History of Herefordshire facts for kids
The history of Herefordshire begins a long time ago, with the area being called a "shire" during the time of King Athelstan (who ruled from 895 to 939 AD). Herefordshire is even mentioned in the old book called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 1051. The first Anglo-Saxon people to settle here were the Magonsætan in the 7th century. They were a smaller group of the Hwicce tribe, who lived in the Severn valley. The Magonsætan lived in the land between the Rivers Wye and Severn. This area has rolling hills made of clay, surrounded by the Welsh mountains to the west, the Malvern Hills to the east, the Clent Hills near Shropshire to the north, and the Forest of Dean to the south. The name "Hereford" might come from an Old English phrase meaning "army crossing," which describes the location of the city of Hereford.
The area became part of the Mercian kingdom under Offa of Mercia (who ruled from 757 to 796 AD). People traditionally say that Offa built Offa's Dyke, a large earth wall, to mark the border and keep out warring Welsh tribes. This shows that relations between the Anglo-Saxons and the Welsh were not always peaceful. The idea of a "shire" as an administrative area grew from the plans of Alfred the Great's son, Edward the Elder (who ruled from 899 to 924 AD), and from the Shire-reeve courts. In 676 AD, during the rule of King Æthelred of Mercia, Saint Theodore of Tarsus, the Archbishop of Canterbury, created the Diocese of Hereford to serve the small kingdom of Magonsaete. He chose Putta as the first Bishop of Hereford. Having a center for law and justice was helped by a group of monks who became very important in the 10th century. Hereford's central location helped Anglo-Saxon leaders called ealdormen manage the area. Hereford also played a key role in the wars against the Vikings until Ralph, Earl of Hereford, was removed from power in 1055 by Earl Harold Godwinson.
After the Norman Conquest, the Domesday Survey (a big survey of England) included some nearby areas of the Welsh Marches as part of Herefordshire. The western and southern borders were often disputed until 1535, when a lot of Welsh land was officially added to Herefordshire. These new areas became parts of the county called hundreds, such as Wigmore, Ewyas Lacy, and Huntington. At the time of the Domesday Survey, the county's divisions were still changing. Many hundreds were mentioned, but they varied greatly in size. Today, only a few of the original hundred names like Greytree, Radlow, Stretford, Wolphy, and Wormelow still exist. Herefordshire is located right on the Welsh border, which was once the old boundary of the Welsh Marches.
In more recent times, the boundaries of the Forest of Dean were not officially set until 1750. Around this time, some church-owned lands were re-evaluated. Some land in the northwest of the county was given to Shropshire, and some in the east to Worcestershire. However, the lands in the southwest, known as the Golden Valley, were confirmed as part of Herefordshire. A special place for learning about the county's history is the Chained Library at Hereford Cathedral. It holds some of the first printed books in Europe, made by the Gutenburg press. During the English Civil Wars, this library was even used as a royal treasury!
During the Middle Ages, Herefordshire gained a reputation for being a "frontier" area, meaning it was often on the edge of conflicts.
Herefordshire was slower to develop industries compared to other parts of England. Canals and railways arrived later. Development focused on local needs, like processing cider apples and making farm machinery. It wasn't until the 1930s that the first female councillors were elected, and a rural bus service made it easier to travel into Hereford. The population of about 150,000 stayed about the same for 150 years until the year 2000.
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Historical Changes in Herefordshire
When the Welsh Ruled
Before the West Saxons arrived, the area that is now Herefordshire was controlled by earlier Welsh kingdoms, especially a smaller one called Ergyng. We know that Welsh people lived here because the Welsh language was spoken in parts of the county until the 19th century. Also, many Welsh place names still exist, and there's the historic Welsh area called Archenfield. In 1887, someone wrote:
"Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Queen Elizabeth I that the bishop of Hereford was responsible, along with four Welsh bishops, for translating the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken here in the first half of the 1800s, and we are told that church notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860."
