it as a separate entity is in December 1911 when Norris Jackson was in court and referred to as “of Model Farm, Ross, son of farmer. In July 1912, Norris was committing the same offense and appeared before the court as of “Model Farm Hildersley, Ross. His father was FJ Jackson. It is perhaps more than a coincidence that a farmer FJ Jackson (leaving) sold up his farm stock in Feb 1911 from Hope Mansell. As the 1911 census of 2 April shows two unoccupied buildings on Hildersley estate perhaps the same FJ Jackson was in transit. 9 In 1920, the newspaper reported that there had been a “stay of execution” in relation to Model Farm. Model Farm was the base for Griffiths and Seabright, timber merchants, and they were in court suing a customer for non-payment. The stay of execution was in relation to the defendant who was counter-claiming against Griffiths and Seabright.

In July1943 the Model Farm was undergoing a change of ownership. Mr. T Ayliff was retiring and was selling off his stock and household goods. Amongst the stock were 31 cattle (milking and a Hereford bull), 2 horses and pigs. Mr. Ayliff was also selling his Austin 10 van and Singer 9 saloon. It is an illustration of how life continued in so many ways throughout the war years.

In 1948 the Harewood End Agricultural Society declared Mr. J L Phillips as winner of the category of “Best Managed Livestock farm under 250 acres”. The concept of the Model Farm was clearly still valid and proving a key to success. Mr. Phillips continued to win prizes through 1950.

In 1989 the managing company Grange Farm Developments were cited within control orders during the BSE outbreak. Cattle farming was profitable but not without risks. Ten years later, in 1998, the Grange Farm Partnership was dissolved and Simon Cutter assumed all liabilities and full ownership of (sic) Modal farm.

21st Century 2000 - 2018

The developments in and around Ross continue apace. The tourist industry continues to attract visitors with developments such as Labels and Starbucks either side of the main road into Ross from the east. The former attracts coach loads of visitors while the latter is a popular stop after exiting the motorway.

With regard to the Hildersley estate, changes continue as indicted in the extracts of public documents below.

Model Farm will strangle Ross? The 2010 letter highlights Thursday, 22 April 2010 – Ross Gazette local concern regarding Madam, Further to my recent letter about the long and strange history by which land development. The author also comments on Herefordshire Council has insisted that its own Model Farm land is sold for the poor health attributable development, at the same time opening up Ross for huge expansion across the Rudhall to traffic levels in and Valley, … around Ross.

In order to create revenue flow from council owned land there was a planning application by Hereford Council in 2014 as shown below.

10 DECEMBER 2014 P133411/CD - HYBRID PLANNING APPLICATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYMENT USES INCLUDING B1 (16,500SQ.M GFA), B2 (8,900SQ.M GFA) AND B8 (4,000SQ.M). INCLUDING FULL DETAILS OF THE ACCESS, INTERNAL ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND CIRCULATION ROUTES, AND LANDSCAPING WITHIN A LANDSCAPE BUFFER ZONE PROVIDING SURFACE WATER ATTENUATION AND PLANTING AT MODEL FARM, HILDERSLEY, ROSS-ON-WYE, HR9 7NN 1. Site Description and Proposal 1.1 The site amounts to approximately 15.5 hectares of agricultural land and includes a small farmstead lying centrally within the application site. It is located approximately one mile to the east of Ross on Wye’s town centre and is immediately adjacent to the A40 former Trunk Road. The road is located to the south, with an area of housing to the west. Boundaries to the north and east are shared with open countryside. 1.2 The character of the site and its surrounding area is typical of agricultural land, with fields defined by mature hedgerows and containing occasional hedgerow trees. The site is quite open in nature and is widely visible within a local context. It is outside of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has no specific landscape designation. 1.3 The application is made in outline with all matters apart from access and landscaping reserved for future consideration and seeks to demolish the existing farm buildings and develop the land for employment purposes; a mix of B1 (light industrial/office), B2 (general industrial) and B8 (storage and distribution) uses. 10 The map and aerial view show the land affected in relation to Model Farm and Hildersley.

