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Alveston is a parish and village with the hamlet of Earthcott and part of the hamlet of Rudgway, 5 miles west-south-west from Wickwar, and 5 north-west from Yate station, 8 north-west from Chipping Sodbury, 1 south-east from Thornbury, 10 north from Bristol, 24 south from Gloucester, and 117 from London, in Lower Langley and Swineshead Hundred, Thornbury Union, West Gloucestershire, Bristol archdeaconry, and Gloucester and Bristol bishopric. It is situated on the Gloucester and Bristol road. The church of St. Andrew is an ancient stone building, in the Gothic style. It has nave, chancel, and south porch, square embattled tower, and 3 bells. The living is a perpetual curacy, value £322 yearly, with 26 acres of glebe land, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Bristol; the Rev. John Rawes, B.A., is the incumbent. The Primitive Methodists have a chapel here; the Wesleyans have a chapel at Earthcott. There is a National school for boys and girls, partly supported by the weekly payments of the children and partly by voluntary subscriptions. Coral limestone abounds in the neighbourhood, and supplies the lower level with large quantities of lime which is much prized. The soil is light loamy; the subsoil is in some parts limestone, in others silex. Jamus Jarvis Peach, Esq., is lord of the manor, and Alexander George Fullerton, Esq., is chief landowner. There are charities of £6 2s. 2d. yearly value. The population, in 1851, was 847, and the number of acres, 2,518.

Grovesend House is the seat of William Brown, Esq.; the Rookery, of William Cullimer, Esq.; Ridgeway or Rudgeway, Street, Church, and Coneygre or Coneygore, are the names of farms. Forty Acres is half a mile north; Freesewood, half a mile north-west; Stroud Common, 1 mile south-west, Wolfridge, 1 mile south-west; Lower Hazel, 1 mile north; Green Hill, half a mile west; Dodgmoor, 2 miles north-east; Shillar’s Lane and Owl’s Nest, 2 miles north-east.

ALVESTON

GENTRY

Baker Captain James Vashon, R.N.
Brown William, esq. Grovesend house
Cullimer William, esq. the Rookery
Honnywill William Henry, esq

TRADERS

Ann Robert & Thomas, stonemsns. & bldrs
Ann Mark, painter
Biddle Daniel, carpenter & wheelwright
Bush Edward, farmer
Cary William, farmer, Church farm
Doward Edward, ‘Ship’
Gunter William, farmer, Street farm
Hopkins George, coachbuilder, carpenter & wheelwright
Helstone Thos. brdng. Schl. Alveston ho
Jones William, farmer, Conygre farm
Keedwell Thomas, farmer
Luce Job. Farmer, Grovesend farm
Stevens William, blacksmith
White John, beer retailer
Williams John, carpenter & wheelwright

POST OFFICE. – Mark Ann, postmaster. Mails arrive ¼ to 10 a.m.; dispatched ½ past 4. Second arrival, 7 p.m.’ dispatched ¼ to 9 next morning. The nearest money order office is at Thornbury.

EARTHCOTT

TRADERS

Bush Thomas, farmer
Matthews Robert, farmer
Meridith Mark, farmer
Savery Wm. agricultural implement manufacturer
Stinchcomb James, carpenter & wheelwright
Young Mary (Mrs.), farmer

RUDGWAY

Angel George, beer retailer & shopkpr
Biddle Edward, beer retailer
Hockley – , shopkeeper
Martin George, blacksmith

POST OFFICE. – Edward Biddle, postmaster. Mails arrive, ½ past 9 a.m.; dispatched ¼ to 5. Second arrival, ¼ to 7 p.m.; dispatched, 9 next morning.

CARRIERS (from Thornbury through Alveston to Bristol): -
Baylis, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday
Sly, Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Greenman, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday

OMNIBUS – Putley’s, from Thornbury to Bristol, Monday, Tuesday & Saturday.

Source: Post Office Directory of Gloucestershire with Bath and Bristol. Printed and Published by Kelly and Co., 19, 20 & 21, Old Boswell Court, St. Clement’s, Strand, London. 1856.