N OTE S

ON TH E PAR I SHE S OF

FYFIELD,KIMPTON,

PENTONMEWSEY,

WEYHILLANDWHERWELL,

IN TH E

COUNTY OF HAMPSHIRE

my‘

iK eh . R obert maml ey Gl u tt erh urk , Jfgba ,

REVISED AND EDI TED BY

ED\VARD DORAN W EBB,E.S.A.

SALISBUR Y

BENNETT BROTH ERS, PR INTERS, JOURNAL OFFICE.

CONTENTS .

PAGE

L IST OF SUBSCRIBER SPREFACECHAPTER I .

—F IF IELD AND SOME OF ITS AS SOC IATIONSII . - K IMPTONIII . —WEYH ILLIV .

— TH E STORY OF WH ERW ELL ABBEY

V .

-PENTON MEW SEY

ILLUSTRATIONS .

PORTRA IT OF THE AUTHOR Facing Title

FRONTI SP IECE , ANNA VALLEY FROM BURY H ILLFIF IELD CHURCHPARSON WH ITE ’S HOUSE AT F IFIELDK IMPTON CHURCHPLAN OF THE SI TE OF WHERWELL ABBEYPENTON MEW SEY CHURCHBELL FOUND AT PENTON MEW SEY JULY, 1845

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS .

Ahi am , G . S . Esq , 106, London Road , ReadingAh I am , E A . ,

45, Greencroft Ga rde nsAt t e ibu Iy, MIS. K . L . St Moritz , Cranes Pa rk, SuibitonAwdi y , Rev . W . H .”Lu dgersha ll AndoverBa iley, W . , Esq , London Hospital , E .

Bak e I , Rev Dr , Me l ch ant Taylors ’ School , London, E .C .

Ball , Rev . J . , Harland Rise , Glebe Avenu e , Enfie l dBeach , W . W . , Esq ,

M .P . , Oakley Manor, Ba singstokeBeddington , H . M . , Esq , 8 , Cromwell Terra ce , Regent

’s Pa rk ,Bennett , F . J Esq , Belle Vu e

,London Road , Sa l ish u ry

Best, M1 s . , Abbot-ts Ann, AndoverB ird , A1 thu 1 Esq , 6 , Bedford RowB ird A . H . , Esq , 2 , K e lfie ld Ga 1de ns , NOI th Kensington , W .

B ii d , S. , Esq , 20 , Bedford Street, Covent Ga 1 den , W .C .

Bi1d, _S. J . , Esq , Uppe i Grange Road

BiId, W . , Esq , 24, Wynnstay Gardens , Kensing ton , W .

B I idge , Mrs . M . , 44, St . James’ Squ are , Notting Hill , London

Brow n, Cr . S. , Esq ,1 7 , Cheyne Ga rdens , Chelsea , SW .

Brown,St . John , Esq , 26 , Percy C ircu s, London , W .C .

Bu ckman , P . , Esq , 8 , Portland Place , West KensingtonBu tt

, Mr s , Finkley, AndoverCha lke , MIS. R J . , Inveresk , Bou i ne m ou th

Clark , E. , Esq , W e st e i n Lodge , Andove ICl u t t CIbu ck ,

A . W .,Esq , 230 , Finchley Road , London

Cokayne , G . E , Esq. College ofArms , London , E .C .

Col cs , Rev . E . T., Knight

’s Enham Rectory, AndoverCotton

,Mi ss A . O . R , 21, Ea st Pa rk , Sou thampton

Crews,C . T . D . , Esq , Bil l ingbca r , Wokingham , Berks

D ickens, H . , Esq , At t e r stone , Eton Avenu e

D ickenson , Rev . C . R . Pe nton Mewsey Rectory, AndoverB orling , Rev . E . E. , The Close , Sa lisbu ryDu dley, J Esq ,

Mayfie l d, Cheriton , HantsDu rham , Th e Very Rev . The Dean of, Th e Deanery, D u rhamEdm e ados , R e v. W . R . , Grea t Bodwin , Hu ngerford , WiltsFreeman , Commander F . W illiams , United Se rvice Clu b , Pa llMall

Freeman , J . P . W illiams, Esq , M .D ., Weyhill, Andover

iv

Godda rd , Miss , Lower Froyle, Alton , HantsGr e l l icr , Mr s . A . , Downside , Epsom , Su rreyG1 e l lie 1 W . , Esq Beddington Gardens, W allington , Su rreyHa le , Mr s , Hillside , AndoverHa ll , Mr s , B ra th ay Hou se , Tu nbridge , wellsHammans , H . , Esq Clatford Lodge, AndoverHammond , John J . , Esq , M itre Hou se , Sa lisbu ryH ai m ai , Colonel , R a m r idgc, AndoverHea thcote , J . A . Esq , Stock Exchange , London ,E.C .

Hindson , Rev . J H , Finkley Honse, AndoverHoare , Sir Henry , Ba rt , Stou rhead , Ba thHolbrooke

,Rev . F . G , Kimpton Rectory , Andover

Holbrooke,Mr s ,

Kimpton Rectory , Andove rJerrett, T . R .

, Esq , Ea st Dean , Sa lisbu ryKeyser

,C . E.

,Esq , Alderma ston Cou rt , Reading

K idst one , Rev . J . W . , Weyhill Rectory, AndoverKingsbu ry , R e v. Canon , Sa lisbu ryK natchbul l , Mis s , Appleshaw ,

AndoverLu gg, T . W . H . , Esq , 53 , St . James ’ Road , BermondseyLu sh

,Mrs . K . M . , 52 , Lower Sloane Street

Mansfield , A. , Esq ,9, Pa rk Hi ll , Ea ling , W

Mansfield , H . , Esq , Firwood , Frans Road , Tu nbridge WellsMansfield , Mr s , 50, Coombe Road , Croydon, Su rreyMa i ling , Sir William , Bart , Stanley Park , St l ou d, Glou cesterMarsland , E.

, Esq , 73 , Sydenham Hill , S .EMar ,sland J , Esq , E lmside , N ewl ands Pa 1 k , Sydenh an1, S.EMenzies , E . St John , Esq. 2 ,, The Grove , H am m e I sm ith ,

WMe r ce r on,

H . , Esq , 60 , Leinster Squ are , LondonM ills , Miss E . 1 7 , London St I e e t , AndoverMilman , W ,

Esq Cla tford Manor , AndoverM0 1 eland , J . B . , Esq You lgi e a ve , Becken ham

,Kent

MOI eland , R .

, Esq. H ighbu l y Ga rdens , London , NMu nday , J A . The Lam e l s , WinchesterNewcastle , the Right Rev . the Lord B ishop of, B ishop’s Cou rt ,

Morpeth , New Sou th Wa lesNewman, M1 s . C , 10, Saville R OW ,

W .

Newman , P . H . ,Esq , 21 , Endsl eigh Ga rdens , London , N.W .