In addition to providing additional employment opportunities, there is a continued demand for housing development. In 2017, the newspapers reported on housing developments on lands to the west of Hildersley as shown below.

More than 200 homes approved at Hildersley Farm, Ross-on-Wye Rebecca Cain @rebeccacain_HT Chief reporter

Herefordshire Council's Planning Committee unanimously voted in favour of 212 homes being built at Hildersley Farm, to the east of the town. The meeting heard that the number of homes had been reduced from 250 following objections made by the Ministry of Defence in respect of the site's proximity to their firing range. The new masterplan showed that the homes would be sited outside of an area where the noise would be considered too loud.

Bringing developments up to date, the extract from the Ross Gazette of February 2018 shows the continued evolution of the area. Meanwhile Simon Cutter and his family provide organic foods such as beef and pork plus a range of vegetables through the Model Farm shop.

Green light for Ross Enterprise Park Wednesday, 21 February 2018 - Community News by Ross Gazette reporter @RossGazette [email protected] Work on the Model Farm Enterprise Park in Ross-on- Wye is set to start within the year, following today’s planning application approval (Wednesday, February 21st, 2018) by Herefordshire Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee. The 15 hectare site, positioned to the east of Ross-on- Wye in the Hildersley area, will provide up to 300,000 square feet of new commercial floor space and up to 1,000 jobs. The business park is also situated next to excellent road links, including immediate access to the M50 and A449, which links to the nearby M4 corridor. Photo : R Moore

App. 1 Landed Gentry - inherited

Much of the eastern Ross farmlands were part of the Rudhall Estate overlapping the parishes of Ross, Brampton Abbott and Weston-under-Penyard. Rudhall House was situated in Brompton Abbott. The estate has records dating back to Domesday but of interest in this project it is the Westfaling family, who took possession when the co-heiress Frances Rudhall who was daughter of William Rudhall married Herbert Westfaling.

Rudhall / Westfaling

The Rudhall family of Rudhall, Herefordshire was a long-standing family of influence. Records date back to the 15th century. William Rudhall who died in 1530 was Attorney General to Henry VIII while other members of the family became Member of Parliament and held other high ranks. One of the earliest known Westfaling was Herbert (1531-1602) who was Bishop of Hereford. Several of his successors were Members of Parliament. The marriage between Herbert Westfaling and Frances Rudhall in the late 16th century brought the two families together and resulted in the estate becoming part of the Westfaling lands. The Westfaling family was well born, so much so that the husband of the last landowner, Thomas Brereton, took the name Thomas Westfaling on marriage to Mary. Thomas was a part of the Brereton family of Edgeworth, Glocs. Thomas and Mary were well connected and Lord Nelson and Lady Emma stayed with them in 1806 after his triumph at Trafalgar. Thomas died in 1814 – “of delicate frame of body but unusual vigour and energy of mind”. His Will is available from National Archives. In 1824, Mary put the estate up for sale, with proviso for her continued residence until death. The newspaper article that announced the sale listed numerous details of the land types and sizes as well as tenants including Mr Bonnor of Hildersley. In 1830, when Mary died, the Rudhall estate passed in full to Lord Ashburton of the Baring family. The local newspapers described Mary as “sole descendant of an ancient Norman line”. The 1873 “Return of Owners of Land” recorded Lord Ashburton owned 6500 acres in Herefordshire, with an annual rental income of over £ 11500 (approx. £750k. in 2017). One tenant, Thomas Hill, was himself a landowner and magistrate (resident from 1851 – 1868).

