North side of Bye Street

The Sandwich Shop, Sears House and The Methodist Church

......Mr Stephens then explained the scheme for building the institute and tower, He expressed his gratification at the large meeting of townspeople, which showed the great interest taken in the matter. Serious difficulties had arisen at the last public meeting as to the site of the building, but those difficulties were, he thought, now surmounted. He had purchased from Mr. J. V. Mutlow the old tanyard and premises at the Lower Cross......

He had proposed to the Ledbury Highway Board to sell them a strip three feet wide to widen the Bye Street and he had also offered to sell to the Parochial Authority a strip four feet wide to make a footpath on the north side of Bye Street.

The clerk also reported that the purchase of land for widening Bye Street had now been completed, the sums payable to Mr C.W.Stephens £96 4s.

At the corner of the Lower Cross formerly stood an old Tannery and some ancient half-timbered houses. These were pulled down in 1892 to make room for the BARRETT BROWNING MEMORIAL, which consiste of a Clock Tower and Institute, containing the Library and Reading Room etc. This is an imposing structure and is well in character with its older surroundings. Visitors are admitted to the Reading Room on payment of One Penny. The Poetess spent her girlhood within the Parish of Ledbury, and this monument to her genius was raised chiefly by the efforts of Mr C.W. STEPHENS, of Ledbury.

Foley House and the chapel.




Owned by the late James Holbrook whose son James is Heir at Law and occupied by Robert Ballard in 1839

House and chapel owned by Fred Ballard of Colwall. Occupied by Miss Moore in 1910.

Mid C19 red brick house. Low-pitched slate hipped roof with wide eaves. Projecting brick corner pilasters. 3 storeys. 3 windows. Central narrow projection with narrow windows over round-headed doorway with keyblock and impost, semi-circular fanlight and fielded-panel door. Sashes with glazing bars, flat lintels with rounded ends with moulded impost and keyblock.

'Dwelling House, Timber Yard, Carpenters and Joiner shops, Sawpit house, Ware and store Houses, Stable and gig house, Counting House and Ironmongery Room and premises now in his occupation, situate in the Bye Street, Ledbury.'

ROBERT BALLARD. On retiring from his trade as a Builder, Timber and Slate Merchant, begs to return his thanks to his friends for the support and patronage he has received and to inform them that he will carry on the manufacture of Bricks, Culverts and Draining tiles and Draining pipes at his Yard in New Street Ledbury.

Lady Henry Somerset has erected a Mission Hall at Ledbury, in which Mr Sampson, the Cornish evangelist, has just conducted a successful series of evangelistic services.

Lectures were given at the Mission Hall, Ledbury by Dr Rossvally on "The Jewish religion and the ceremonial law". On the last night an orthodox Jewish wedding was gone through in character which proceeding evinced much interest.

Lady Henry Somerset, who a few years ago erected a large mission hall in Ledbury to carry on her mission work there, has, since her return from America, presented the same to the newly appointed rector of the parish (Prebendary Maddison Green) for church work and other purposes. On sunday it was for the first time used for the Church Sunday School.

On Nov 5th the Ledbury Poultry and Pigeon Society held their first annual show in the Mission Hall, the affair being a complete success.

We understand that the work at the Mission Hall, Ledbury, which was carried on by Lady Henry Somerset for so many years, and which was discontinued a short time ago, is to be resumed at the end of September with very little alteration it will be in the form of industrial work towards the support of the Mission.
A friend has purchased the fixtures and seats, and has taken Foley House (which adjoins) for the remainder of the lease which expires in 1909.
Miss Kelsey and Miss Berkley, who did so much to help the mission for Lady Henry Somerset, will continue the work and they are hoping for the cooperation of friends, which under the new regime will be much more needed.
The basket making, chair making and bookbinding will be carried on as heretofore.

The former Apostolic Church in Bye Street, a reminder of hard and crusading times in Victorian Ledbury is up for sale and could go for as much as £60,000.
The timber framed and corrugated tin building was opened on October 6 1889. It bears witness to the charitable work of Lady Henry Somerset, daughter of the last Earl Somers of Eastnor Castle.
Lady Somerset, who was born in 1851, was well known locally for organising soup kitchens to feed Ledbury's poor and for her Christian stand against the evils of drink.

