St Briavels
SAINT BRIAVELS is a village and parish, 6 miles west-by-north from Lydney station on the South Wales railway, 8 south-by-east from Monmouth, 8 north from Chepstow, 5 south from Coleford, and gives the name to the hundred in which it is, in the Western division of the county, union and county court district of Chepstow, rural deanery of South Forest, archdeaconry of Gloucester and diocese of Gloucester and Bristol: the parish of St. Briavels is included in the Forest of Dean and bounded on the west by the river Wye, which here divides the county from Monmouthshire.
The church of St. Mary is a stone building, having chancel, choir, transepts, nave, aisles and tower with 8 bells and clock: it was restored in 1861 at an expense of £2,000: the church is highly interesting, the oldest portion dating from William Rufus: the tower, which originally stood at the intersection of nave and transepts, was, in the year 1830, rebuilt over the north porch; the chancel was entirely rebuilt in 1861: there are one or two monuments of great antiquity now lying in the porch. The register dates from the year 1660. The living is a vicarage, yearly nett value £150, with a house, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Hereford and held by the Rev. William Taprell Allen, M.A. ofSt. Mary Hall, Oxford. Here is a Congregational chapel. There are charities of £16 yearly value, principally distributed to the poor in money.
There is a reading room and library, founded by and under the direction of C.L. Denton, esq.; also a Farmers’ Club for St. Briavels and Hewelsfield, of which Mr. Denton is honorary secretary.
Here are the ruins of an old castle, built for the purpose of keeping back the incursions of the Welsh: the Keep, which was built in the reign of William II fell, from age, some years ago: the present buildings were erected by Hugh de Bigod, Earl of Hereford, temp. Henry III.: the entrance towers are entire as are the kitchen and stables and the chapel or oratory, which, until recent years, was used as the court in which all matters relating to the Forest were decided.
The Crown is lord of the manor.
The principal landowners are the trustees of the late Dowager Countess of Dunraven, Colonel Rooke, Rev. H.A.Sergison Atwood, M.A. and Thomas James, esq. The soil is light and loamy; subsoil, limestone and sandstone. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and beans. The area (including Hudnalls) is 5.104 acres; rateable value, £6,280 ; the population in 1871 was 1,315.
Parish Clerk William Miller
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Allen Rev. William Taprell, M.A. Vicarage
Atchison D.G. Woodroyd house
Ballard Arthur, The Lodge
Bullock Thomas
Denton Charles Lord
Griffiths John, Lindors
Ironside Mrs. The Common
Jones Miss, The Common
Kynaston John, Humphery’s lodge
Linsell John, Leys hill
McDonald Mrs. The Florence
Moule Co. William, Hampden cottage
Naish Joseph, The Common
Newberry J.V. Bigsweir house
Norris Mrs. The Cherries
Poole Benjamin, Wyeholme
Prosser Mrs. The Orchard
Shrove Lewis, Wood spring
Stafford Rev. C. [Congregational]
Strickland Algernon, Lindors
Toms Thomas, Yew Tree villa
Wilkinson James, Tyersall, Hudnalls
Wilkinson J.W. Vivace
COMMERCIAL
Allen William, farmer, Churchyard farm
Atfield Alfred, shoe maker
Beard Thomas, farmer, Rodmore farm
Brown Wm. master mariner, The Common
Bullock Wm. Thos. Farmer & maltster
Butler Eemma (Miss), baker
Butler John, farmer
Clark John, farmer, Stowe farm
Churchill Wm. Carpenter, The Common
Clements John, farmer, Mork
Cook Edward, farmer, Stowe
Cox James, mason, The Common
Cox John, mason, The Common
Croxton Thomas, farmer, Little Dunkilns
Davies Edmund, boot & shoe maker
Davis Henry, builder
Dixon Thomas, farmer, New House farm
Dixon Thomas, lime burner
Gray Edwin, carpenter
Griffiths John, farmer, Wilsbury
Holford Mary (Mrs.), farmer, Mork farm
Hughes Jas. Farmer, Breams Cross farm
Hughes Jno. Gywn, haulier & shopkeeper
Hughes Mary (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Hulin Colin, lime burner & farmer
Hulin George, mason, The Common
Hulin Henry, carpenter & joiner
Hulin Isaac, stone mason
Hulin Kingsmill, plumber & glazier
Hunt William, farmer
Hunt Timothy, farmer
James Matthew, carpenter, Mork
James William, carpenter & beer retailer
James William, castrator & beer retailer, Lower Mesne
Jones John, farmer, Hoggins
Jones Robert, shoe maker
Kear Joseph, assistant overseer
Kear Joseph, George
Kear Thomas, haulier
Knapp George, farmer, Mork hill
Matthews Martin, farmer, The Knoll
Miles George, farmer
Miles Henry, farmer, Stowe grange
Moore & Rossiter, grocers & linen drapers
Page Chas. Carpenter, Brockweir common
Page William, butcher & farmer
Plummer James, gardener, The Fence
Prince John, farmer, The Common
Scadding Aaron, carpenter, Brockweir
Shipton James, grocer, linen draper & postmaster
Smith John, farmer, Bearse farm
Stevens Alfred, tailor
Taylor John, blacksmith
Taylor Thos. Terrett, saddler & harness ma
Teague George, farmer. Closeturf
Thomas Jhn. Machine owner, Cole harbr
Townsend James, farmer, Mork farm
Tyler John, farmer, Mork
Whittington John, beer retailer, Mork
Williams John, haulier, The Common
Wintle Robert Henry, farmer, Woodlands
Wintour James, farmer, Dunkilns