Nourse / Harvey

The Nourse armigerous family had bases across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Walter Nourse who died in 1609 led the Weston-under- Penyard branch. His son John married the daughter of local magnate Sir John Kyrle and Five generations of John followed including Col. John Nourse who died in 1808. His Will is available to view. Col. John’s uncle was William Nourse (1769-1788) who was Sheriff of Hereford in 1769. Susannah, daughter of William, married Thomas Griffiths of OverRoss and one of their daughters was Susan who married Thomas Harvey of OverRoss in 1799. When Thomas died, OverRoss passed to Mary Nourse (1756-1848), sister of Susan. Mary left a lengthy Will and amongst the terms was passing OverRoss to her great nephew Edward Nourse Harvey. Edward was a relative by marriage to Sir Charles Rowley, Bart. Edward granted his brother-in-law the Rev. Edward Carlyon the position of Rector of Dibden, Hants. Harvey became a local JP before he died at Purlieu House, Dibden Purlieu in 1889 at the age of 75.

Thomas Harvey was of another prominent local line. He made a very long will with three codicils before he died in 1815. This is readily available but has not yet been transcribed by the author. Thomas was the co-signatory of a document when he accepted John Cooke Articles of Clerkship. John Cooke was himself to become a major landowner, living at The Chase, Ross. He built The Chase in 1818 and lived there until he died in 1867 aged 87. John was a well- recognised local solicitor whose name appeared in many notices in the Ross Gazette in this capacity.

12 Clarke / Manley-Power

These high status families are linked through Hill Court, Ross. Between 1700 and 1980 only four families of multiple generations had lived there. Richard Clarke built the house on Hill Court estate around 1700. As cousin to Stephen Ashby of Worcester, Richard also inherited the Ruardean estate. When Richard died in 1748, the estates were inherited firstly by his brother John and then jointly by their three sisters, Alicia, Jane and Mary. Jane was the last to die, in 1806, and then she left Hill Court to Kingsmill Evans, grandson of T Evans and Alice Clarke – who herself was the niece of John. Kingsmill died in 1851 and he left Hill Court to his nephew Kingsmill Manley-Power. At the time of his death Kingsmill Evans employed 11 staff at Hill Court including a butler, footman, coachman and groom. Kingsmill M-P was a nephew of the illustrious Sir Manley Power (1773-1826) who was Lieutenant General under Wellington.

Kingsmill was a JP and heavily involved in the community being Lord of the manor of Ross from 1854 until he died in 1888. His land holding in 1873 was reported as being 1500 acres with an annual rental income of over £3000 per year. Details of his Will were published in the newspapers in Jan. 1889. After this, Hill Court passed into the hands of the Trafford family.

A number of generations of the Trafford family lived and died at Hill Court. In 1979, John Lionel Trafford of Hill Court died and his personal estate was noted as £800 k. John opened up Hill Court gardens to the public for charity every year and it was considered to be the highlight of many tours.

As a footnote to this paper, when the author researched the family tree of an aunt, he found an ancestral line through the Lempriere family – a powerful Jersey family. By co-incidence, Amelia Ruth Trafford married Audley Reid Lempriere in London in 1906. He died on military service in Egypt in 1909.

App. 2 Landed gentry – nouveau riche

There were many sources of wealth in the 19th Century with the Industrial Revolution and the associated upturn in banking being a primary driver of several of them. The Baring family is discussed along with the lesser-known Hamp Adams. There was also the gentrification through marriage into the older large estates where inherited lands led to a shift in wealth.

Bankers – Baring

Banking was also an evolving area of wealth generation. Barings Bank was set up in 1762 and rapidly became a dominant part of international business. The Baring family who founded the banking company was heavily involved in land ownership around eastern Ross. This complemented the landownership in and around Devon. With a primary seat in Devon, at Ashburton, Lord Ashburton a.k.a. Francis Baring and then his son Alexander Baring, were principle landowners of much of eastern Ross in the second half of the 19th century. This was made possible through the full acquisition of the Westfaling estate after the death of Mrs. Mary Westfaling. Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton, was Master of the Mint under Robert Peel in the 1830s, dying in 1848. His sons Bingham Baring and Bingham’s brother Francis succeeded him in the title. The fourth Baron Ashburton (Alexander Baring 1835-1889) was an MP from 1857 to 1868 when he succeeded the peerage from his father. After the death of Alexander his son who succeeded him sold off firstly the Herefordshire estates, including Hildersley, Rudhall etc. in 1890. He then sold the estates in Somerset in 1894 and in 1896 sold off the 10000 acres, buildings, etc. in Wiltshire in 1896. This illustrates the changing world of wealth and property distribution at the end of the 19th century.

