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 Railway.

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