WHITESHILL, with the hamlets of BREAD STREET and RUSOMBE,
and a part of PAKENHILL, was formed into an ecclesiastical parish,
Feb. 2, 1844, from the parishes of Standish and Stroud, it is1 mile north-west
from Stroud station on the Midland and Great Western railways, in the Mid
division of the county, Stroud union, county court district, rural deanery of
Bisley, archdeaconry of Gloucester and diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. The
church of St. Paul, erected in the year 1841, is a building of stone in the
Norman style, consisting of apsidal chancel, nave, transepts (added to the
church, in 1881), and an embattled western tower containing one bell: there
are numerous stained windows, and the church also contains frescoes of the
Twelve Apostles, painted by the Misses Stanton, of Upfield : there are 600
sittings. The register dates from the year 1845. The living is a vicarage, net
yearly value £120, including 2 acres of glebe and cottages, with residence, in
the gift of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, and held since 1883 by the
Eev. John Fowler Green H.A. of St. Peter's College, Cambridge. Here is a
Congregational chapel, to which a burial ground was attached in 1876. The
trustees of the late George Holloway M.P., j.p. of Stroud, are the principal
landowners. The soil is loamy; subsoil, stone beds. The chief crops are wheat,
turnips and some land in pasture. The area is 500 acres; the population in
1891 was 1,695.
BREAD STREET hamlet is half a mile west.
PAKENHILL is a hamlet half a mile south, partly in-this and partly in
Cainscross parish. Farm Hill House is the residence of Mrs. Holloway, and
Field Place of Edward Caruthers Little esq. J.P.
RUSCOMBE hamlet is a quarter of a mile north-west. Parish Clerk, John
Gay.
POST OFFICE, Ruscombe.—John Gay, sub-postmaster. Letters from Stroud, which is
the nearest money order & telegraph office, arrive between 8 & 9 a.m. week
days & Sundays; dispatched, week days, 5.10 p.m. Postal orders are issued
here, but not paid
POST OFFICE, Pakenhill.—Mrs. Elizabeth Beck, sub-postmistress. Letters arrive
at 7.30 a.m. & 2.20 p.m.; dispatched at 5.30 p.m. week days only PILLAR LETTER
Box, at Whiteshill, collected at 5.10 p.m. week days only. Letters via Stroud.
The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Cainscross
SCHOOLS:— Board (girls & infants), under Stroud School Board,.
built in 1858, & enlarged in 1888, for 200 children; ,
average attendance, 150; Miss L. Ratcliffe, mistress Board (boys), for 112
children; average attendance, 106; there is a teacher's residence; George
Sidney; Cull, master
Whiteshill.
Green Rev. John Fowler M.A. Vicarage
COMMERCIAL.
Beard Charles, baker & grocer
Browning John, butcher & baker
Chandler Ann (Mrs.), beer retailer
Chandler Walter, shopkeeper
Cole Richard, Star P.H
Gibbons William, beer retailer
Goddard Joseph, beer retailer
Hogg Wiliam, shopkeeper
Pearce John, seedsman
Skinner Eliza (Mrs.), shopkeeper & haulier
Pakenhill
Blanch Henry Albert, Hillfield
Holloway Mrs. Farm Hill house
Little Edwd. Caruthers J.P. Field Pl(ace)
Margetson William, Brightside
Stanton The Misses, Upfield
COMMERCIAL.
Bastin Geo. head gardener to Mrs.
Holloway
Clapham Robert, corn dlr. Puckshole
Clark Minnie & Mary (Misses), tailoresses
Clark William, baker
Cooke Arthur Sidney, builder
Cox Joseph, beer retailer
Cox William, Crown P.H
Harper Ann (Miss), laundress
Harper George Edward, builder
Harper John, builder & contractor
King George, miller (water)
Knight Alfred, cooper
Mallett Adolphus George, 'Rose inn
White George, .shopkeeper
White Catherine Elizabeth & Anne (Misses), dress makers
Bread Street.
Harmer George, plasterer & tiler
Smith George, butcher
Ruscombe. :
Thompson Rev. Jas. (Congregational)
Browning George, beer retailer
Frankliing John, builder
Gay John, pig jobber, Post office
Phipps John Henry, farmer ,
Pollard Thomas, beer retailer-
Smith . Walter,, .baker
Callowell.
Fullaway John, Callowell house
Hill Richd. jun. farmer, Callowell frm
Leach John, beer retailer
Phipps Wm. farmer; Stoken Hill frm:
Walker Chas. farmer, Kite's Nest frm .
Westmacott William Henry, Post office chief clerk, Callowel cottage