Norris , C . ,Esq , Rokeby

,Pu tney, London , SW .

Pa i avicini, Rev . F . dc, G1 ateley Rectory, AndoverPh il lim o1 e , W . P . W . Esq , 124, Chancery Lane, London , SWPoore , G . V , Esq Neville Lodge

,Woodlands, Isle

W OI th S.W

Poore , Miss M . J , Priory Lodge , AndoverPoore , P . H Esq , H igh fie ld . AndoverPorta l , Wyndham S. , Esq , Ma lsh angcr , Ba singstoke

COPIES.

Porta l, W . W . ,Esq , Sou thington , Overton , Hants

Powney, C .

,Esq , Fyfie ld Hou se , Andov e i

Prior, R e v. E E. , Charlton Rectory, OxfOId

Radcliffe, Rev . H . E Delme , Sou th Tedworth R ectory, Ma 1 l

borou ghRandolph , C . F . Esq , Kimpton Lodge, AndoverRavenhill , W . W Medbou rne Hou se , Sm biton Hill, Su r 1 e yR e e son, J . , Esq , 68 , Holland Pa rk Avenu e , London, W .

Reynolds,Rev . E . K . , Fyfie ld Rectory, Andover

Richardson , Rev . P . J Sea ton V ica rage , Ea st DevonR ide I , T . F . Esq , Stanstead Hou se Du rand Ga rdens, Stockwell, SW

Robbins,J . B . , Esq ,MillwayLodge , Andover

Rou th,R . A . , Esq. Am po 1 t , Hants

Rowden,M1 s . , Hafod , Gordon Road , Ea ling, W .

Rycroft , Lady Dorothea D ummer H o11se , Basingst ok e

Sanger, Miss , 36 , Dou ghty Street , London , W .C .

Sheehy, Mr s . S. , 39 , Great Percy Street , London , W .C .

Simonds , H . A . , Esq , Red Rice , AndoverS imms , Mr s

,5 , Dean Road , Andover

Sion Coll ege L ibrary , London , E.C .

Slee . Mrs . H ., Know le Green Hou se , Sta ines

Slee , F . E. , Esq. B .C .L Knowle Green Hou se, Sta inesSmith , J , Esq , W e yh il l , Andove 1

Stamford the Right H on . the Earl of, 15, St . James ’ Place ,London, S.W

St e e dn1an, Mr s . A . , R a 1n1 idgeCottage , AndovaStockey, Rev . W . F . , Chapla in

’s Hou se , Pentonvil l c P1 ison , N .

Straton , C . R ., Esq ,

West Lodge , Wilton , Salisbu rySu tton

,Lady Evelyn , 18 , C u rzon Street , London

Tarnei , G . , Esq , 35 High St i ce t~, Mar y l cbonc, W

Veitch , J . L . , Esq , Sa l isbm yWakeman , Mr s ,

20 , G1 ca t Pe l cy Street , London ,W.C .

Wa i d , J . B . ,Esq , Beau fort Lodge , St l e a th a m Common

Wa shington, Miss , 20 , Addison Road , NOI th Kensington , W .

Wilkinson , Rev . R . P . , Longparish Vica rage , Hant sWilson , Rev . S11 111ne 1 , P1 e ston Candove 1 Vica 1 agc, Ba singstoko

u

W oo ld1 i<l gc, J . H . , Esq. Cana l W h a if, H u ngc1 fo 1d

Yates , E Esq , Ivy h u r st , Ha lf M0 0 11 Lane,Du lwich

,Kent

PREFACE.

The Rev . Robert Hawley Clutterbu ck , the second son of

Charles Clutterbuck,

“

citiz en and draper of London , and

Hannah his wife,was born on the first day of January , 1837 ,

and was,therefore

,at the time he passed away

,August the

tenth,1896 , in his sixtieth year . Mr . Clutterbuck came of

an Old Gloucestershire fam ily,their principal house was at

King ’ s Stanley in that county,whose members were among

the chief c loth workers of the fifteenth and sixteenth

centuries , and whose c loth mark i s sti ll to be seen on the

doorway of a hou se called Town ’ s end at Leonard Stanley ;the Arms of Clutterbuck are — Azure

,a lion rampant

a rgent , in chief three escallops of the second . Crest —A

bu ck sej ant,between two sprigs of laurel .

Mr . Clutterbu ck wa s ordained prie st in 1864 by the B ishop

of London,and after serving as curate at Plaistow , E ssex ,

from 1 864 to 1866 , and at St . Mark’ s , Clerkenwell , from 186 6

to 1867 , was instituted to the l iving of St . Philip ’ s , Cl e rke n

wel l in 1880 he became St . Anth o l in’

s lecturer at St . Mary

Aldermanbury,C ity of London . Failing health brought on

by overwork cau sed him,when the oppor tun ity offered itself,

to leave London,and in 1882 he became Rector of Kn ight ’ s

Enham,Hants

,from whence he removed in 1890 to the

neighbouring living of Penton Mewsey .

Mr . Clutterbuck was twice married ; by hi s first wife

Harriet , daughter of George Washington , Esq , who died

May , 1 875 , he leaves one son and three daughters , he

married secondly Marianna,daughter of Thomas Hyett

Mansfield , Esq , who survive s him .

vii

Mr . Clutterbuck was the au thor of many pamphlet s mostly

relating to antiquarian ma tters , in which he took a grea t

intere st . He was a frequent contributor on such subject s to

the columns of the local newspapers , and artic le s by him

have appeared from time to time in the Journal s of the

British Archae ological Association , the Bristol and Gloucester

shire Archaeologica l Society , the Wi ltshire Archae ologica l

Society,the Hampshire F ield Club , and the Salisbury F ield

Club . On March the tenth , 1892 , he was elected a Fellow of

the Society of Antiquarie s ; he was also a Vice - President of

the Hampshire and Salisbury Field Club s , and in May , 1 896 ,had been elected on the Committee of the Salisbury and

South Wi lts Museu ms,where he had several times lectured .

Mr . Cl u t t e rbu ck ’

s la st appearance in pub lic wa s at Salis

bury on July the fourteenth , 1896 , when he del ivered an

address on Fratern ities to the Members of the Wi ltshire

Ar ch mol ogica l Soc iety on the occas ion of thei r visit to that

city .

In al l things that concerned the past history of the border

pa rishes of Hampshire and Wi ltshire , Mr . Clutterbuck wa s a

perfect m ine of information,and he had a way of impa rting

hi s knowledge to others in such a manner that his addresse s

a t archaeological meetings were always looked forward to

by hi s m any friends with great interest , and his cheery

p re sence was certain to en sure the succe s s of the du l le st

programme .