13 Banker - F Hamp Adams (1822-1899)

Less nationally known than Barings Bank but of interest to Ross and directly associated with banking was Francis Hamp Adams. His background is sketchy but several newspaper articles throw light on FH Adams senior and junior. The former was involved in banking and when he died in 1849 he was described as “opulent banker of Bacton Villa”. He was unmarried but had three sons and a daughter which complicated the disposal of his estate. In 1898 F H Adams junior wrote 'my late father's name will not appear on my Birth certificate because of my illegitimacy”.

Local banks were key to financing the Industrial Revolution but they were not assured success. The bank of Joseph Morgan and Francis Hamp Evans was run out of Hereford by Morgan and Ross by Adams and was operational from 1850. Hamp Adams went on to become Mayor of Ross in 1851 and recorded that he was a farmer of 336 acres employing 23 people. By 1863 the bank was in trouble after embezzlement by an employee at Hereford. The bank was declared bankrupt in 1863,

£20 bank note Joseph Morgan died and the embezzler, Fryer, was tried Signed by Francis Hamp Adams for his crime and died in jail. Hamp Adams became a solicitor and he and he wife lived at Upton Bishop until he died in 1899.

Slave owners – Bernard

A particular source of wealth relevant to the eastern Ross rural landscape was a consequence of the abolition of slavery. The British Government created many wealthy families through the compensation paid to slave owners when the Abolition of Slavery Act was enacted (1833). Amongst these was the Bernard family – slave and estate owners in Jamaica. Whether through guilt or simply being in the right place at the right time, the Bernard family proved to be generous local, national and international benefactors.

The Bernard family appeared in Ross through the 1823 marriage in London of Mary Bonella Bernard to James Wallace Richard Hall. The occupation of James as solicitor indicates the standing of the family and the presence of James and his wife at Springfields, Ross confirms his status. The Rev John Hall, father of James, conducted the ceremony. Mary was described as of Upper Bedford Place, Russell Square and daughter of the late David Bernard of Eden, Jamaica. David did not see the wedding as he had died while on a boat travelling to New York in 1804. Mary had a short life, dying in Torquay in 1838 aged 36, while James died in 1860. He left Springfields in trust to his daughter Mary and a legacy of being a major player in the creation of the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Co. and the creation of Ross Grammar School. The Bernard family presence continues in Ross in 1851 when the occupancy of OverRoss moved from the Nourse / Harvey dynasty to Bernard and the Baker in-laws.

The origins of the wealth of the family lay in Jamaica where, for this paper, the key people were David Bernard (died1804) and his wife Judith née Bowen (1756-1846). David’s paternal line had been landowners, slave owners and producers of sugar and rum since the mid 18th century, with a succession of David and Charles Bernard(s). Both David and Judith were born in Jamaica as testified by the available baptism and marriage registers of the country. They had ten children and Judith and her named children received compensation from the UK Government in 1833 under the Abolition of Slavery Act. The records relating to the family indicate that they variously owned upwards of 1000 slaves in total. The compensation paid amounted to over £ 20000 roughly £1.25 to 1.5 Million.

14 Snapshots of some of the children of David and Judith include:

William Rhodes Bernard Born 1794 Jamaica. Matric. Queen’s College, Oxford 1810, Lincoln’s Inn 1812. Lived at 12 Cambray Place Cheltenham from 1833 to 1868 when he died. In 1861 he was recorded at the premises as a fund-holder, living with spinster sister Judith. Executors of his estate valued at <£1000 were sister Judith and brother Rev. Samuel Edward Bernard. Rev. Samuel Edward Bernard Born 1802 Jamaica. Matric. Magdalen College, Cambridge 1824. Priest from 1829. Died 12 Cambray Place, Cheltenham 1885. Probate value £3983. Executors were his sons William Larkins Bernard and Joseph Bowen Bernard. Judith Bernard (jnr.) Born 1789 Jamaica. Spinster sister of WR Bernard and SE Bernard. Died 12 Cambray Place, Cheltenham 1876. Estate valued at < 12 k. Executor was brother SE Bernard. Charles Bernard Born 1789 Jamaica. Married Margaret Ann Baker (living as widow at OverRoss in 1851, sister of Caroline Baker head of OverRoss House till death in1883). Charles died in Jamaica 1830. Margaret Ann died at OverRoss 1872 aged 82.

