Pigot's Directory of 1830

Pigot's Directory of 1830 provides a portrait of the county of Herefordshire at that time, giving information on its geography, agriculture and industry, market towns, trades, population and so on. These selected extracts give a flavour of the character of Herefordshire in the early 19th century. 

Description of Herefordshire

"Herefordshire is an inland county, bounded on the north by Shropshire, on the north-east and east by Worcestershire, on the south-east by Gloucestershire, on the south-west by Monmouthshire, on the west by Brecknockshire, and on the north-west by Radnorshire.

"The greatest extent of the county, form Ludford on the north, to the opposite border near Monmouth, on the south, is 38 miles, its greatest width, from Clifford on the west to Cradley on the east is 35 miles, and its circumference is 180 miles. It includes 971 square miles, and 800,000 acres."

Soil and produce

"The general aspect of this county is extremely beautiful, its surface is finely diversified and broken by swelling heights, so as greatly to resemble the more central parts of Kent. From many of these elevations the prospects are uncommonly fine; but are peculiarly so from the Malvern Hills on the east and the Haterell or Black Mountains on the West.

"The fertility of the soil is very great, and the country is clothed in almost perpetual verdure; on every side a luxuriance of vegetation is exhibited, in widely extended corn-fields, teeming orchards, expansive meadows and flourishing plantations; every part seems uniformly productive, except, perhaps on the north and west outskirts. The general character of the soil is a mixture of marl and clay, containing a large proportion of calcareous earth; deep beds of gravel are occasionally met with; fuller's earth is sometimes dug near Stoke; and red and yellow ochres with pipe clay are found in different parts of the county.

"Herefordshire is particularly famous as a cider county; yet this, though a favourite object of its husbandry, is by no means the only one; cattle, sheep, swine, corn, hops etc have equally strong claims on the attention of the farmer.

"Plantations of fruit trees are found on every aspect and on soils of every quality, and under every culture. The particular era when the plantations of apple trees acquired the peculiar eminence which they yet retain was during the reign of Charles I, when by the spirited exertions of Lord Scudamore and other gentlemen of the county, Herefordshire became in a manner one entire orchard. This county is rich in woodland - many species of trees growing up spontaneously, and becoming strong and vigorous in a very short period.

"Herefordshire is in the province of Canterbury and diocese of Hereford and included in the Oxford Circuit. It is divided into 11 Hundreds (Broxash, Ewyas Lacy, Greytree, Gromsworth, Huntington, Radlow, Stretford, Webtree, Wigmore, Wolphy and Wormelow), these are subdivided into 221 parishes, containing one city and county town (Hereford), and six other market towns. The whole county returns eight members to Parliament, namely, two for the City of Hereford, two for each of the boroughs of Leominster and Weobley and two for the Shire."

Population

"According to the census of 1821, there were houses inhabited in the county: 20,061, uninhabited: 804 and houses building: 132. The number of families then resident in the county was 21,917; comprising 51,552 males and 51,692 females; total: 103,243 and by a calculation made by order of government, which included persons in the army and navy, for which was added after the ratio of about 1:30 prior to the year 1811, and 1:50 for that year and the census of 1821, to the returns made from the several districts. The population of the county, in round numbers, in the year 1700, was 60,900; in 1750: 74,100; in 1801: 92,100; in 1811: 97,300 and in 1821: 105,300. The increase of population in the 50 years from the year 1700 was 13,700, from 1750-1801 the increase was 18,000; from 1810-1811 the increase was 5,200 and from 1811-1821: 8,000. The grand total increase in the population of this county from year 1700 to census of 1821 being about 44,000 persons."

Hereford and neighbourhood

"130 miles from London, 20 from Abergavenny, 15 from Ledbury and 13 miles from Leominster.

"Some years ago the manufacture of gloves was carried on to a considerable extent here, but it has much declined; large quantities of cider, grain and oak bark are conveyed down the river to Bristol and other places; and by means of the same navigation the city is supplied with coals from the Forest of Dean.

"In 1821 the population was 9,900.

"Letters from London arrive every day at 12.15pm and are despatched at 2.35pm. Letters from Ross and Gloucester arrive every evening at 5pm and are despatched every morning at 8am. Letters from Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury, Chester, Liverpool and Ireland arrive every morning at half past seven, and are despatched every morning at half past five."

