LITTLE DEAN
is a parish and large village, 2 miles north-west from Newnham station on the
South Wales railway, 12 south-west from Gloucester and 116 from London, in the
western division of the county, Saint Briavels hundred, Newnham petty sessional
division and county court district, Westbury-on-Severn union, rural deanery of
South Forest, Gloucester archdeaconry, and Gloucester and Bristol diocese,
situated on the borders of the Forest of Dean, on the road from Newnham to
Ross.
The church of St.
Ethelbert is an old stone building in the Perpendicular style, and has chancel,
nave, north aisle, south porch, tower and spire with 6 bells, and contains two
monuments to the Pyrke family, and fine arch resting on two Norman pillars
which divides the nave from the chancel.
The register dates from [not stated ]. The living is a rectory, yearly value £190, with residence,
in the gift of the trustees of the Church Patronage Society, and held by the
Rev. William Lockett, B.A. of Queens College, Cambridge.
Here is a Congregational
chapel.
The charities are of
£25 yearly value.
A fair is held on the
26th November yearly, for cattle, sheep and pigs.
On a hill near the
church is a circular encampment called Camp Hill, and several Roman roads still
remain.
Dean Hall is the seat
of Francis Edward Guise esq., M.W.Wemyss-Colchester is lord of the manor, and
H.Crawshay esq. Joseph Bennett and D. Pyrke, esqrs. are chief landowners.
The soil is chiefly
limey; the subsoil is brick earth and limestone. Coal and iron ore are procured in the neighbourhood. The chief crops are wheat and
roots.
The area is 510
acres; rateable Value, £2,419; the population in 1871 was 884.
POST OFFICE:- Philip
Glastonbury, receiver. Letters
received through Newnham at 8 p.m.; dispatched at 6 & 7.30 p.m. The nearest
money order offices are at Newnham and Cinderford.
Police Station,
Gaol, Herbert Cresswell, sergeant.
There is a national
school for boys & girls;
average attendance 130; William Hobbs, master; Miss Dorcas Burgan, infants mistress.
CARRIER TO
GLOUCESTER.- James Harris, Monday Wednesday & Saturday
RESIDENTS
Bennett Joseph
Cowmeadow Thomas,
Dean cottage
Gould Mrs
Griffiths Rev. David
[Congregational]
Guise Francis Edward,
Dean hall
Lockett Rev. William
B.A. Rectory
Adams William Pitt, George inn
COMMERCIAL
Boughton Amelia
(Mrs.), farmer
Brain Esau, carpenter
Brain Samuel, farmer
Bryant, shoe maker
Cooper John, farmer
Davis Peter,
carpenter & wheelwright
Drew William, farmer
Embling John, farmer,
The Temple
Glastonbury Henry,
plasterer
Guest William, farmer
Gwilliam Elizabeth
(Mrs.), shopkeeper
Gwilliam Henry, nail
maker
Gwilliam John,
nail maker
Gwilliam Thomas,
shopkeeper
Gwilliam Zachariah,
nail maker
Hall Samuel,
carpenter
Helt Henry, shoe maker
Hodges Hy. Jabez,
iron works manager
Hurcomb Samuel,
shopkeeper
Jolly Zachariah,
boarding & day school
Meredith Daniel, beer
retailer
Parker Richard,
builder
Parsons Hannah
(Mrs.), Cross Keys
Pritchard John,
farmer
Purnell, Mary Ann
(Mrs.), shopkeeper
Roberts Mary (Mrs.),
shopkeeper
Robins Mary (Mrs.),
farmer
Trigg Timothy, Bell
Westbrook Alfred,
grocer & draper
Wilks Henry, Swan
Wynn George, chimney
sweeper