All About That Place 2024
My Talk: Rural health and illness in a Herefordshire village
The handout and slides are available here.
As part of the All About That Place event, my talk shares research into Preston-on-Wye uncovering rural mental health, travel for hospital care and Hereford General Hospital Contributory Schemes records. Content warning: This talk will cover issues of mental health and suicide.. The talk will be available to watch online from Sunday 6th October 2024. For more information about the event visit the Society of Genealogists website.
Places in my research
Preston-on-Wye, Herefordshire
My transcription of the Preston on Wye entry of AC4/18, held at Hereford Archives and Record Centre can be downloaded here.
This small village is 10 miles west of Hereford city. It was home to my paternal grandmother until she married as well as her parents and grandparents. It was (and is still) a small rural location, with life revolving around agriculture. It has a parish church (St Lawrence) and previously both a methodist (unfortunately derelict) and a baptist chapel (now converted into a home). As the name suggests the village is close to the river Wye and has been subject to associated flooding at times. More information about the village can be found on Herefordshire Past.
Bridge Sollars, Herefordshire
This village of only a few houses was home to the Portman family (my paternal grandfather's line) for almost a century. Famous for its crossing over the river Wye, the Bridge in the name actually refers to the association to Simon de Brugge who married Mary Solers. The parish church is St Andrew's which sits close to the main A438 road to Hay from Hereford. Farms in Bridge Sollars include Knapp Farm, Bridge Farm and Marsh Farm (where the Portman's lived and worked)