The Bernard and Baker families were held in high esteem in Ross for their generosity to the church and more widely to the community. Another notable member of the family who was living at OverRoss in 1861 was Montague Bernard. He was son of Charles and Margaret Ann. In 1861 he was described as Professor of International Law and Diplomacy at Oxford. In 1871 he was in USA as a High Commissioner who signed the Treaty Of Washington. As executor of his mother’s will (1872) Montague was described as one of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council. The multiple column inches of his obituary in 1882 had the summary “a career of great usefulness and distinction”. A further article stated, “This country has lost its most eminent international jurist”. His estate was valued at over £90 k. and the executors were his brothers – Edward Westland Bernard and Rev Thomas Dehany Bernard.

In 1898, the continued presence of the family bloodline in Ross was assured when Harriett Bernard, niece of Ellen of OverRoss married the Rev E H Winnington Ingram, rector of Ross.

15 App. 3 The Bonnor family

A significant tenant farmer family in eastern Ross farmlands was Bonnor. Family records for the families extend back to Walter Bonnor (1635–1715). In the early part of the 18th century George Bonnor was resident in Eccleswall Court, later owned by Lord Ashburton. An early 19th century centre for the family was Woodends at nearby Linton. George (one of many of the name) died there in 1803 aged 57. Farming was in the blood and John Bonnor was farming at Two Park farm when he died aged 76 in 1840. The Bonnor of Linton family is well documented with headstones at the cemetery providing details of the various family members. The marriage of a daughter of John Bonnor of Hildersley to a solicitor of Bath in 1819 suggests that socially the family was well accepted. There was a later marriage between a Viner of Bath and a Bonnor of Hildersley though the exact relationship between the Viner couple is not validated. A detailed family tree can readily be compiled from records that go back to Walter Bonnor at the time of the English Civil War.

One branch of the family is noted as principal tenant farmers of Hildersley farm. Successive generations occupied Hildersley farm for 150 years as mentioned by the auctioneer in 1906. William, born in married his first wife, Ann Sheppard Viner of Bath in 1820 and, after Ann died in 1842, William married Martha Mathews in 1843.

William Bonnor of Hildersley was an active member of society and in 1860 he and his sons, W V Bonnor and John C Bonnor, were involved in examining and passing the accounts of the overseers and setting the new rates for the relief of the poor. The chairman was F H Adams. (See App. 2). William was a tenant farmer at Hildersley most of his adult life. When he died in 1879, his son John had already died and William left an estate of about £4000 administered by his living sons, William Viner Bonnor and James Bonnor.

The sons William Viner Bonnor and John Charles Bonnor were notable members of Ross society. John Charles Bonnor farmed for a living but he died at Hildersley Cottage in 1865, leaving less than £1500. William V Bonnor was a churchwarden who succeeded F H Adams and was leader of a campaign to remove “Church Rates”. He farmed out of Merryvale until moving to cover Hildersley. He died in 1899, “gentleman”, and left an estate valued at over £13000. Their brother James moved away and died in Surrey after a long illness on the eve of his 68th birthday. He was mentioned as “a very worthy man” and left an estate valued at over £20000.

William Viner Bonnor’s daughter, Sarah Ann Susan Bonnor married William Robert Lloyd and she owned Hildersley. She died a widow, aged 89, in 1939 living in Cheltenham. Her nephew John Charles Hampden Lucy was a racehorse trainer at Cheltenham and he administered her probated estate.

To add some flesh to the bare born, christened, married, died and buried information of the families which can be sourced and verified through genealogical web sites, some of the items reported in the local newspapers are noted below.

