- Welsh Bicknor
infobox UK place| static_
static_image_caption= Welsh Bicknor Church
official_name= Welsh Bicknor
welsh_name= Llangystennin Garth Brenni
unitary_england=Herefordshire
lieutenancy_england=Herefordshire
region= West Midlands
country= England
constituency_westminster= Hereford
post_town= ROSS-ON-WYE
postcode_area= HR
postcode_district= HR9
dial_code= 01594
os_grid_reference= SO595175
latitude= 51.855064
longitude= -2.588711
london_distance=Welsh Bicknor (Welsh: "Llangystennin Garth Brenni" [http://www.kimkat.org/amryw/1_clawdd_offa/22_cymru_dros_glawdd_offa_enwau_euas_eng_cym_0980e.htm Welsh placenames in Herefordshire] ] ) is an area of
Herefordshire ,England . It is historically a detached parish (exclave ) of the county of Monmouthshire.Courtfield, the
manor house of Welsh Bicknor was originally known as Greyfield or Greenfield, the name altered after KingHenry V of England had lived there as a young child of eight, following the death of his motherMary de Bohun , under the care of Lady Margaret Montacute, wife of SirJohn Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury long before his father, King Henry IV was to usurp the throne ofKing Richard II . Aneffigy of Lady Margaret Montacute can be seen in Welsh Bicknor church and her plain tomb is beside the altar inGoodrich church.The manor house and surrounding land of Welsh Bicknor were seized from Richard Vaughan in 1651 because he was a
Catholic and given to Phillip Nicholas ofLlansoy , in Monmouthshire. This is how the rather unusual situation of the exclave occurred.It has been deemed to be part of
Herefordshire since theCounties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 .As its name suggests, Welsh Bicknor has close ties with Wales, being a detached parish of Monmouthshire, although adjacent to
English Bicknor andLydbrook , which are part ofGloucestershire .The Manor House of Welsh Bicknor, known as Courtfield, belonged to the Vaughan family. However, in 1651 Richard Vaughan, who was a Catholic, had his land sequestered and given to Phillip Nicholas of
Llansoy , in Monmouthshire.Religious dissension within the Vaughan families continued for several generations. In 1715, a John Vaughan (presumably one of Richard's descendants) refused the oath of allegiance to George I. He had estates in the several counties of Monmouthshire,
Radnorshire , Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire valued at £1,000 per annum. In 1719 he was fined for not attending church.A later generation, in the person of Richard Vaughan, joined Prince
Charles Edward Stuart 's army in 1745. Vaughan took part in theBattle of Culloden and followed the Prince into exile. He and his brother William Vaughan were outlawed and their property seized, while they themselves fled toSpain and became officers in the army of that country. Both married Spanish Ladies and some of their descendants settled in the home of their adoption and became grandees of Spain.Richard Vaughan died in
Barcelona in 1795 but his son William eventually returned to Wales and obtained a restoration of the main portion of his estates, as heir to his uncle. Finally, John Vaughan of Courtfield, elder brother of William took the oath of allegiance to King George III atMonmouth in 1778.Welsh Bicknor parish records are now held by Hereford Records Office.
There is currently a
Youth Hostel at Welsh Bicknor, adjacent to the Church. The building had served as theRectory to the local Church until it was sold in the 1960s.References
External links
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3758981 photos of Welsh Bicknor and surrounding area on geograph]
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