ABINGHALL, or ABBENHALL, is a parish, on the road from Newnham
to Mitcheldean, 2½ miles south-west from Longhope station on the
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester railway and 5 north-west from Newnham, in the
Western Division of the county, St. Braivels hundred, union of Westbury on
Severn, Newnham county court district,
rural deanery of South Forest,
archdeanery of Gloucester and diocese of Gloucester and Bristol.
The Church of St.
Michael and All Angels is an ancient stone building in the Mediaeval style, and
has a chancel, nave, south aisle and tower with 3 bells, and contains an
octagonal font of the 14th century and a brass; it was restored and
a vestry added in 1874 at a cost of £400.
The register dates from the year 1665. The living is a rectory, yearly value £140, with a residence
an 25 acres of glebe, in the gift of and held by the Rev. John William Gregg,
LL.B. of Trinity College, Dublin.
There is a day school
for boys and girls.
Woodville, the seat
of James John Grenfel Borlase, esq. is a Gothic mansion, of red sandstone with
Bath stone dressings, beautifully situated on an elevation, commanding a view
on the north-west of the town of Mitcheldean, the Forest of Dean, the hills of
Herefordshire, and a splendid slope of rich pasture and forest land; on the
south-west or entrance front, is Ladygrove Wood, a most picturesque piece of
woodland scenery which extends also to the west, while on the east is
Langrove.
The Wilderness is the
seat of Maynard Willoughby Wemyss-Colchester, esq. J.P.
Charles Barton, esq.
Is lord of the manor and chief landowner.
The soil is sandy; subsoil red sandstone. The chief crops are wheat, barley and roots. The area is 751 acres; rateable value,
£1,730 : and the population in 1871 was 307.
Guns Mills Paper
Company, 1 mile south from the church, and the Shapridge stone quarries, which
yield the red stone so noted for its durability are in this parish. Joseph Skipp Lloyd, esq. S.C.L.
barrister, of Cheltenham, is the owner of the mills and of the land in the valley.
Parish Clerk, Edwin Stidder.
Letters received
through Ross, via Mitcheldean. The nearest money order office is at
Mitcheldean.
School, Miss Ann Ball, mistress
Affleck, Henry
Blood Mrs, Ferney
field
Borlase, James John
Grenfel, Woodville
Gregg, Rev John Wm.
LL.B. Rectory
Roberts, Rev. Lewis
[Congregational]
Robinson, John
Abinghall house
Wemyss-Colchester,
Maynard Willoughby, J.P. The Wilderness
Yearsley, Edwin Evans
Affleck, Henry,
Shapridge stone quarries
Baker, George, builder and wheelwright
Barnard, James,
shopkeeper
Barnard, Philip,
farmer
Barnard, Thomas,
bailiff to Osma Barrett, esq. & farmer
Cook, James,
blacksmith
Constance, Samuel,
boot & shoe maker
Gardiner, Edward,
grocer & draper
Griffiths, John, nail maker
Guns Mills Paper Company, brown and cartridge paper manufacturers
Haile Charlotte
(Mrs.), Lamb
Hayward, John, tailor
Savidge, Charles,
farmer, Shapridge
Scudamore, John,
farmer, Church farm
Smith, Enoch,
wheelwright
Wakefield, William,
shopkeeper
Yearlsey, Edwin
Evans, solicitor
Yearsley, Richard,
farmer, Folly farm.