Some people spoke Welsh until quite recently. The picture below shows a plaque in Welsh inside St Margaret's Church, near Newton. It was taken down from the roof during repairs in 1902 and is dated 1574.
There's also a printed notice in both English and Welsh about the duties of churchwardens in St Margaret's Church. It's probably at least 170 years old, because the churches in this area moved from the diocese of St David's to the Hereford diocese in the mid-1800s. Two Welsh Bibles that were damaged by fire from Rowlestone are kept in the Herefordshire County Archives.
When the Anglo-Saxons Ruled
At some point in the 7th century, the West Saxons moved across the Severn and settled in the land between Wales and Mercia. They created a small kingdom called Magonset, which later became part of Mercia. The area that is now Herefordshire was lived in by a tribe called the Hecanas. They mainly gathered in the rich farming area around Hereford and in the mining areas near Ross-on-Wye. In the 8th century, Offa extended Mercia's border to the Wye, protecting it with the large earthwork known as Offa's Dyke.
When the Danes and Normans Ruled
A report from Herefordshire Archaeology tells us about the Vikings (Danes) in the 9th century: "During the 9th century, the Vikings could enter the south of Herefordshire by sailing up the Severn and Wye rivers. Between 866 and 874 AD, King Burgred of Mercia was almost constantly fighting the Vikings. By 877, the Vikings were able to put one of their own leaders, Ceolwulf, in charge as king."
In 2015, two people using metal detectors found a large collection of items near Leominster. It mostly contained Saxon jewelry and silver bars, but also coins from around 879 AD. Experts believe a Viking buried this collection during raids known to have happened in the area at that time. This was when Alfred the Great ruled Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia ruled Mercia. Coins found showed both Alfred the Great and Ceolwulf II, suggesting they had an unknown alliance. Gareth Williams, a curator at the British Museum, said these coins help us understand history better at a key moment when England was becoming one kingdom.
The 1870-72 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described the Archenfield area of Herefordshire and mentioned early events with the Danes: "IRCHINGFIELD, or ARCHENFIELD, was a former liberty and a rural deanery in the south of Hereford. The liberty was known to the ancient Welsh as Urging, to the Saxons as Ircingafeld, and in the Domesday Book as Arcenfelde. It was attacked in 905 by the Danes and later given by the Crown to the Earls of Shrewsbury. It had special customs, including gavelkind (a way of inheriting land)."
In 914 AD, the Danes again sailed up the Severn to the Archenfield area and attacked it. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Viking leaders, Ohtor and Hroald, captured Cyfeiliog, who was the Bishop of Llandaff. The bishop was later freed by King Edward the Elder for forty pounds of silver. The leaders Hroald and Ohtor's brother were killed in 915 AD, probably at "Killdane Field" in Weston-under-Penyard. The raiders then left the area, leaving some hostages as a sign of peace.
In 921 AD, the Danes attacked Wigmore, which had been rebuilt that year by Edward the Elder.
From its first settlement, the area was a place of constant border fighting with the Welsh. Harold, whose earldom included this county, ordered that any Welshman caught crossing the border would lose his right hand. Before the Norman Conquest, there was a lot of trouble caused by the Normans who had settled in this county by Edward the Confessor's order. Richard I's castle in the north of the county was the first Norman fortress built on English land. Places like Wigmore, Ewyas Harold, Clifford, Weobley, Hereford, Donnington, and Caldicot all had Norman strongholds. Then William the Conqueror gave the job of taking control of Herefordshire to William FitzOsbern. However, Edric the Wild, working with the Welsh, fought against him for two years.