1795 Richard Skydmore married Lettice Bonnor of Linton at Abinghall. 1818 Potatoes stolen from Mr Bonnor of Linton. 1819 Mr Viner of B7ath married Miss Bonnor daughter of John Bonnor of Woodends. 1820 John Bonnor was one of many landowners who wrote to the Magistrates to seek confirmation about the rising costs of building the Shire Hall and Court of Justice. 1821 Charles Bonnor (owner) and John Bonnor (tenant) advertised the sale of Eccleswall Castle. 1823 James Bonnor (overseer of Linton) offered a reward for the capture of 24-year-old William Harris who had absconded under a charge of murder. Harris was a servant of James Rudge of Eccleswall. 1827 Death of Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James Bonnor of Woodends, Linton. 1829 The death of James Bonnor of Woodends, Linton was accompanied by the words “good father and truly respectable honest man”. 16 1830 Announcement of the sale of Woodends, with James Bonnor (jnr) the contact. 1835 Death of Mrs Bonnor of Linton aged 74 {She was the wife of John Bonnor} 1837 Announcement of the sale of Woodends with George Bonnor the contact. 1839 Death of Sarah Ann, daughter of William Bonnor of Hildersley after a long protracted illness. 1842 Death of Ann, wife of William Bonnor of Hildersley – “water on the chest”. 1843 Marriage of William Bonnor (his second following the death of Ann) to Mrs Martha Matthews of Lambridge Place Bath. 1849 Sales of Merryvale after the death of B Watkins – purchased by William Viner Bonnor, son of William Bonnor of Hildersley. 1850 William Bonnor (Hildersley) and William V Bonnor (Merryvale) were amongst a number of landowners of Ross who met to discuss how to register their grievance and “protect British industry”. 1853 Over 40 acres of beans, peas, swedes and potatoes of W Bonnor of Hildersley destroyed by a freak hailstone storm in June. 1865 W Bonnor of Hildersley announced that the supply of milk to the gentry was being transferred to William Hook through lease of Bonnor cows. 1865 Death of John Charles Bonnor 1875 Two bullocks worth £30 were stolen from W V Bonnor of Hildersley. 1879 Sales of the household effects of the late W Bonnor of Hildersley cottage. 1881 Census return shows W V Bonnor as farming 500 acres with 16 employees. 1884 WV Bonnor and mortgage 48/111 Walford – 1884 – Further Mortgage granted by William Viner Bonnor (Hildersley) to Thomas Evans. Gives details of original mortgage. Paper – with ‘mark‘ of Thomas Evans. The document also includes the re-conveyance of the property by Bonnor to John Evans following repayment of the mortgages taken out by his father – with signatures of Wm V Bonner and John Evans. £23 1888 WV Bonnor and mortgage 48/115 Walford – 1888 – Further Mortgage of property by John Evans to William Viner Bonnor (Ross). Gives details of original and further mortgages taken out on the same property by John’s father, Thomas, together with details of redemption of mortgage and the re-conveyance of the property to John Evans – with signatures and seals of Wm V Bonner and John Evans. £22 1899 Death of William Viner Bonnor of Hildersley. 1904 Death at Hildersley of Susannah widow of W V Bonnor

Jan 1850 June 1853 Bonnor family and others “protect our industry” Storm damage at Hildersley and crops

18 App. 4 References & sources

Ancestry.co.uk FindMyPast.co.uk Family Search.org Local history organisations Ordnance Survey maps Tithe maps National Archives British Newspaper archives Gloucestershire Record Office Herefordshire Record Office Worcestershire Record Office Council planning applications Trade directories British History On-line Collection towards history and antiquities of Herefordshire The Monthly Magazine County families of UK Burke’s Landed Gentry Burke’s Peerage 1873 Register of Land Owners Legacies of British Slave Ownership ucl.ac.uk The Forgotten Man of Ross by H Hurley (1985, pp. 305-310)

The dedication of all of the transcribers and archivists is gratefully acknowledged.