House Name

[fauves]

Hi again see what you mean pre 1891 Full census ref 1891 RG12/4580/112/8 with Elizabeth Powell, 1901 William Williams RG13/5178/74/9
Priory Wood, Clifford
Keyboard86

I think the Powells moved from the South East up to our house sometime between 1885 and 1891. Interestingly there were Williams's living next door frequently throughout the 19th century, including I assume  the 1901 William Williams ancestors. Thomas Jones owned Priory Wood Cottage (our neighbour) on the tithe maps and he also occupied the cottage at times throughout the 19th century.

Interestingly there is a Calvinistic chapel down the road that was built in the early 19th century. This was presumably very closely linked to the house if it had religious connections. Perhaps the owner of our house in the early 19th century was some kind of a overseer, a position made redundant by the building of the chapel? It might explain why the house suddenly became unoccupied and unrecorded, losing its original name in the process (forgotten?). It's quite a difficult place to heat so perhaps locals didn't want to live in it after the overseer/rector/etc. had left? Until the relatively affluent Londoners (Powells) moved in?

Thanks very much for the help. If it's any use at all our neighbouring property to the west is Priory Wood Cottage (William Williams), to the East is Oak Cottage (may have had a different name?), the South is Porking Cottage/Barn.

[fauves]

Do you have details of the '51 and '61 Census?

RG09  1829  53  2
HO107  1980  414  10

Richard Powell is listed on page 94 of the 1856 PO Directory of Herefordshire (Historical Directories online). But residence is not named.

Hello
I have looked through them really thoroughly but got nowhere as our neighboring properties are often named but ours either renames unnamed (and therefore unidentifiable) or unoccupied.

It's just really weird because the house is very different to the others around us, mostly older and the original structure is bigger, but while the others are often named ours is a total and utter blank from 1841-1891.

[fauves]

I really think the key might be "Edmund Acton" the landowner and possibly property owner in the 1840s although as the name doesn't turn up anywhere I wonder if it might be a pseudonym.

[fauves]

http://www.melocki.org.uk/diocese/1712_Philip_Bisse.xls

An Ed. Acton turns up here and not too far away in Clun, shropshire. Dates don't add up though unless land can be owned after death?

[mazi]

Is Colonel Powell one of your Powells

http://herefordshirepast.co.uk/news-from-the-past/clifford-news-from-the-past/


Mike

[fauves]

Is Colonel Powell one of your Powells

http://herefordshirepast.co.uk/news-from-the-past/clifford-news-from-the-past/


Mike

Good stuff, thank you. Colonel Powell is probably the best guess the previous owners had for the inhabitants prior to 1880s. I don't think they were related to the post 1891 census Powells but they were the most prominent Priory Wood family in the late 18th-mid 19th century. I think it was Colonel Powell's mother, Louisa/Louise Powell (Du Buisson) who was presumed by the previous owners to have lived in the house, but I can't find any solid evidence and Colonel Powell lived in Hardwicke House/Court I think which is about a mile away. Maybe Louisa lived here alone though until her death in 1824?

Good info on them here. http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewpage/llgc-id:1191402/llgc-id:1194563/llgc-id:1194622/getText

Maybe it would be good to find a link between the Powells and the Actons as perhaps the land changed hands between them sometime between 1824 and 1845? Interestingly the Methodist Chapel down the road (literally almost our neighbour) was built (or rebuilt?) in 1827, which may have coincided with the Powells selling the house/land to the Actons?

Sorry for making this even more complicated.. Maybe I should get all the facts down clearly!

[mazi]

Complete wild shot but there is an Edmund Acton born Bedfordshire 4 April 1690, and an Acton female in hay on Wye in 1841 said to have been born in Bedfordshire in 1791

Mike

[Treetotal]

Have you tried contacting Land Registry that covers the area where the house is?
Carol

Hello
I haven't done that but when we purchased the house we were given all the available deeds and documents I think which only seemed to go back as far as the 60s/70s. The previous owner apparently lost the original title deeds, which I assume would've been very helpful! Do you know if perhaps land registry would have a copy?
Thanks

It's worth a try...when I contacted them about an Inn that one of my ancestors ran in the 1880s...they sent me the ordinance survey maps from 1881,91 and 1901 when was still there with an overlay of how the redevelopment of the area is now. Copies of deeds are available for a £5 fee I believe as I applied for our house deeds before I realised that we already have them...I don't think they hold the originals anymore.
Carol

[keyboard86]

Hi again, I would not dismiss entirely the Acton family in Manchester possibility, as the Edmund Acton b c 1833 looks to have been from a possibly well to do family?
Keyboard86