A keen antiquary with a wonderfu l knowledge of manu script

Mr . Clu tte rbuck had been employing the little amount of

leisure time a t his d isposal in deciphering and printing the

ancient borough records of Andover ; he had a l so nearly

completed a transcript of th e Black Book of Southampton for

the Hampshire Record Society . It was Mr . Cl u t te rbu ck ’

s

intention , had he lived , to have publi shed an account of th e

vil lage s in the neighbourhood of Penton Mews ey , and with

thi s Object in view h e h ad contributed to th e Andover

Advertiser and the Hampshire Ob server article s on the

history and antiquities of Fyfie l d, Kimpton , Weyhi ll and

Wherwell , these artic le s , with the addition of some notes on

Penton Mewsey , never . before printed , the writer of this

Preface has,at the wish of Mr . Cl u t t e rbu ck ’

s fam ily,r e

arranged and edited in their present form in the hope that

they wi l l serve as a memorial , however S l ight , of one who didsuch good work for the hi story of not only Hampshire bu t

al so of our own county .

Wilt shire has lost in Mr . Clutterbuck an antiquary whose

wide know ledge of the study that he took so great an intere st

in was always at the dispo sal of others . Speaking personally

ofhim ,who now re sts at Penton Mewsey in t h e quiet church

yard which surrounds the village church that he loved so

well,I wou ld l ike to add that

,a kinder man

,a truer friend

,it

wou ld be impossib le to find , were one to search the wide

world over .

EDWARD DORAN WEBB .

SALISBURY , Ju ly 1st , 1898 .

FIFIELD AND SOMEOF ITSASSOCIATIONS.

There can be no doub t a s to the place The Village takesin English litera ture . Many of th e choicest of our cla ssic shave it for their theme , and there are few English writingsthat are better known or better loved than tho se whichdescribe country scenery and country manner s a s theyexist in a sma l l village in the South of England .

” I havequoted this expression from one of the most preciou s example sof these writings— Mi ss Mitford

’

s “ Ou r Village ;”

and Iown to a strong temptation to c laim Mis s Mitford as a

Hampshire authoress , for she lived for some time at Ashe ,where her grandfather

,Dr . Ru ssell , was rector for fifty - four

years . Curiou sly enou gh Mis s Jane Austen ’ s parents re s idedin the immedia te neighbou rhood a t the same time , so thatthese two popu la r writer s mu st have been intimately ac

qu aint e d with ea ch other a t their Hampshire home . Weknow Miss Mitford drew her life - like picture s from a

“ Berkshire hamlet, bu t my obj ect in mention ing her i s

partly to attract a ttention to the very distinctly typ ica lchara cter of the villages of the val ley of the Anton

,and

partly to take advantage of her a ssocia tion of the idealenjoyment of such ru ra l spots with another of those English

,

thoroughly English,books

,which can never lose their charm .

Very l ittle apology i s needed for giving the passage as itstands Nothing is so delightfu l as to sit down in a

cou ntry vil lage in one of Mis s Au sten ’s deliciou s novels,

qu ite sure before we leave it to become intimate with everyspot , and every person it contains , or to ramb le with Mr .White over hi s own parish of Selborne , and form a friendshipwith the fields and copp ices , a s well as with the birds

,m ice

and squirrel s that inhabit them . If new, for the nameSelborne I m ay su b stitu te Fyfie ld, I sha ll have al l theintroduction I want for the remarks I have to offer . Bu t , atth e risk of spoiling the effect of Mi ss Mitford ’s plea santrippl ing words

,I sha ll ventu re to make an addition to this

introduction and this time to ask for notice of the remarkab leB

2

completeness of the individuality of the village s ofou r valley .

Contenting ourselve s with the quiet home - like scenery of theUpper Chalk

,I doubt if any district could excel the typical

beauty of th e separa te village . Each perhaps has it s own

particu lar feature,which i s retained in the memory , but they

stand one by one com plete , and yet lending themselve s to aharmony which is remarkab le . Take a position on one of thehigher po ints and note the spots— for you don

’t see much of

the villages themselve s from any d istance— where nestleThruxton

,Monxton

,Fyfie l d, Kimpton , Penton , Enham ,

Quarley,Amport

, or Gra teley or though not so clearly distinctperhaps

,Abbotts Ann and Goodworth Clatford . The beauty

h a s other fea tures than merely the p icturesqu e . It is thebeauty of realised hi story , the O ld ta le of the past ever beingtold before ou r eyes . As you tell off the list ofparishes , withtheir names ending in the fam i li ar h a m and ton and fie ld andle y , you are recounting a whole era of the history of theEnglish peopl e .

”You m ight read th is passage from Mr .

Green ’ s admirab le book as the most accurate description of

the val ley,

" they live alone , Tacitu s says ,“ ea ch by him

se lf, as woodside , plain , or fresh spring attracts himand as each dweller within the settlement wa s j ealou s of hi sown isola tion and independence among hi s fellow - settlers

,so

each settlement was jealou s of its independence among it sfellow settlements . Each little fa rmer - commonwealth wa sgirt by its own border or mark , a belt of forest , or waste , orfen , which parted it from its fellow villages , a ring of commonground which none of its settlers m ight take for its own .

”

While , in common with numberles s other places , thesevi llages tel l their Anglo - Saxon origin by the structure of

their names , Fyfie ld doe s more . Its name a ssociates moreth an the rest the modern parish with the ancient manor . InDomesday the place i s called Fifh ide , and it i s said .

William de Ma l du ith holds five hides of land , which wereheld by Ulve va as a manor

,a l lodial ly of King Edward , called

Fifie l d. They were then assessed at 5 hides , now at 3 hides .Here are five ploughlands , one in demesne and ten vi lleins ,and five borderers with three ploughlands

,al so a church

,two

servants and two acres of meadow . In the time of KingE dwa rd it s value was then as now l oos . ,

and when it camein possess ion There are 1252 acre s in Fyfie l d, and itlooks as if a very simple exercis e in arithmetic wou ld give u sa solution of the knotty prob lem of the area of a “ hide .”

3

But this does not work out according to the u sually acceptedratio , and probab ly al l we can say i s that in thi s case thehide represents the amount of land required for one fam ily

,

and that the five fam ilies here each held a hide .The localisation of the se fami lies within the cOnfine s of the

Manor of Fyfie ld renders it quite ea sy to understand the constit u tion of the Ty th ing, and the group ing of the severalTy things into the H u ndr ed i s a very plain and obviou s deve lopm ent . Thu s then , I think , we may c laim for Fyfie ld,through it s very name , the distinction of being a most c learand illustrative example of the Manorial system . We can goback to

.

the very remote past when within its m a i k orbou nda ry thei c we1 e five families . We have the inhabitantsof the same area ; the members Of the same defined commun ity kept c learly distinct and separate by their a s socia tionin the tything and then the tything of Fyfie ld with the tenother ty th ings , making up the Cu t

” or Foreign” HundredofAndover . There is but thi s one very slight complicationthat the Hundred of Andover is d ivided into two parts

,the In

and the Cu t Hundred . All difficulty however disappears if thefa ct is put in this form— That compri sed within the Hundredof Andover i s the inner circ le of the Pa r ish of Andover itself

(twenty - two m i le s in circuit) , which goes by the name of theIn H undred ; while the Ty th ings not within the parish ofAndover are known as the Ou t o r Foreign Hundred . Lawand order were maintained within the a rea of the Hundredby the responsib l e authority , who in this ca se were the Go

ve rning Body of the Borough and Town of Andover Theywere the authority over the Hundred because that authoritywith View of Frank Pledge had been granted to them byCharter from the King . They were responsible to the LordKing

,and the Courts of Justice were held in his name . As

lords of the Manor of Andover tha t govern ing body had otherrights but those other rights of property as lords of theManor did not affect Fyfie ld in a direct way .

