TIDENHAM is a parish and village, distant rather more than 2 miles east-by-north from Chepstow, and 14 south-west from Newnham, in the Western division of the county, Westbury hundred, Chepstow union and county court district, Forest rural deanery, Gloucester archdeaconry, and Gloucester and Bristol diocese. Tidenham stands on a narrow peninsula, with the Wye on one side, and the broad Severn on the other, and just below Cockshoot Hill. The church of St. Peter is an ancient stone building in the Middle Pointed style, and consists of a tower with 6 bells, a nave, Early English north aisle, chancel, porch, organ, old Norman font, completely perfect, said to be of the eleventh century, made of lead, and curiously carved: the large east and a small south windows of the chancel are filled with richly stained glass, representing events in the life of Our Lord; and a beautiful memorial window is placed in the north aisle to the memory of the Rev. H. C. Morgan by his son T. H. Morgan, esq., of Tidenham House: the fittings and adornments of the whole interior are chaste and handsome. The register dates from the year 1708. The living is a vicarage, yearly value about £400, with residence and 108 acres of glebe land, chiefly woodland, in the gift of D. Higford Burr, esq., and held by the Rev. Percy Burd, M. A., of University College, Durham. The Cliff school, built at the sole expense of the Misses Phillips, in now wholly maintained by them. There are three National Schools, two of which are under Government inspection, supported by voluntary contributions. There is a chapel for Wesleyans, and a small reading room for Independents. There are charities of £22 yearly value, which are applied for church and educational purposes. The Duke of Beaufort, who is lord of the manor, Thomas Henry Morgan, esq., George Ormerod, esq., Selwyn Wilson, esq., William Seys, esq., and F. Hammond, esq., are the chief landowners. The soil is loamy; subsoil limestone. The chief crops are wheat, barley, turnips, &c. The area is 5,875 acres; gross estimated rental, £11,648; rateable value, £9,509, and the population in 1861 was 1,661.

BEACHLEY, 3 and a quarter miles distant, a hamlet and ecclesiastical district, formed in 1850. The church of St. John, which was erected in 1833, is a plain, substantial edifice, built of Beachley stone, and consists of nave, aisles and chancel with bell cot. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £70, in the gift of the vicar of Tidenham, and held by the Rev. John Hele Ash, M. A. The population of this district in 1861 was 188.

Letters are received through Chepstow, delivered at 8 a.m. & 11 a.m.; dispatched at 6.40 p.m. & 12 p.m. on Sunday.

Infant School, Beachley, Jane Farr, mistress.

SEDBURY, distant about 2 miles; Bishton and Church End, 1 mile; Stroat and Wibdon, 2 miles, are also hamlets in the parish. There is a chapel of ease (St. Luke's) at Tutshill, about 1 mile and a quarter from the parish church. On the banks of the Wye, and not far distant, are Tintern Abbey, Raglan Castle, Piercefield Views, Chepstow Castle, Usk, Caldecot, and Roman baths, &c., excavated at Caerwent.

Parish Clerk, Daniel Tyler, Woodcroft.

Post Office - Mrs. Mary Thomas, receiver, Tutshill. Letters arrive from Chepstow at 6.30 a.m.; dispatched at 7 p.m. The nearest money order office is at Chepstow.

Church End - Charles Whimhurst, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Chepstow at 8 a.m.; dispatched at 6 p.m.

Police Station, Woodcroft, Bishton, George Cook, sergeant.

Schools - Tidenham, Arthur Long, master. St. Luke's, Miss Annie Henfrey, mistress. Tidenham Chase, Miss Eliza Moody, mistress.

 

Tidenham:-

BOSANQUET Capt, Ashberry

BURD Rev. Percy, B. A. [vicar], Vicarage

CHURCHYARD Henry, esq., Chase farm

COWBURN Capt.

MORGAN Thos. Henry, esq., Tidenham ho.

SELLON Rev. Edmund, M. A. [curate], Caerwood

WILLIAMS Dr. Ivy, Rock cottage

DOWARD Alfred, farmer, Day house

HALL Chas. Mayor, farmer, Rosemary cot.

HUNT James, farmer, Wallop farm

KEENE Richard, farmer, Pill House farm

PRICE Henry, shop keeper

PRIOR Edward, farmer, Chelton elm

RYMER Catharine (Mrs.), farmer, Philpot court

RYMER James, farmer

 

Bishton:-

BARROW Misses, Rye cottage

BEDFORD Col. James, Stoulgrove house

LINDAM Major Charles James, Vale cot.

PALMER Rev. Feilding, M. A., East cliff

PEAKE Richard, esq., Wirewoods green

PERCEVAL William, esq., Prettyhedge cot.

PHILLIPS Misses, Penmoyle house

SMART Mr. John, Oak cliff

 

Commercial:-

ALLWOOD Albert, beer retailer & butcher

BAKER Sarah (Mrs.), Hope & Anchor

BAYLIS John, farmer, Oakfield ho.

CHAPPELL Edward, New Inn

EDMONDS Henry, grocer

FRYER John, teacher of music

GLYNN Thomas, gardener, Old Bishton

PRICE George, boot & shoe maker

PRICE John, shopkeeper & assist. overseer

RYMER John, farmer, Bishton farm

SMITH George, carpenter, Woodcroft

WILLETT Betty (Mrs.), farmer, Rye farm

 

Church End:-

RICHARDS John, carpenter, Cross hill

 

Stroat:-

HIGGINS Charles, esq., Strout house

 

Commercial:-

BUTLER William, blacksmith

HALL Charles, farmer

LANSDOWNE William, blacksmith

PARKER Richard, boot & shoe maker

RICHARDS William, carpenter

RYMER John P., farmer, Stroat farm

TURNER Abraham, George & Dragon

TURNER George, machine man

 

Sedbury:-

ORMEROD George, esq., D. L., Sedbury pk

 

Commercial:-

PREWETT Thomas, farmer

PROSSER John, farmer, Pennsylvania

RUGMAN John, farmer

RUGMAN Samuel, farmer, Badhams ct.

 

Tutshill:-

EVANS Thomas, esq., Tutshill lodge

GEE Mr. Henry

SEYS William Aeneas, esq., J. P., Tutshill house

 

Commercial:-

DAVIS Thos., Cross Keys & quarryman

EVANS Thomas, solicitor

HORT Abraham, farmer, Tutshill farm

IVINS John, butcher

MORRIS Thos., carpenter & wheelwright

PITT Frederick, blacksmith

PRITCHARD James, beer retailer & wheelwright

SARGENT Thomas, grocer

WATKINS Ann (Mrs.), lodging house

WOOD Edmund Fowle, land agent

 

Wibdon:-

BIDDLE Hugh, farmer, High hall

JOYCE William, farmer, Hanley house

RYMER James, farmer, Wibdon farm

 

Beachley:-

ASH Rev. John Hele, M. A. [vicar]

JENKINS Robert Castle, esq., J. P., Beachley lodge

WILLIAMS Mrs. Ann

 

Commercial:-

SANEGAR Sarah (Mrs.), shopkeeper

SAUNDERS Philip, Salmon inn

TRAYHERN James, fisherman

WILLIAMS Thomas Peachey, farmer

 

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