CHURCHAM is an extensive parish, including the hamlets of BIRDWOOD, HIGHNAM, LINTON, and OVER, in the unions of Westbury-on-Severn and Gloucester, containing, altogether by the census of 1861, 1002, and in 1871, 921 inhabitants, with 4664 acres of land.

CHURCHAM is a village, with the hamlet of BIRDWOOD attached, in Westbury-on-Severn union, containing, by the census of 1861, 606, and in 1871, 536 inhabitants, with 2167 acres of land, in the deanery of the Forest, archdeaconry of Gloucester, diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, hundred of Westbury, West Gloucestershire, 1 mile from the Oakle Street Station on the Great Western Railway, 4 west from Gloucester, and 12 south-east from Ross. The vicarage, with the chapelry of Bulley attached, is valued at £880 per annum, with residence, and is in the incumbency of the Rev. George Charles Hall, M.A., and the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester. The church is a small edifice, dedicated to St. Andrew, in the Norman style, consisting of nave, chancel, and tower, surmounted by a small spire, and containing 6 bells. There is a National School for children of both sexes at Bulley. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor, and the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester and the Rev. Charles Hall, M.A., the chief owners of the land. The rateable value of this parish is £6,358.

BIRDWOOD is a hamlet of this parish on the west side in which the Wesleyans have a place of worship.

OAKLE STREET is so named from an avenue of oaks which were formerly growing there. Here is a Station on the Great Western Railway.

HIGHNAM, LINTON, and OVER, are hamlets of this parish, which were formed into a separate Ecclesiastical District in 1851, in Gloucester union, containing, by the census of 1861, 396, and in 1871, 385 inhabitants, and 2004 acres of land, in the deanery of the Forest, archdeaconry of Gloucester, diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, hundred of Dudstone and Kings Barton, East Gloucestershire, 2 and a half miles west from Gloucester. The vicarage in the incumbency of the Rev. Edward Mansfield, B.A., is valued at 126 pounds per annum, with residence, and 2 acres of glebe land, and is in the patronage of Thomas Gambier Parry, Esq., D. L., J. P. The church, dedicated to the Holy Innocents, was consecrated on the 29th April, 1851; it consists of nave, chancel, north and south aisles and tower, surmounted by an elegant spire and containing three bells. The windows are of stained glass, and there are some beautiful fresco paintings, and the chancel arch and other portions of the church have been splendidly decorated; the whole being the workmanship of Thomas Gambier Parry, Esq., the patron and founder of the church, who is an artist of great skill. There is a School for children of both sexes, which was also erected by Thomas Gambier Parry, Esq.

LINTON is a small hamlet, which contains only one farm house.

OVER is a hamlet on the banks of the Severn, which was formerly a Roman encampment. The river Severn is here crossed by a County Bridge, which forms the communication between this place and Gloucester.

 

CHURCHAM, with the hamlets of BIRDWOOD, HIGHNAM, LONTON, and OVER

Clergy and Gentry

HALL Rev. George Charles, M. A., The Vicarage and Church, Lane farm

HALL Mr. Ilay H. C., The Vicarage

HALLEWELL Edward Gilling, Esq., J. P., Beauchamp

SOLLOWAY Mr. Charles, Birdwood

 

Trades and Professions

AKERMAN Thomas, farmer, Oakle street

BARNES Alfred, farmer, Oakle street

BARNES James, farmer, Oakle street

BARNES William, farmer, Oakle street

BUTLER Edwin, farmer, Solomon's Tump farm

CADLE Joseph, farmer and assistant overseer, Birdwood

COLLIER John, National schoolmaster

DOBBS John, farmer, Vernon's farm

DOBBS Philip, farmer, Birdwood

DRING Francis, farmer, Stone End farm

EAST Edward, farmer, Handlow house

ELLIS Daniel Merrick, carpenter and wheelwright, Oakle street

ELLIS William Merrick, farmer, Oakle street

ETHERIDGE Thomas, farmer, Birdwood

GOATMAN George, farmer, shopkeeper, and sub-postmaster

GOUGH Joseph, blacksmith

HAINE George Edward, farmer, Churcham Court farm

HAINE Joseph, farmer, Church farm

HARVEY Frederick, farmer, Saint Hill and Hill farms

HEWLETT John, flour and meal dealer, Birdwood

HOLDER Mrs. Mary Ann, beer retailer, Birdwood

HOOK William, shopkeeper, Birdwood

HOWLEY William, blacksmith and farrier

LITTLE Henry, police constable

NEWMAN Mr. George, Birdwood villa

PARRY Edmund, farmer, Birdwood

PARRY William, farmer, Birdwood farm

SMALLWOOD William, farmer, Oakle street

STEPHENS Francis, coal and flour merchant, Oakle street

STOCK Henry, shopkeeper, Birdwood

STOCK William, shopkeeper

VALLENDER Joseph, farmer, Oakle court

WESTWAY Nathaniel, police constable

 

HIGHNAM

Clergy and Gentry

MANSFIELD Rev. Edward, B. A.

PARRY Thomas Gambier, Esq., D. L., J. P., Highnam court

STEPHENS Mr. William, Highnam green

THOMAS Mrs. H. P., Church house

 

Trades and Professions

BRIGHT Alfred, National schoolmaster

GILES William, under-gamekeeper

GREENING Henry, sub-postmaster

HAWKINS Samuel, farmer, Highnam farm

KING Charles, farmer, Home farm

RUDGE James, sexton

SOWRY John, steward to Thomas Gambier Parry, Esq.

STEPHENS Mrs. Mary Ann, shopkeeper

THORN Thomas, head gamekeeper to Thos. Gambier Parry, Esq.

 

LINTON

Trades and Professions

PHELPS William, painter and glazier

PRIDAY Samuel, farmer, Linton farm

 

OVER

BULLOCK Mr. Edmund

Trades and Professions

CAMM John, carpenter

CAMM Mrs. Lucy, straw bonnet maker

ELLIS Daniel, shopkeeper

HAINE George Henry, farmer and appraiser, Over farm

NICHOLLS James, tailor

OWEN Henry Ottrey, coach builder, wheelwright, and agricultural implement manufacturer and agent; and New Cattle market, Gloucester.

POWELL Philip, farmer, "Dog" inn

PRIDAY Charles, miller, Over mills

 

Post Office (for Churcham and Bulley conjointly) - Geo. Goatman, sub-postmaster. Letters from Gloucester arrive at 9.30 a.m.; dispatched at 5 p.m. Gloucester is the nearest money order office.

Post Office, Highnam - Henry Greening, sub-postmaster. Letters from Gloucester arrive at 9 a.m.; dispatched at 6 p.m.

National School (for Churcham and Bulley conjointly) - John Collier, master.

National School, Highnam - Alfred Bright, master

Mail coach from Gloucester to Ledbury and back passes through Highnam daily.

Carriers passing through Churcham - Longhope to Gloucester - William Bullock, Charles Sterry, and William Sterry, on Wed. and Sat.

Carriers passing through Highnam -

Dymock to Gloucester - Passey, Sat.

Newent to Gloucester - James Addis and Samuel Wood, daily (Sundays excepted); and Philip James, Sat.

Taynton to Gloucester - Job Billingham and Joseph Fluck, Mon, Wed, and Sat.

 

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