The proprietors trust that the present Edition of
Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire may be found at least equal in accuracy to
the previous ones. Every place in Monmouthshire, and every parish will again be
found to be included in the book. The Letters M.O.O. and S.B. are abbreviations
adopted by H.M. Post Office to represent Money Order Office and Savings Bank.
RAGLAN is a parish and head of a petty sessional
division; it is on the road from Monmouth to Abergavenny, with a station half a
mile east from the village on the Monmouth and Pontypool Road branch of the
Great Western railway, 138 miles from London, 8 southwest-by-west from Monmouth
and 6 miles north from Usk, on the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool
railway, in the Southern division of the county, hundred of Raglan, union of
Monmouth, county court district of Usk, rural deanery of Raglan, archdeaconry
of Monmouth and diocese of Llandaff.
The church of St. Cadoc is a building of stone in the Early
Perpendicular style, and was thoroughly restored in 1868 at an outlay of
£2,600, raised by subscription; it consists of chancel with north chapel, nave,
north transept, south porch and an embattled western tower, with crocketed
pinnacles, containing 2 bells and clock, given by Miss A. M. Bosanquet: the
east and west windows are stained; the south porch is large and has a mutilated
stoup: in the Beaufort chapel are monuments to William (Somerset), third Earl
of Worcester K.G, d. 21 Feb. 1589, and other members of the family, many of
whom are, interred in a vault beneath the chapel, and, amongst others, Edward
(Somerset), second Marquess of Worcester, the accredited inventor of the steam
engine, d. 3 April, 1667: in 1867 a new organ was erected: there are 328
sittings. The register of baptisms and burials dates from the year 1711;
marriages, 1754. The living is a discharged vicarage, net income about £225,
With 28 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Duke of Beaufort, and
held since 1893 by the Rev. Charles Mathew Perkins M.A. of Lincoln College,
Oxford, and surrogate.
The Baptist chapel here was erected in 1818, and the
Congregational chapel in 1812. £13.10s. is distributed yearly in bread and £6
in small sums.
Raglan Castle, standing on a gently rising eminence a short
distance from the village, and occupying a tract of land about one-third of a
mile in circumference, is a venerable structure of freestone, erected at
different periods, its earliest style not being anterior to the reign of King
Henry V, although a castle is said to have been founded here as early as the
12th century by a member of the family of Clare, lords of Usk, and the existing
keep, supposed to be of the 12th century, was faced with stone, it is said, in
the time of Henry VII, so as to correspond with additions then made: the castle
was sold by James, Lord Berkeley (eldest son of Sir James Berkeley and his
lady, Elizabeth, the only daughter and heiress of Sir John Bluet), to his
step-father, Sir Witham-ap-Thomas, who, by his second marriage, was the father
of William Herbert, whom King Edward IV created the first Earl of Pembroke of
that name, and lord of Chepstow, Raglan and Gower, in or about the year 1469:
it is most probable that the present castle, which occupies the site of the
previous one, was founded by this first earl or by his son William, the second
Earl of Pembroke, who having resigned that Earldom was created earl of
Huntingdon in the year 1479: it is now the property of the Duke of Beaufort,
whose family became possessors of it on the marriage of Sir Charles Somerset
with Elizabeth, only daughter of William, Earl of Huntingdon, an heiress of Sir
Walter (or William) Herbert: it was for some, time the residence of the Earls
of Worcester, who made various additions to it; the interior exhibits features
of the architectural style of the reigns of Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth, the
most modern portions dating from the reign of King Charles I; Henry, the, fifth
Earl and first Marquess of Worcester, several times entertained this monarch
during the Civil War in a most princely manner, and after the battle of Naseby,
Charles sought shelter and remained here from July, 1645, to the middle of
September in the same year: the castle was garrisoned in defence of the royal
cause, but surrendered on the 19th of August, 1646, to Sir Thomas Fairfax, after
sustaining a prolonged siege; it was subsequently dismantled, and is now a
beautiful and picturesque ruin, much visited by tourists and others: the
present Duke of Beaufort takes great interest in the maintenance of the fabric,
which is in the care of Raglan T. H. Somerset esq. The Prince and Princess of
Wales visited the castle October 19th, 1881.
The Duke of Beaufort A.D.C. who is lord of the manor,
Captain C. T. H. Kemeys-Tynte, of Cefn Mably, Cardiff, and Daniel Pryce, esq.
are the principal landowners.
The soil is partly sandy, intermixed with a loamy clay;
subsoil, limestone rock. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and green
crops. The area is 4,091 acres, rateable value £5,015, and the population in
1891 was 668.
Parish Clerk: Richard Jones.
Post, M.O. & T.O., T.M.O., Express Delivery, Parcel
Post, S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office.
Mrs. Sarah Evans Jones, sub-postmistress.
Letters arrive from Newport at 6.27 a.m. & 12 noon; dispatched at 5.20
& 7 p.m.
