Flaxley
FLAXLEY is a parish and village 4 miles north from Newnham and 12 south-west from Gloucester, in the Western division of the county, Saint Briavels hundred, Westbury-on-Severn union, Newnham county court district, rural deanery of the North Forest, Gloucester Archdeaconry and Gloucester and Bristol diocese. The village, which has a very rural appearance, is situated on the high road between Westbury-on-Severn and Micheldean. St. WHITES, CAUSEWAY, LITTLEDEAN HILL and MOUSEL LANE, formerly extra parochial places are now in this parish.
The church of St. Mary is a stone building of great beauty, in the Early Decorated Style, and consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, tower surmounted by a spire, north porch and has an organ; the east window is stained and portrays, in 12 compartments, a personal history of Our Lord; the rest of the windows, all different in their tracery, are of Powell’s quarry glass. The register dates from the year 1648. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £143, in the gift of Sir Thomas Hyde Crawley-Boevey, bart. And held by the Rev. Thomas Hall M.A. of Christ’s College, Cambridge. There are charities - £50 yearly for apprenticing children, and £25 for providing bibles and prayer books – bequeathed by Mrs. Boevey; the nomination of the children is vested in the lord of the manor, the distribution of books in the incumbent.
Flaxley Abbey, the former residence of Mrs. Boevey, Sir Roger de Coverley’s perverse widow, is now the seat of Sir Thomas H Crawley-Boevey, bart. J.P. who is lord of the manor and chief landowner: the abbey is situated in a park of 60 acres, in which is a herd of deer. The soil is a rich alluvial deposit, subsoil, marly loam. The chief crops are wheat and roots; 751 acres is woods and coppice.
The area is 2,000 acres; rateable value £4,785; and the population in 1871 was 1090.
Flaxley Meend, or NEWTOWN, is a detached portion of the parish, adjoining Cinderford, and is the most populous part, it was formerly a forest, the property of the Abbots of Flaxley, but the woods have been cleared and it is now a thriving hamlet. The particular Baptists and Brethren have chapels here. Here is a National school, which has been licensed for worship, and services are regularly held here. A site has been secured for erecting a church here, which will be proceeded with as soon as sufficient funds can be raised.
Letters through Newnham via Cinderford.
Causeway is 4 miles north-west from Newnham station on the South Wales
The Crown is lord of the manor, Sir T.H.Crawley-Boevey, bart. J.P. is the principal landowner.
Letters from Newnham through Cinderford, which is the nearest money order office.
Little Dean Hill is 3½ miles north-west from Newnham station on the South Wales railway. M.W. Wemyss-Colcheester, esq. is lord of the manor and principal landowner.
Mousel Lane is 3 miles north-west from Newnham station on the South Wales railway, situated on the high road between Newnham and Monmouth. Sir Thomas Hyde Crawley-Boevy, bart. Is lord of the manor and chief landowner.
Letters from Newnham via Cinderford, which is the nearest money order office.
St.Whites (or WHITEHALL) is 5 miles east-by-north from Newnham station on the South Wales Railway, situated on the high road from Ross to Newnham. The Crown is the lord of the manor and principal landowner. The soil is sandy; subsoil, sandstone rock. The chief crops are pasture
Letters from Newnham via Cinderford, which is the nearest money order office.
Parish Clerk & Sexton, Albert Mayo
Letters through Newnham. Westbury is the nearest money order office.
SCHOOLS
National, Miss Ellen Hobbs mistress
National, Newtown, George D Freeman, master
CARRIER TO GLOUCESTER.- James Harris, Monday, Wednesday & Saturday.
RESIDENTS
Flaxley
Crawley-Boevey Dowager Lady, Flaxley cottage
Crawley-Boevey sir Thomas Hyde, bart. J.P. Flaxley Abbey
Hamilton Mrs. Col. Walrond cottage
COMMERCIAL
Allway John, farmer, St. Whites farm
Cooper Timothy, farmer, Little Dean hill
Guest William farmer,Maidenham
Hague Joseph, farmer Monk’s Hill
Knight George, farmer, Wintle’s farm
Mayo Albert, blacksmith
Newman John, farmer, Sutton’s farm
Palmer Thos. Miller & farmer, Flaxley mill
Ryder Reuben, farmer, Camp farm
Smith Jsph. Farmr.& Butchr. Tibbs cross
Smith Wiloliam, farmer, The Moors
Thomas James, carpenter
Newtown
Bradstock John Samuel
Goldring Edward
Heane William
Heane William, jun.
Moore Rev. Joseph [Baptist]
COMMERCIAL
Annis James, beer retailer
Beardmore Wm. Builder & assist. Overseer
Brain Ambrose, builder & auctioneer
Chivers Joseph, lodging house
Cinderford Co-operative Society (Thomas Collins, sec.)
Clements Samuel, chimney sweeper
Cook Leonard, baker & grocer
Cornish John Gardiner, coal agent
Cull Alfred, baker
Evans Charles, stone cutter
Gwinnell George, tailor
Harris James, carrier
Hayward Charles, shopkeeper
Heane William surgeon
Heane William, jun., surgeon
Hook Timothy, tailor
Martin Charles, shopkeeper
Meredith Thomas, beer retailer
Mountjoy Elijah, Mount Pleasant inn, St. White’s
Murrell John, shopkeeper
Ridler Alfred, colliery manager
Smith Edwin, builder
Underwood Henry, furniture dealer & haulier
Walker Edward Peace, insurance agent