Return to English Control
During "The Anarchy" – a long civil war during Stephen's rule – Hereford Castle and Weobley castle were held against the king but were captured in 1138. Prince Edward, who later became Edward I, was held prisoner in Hereford Castle and famously escaped in 1265. In 1326, the parliament met at Hereford and removed Edward II from power. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the forest of Deerfold gave shelter to some of the most famous followers of Wycliffe (a religious reformer). During the Wars of the Roses, the influence of the Mortimer family led the county to support the Yorkist side (the White Rose). Edward, who later became Edward IV, gathered 23,000 men in this area. The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought in 1461 near Wigmore. Before the Civil War in the 17th century, there were many complaints about unfair taxes in Herefordshire. However, a strong feeling against the Puritans made the county support the Royalist cause (the King's side). Hereford, Goodrich, and Ledbury all faced attacks during this war.
Important People and Church History
Earls of Hereford
The title of Earl of Hereford was first given by William I to William FitzOsbern around 1067. But when his son Roger was declared an outlaw in 1074, the title was lost. It was given again to Henry de Bohun around 1199. The de Bohun family held the title until Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford died in 1373. In 1397, Henry, Earl of Derby, who later became King Henry IV, was made Duke of Hereford because he had married Mary de Bohun.
Later, Edward VI made Walter Devereux, who was a descendant of the de Bohun family, Viscount Hereford in 1550. His grandson, the famous Earl of Essex, was born in this county. Since then, the Devereux family has held the title of Viscount, and the current holder is considered the most senior Viscount in England.
Families like the Cliffords, Giffards, and Mortimers were very important in the fighting along the Welsh border. The Talbots, Lacys, Crofts, and Scudamores also had important homes in the county. Sir James Scudamore of Holme Lacy was the real person behind the character Sir Scudamore in Spenser's famous poem, The Faerie Queene. Sir John Oldcastle, a leader of the Lollards (a religious movement), was the sheriff of Herefordshire in 1406 before he was arrested and executed for treason by Henry V.
Diocese of Hereford
Herefordshire has been part of the diocese of Hereford since it was founded in 676 AD. In 1291, it included several church districts (Deaneries) like Hereford, Weston, Leominster, Weobley, Frome, Archenfield, and Ross. These were all part of the Archdeaconry of Hereford. Other Deaneries like Burford, Stottesdon, Ludlow, Pontesbury, Clun, and Wenlock were in the Archdeaconry of Shropshire. In 1877, the Archdeaconry of Shropshire changed its name to Ludlow. In 1899, new Deaneries were created in the Archdeaconry of Hereford, including Abbey Dore, Bromyard, Kingsland, Kington, and Ledbury.
Politics and Government
Herefordshire was governed by a sheriff as early as the time of Edward the Confessor. The shire court met in Hereford, where later the assizes (major court sessions) and quarter sessions (smaller court sessions) were also held. In 1606, a law was passed saying that Hereford was free from the control of the Council of Wales. However, the county was not completely free from the influence of the Marcher Lords (powerful landowners on the Welsh border) until the reigns of William III and Mary II.
Herefordshire first sent representatives to parliament in 1295, sending two members. The towns of Ledbury, Hereford, Leominster, and Weobley also sent representatives. Hereford sent representatives again in 1299, and Bromyard and Ross in 1304. But the towns did not send representatives regularly. From 1306 until Weobley sent representatives again in 1627, only Hereford and Leominster were represented.
Under the Act of 1832, the county sent three members, and Weobley lost its right to send representatives. The Act of 1867 took away one member from Leominster. Finally, under the Act of 1885, Leominster lost its right to send representatives, and Hereford lost one member.
Economy and Trade
Herefordshire has always been known as a very rich farming area. Manufacturing was not as important, except for the wool and cloth trade, which became popular soon after the Norman Conquest. Iron was mined in the Wormelow hundred during Roman times, and the Domesday Survey mentions iron workers in Marcle.
By the time of Henry VIII, the towns had become quite poor. To help local businesses, Queen Elizabeth I insisted that her subjects wear English-made caps from the factory in Hereford. Hops (used in brewing) were grown in the county soon after they were brought to England in 1524. In 1580 and again in 1637, the county was badly affected by the plague. However, in the 17th century, it had a thriving timber trade and was also famous for its orchards and cider.