Bromyard

"Is an inconsiderable market town and parish in the hundred of Broxash, 125 miles from London, and 12 from Leominster; beautifully situated in the midst of fine orchards; the river Frome passing a short distance to the east of the town and several small streams watering the north and south sides of it.

"The town itself boasts neither well-built houses or regular streets and its whole appearance is far from prepossessing. It is governed by constables, appointed at the court of the Lord of the Manor, the Bishop of Hereford.

"The charities comprise a free grammar school, and others for instructing poor children gratuitously; there are also almshouses for 12 poor widows and a dispensary established in 1828.

"The country round here is hilly, but not so much as to retard the labours of the agriculturist; the eminences are finely wooded, and the autumnal views are rich in a high degree.

"Post Office - Letters from London arrive every day (Monday excepted) at five minutes past 12 and are despatched every afternoon (Saturday excepted) at 15 minutes past 1. Letters from Leominster, Kington and North Wales arrive every afternoon at 10 minutes past 1, and are despatched every day at 10 minutes past 12.

"Amongst the traders are glovers, grocers, coopers, butchers, shoe-makers, bakers, chemists, watch-maker, draper, milliner, tanner, carpenter, ironmonger, bookseller, builder and auctioneers."

Kington

"130 miles from London, 14 from Leominster and 8 from Weobley.

"The town is situated on the river Arrow and the Kington Canal; the latter has a communication with the river Severn, by which means corn and other produce of the fertile country around here (including stone) are easily conveyed to any part of the kingdom.

"Formerly a considerable clothing trade was carried on here, which is now lost; glove making still employs some of the inhabitants, but this branch is not so extensive as at a former period.

"The concern of the greatest magnitude at present conducted here is the iron-foundry and nail manufactory of Messrs Meredith's, which employs many hands.

"A rail road passes from the foundry to Brecon, and joins the canal at Newport; this is not only a particular but a general advantage, in the conveyance of many articles of trade, which otherwise must be brought at an enormous freight.

"By the returns for 1821 the parish of Kington contained 2,813 inhabitants since which period, it is estimated, the number increased to about 3,500."

Ledbury

"120 miles from London and 13 from Ross and Bromyard. About one mile west runs the river Leadon, not navigable, and a canal extends from the town, by way of northwest, to the Severn near Gloucester; the canal company have in contemplation the extending of this canal to Hereford.

"During the reigns of Elizabeth and James I an extensive manufacture of broad cloth and silk was carried on here; now there is no branch of the kind existing.

"The produce of the orchards and hop plantations forms now the staple trade; the hops are of excellent quality, and the cider and perry made in this district are in high repute.

"The malting and tanning businesses employ many persons and there are some rich quarries in this neighbourhood producing good limestone and others from which beautiful marble is obtained.

"Letters from London arrive every morning at 10am and are despatched every evening at 4pm. Letters from Hereford etc arrive every evening at 4pm and are despatched every morning at 10am."

Leominster

"136 miles from London and 13 from Hereford.

"The clothing trade at one time gave employment to a considerable number of the inhabitants as did the hat and glove trades; the former has disappeared and the gloving business is in a very depressed state; and the trade of the town, generally, appears to be more in a state of decay than improvement. The borough and parish contained, by the Parliamentary returns for 1821, 4,646 inhabitants.

Letters from London and Worcester arrive every afternoon at half-past one and are despatched every forenoon at half-past eleven. Letters form Shrewsbury, Chester, Liverpool and Ireland arrive every evening at half-past five and are despatched every morning at 7am. Letters from South Wales arrive (with the Hereford letters) every morning at seven, and are despatched every evening at half-past five."

Ross

"120 miles from London, 16 from Gloucester, 14 from Hereford and 10 from Monmouth.

"Letters from London, Gloucester etc arrive every forenoon at half-past eleven and are despatched every afternoon at half-past two. Letters from Milford and South Wales arrive every afternoon at half-past two and are despatched every forenoon at 40 minutes past eleven. Letters from Hereford arrive every forenoon at half-past ten, and are despatched every afternoon at 10 minutes before three."

Weobley

"141 miles from London, 11 from Hereford, 8 from Kington and 7 from Leominster.

"It is a town unimportant to the commercial traveller.

"Letters from all parts arrive every evening at five and are despatched every morning (Monday excepted) at eight."

Trades in the market towns

Pigot's Directory gives the actual number of traders for each trade within the towns.