The charge was that they did at the Quay, New Ross, (Ireland) on the 2nd of December 1925 being riotously and tumultuously assembled together to the disturbance of the public peace, unlawfully and with force destroy or begin to destroy a dwelling house, to wit, a motor van used as a dwelling house, the property of one Mabel Elizabeth Ross and one Lucy Ockelford, Foley House Ledbury Hereford, England. A statement by Miss Mabel Elizabeth Ross was in effect that accompanied by Miss Lucy Ockelford they arrived by motor caravan in New Ross on Wednesday evening forenoon and put up in a yard on the quay. In the evening they sang hymns on the quay and a large crowd collected around them. Missiles such as apples, but not stones, were thrown, and as they were moving away some of the crowd attacked them. They hurried up towards the centre of the town, and from thence they went back to their van. Whilst in the van a fusilade of stones were thrown smashing the windows of the van. They came out of the van and sought shelter at the back of the yard, the gate of the yard being opened by someone they escaped through the gate.

Miss Mabel Elizabeth Ross, of Foley House Ledbury, who died on September 29th left £6,722/10/9 gross (£6,999/14/0 ) net value. She left £300 to Lucy Ockelford, all paintings and lantern slides to be disposed of as she thinks fit, and £60 be used by her for any printing expenses for religious tracts or having hymns published £50 to Nora Stephens and £100 to Jane B Hunter both of Foley House aforesaid and other religious charities

No 27 ─ 49.

43 Bye Street.
It was suggested that steps be taken to deal with this property forthwith as due to broken doors and windows unauthorised persons were able to enter. As it is proposed to deal with this property in the site works the committee recommend that the Surveyor be instructed to arrange for it to be securely boarded up until the scheme is put in hand.

OLD INHABITANT'S FUNERAL.
On Sunday, at Ledbury Cemetery, the funeral took place of Mr. James Freeman, one of the oldest inhabitants, who died Wednesday last at the age 65 years.
Deceased gentleman was at the time of his death chairman of the directors of the Ledbury Markets and Fairs Company a director the Gas Company, one the original founders of the Ledbury Building Society, chairman of the Liberal Unionist Association, and treasurer the local court foresters.
Representatives of all the above bodies attended the funeral.

No 51 & 53.

Coroner's Inquest. On Friday last an inquest was held on the body of Reuben Heath, a child about four years of age, the son of Reuben Heath, cooper, who died in consequence of having been severely burnt, from his clothes taking fire on the previous Monday. The poor little sufferer lingered from Monday till Wednesday in the most excruciating agonies till Death put an end to his sufferings. The verdict of the jury was Accidental Death.

No 55 and 57.

No 59, 60 and 61.

Nos 62 to 65.

Lot 4: All those TWELVE FREEHOLD MESSUAGES or TENEMENTS, with small Gardens, &c. in the occupation of Robert Cale, Susan Brookes, William Brookes, Edward Cox, James Morris, Mary Lee, William Mayo, George Load, Lewis Proberts, and Mr Charles Edwards: and also a well built CIDER WAREHOUSE and Large Yard and Buildings. in the occupation Mr Edwards, situate in Bye street, Ledbury, producing gross annual rental of £98. To view apply to the respective tenants and for further particulars to Messrs Masefield and Sons Ledbury.

Ejectment: William Brooks, Bye street, applied for an ejectment order against Thomas Tustin, who occupies a cottage in that street. Applicant stated that got no rent; the house was kept like a pig's cot, and the windows were broken. Ordered to quit in 21 days.

This image shows the cottages.
No 62 on the right, used as a store with some goods outside. Then No 63, a larger cottage than Nos 64 and 65 which are on the left.
A significant part of No 61 can be seen on the extreme right.

The Brewery Inn.

Nos 68 to 70.

Nos 71 to 80.

Sunday Beer selling:
William Brookes, of the Horse and Groom public house, Bye street, Ledbury, was charged with keeping his house open for the sale of drink, before half past twelve o'clock on Sunday the 16th ult. Mr Reece appeared for defendant.
Martha Farmer, a neighbour of Brookes's, stated: On the 2nd of Dec. last, about five minutes before eleven on the Sunday morning, I went for quart of ale; I asked him for a quart of beer; he gave it me and I paid him 5d. for it, and I brought the beer away with me.
Cross-examined by Mr. Reece: Defendant has not lived at the house for 12 months; there are lodgers there; I did not tell Mrs. Brooks some months ago I was starved; she never gave me tea or gin; I never asked to wash for her; I recollect Mrs. Brookes throwing water in my house; she abused me; I did not spit in her face; Mrs. Preece did not tell me I ought to have been ashamed; Mrs. Brookes once had a summons for me she told me not to appear; I never told Mrs. Brookes I would do something for her; she cut my line; I did not get a summons for it; I did not say I had got a summons for her; there were parties drinking in the kitchen.
On the part of the defence, Susan Smith and her husband Thos Smith, who were both lodgers at defendant's, were called and stated that they were present on the morning in question, and saw no drink drawn. Fined, including costs, £5.

Nos 81 to 89 .