It is not a little s ingular that the sma ll , retired , one m ighta lmost say ou t - of- th e - way , little parish , perhap s topogr aph ica lly the least conspicuous place in the va l ley , shou ld presentthe readiest and most complete example of the integrity andself- conta ined completenes s of a member of the Hundred

,

and shou ld show with such fortunate distinctnes s how the

p a r ish grew up with , and ou t of, the work of the Church inthe ty th ing.

4

When the Dom esday survey was taken (1085) the l ittlev illage church a t Fyfie ld wa s already o ld, the time - honouredwitness to the working ou t of Archbishop Theodore

’

s wiseplan . And it is sign ificant that while the primitive folk laws ,the Hu ndred - moot and its marvellou s organ isa tion , havefaded out of practical life

,and here , as in most pla ces , are

only matter s of record and history , the pa rochia l systemha s survived even the destru ctive spi rit of modern centra lisation , and rema ins a s vigorou s and effectu al as it h a s ever beenthroughou t the past twelve hundred years .The Corporation of Andover posses ses a wonderfu l serie s

of the roll s of the Hu ndred Cou rt,the Court Leet , and View

ofFrank Pledge . The Tything of Fyfie l d, of cou rse , maderegula r and period ica l retu rns

,which were du ly entered on

these roll s , so tha t throu gh several centurie s we a r e kept intou ch with the variou s circumstances which a rose ou t of theLocal Government of the Tything . From these roll s welearn of the stocks , the pou nd , and the bu tts for the pra cticeof archery , which the good people of Fyfie ld were once andagain called to a ccou nt for allowing to be ou t of repair . Weread a l so the pa rticu lars of the suits and cau se s between theinhabitants du ring the years for which these records a r e

preserved . There a r e a l so,no doubt

,the same k ind , and

probab ly an average n umber,of historica l evidences

,such as

m ay be found abou t most p lace s in the u sual sources of suchinformation . For these I have made no sea rch . My presentobj ect i s to bring to notice an association with Fyfie ld ofcomparatively modern date , and one which I hope m ay befelt to have the c lo ser intere st from the fa ct tha t on the one

hand it is with a notab le Hampshire writer,and on the other

hand with houses sti ll standing,and the immediate ancestors

ofpeople stil l living amongst u s .

It wou ld be difficult indeed to imagine anything morethorough ly typ ica l than the tiny little vi llage church of St .Nichola s , Fyfie l d . It looks as if it ou ght t o have a place inthe sweetest stories of village life . Its l ittle chu rchyard h a ssuch an air of holy calm and rest that the title of God ’ s Acrei s th e most appropriate that can be given it . Perhaps froman antiquarian point of view the chu rch is a little disappo inting , for a l l origina l detail s have been re storedaway , and a lthou gh the plan ofna ve and chancel with westernbell gabl e is probably the same it a lways h a s been

,yet there

are none of the fittings or even the stone work a s they were

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

6

Another son was John White , to whom frequent referencei s made in the succeeding pages , he was at one time vicar ofBla ckbu rn in Lancashire and had al so resided a t Gibraltar ,where he made large collections for a na tura l history of thatpla ce . He i s honourab ly m entioned by Pennant in hisL iterary L ife” as having rendered him ma terial assistancein connection with the birds and fi she s Of G ibraltar . I amenab led to give by the following entry in the D iary the dateof hi s death — Wednesday , 22 November , 1 780 .

Yesterday Brother John White died a t Bl ackbu rne after a veryterrible long illness .

Another son , Thoma s H . White , who lived at Sou thL ambeth , had been an wholesale ironmonger in London , butretired from bu siness with an ample fortune , and devotedmuch of his time to literary pursuits , especially on subjectsconnected with meteorology and natural hi story . He was aFellow of the Royal Society , and a u thor of numerou s e ssayswhich appeared in the Gentleman ’s Magaz ine between theyears 178 0 and 1 790 , u nder the signature OfT.H .W amongthem a se ries of artic le s on the Trees ofGreat B ritain ,

”are

particula rly deserving of notice for the extensive information ,good taste , and variety Ofreading which they display .

A fourth son , Benj am in , was during the latter hal f of thepa st centu ry the principal publisher of Engl ish books onNatural History . On the death of his brother Gilbert hesucceeded to the Selborne estate and transferred his bu sinessto hi s second son , John , who continued it u ntil within a fewyears of the present t ime . The hou se in which th e bu sinesswas carried on was d istingu ished according to the fashion ofthe times by the sign of the Horace ’ s Head .

The youngest son , Henry White , was rector of Fyfie ld.

He likewise was of Oriel College , matricu lated 1 1 th April ,1749 , at the age of 15 ; took his B A. 1 754 , M .A . 1 7 60 .

He was presented to the l iving of Fyfie ld in 17 62 . Hemarried E lizabeth Cooper , by whom he had ten children .

Sampson , the eldest son , named after his great - greatgrandfather , S ir Sampson White , Kn ight , was admitted atOriel College l oth December , 1 782 , and was then the j un iorof six Whites at that College a t the time . H e took his B A.

1 786 , M .A . 1789 , wa s vicar of Upavon , Wi lts , 1789 , rector ofMaidford , Northampton , 1 798 , d ied 1 826 ; his mother wasburied in hi s church at Maidford ; she died in the 8 1st

year of her age , 9th of December , 1 8 15 ; hi s son , SampsonHenry White , wa s of Merton College , ma triculated 22mdFebruary , 1 820 , a t the age of 17 , was Postma ster 1820 - 23 ,R A. 1 823 , rector of 1Vandsford 1826

,died 22nd October

,

187 1 .

The second son of the Rev . Henry White wa s CharlesHenry White

,of St . Alban ’s Ha l l , Oxford , matricula ted 1 1 t h

July , 178 7 , aged 20 , 1 797 , rector of Shalden ,Hants , 1 797 . He m a rried 3 rd Ju ne

,1802 , Christian ,

da u ghter of Alexander St . Barbe , E sq . She died 9th July ,1806 , aged 22 , and was buried a t Fyfie ld. Charle s HenryWhite died 25 th October , 1859 .

Another son , Gi lbert , died of a nervou s fever June , 1795 ,and was buried at Fyfie ld.

