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Ross, Herefordshire

Historical Description

Ross, a market-town, the head of a poor-law union, petty sessional division, and county court district, and a parish in Herefordshire. The town stands on the river Wye, 12 miles SE by S of Hereford, 120 by road, and 133 by railway from London. Ross belonged once to the Bishops of Hereford, who had a palace at it, and was devastated by the plague in 1637. It sent members to Parliament in the time of Edward I., was made a borough by Henry III., and is now governed by an urban district council. Boss is beautifully situated on an eminence overlooking the Wye. It owes much of its celebrity to Pope's famous description of the " Man of Ross." This gentleman, John Kyrle, was born at Dymock in 1637, and resided at Ross for many years, closing a long life of benevolence and usefulness in 1724. He is buried in the chancel of the church, and an elaborate marble monument was erected in his memory in 1776. The town has rather steep and narrow streets and some picturesque old houses. The house in which John Kyrle lived is situated opposite the market-house, and is now divided into two residences. The house in which Charles I. slept on his way to Baglan is in Church Lane. The Market-house stands about the centre of the town, and was erected in 1670. It is a quaint rectangular building of sandstone, supported on pillars. The upper storey is used as a town-hall. The Corn Exchange, in the High Street, was erected in 1862, and includes a large hall used for concerts, &c. The church dates from the 13th century, and has been altered and restored at various periods. It consists of nave, aisles, chancel, side chapel of the Markye family, N and S porches, and a massive tower with spire 208 feet high. It contains monuments to the Budhall and Westfaling families, and some interesting stained glass. The churchyard was enlarged about 1858, and contains some noble elms, said to have been planted by John Kyrle. There are Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational, and Wesleyan chapels, and places of worship for the Brethren and the Society of Friends. A free library, a dispensary and cottage hospital, a police station, and a workhouse are in the town. Boss has a station on the G.W.R., a head post office, three banks, almshouses, and an endowed school. Two weekly newspapers are published. A market is held every Thursday, a cattle market on every second Thursday, and fairs on the second Thursday in March, May, June, Oct., and Dec. There are machine works, a brewery, a tanyard, an iron foundry, agricultural-machine manufactories, and several corn mills. The "Prospect" is a promenade near the church, made by John Kyrle, extending for over a mile to the west, and comprising delightful views of the valley of the Wye and of the surrounding country. The parish comprises 3154 acres; population, 4897. For parish council purposes Ross is divided into an urban and a rural district, the former having a council of nine members, and the latter (along with certain parishes) one of fifteen. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford; net value, £400 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Hereford.

Ross Parliamentary Division of Southern Herefordshire was formed under the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, and returns one member to the House of Commons. Population, 49,872. The division includes the following:-Ledbury-Ashperton, Aylton, Bosbury, Coddington, Colwall, Canon Frome, Castle Frome, Donnington, Eastnor, Eggleton, Ledbury, Marcle (Little), Marcle (Much), Munsley, Parkhold, Pixley, Putley, Stretton Grandison, Tarrington, Wool-hope, Yarkhill; Ross-Aston Ingham, Brampton Abbotts, Bridstow, Brockhampton, Foy, Goodrich, Hope Mansell, How Caple, Lea (Lower), Lea (Upper), Linton, Boss, Sollars Hope, Upton Bishop, Walford, Welsh Bicknor, Weston-under-Penyard, Yatton; Harewood End-Ballingham, Birch (Little), Birch (Much), Boulstone, Dewchurch (Little), Dewchurch (Much), Dewsall, Ganarew, Garway, Harewood, Hentland, King's Caple, Llandinabo, Llangarren, Llanrothal, Llanwarne, Marstow, Orcop, Pencoyd, Peterstow, St Weonards, Sellack, Tretire-with-Michaelchurch, Welsh Newton, Whitchurch; Hereford-Aconbury, Allensmore, Amberiey, Bartestree, Breinton (part of), Bullingham (Lower), Bullingham (Upper, part of), Burghill, Callow, Clehonger, Credenhill, Dinedor, Dinmore, Dormington, Eaton Bishop, Fownhope, Grafton, Hampton Bishop, Haywood, Holm Lacy, Holmer( part of), Kenchester, Lugwardine, Marden, Mordiford, Moreton-on-Lugg, Pipe and Lyde, Preston Winne, St John the Baptist (part), Stoke Edith, Stretton Sugwas, Sutton (St Michael), Sutton (St Nicholas), Tupsley (part of), Wellington, Westhide, Weston Beggard, Withington; Dore-Bacton, Cras-wall, Dore, Dulas, Ewyas Harold, Fwthog, Kenderchurch, Kentchurch, Kilpeck, Kingstone, Llancilloe, Llanveynoe, Longtown, Madley, Michaelchurch Escley. Newton, Peterchurch, Bowlstone, St Devereux, St Margaret, Thruxton, Tiberton, Treville, Tumastone, Vowchurch, Wolterstone, Womibridge; Hereford-municipal borough.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Ancient CountyHerefordshire 
Ecclesiastical parishRoss St. Mary 
HundredGreytree 
Poor Law unionRoss 

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.


Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Ross from the following:


Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Herefordshire is available to browse.


Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Herefordshire newspapers online: