RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Herefordshire => Topic started by: arrowmead on Saturday 13 September 08 02:01 BST (UK)
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Hi there to this wonderful web site
I have traced my family back to John Price b. 1794 from the 1841 census (res Hergest Court, Both Hergests, Kington) and his wife Elizabeth (unknown maiden name) and have now reached the hard part - no more census records.
There is a reference to a "John Price, the present tenant of the farm in this parish called Hargest Court" from a "Charity Commissioners' Report, 1838". This quote came from the book "History of Kington, 1845".
I also have a quote that I didn't reference properly (could be the book above)
"the manor of West or Upper Hergest is a Mense Manor under Huntington....and in the addition to the school farm, it contains one belonging to Mr Watt, occupied by John Price, and another owned and occupied by Mr. Price of Hergest-court" 1619 - (this dates seems a bit early??)
I have a lovely description written by my ggrandfather (1861-1932) of his childhood at Hergest; the spring flowers, Mahallum School, 7 years at Kington Grammar and Mr Everard's private school, if anyone is interested.
Many thanks for any info
Regards
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There are 2 possible marriages in Kington in 1819 for John Price, one to an Elizabeth Lewis, and another to Elizabeth Watkins.
Does the 1841 Census show the names of children ?
If there are children borm after 1837 then their birth certificates will be available from the Kington Register Office.
This can tell you the Mother's maiden name and identify which Elizabeth is John's wife.
Also Kington History Society may have information in their huge database for Kington and area of the family.
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Yes Get in touch with kington history society. i am sure they will be able to help you as i think Hergest court is linked to lady hawkins school in a fairly close way and my old history teacher has researched and written a book about theschool and i know he was involved with the history society .I attended lady hawkins and we learned some of the history to do with the area but the only families i can remember being linked to it were the Vaughan's and the tenants then. chap i went to school with lives there now and her refutes the ghost stories we were all to. also be aware there are two hargest court" farms " one called" HArgest court "and the other called "hargest court farm " they are linked as they both belonged to the same family. wish i could help you more as i think i remember more than this but am not sure and i know we had a copy of the school history at my parents but they lent it to some one and it hasn't been returned. good luck anyway i am sure they will be able to help you
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The book which tells about Black Vaughan, the Black Dog of Hergest and the haunted room is Malvern Chase by Symonds.
Black Vaughan who was killed at the battle of Banbury in 1469 is buried and has a marble effigy monument in Kington Church with his wife Ellen Gethin know as Ellen the Terrible.
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Thanks for that info Puffcat - I'm no welsh language scholar but there is a modern scholar who has offered Gethin as meaning "dark skinned" rather than "terrible" hmmm...
Also, thanks for looking at the marriages. Their children were born before 1837 so no luck there.
Thanks to all
Regards
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I was pleased to find your entry about Hergest Court. My great aunt Gladys' husband, Owens (I'e temporarily forgotten his first name) was a tenant farmer at Hergest Court Farm. Do you know the legend about Black Vaughan attached to Hergest Court? Just Google Hergest and read all about it. If you don't find it, let me know and I will send it to you.
One part of the legend is that the great hound would be heard/seen on the death of a Vaughan. My great aunt heard this -- so the story goes -- snuffling in the passageway -- and the next day learnt of the death of a Vaughan.
This legend formed the basis for Conan Doyle's The House of the Baskervilles -- he was often in Herefordshire.
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My father's family originated in Kerry, in Montgomeryshire, but moved to Kington in the late 19th century. The family name is Hamer. My grandfather was the first man from Kington to have been killed in WW1.
Anything of interest will be gratefully received.
I have found Kington Hihstorical Society very helpful, as were the people in the Library.
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Hi JenniferRuth
Nice to hear from you. I have a reference to Owen Owen being the tenant at Hergest in 1891. My Price family had left by then and had been living in Kington proper before emigrating to New Zealand around 1899 (where I am).
My ggrandfather knew all the stories about Black Vaughan and my grandfather took the time to write them down. It's interesting to see the slight differences between each version.
I would love some day to visit Hergest and do some research first hand at the Historic society. You are lucky to be there!
All the best and keep in touch.
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Dear arrowmead
I have just joined RootsChat primarily because I found your topic "Price's at Hergest Court Farm, Kington".
I am a Price also in New Zealand and I can identify your grandfather from your description. In fact, I have a tremendous portrait photo of him and his family.
I am particularly interested in the fact that you have traced the family back to John Price b.1794. I would dearly like to meet up with you and share the information that we have.
My grandfather was born at Evenjobb Court in 1859, and on 19th August 2008 I actually visited Evenjobb Court and met the current occupants. I have a photo of Evenjobb Court which you are welcome to. However, my grandfather's family was also tied up with Hergest Court.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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Have you seen my personal post to you? :)
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What a great site. I've just joined. I'd love to take up your offer arrowmead - "I have a lovely description written by my grandfather (1861-1932) of his childhood at Hergest; the spring flowers, Mahallum School, 7 years at Kington Grammar and Mr Everard's private school, if anyone is interested." I've never heard of Mr Everard's School.
I went to Mahollam School then on to Lady Hawkins Grammar. My father used to dip his sheep at Hergest Court. I was always very worried when I saw a black dog!
dickyhip
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Hello there
Thank you for your interest. I have inserted an excerpt from my great-grandfather's memoirs for you. He was born at Hergest court in 1861.
With a natural inclination to use my left hand instead of my right when starting to write, they told me that they would tie my left hand behind my back when I went to school, so I took the hint. My early school days were spent at Mahallum School presided over by Mrs Schofield and her daughters, and in some way under the patronage of some county gentry of the name of Romilly who lived at Huntington Court about half a mile away. What interested us kiddies most was that every year when the strawberries were ripe we all assembled at the Court where we were regaled with strawberries and cream, plenty of cakes and drinks. Various games were indulged in and all used to home, happy and tired.
The distance from home to the school was about two miles one way along the main road, which in summer time was very pretty or rather in spring dotted along the hedge rows with primroses and violets and later if you looked carefully wild strawberries including the stately foxglove and the trail of sweet scented honeysuckle on our homeward journey. When we had more time at our disposal, we wandered back through the meadows on the other side of the River Arrow Valley of which some two or three miles of its course passed through our lands of which more anon. The walk was a pretty one. On the way we crossed the Arrow, and passed through a wood were later boy like. We used to chase the nimble squirrels from bough to bough. Looking through a vista of the wood I have seen it like a blue haze with pretty bluebells framed with ferns and surrounding bush. Nearer home the path lead along the side of a bushy bank at the foot of which were flat meadows through which the River pursued it course. The meadows in springtime I have seen spotted with crocuses, and almost a blaze of gold composed of cowslips, oxslips and daffodils,
In speaking of the Romillys I don’t know whether it was a matter of economy. They used to hire from a hostelry in Kington. They kept their own coach, and it was quite a frequent occurrence, to see the driver dressed in breeches and top boots with hunting cap and short jacket riding one of the pair of horses postilion.
My next school experience was at Grammar School in Kington, [founded and endowed in 1619 by Lady Margaret Hawkins, daughter of Charles Vaughan of Hergest Court, and at one time, one of the ladies of Queen Elizabeth’s bedchamber. She was later married to Sir John Hawkins, an Admiral in Queen Elizabeth’s Navy, and reputed to be the first Englishman to take part in the famous and murderous slave trade in the West Indies. In 1595, with Admiral Drake, he went on an expedition against the Spanish in the West Indies. This undertaking was not successful because of the lack of agreement between the leaders, a condition that also lessened the success of Grog Vernon some 145 years later. In my time the school was] presided over by two Reverend gentlemen. The Rev W. Beble, and the Rev Noah Walsh. The Rev Beble was very thin and Rheumaticky. He was rather fond of the cane, and I remember one school mate he was rather fond of experimenting upon. He would say, “Bach, come here.” The master would grit his teeth. “You know it hurts me more than it does you, but I must do it!” His hands were so crippled with rheumatism that he had to slip the cane between his fingers instead of grasping it in his hand and I believe it was a painful operation for both. Welsh boys used to go there to learn English and what use to arouse my admiration and perhaps envy was the way they used to be able to parse sentences. I must say that to me at that time it was in the nature of double Dutch. The Rev Noah Walsh was a stout, clean shaven, sedate individual. He had a sort of a desk like and old-fashioned Church pew, where on special subjects such as French or Latin, he would take the boys singly and I have known on occasion were rather slow for a piece of cobblers wax to be placed on his seat which holds fairly fast when you wish to rise in a hurry. And then when he wished to relieve his feeling with a free use of his cane, there would already be inserted up the holes several horse hairs which was supposed to have the effect of causing it to split when used.
After spending several years there I went to a Mr Everard’s Private School, where you were supposed to acquire certain accomplishments but I fear didn’t acquire much. So ended my schooldays, which I fear I did not fully appreciate at the time.
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Great stuff. Many thanks. My mother was taught by Mrs Schofield. I like the descriptions, especially of Messrs Beble & Walsh. I have a photograph of Winston Churchill astride a horse near Mahollam - during the Second World War. He' was obviously visiting his in-laws at Huntington Park for a day or two as a break from more urgent business in London, perhaps.
I've recently taken over the running of Kington Museum and if you have any material you could donate, loan (we can scan and return immediately) or send as copy, would be most gratefully received.
One or two of our displays for this coming season, hopefully, will include quite a lot on Hergest Court and Mahollam School.
Anyway many thanks again. Is it OK if I use the extract from your Grandpa's diary?
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Hi dickyhip
This reply is awfully late! You are welcome to use my ggfather's diary excerpt (if you already haven't). I don't have any more personally that I could contribute to the Kington Museum but wish you best luck in the "new" job.
Hergest Court has been very useful pinning down my Price forebears however I now know they weren't there prior to 1778 (Thos Bowen resided there) so off into the dark of Powys!
All the best and I hope to make the trip to Kington one day.
Best regards, Linda Price