The youngest son , Francis Henry White , wa s born 14thMay, 1782 . He was of Worcester Col lege , Ox ford ,matricu lated 12th March

,1 799 , B A. 1 803 . He wa s a

chaplain in the Roya l Navy , sa i ling with Captain Sm ith ,brother of Mr . Assh e ton Smith but su b sequently was v ica rof Pat t e sh u l l , Northampton , 1 842 , which he resigned and

came back to the neighbourhood of his o ld home , living inthe hou se at Abbotts Ann in which Mrs . Best now resides til lhis death in 1 8 64 . He is buried a t Fyfie l d. His descendantsmost worthily represent at the pre sent moment this s ingula rlygifted fami ly one of hi s son s

,William White , Esq ,

is a distingui shed architect whose works a r e wellknown in thi s country ; wh il st a daughter who married theRev . W . Gray was the mother of the present E arl of Stam ford .

It is not a little remarkab le that not only did G ilbertWhite

,of Selborne

,make a serie s of ob servation s which h ave

ever been a delightfu l source of information , but that h is threebrothers

,John

,Thoma s , and Henry , and his two nephews ,

Charle s Henry and Sampson Henry , a lso kept records ofwhatthey ob served with so much z eal and love of nature .The Rev . Henry White , Rector of Fyfie l d, took constant

and regu lar ob servations of al l that was within his rea ch inmatters of natural science and the record of these ob servation s was kept and compared with s im ilar records which h isbrothers made and preserved . Recently I have been perm itt e d by the Rev . F . G . Holbrooke , th e Rector of Kimpton ,whose property they are

,to exam ine the diarie s for the years

1780 , 17 8 1 , 1 782 , 1783 , and 1784 ; the books are of paper ,folio siz e

,each page ruled with red ink , now much faded ,

8

into three colu m ns as one column serves for each day , whenthe book i s open the record of a week ’s do ings i s before thereader

,Sunday ’ s doings being entered under the heading Of

ye sterday” in the Monday column . A heading l ine m a rksoff the space for the date , another line a short distance fromthe bottom of the page re serves room fo r th e dai ly readingsof the barometer and thermometer , and the direction of thewind . A horizontal line about the m iddle divides each day

’

smemoranda into two pa rts . As a ru le , the upper portion i soccu pied with notes of what went on day by day in the hou se ,fam i ly , or garden , while the lower ha lf i s u sed for recordinghow his team of horses were employed and wha t the men inhis service were engaged on . These d ia ries contain muchthat i s of th e grea test intere st , and give a v ivid picture of thelife of a quiet country c lergyman in the second half Of theeighteenth century . Mr . White

,as h e shows himself to u s

in the pages of his D iary , m ight have sa t for the portra it ofdear old D r . Primrose

,and indeed it is impossible to follow

him th r ou gh a s ingle week of his recorded doings , withou tbeing continually rem inded of that delightfu l cha ra cter , andthe excel lent gooseberry wine

,for the making of which we

h ad lo st neither the receipt nor the reputation . We do notcome , happ ily , on any trace of such m isfortu nes a s Ol iverGoldsmith tell s of, in hi s inim itab le hi story . And Mr .W hite ’s home - made wine wa s mostly brewed” from ra isins .Bu t the industry with which a libera l su pply was ma intainedleaves no room for doubt that its flavour was appreciated qu itea s high ly

,and it has left an aroma tha t will a lways afford

pleasure to tho se who love to realise the days gone by . Itwou ld be a happy thought if the peru sal of the journal of thi sHampshire clergyma n ca lled up in the m ind of any of itsreaders a su ggestion of a ssociation between two Of the mostdelightful books in our language . Mr . White lived in thehou se now occup ied by Dr . Lu sh

,which on the whole i s

p robab ly much the same,stru cturally

,a s in his time ; the

drawing - room , on the first floor,has a very good plaster

ceiling ; on one of the window ci ll s a t the ba ck of the housei s carved “ H . W . A window i s still po inted out a sthe means by which a young lady

,who eloped with her lover

,

made her e scape . The tradition c lings to it only so fa r a sthat . I have been unable to identify the errant damsel orthe time of the exciting incident

,and I do not think it was

during the occupation of the White s at all .

9

The ga rden s which had so much of the Rector ’s a ttentiondo not exhibit , with the exception of the cypru s tree and thelawn which he always speaks of a s the Green

,any of the

fea tu re s he a llu de s to . The TVh it e s made a sort of bay in thebank of the stream where it ru ns throu gh the meadow

,which

they ca lled the Cold Ba th ,

”and u sed it for ba thing . The

Rector con stantly notes the height of the water in it . Abuilding , rou nd a t the back and tha tched

,covered part of it

,

and there was a ba thing step . Thi s can be traced stil l,but it

i s no longer kept u p .

Mr . White reta ined the rectory hou se in his h ands,fa rm ing

the glebe with some addition a l land which h e rented,keeping

a team of hor ses for tha t pu rpo se , which he al so let out 0 11

hire t o his neighbou rs when th ey requ ired them . The rectoryhou se , rebu ilt in 1 8 30 , was u sed by the pu p i l s of a schoolwhich he kept (he does not ca l l it taking pu pils hisa ss istant ma sters were mo stly in Holy Orders

,and helped

him with the numerou s clerica l du tie s for which he wa sre spon sible . Among hi s pupil s were Si r Philip HoughtonCla rke , the son s of most of the neighbouring gentry , andsevera l of hi s nephews . Nothing can be more clea r thanthat he and hi s fam i ly were held in the highe st estima tionand were welcome guests a t a l l the house s round . Andfrom thi s circumstance hi s dia rie s have a great value for localhi story , a s there is not a hou sehold of any note for m ile s andm ile s of which he does not mention some particulars . Theman chiefly employed abou t the hou se i s a lways cal led Sop ,

”

and very va ried indeed mu st have been his occu pa tion s , fornot only were the bu tter and chee se m ade a t home , but beer ,S iberian beer

,Raisin wine

,C ider and Perry were al l

brewed” by thi s indefa tigab le estab lishment , and the homefa rm su pplied them wi th al l domestic necessaries . Herethen in this lovely reti red nook of our lovely county this bu sybut typica l fa m ily lived thei r qu iet life . \Ve m ight fancy hissaying of it

,a s the Vicar of \Vak e fie ld sa ic Walking out ,

drinking t e a , cou ntry dances and forfeits shortened the restof the day withou t the a ssi stance of ca rds , a s I hated a l l

m anner of gam ing .

” We find a quaint lam ent u nder the 3 1 stof December

,1 782 Binod a t H edenham with Mr . and

Mr s . Bu tcher ; Chu te Lodge fam ily came to tea , Whi stinstead of Mu sic , dreadfu l alterna tive . Ala s a la s ala s l

The earlie st diary tha t I have seen i s for the year 1780 ;on the title ~ page i s a quotation from Exodus xx . 10 , S ix

10

days shal t thou labour , written in Hebrew , Greek , Latin ,Spani sh

,French

, and English . The top corner of the lefthand column is u su a l ly ma rked ye sterday ,

”and affords a

most remarkab le illu stra tion of the Sunday l ife of a countryparson who served” more pa rishe s than one . Whil st weare on thi s subj ect

,it may be well to give a few extracts

which will serve for an example

1783 , March , Monday l 0th .

— Yesterday— White Frost . Showers andcold ha rsh driving W ind a m . , clea red away abt Noon bright andplea sant, clea r vesp and bright Night — most beau tifu l Ra inbowju st before Su nset . Served 4 chu rches , Lu dgersh a ll, 2 Tidw t h s

and Fyfie ld, a t home in good time . N0 Su mmer Corn sown yetye grou nd too soft to Harrow . Va st plentifu l River down Tidworth Va le , ama zing Floods in ye Avon Bou rn la st week .

1783 , May ,Monday 26th — Yesterday . Very bright night and Morn ,

white Frost and Ice enou gh to scorch ye you ng French Beans andpota toes a t Tidworth , incessant parching Wind continu es nightand day . A most dreadfu l severe sea son to a l l Cou nties partienl a r l y this . Even ye Whea t seems to langu ish . Se rvd Kimptonand Fyfie l d a .m . ,

Lu dgersha ll and N . Tidw t hp .m .

, ca ll ed on

Messrs . H u m pr is and Goddard , va st mu ltitu des of Hares byAshen Copse . Beau tifu l even , tho cold Grea t Coa t necessarya l l day in ye fu ll Su n. Mr s . Pn and Mrs . W il dg a t Chu rchm at .

1784 , April 12th — Yesterday [Ea ster Su nday] Da rk , cold blowingmorn : wind very rou gh , seems threa tening for rain . ServedK impton Chu rch 9th time . Sacr t there and a t Fyfie ld a m . Verystormy ride to Tidw‘h with p . u i . Ra in began misty andcame on harder abou t su nset Cou nsr P a t Tidworth dr . T . [drankt e a ] with do . and retd home ra ther wet . Some stripes of snowremg on Chu te hi lls , a nd a little on ye hollow roads enteringTidw‘h

.

1 784, April 19th .

— Yesterday . Fine brigh t morn . , no frost, Springlike and plea sant day ; brisk wind a .m . Served Kimpton Chu rchl 0th time and Sa cr t a t Tidworth ; Cou nsr Pr e received , do Mr .Dykes famy . To Dr . with Mr . Recorder . Nephew T.H .W . rodeto D ’

. Snow sti ll visible in specks on ye hi ll s nea r Conh ol t .Retd rather la te, to chu rch p m . Went to visit ye sick m an a t

Red“ [R e denh am ] vesp . Da rk and threatening at night . George,the son of John and Sarah Shipway, wa s baptized privately .

1 784 , May 17th— Yesterday . Perfect settled dry wea ther continu es ,

with summer wa rmth beyond ye sea son ; thin l ight grey clou dswith h ot su n between . Went to serve K impton before 10 a .m . ,

bu t retd not being wanted . Rode to N . Tidworth with C . S . A .

and Gil . sent Knapper on to Mr . Dykes . Se r vd Thru xton for Mr .Toft and Fyfie l d vesp . Bathing in ye new sheep pond . Te a on

ye green . Mr . C . ca ll ed vesp . Letters from Mr . T . D . H ,S“

I

P . H . C . ,and Rev . Mr . Wilson . Oaks a t Pe r ih am begin to Show

eaves .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

12

The bu sy h om e a t Fyfie l d wa s not much disturbed byevents outside the circ le of their own interests . New s d idnot travel very fa st in tho se days , and very few pub lic ma tter sare recorded .

1 781 , Ma rch 15 .

— News of Rodney ’ s conqu est of St . Eu st a tia , &c .

Firing heard abou t 6 vesp of a rtillery or small a rms .1781 , Nov . 28 .

— Fa ta l news reported of Ld . Cornwa ll ’s army sd fromthe D . of Gloster .

1781 , Dec . 20th .

- Mr . Hy and T . H . W . to Andover to hear the newsofAdm . K e m penfe ldt .

1782, Ma rch 1 .

—American wa r e d to be voted aga inst in H . of C . bya ma j ority of

1782, Au g. 31 .

-News brt of the sinking of the Roya l George a t Spithead by laying her t oo low on her side with the ports open tostop a leak in an expeditiou s manner not to delay her sa iling . Adreadfu l a ccident, no instance like it wa s ever hea rd of before,so many lives

,and a most able Admira l lost K e m penfe l dt . It

happened on ye 29th .inst .

Nor is there mu ch recorded in the way of antiquariannotes ; in fa ct the following entry wou ld perhap s tempt oneto que stion the orthodoxy of Mr . White ’ s antiqu a rian ta ste .

1 781 , Ma rch 13 th .

— Rode to Soper ’s Bottom and R e de nh am ; saw yela rge stone and bespoke Siberian Barley for seed of Mr . Ba ilyAppleshaw .

1781 , March 20th .— 2 ca rpr s and 2 men

,No . 1 7 and 5 nags went to

Soper ’s Bottom to bring home ye enormou s Dru idi ca l Stone , bu tye rope of Mr . Robinson ’s engine was so very mu ch de cay

’

d thatit broke 3 times and a l l were obliged to retu rn f

r e infe cta .

1781 , Ma rch 21st .

— Team brou ght home ye grea t stone and went t oplou gh for Jno Smith p m . Borrowed Na sh of Sarsons rope , andby pu tting it dou ble took ye stone u p safe and brt it safe to y egrove withou t inju ring ye waggon in ye lea st , tho su pposed to weighnear 4 tons . Gave Fa rmer Fu ller 3 5 . for it .

178 1 , Apri l 12th .

— Dru idica l Colu mn or Kist Va en erected in ye grovevery su ccessfu lly p .m . will make an excellent gnomon for a meridian line when settled firm .

White ’ s “ Dru idical Column i s not now standing , bu t therea r e la rge fragments of Sarson Stone a l l abou t the vil lage .

f

if Since the above wa s written the hou se , which rema ined emptya fter the remova l of Mrs . Lu sh , h as been newly tenanted , and theshru bs which bordered the pa thway sou th of the hou se leading to the“ grove have been trimmed , bringing to light three Sarson Stones .Of these three stones the two on the west Side of the pa th mea su re, theone 2ft . 9m . in height above the grou nd by 3ft . 4in . from north to sou thby 2ft . thick, the other 4ft high above the grou nd by 1ft . 3in . fromnorth to sou th by 2ft . 6in. thick ; the third stone i s on the ea st side ofthe pa th , and mea su res 3ft . 9in . in height above the ground by 3ft .

from ea st to west by 2ft . 9in . thick . Possibly these stones formedpart of Parson White ’s Dru idica l Column .

” —E. D . W .

13

1782, April 29th .

— The bones and sku l l of a hu man body fou nd by MrP

’

s labou rers , bu ried near ye spot where Fr . Sau nders barn stoodit was covered abt 1 foot benea th the su rfa ce .

1 784 , Ju ly I9th .— New chu rch a t S . Tidwt h . Fou nda tions dug ou t .

1 784, J u ly 26 th — The o l d chu rch a t S . Tidworth began t o be takendown this morn in order to be removed by Wm . Lansl e y .

1 784 , Sept . l e t — Rode to se e ye new chu rch a t S . Tidworth , yeporch ju s t covered and y e inside ceiled .

1 784 , Oct . 18t h .

— Served Fyfie l d and N . Tidworth both a m . rode ba ckby ye new chu rch which is qu ite fini shed , ye door e s open to dry it ,

The church White speaks of a t S . Tidworth wa s su persededin 1880 by the present beautifu l stru cture built by S ir JohnKelk

,and was pu lled down in 1 892 .

November 8th .

— Rom an earthenwa re fou nd to ye west ofK impton Copse betwixt tha t and Ashen Copse some pieces ofbrick and a fragment of a cu llender ; coins a r e frequ ently fou ndthere when ye land is plou ghed , fou nd t o - day by Bro . Th o .

, 850 .

But while little was recorded of antiquarian intere st somethings are noted which were very strange to them

,though

familia r enough now to u s . Ba llo ons for example

1784 , Oct . 18th — Mr . Wellman came instead OfWednesday . He sawon Sa tu rday la st p .m . ha lf - pa st 4

,a t Rumsey Mr . Blancha rd in

his grand a ir ba l oon hovering a t a grea t height over ye chu rch,

and soon a fter saw him descend into a meadow nea r the town,he

then let ou t ye gas , folded u p ye ba l oon and pu t it into a cha ise,

in which he retu rned to London instantly — Mr . Sheldon set ou t

with Mr . Blancha rd , bu t ye land being t oo heavy h e wa s obligedto be set down 17 miles on this side of London

, a t Su nbu ryCommon

,nea r Lord Veres .

Mr . Blancha rd wa s only 3& hou rs pa ssing from London t o

Rumsey , 75 mile s , and wa s seen pa ssing over many pla ces , pa rticul a r ly from Selborne Hill and village , where h e appea red in yeN.E. like a blu e spot in ye sky abou t ye s ize of a sma ll t e a u rn,

and pa ssed on ra ther to ye N . of Alton , Alresford , and Winton,

pa ssing over Lord Nor thbr ook ’

s a t ye Grange , possibly withinview of ye hills in this distri ct .

1784 , Oct . 30th . Mr . Blanchard ’s ba lloon was condu cted by ropesthrou gh Rumsey Town into ye garden of ye R e v . Mr . Penton

,

where it was folded u p .

1784, Nov . 18t h . Received an a ccou nt la st night from Sam of Mr .Sadler ’s a scent in hi s ba l oon a t Oxford , his pa ssage throu gh a

clou d wants explanation , is , whether it ra ined 0 11 ye grou nd a t yesame time tha t his ma chine rece ived so mu ch wa ter .

Among the things recorded as strange or novel we have an

entry rela ting to wha t we sh ou ld probab ly ca l l a Gorilla,

there i s nothing to indica te where the exhibition wa s

1780, October 13th .

—Saw ye (Ethiopian Savage , 8. very wonderfu l bu tfrightfu l resemblance of ye Human Form . The cou ntenance

1 4

terrible ; it i s sa id to be from Abyssinia or the interior pa rts ofAfrica . Its a rms and hands ar e qu ite of hu man form , bu t its feeta r e like hands, there fore more intended for climbing t rees thanwa lking . It seems by no means so gentle , doci le, or int ell igent a sm onk e s of the smaller kinds . S ir Ashton Lever h a s one of thi ssame ind preserved in hi s mu seum . The forementioned anima lh as the brightest colou ring on his posteriors of the crimson andpu r ple tints of any anima l known . A very la rge Ca ssowa ry a lsot o be seen , from Java , a very wonderfu l and bea u tifu l bird .

1 782, October 19th .

—Went to Andover t o see Mr . Wa lker ’s Eidou ranion , a very ingeniou s and cu riou s exhibition , bu t pa rt icu la rlytha t part of his ma chinery which shews ye compou nd orbit andcompli ca ted motion of 2 u nequ a l bodies rou nd one common cent erof gr avity .

1784, Janu ary 27th .

— Sam . Ga le , formerly a native and a keeper ofsheep in this village , h a s pu blished a lea rn ed ma thematical essayon pu blick credit . Received severa l copies of Do . as a presentfrom ye a u thor for Brother B . on Sa tu rday even .

1 780, November 8th .— Bu ried at N . Tidworth wid“' Stockwell, aged

100 . Within abou t 2 months sh e reta ined a l l her fa cu ltie s excepthearing , died instantly withou t any appa rent agony .

Notes on ecc le sia stical matters are very rare . Here i s oneworth preserving

1 781 , September 2l .

—Chaner . Stu rges sine Pe r r iwiggs . Visita tionDay a t Andover, 20 dined a t ye Sta r . 6s . for a very middlingordinary , and wretched new nau seou s bla ck strap . Winter pea chesand sou r grapes . Fish rather antient .

Parson White found himself exercised by the Rate s , sometimes a trial still fami l iar to those of his order .

1 781 , April 19th .

— Parish vest-ry held, pa id 12 Ra t es thi s year ! moreby ith than la st yea r .

A Rate i s presumab ly twopence .

1782 , April l 6th .— Parish reckoning 13 Rates 1 more than la st

yea r 1 ! l Parish expenses more than £61 . Thi s yea r insufferablebu rden

1 783 , April 23 .— Pa rish a ccou nts settled and amou nte d to more than

la st year by 13 Ra tes ga thered aga in ! Many antient peop lenow on ye book .

1784, Apri l 15th .— Parish meeting

,ye Poor Rates higher than eve r

,

16 1 Ra tes , 3 more than ever wa s known before , bu t 13 la st yea r .

The poor Rector m ight not find mu ch con sola tion from thesubject now . But at any rate he did not have to pay Ra teson a commuted Ti the Rent cha rge .

It h a s been mentioned tha t observa tions a s to the wea ther,

&c ., are recorded every day , and the entrie s abou t the

m igration s of birds and matters of that kind are so very

15

numerou s that in thi s article notice can only be taken ofphenomenal events . Amongst these mu st be cla ssed theFrost of 1 784 . On December 8 th Mr . White records

or s e s taken into ye stable having no dry sh e l t e i in e fa rm .

Snow fu rs u p the windows on ye N E . and SW Si es of yehou se nearly equ ally.

Next day,the 9 th , he write s

Snow fell mu ch deeper in ye Night with a very strong WindW . by N . and mu ch drifted tha t no mea su re of it cou ld be taken .