Wall Letter Boxes: Clytha, cleared at 4.30; Tregare, cleared at 5.10.
Chairman: Bosanquet Samuel Courthope, esq. D.L., Dingestow
court, Monmouth.
Raglan Lord, D.L, Cefn Tilla court, Usk
Seale Sir John Henry, bart., Wonastow court, Monmouth
Herbert Major Francis Joseph Alphonse D.L., Ty-Gwyn, Clytha, Llanarth,
Abergavenny
Herbert Col. Ivor John Caradoc D.L., C.B., C.M.G., Llanarth court, Newport
Somerset Raglan G. H. esq., The Castle, Raglan, Newport
Clerks to the Magistrates: Powles & Vizard, Monmouth
Petty Sessions are held at the Police court, the last
saturday in every month, at 11 a.m.
The following places ire included in the Petty Sessional
Division:-
Bryngwyn, Clytha, Dingestow, Llanarth, Llandenny, Parc Grace, Dieu, Penrhos, Pen-y-clawdd,
Raglan and Tregare.
Assistant Overseer: Charles James Saunders
Medical Officer & Public Vaccinator, Raglan district, Monmouth Union: Dr.
Alexander Graham Spiers Logie, M.B. & C.M.(Edin.).
National (mixed & infants), for 120 children; average
attendance, 92.
Charles James Saunders, master, Miss Jane Jeffreys, assistant mistress.
Railway Station, Edmund Thomas Mends, collector.
County Constabulary Station, James Keylock, sergeant &
one constable
Barton Mrs
Batstone Rev. Thomas (Baptist)
Davies William, Twyn Sheriff
Edwards Mrs., Caestory
Gray Charles Russell, The Grange
Herbert Edward George Richard, Castle street
Jenkins Mrs., Willsbrook
Jones Samuel W., The Birches
Jones Thomas, The Dell
Lewis Mrs., Dean cottage
Logie Dr. Alexander Graham Speirs, M.B.,
C.M.(Edin.)
Perkins Rev. Charles Mathew, M.A., (vicar &
surrogate), Vicarage
Pryce Daniel, The Broom
Pryce Jenkins Richard, Willsbrook
Somerset Raglan Geo. Henry J.P
Baillie Gilbert, farmer, Greenhill
Barrett & Co. boot & shoe factor, The
Beehive
Blake Edwin, butcher
Blake Joseph, Ship inn
Cowles Herbert, farmer, Ton farm
Davies George, carpenter & smith
Davies John, farmer
Edwards Mary (Mrs.), earthenware dealer
Ferrett Robert, job master, Beaufort Arms yard
Griffiths Wm., farmer, Warrage farm
Haggett Henry, butcher
Heath Enoch, jun., farmer, Gwernithig
Hobbs William, well sinker
James William, King's Head P.H.
Jeffreys John, farmer, Crossllwtydd farm
Jeffreys William, farmer, Pen-y-park
Jones Edward, brick & tile maker, High
street
Jones Edward, Crown P.H
Jones Edward, grocer & druggist
Jones Fanny (Mrs. ), laundress
Jones John, plasterer & tiles
Jones John, refreshment, rooms, Castle street
Jones Nelson, farmer
Jones Oliver, farmer, Little Tryos
Jones Richard, farmer, Twyn Sherifl
Jones Samuel W., coal merchant & agent for
the Great Western railway.
Jones Richard, jun.,
builder & parish clerk
Jones Thomas, farmer, Dell farm
Jones Thomas Richard, family grocer, tea dealer,
baker & provision merchant, agent for Silverbrook tea.
Laban George, farmer, Pant farm
Leech Thomas, Beaufort Arms hotel
Lewis Ellen Tryphena (Mrs.), draper
Logie Dr. Alexander Graham Spiers, M.B.,
C.M.(Edin.), physician & surgeon, medical officer & public vaccinator,
Raglan district, Monmouth union.
Matthew James, ironmonger
Morgan George, farmer, Brook farm
Morgan Walter, farmer, The Lodge farm
Morgan William, stone mason
Newman Abraham, farmer
Parry James, farmer, Pen-carreg
Perkins James, farmer, The Elms farm
Powell Jeremiah, farmer, Cefn-coch
Probert Richard, farmer, Cayo farm
Prosser John, saddler
Pryce Daniel, landowner, The Broom
Rosser Richard, miller (water), Rhiwlas mill
Saunders Chas. Jas., assistnt. overseer
Shipway Eliza (Mrs.), coal dealer
Simmons Sarah (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Somerset Raglan Tuberville Henry, warden of
Raglan castle
Studley William, tailor
Tippins Williams, farmer, Twyn-yr-Argoed
Townsend Geo., farmer, Castle farm
Townsend Rhoda (Mrs.), grocer
Townsend Sarah (Mrs.), milliner, The Row
Watkins James, farmer, Berllandery
Watkins John, farmer, Usk road
Source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~familyalbum/kraglan.htm
Designed by CMorgan, Last update 10 October, 2004.