Clea red u p before D ay , ye cold increa sed mu ch t ill noon , freezingp . .m vesp with u ncommon se v e i ity , bu t perfectly ca lm and still .Starlight . Severe wea ther for ye African bii ds , gu inea fowl sl eg broken , trod on by ye horses in ye farm ya rd . Roads mu chfill ed u p with la st night

’s Snow , qu ite deep in ye Tu rnpike ; tha ton Weyhill field qu ite smoothed over and not visible . Roa d byTappe Croft qu ite blocked u p and ye Foot Pa th a t ye bottom of

ye vill a ge . Icicle s of va st length 0 11 ye S . side of ye bu ilding ;th e . ye col d was so intense tha t ye dripping was soon st e ppd ;Frost more intense than ever known excepting in Jan , 1 768 .

Windows fu r red su r'

pi isingly .

The 1 e adings of the th e r m om e t e i thi s day were —Morning _9 3,

aft ernoon 25, night s above 0 zero .

December the l 0t h .

—The hardest Frost e ve I r e m e m be 1 ed exceedingeven tha t of 1768 , vas t degree of freezing a l l day , very clear andbright , bu t ye Su n h ad sca rcely any power to mitiga te ye fie 1 cene ssof ye Frostyeven a t Noon , very thick mist-y Rime at Night andFrost rather ha rder than la st night .Siberian weather , everything freezes within , even by ye Fireside . Wild geese seen migra ting towa rds ye S . to day and

ye sty . Iron was so cold a s to adh e i e to 1 e Hand thi s Mom

and ye sensation of cold i s mu ch difi e r e nt when ye Th e m r . i sbelow 10 , takes off ye power of Fire a t a very sma ll distance .

Boys ska ting on ye Pond a t ye end of ye Village . Ice verytolerable bu t sma ll . The Frost se e m ’

d ra ther fiercer than yesty,

till la te in ye Even when it began to aba te , bu t ye severity ofyesty ,and thi s Day seem ed qu ite a larming.

The thermometer readings fo r thi s day w e r c :— Morning 5

below 0 , a fternoon 19 , night 52 , t . e . , 2 degre es below 0, ye lowestever hea rd of in thi s clima te .December the 1 1th — Snow , 2 to 3 inches more fell in ye night so

that it lies ra ther deep continu es fa lling a m . and light scatteringtill p .m .

,ye Degree of Cold mu ch abated and m ore like other

Frosty w e ather in this Climate bu t very sh arp sta rs most brighta t n ight .John

, C carter, to Andover vesp , with ye hor ,ses to meet S .W .

from OiI ord . Very com fo 1 tabl e change and ye cold mu ch aba tedfrom ye Ru ssian severity ofye 2 former days .

Sam a rrived fr Oxford abt 6 vesp , met wi th grea t d iffic u ltiesbetween Newbu ry and Andover , where y o snow lies mu ch deeperthan a t Oxford . Very great inte rru ption of travelling on the

1 6

pu blic Tu rnpikes , many parties obliged to stop a t Andover .Rooks seem mu ch distressed and pu ll ye Ricks very mu ch . Theyhave roosted du ring ye hard nights in ye Fa rm Orchard and likewise ye Jackdaws .

The thermometer readings were morning 23 ,night 26 .

December the 13th , yesterday — Not mu ch Snow fell in ye night,

abt an inch , bright Morn , Frost continu es bu t modera te , clearSu nshine bu t a very keen sha rp Wind more than h a s been Sinceye Frost began . Se r vd . N . Tidworth , p .m . Snow lies deep overLittleton Fields more than on ye Downs , wonder fu l drifts in a l l

ye Hedges like grotesqu e Rocks rou nd the enclosu res . Snowcommonly l ight 0 11 ye grou nd and drives in va st cu rrents over

ye su rfa ce . Better riding than cd be expected,got home early

vesp . Rime a t night . To - day , Bright Morn and Day ,Frost

continu es ju st ye same and no Sign of change tho . more Snow wa sexpected . The degree of cold very tolerable bu t keen sharp wind .

Most bea u tifu l pu r ple clou ds in ye su nset . Roads begin to growmore pa ssable , bu t by no means plea sant . I of ye Western Coachesovertu rned before they reached Andover . Post Cha ises refu sedto Mr . Hawes . Spiders appea r which genera lly foretells Ra in bu tye Ba r om r does not Show for change .The readings of the thermometer for the 13th were 24 m a t . 28

p .m . , 22 night .

December the 14th .

—Bright Morn Frost ra ther harder, bu t not sosevere to feel

,u se reconciling even thi s u nplea sant sensation . Cold

h as abated mu ch of it s fie r cene ss to - day and seems inclined t orelax a little bu t will probab ly retu rn aga in before noon .

Waggons move abou t in abu ndance , thou gh ye roads a r e no better .

Chief of ye difficu lty in pa ssing from London is between Overtonand Andover ; from Oxford , between Newbu r y and do . T . Bu rswent to Sa rum yesty morn a fra id to ventu re by night .December the 21st .

- Coaches stay a t Andover every night and make2 days Jou rney instead of one to London .

December the 22nd — All ye broad leaved evergreen , even ye holly,seems to have su ffered severely by ye u nu su al degree of cold

, a s

they did in Janu ary 1768 , and probably ye timber trees m ay bedamaged and split in the same manner a s then .

December the 24th .

— Misty Morn ye sky thickened over clea redaway very bright before noon— not nea rly so cold Frost la st night ,bu t qu ite settled a s ever, froze mu ch harder p .m . , Th e r m r . a t

Su nset down to 20, very thick rimy , stinking Fog came on a fterSun set . Very bitter, fierce frost aga in to Night . The Thermometer registered 10 night .Christma s D ay ,

very bright morn . Trees bea u tifu lly powdered withRime

,more severity of Freezing th an any since the very first

beginning,very little Wind bu t ye Air ama zingly keen . Sou nd of

Bells hea rd fr a l l ye Villages 0 11 every side . Sa c" a t Fyfie ld .

Riding not u nplea sant over ye open Fields and Downs . Treespowdered most ama zingly by ye Rime, make a very pictu resqu eappea rance a t Tidworth . Pump frozen in ye Wa sh Hou se ! sotha t ye Frost tho . not qu ite so cold a s ye 2 first days yet opera tesmore strongly within doors . Winter reigns in a l l its rigou r and

yet ye Su n shines u nu su a lly warm p m . every day which seems to

1 7

destroy e ve ry sort of broad leaved evergreen . Holl y and ivy leavesbrt to decora t e the chu rches and hou ses seem scorched and bla sted .

Thermometer 6 m at . , 30 p .m . , 31 night .27th . Yesterday — The r igou r of ye Frost mu ch aba ted this mornth o . it froze very smartly , qu ite ca lm and sti ll and seems mild andplea sant compa red to the violent severity of yesterday

,va st Rime

and Fog rolling abt . pa rtia lly a l l day ,c leared away vesp . very

bright and beau tifu l before Sun set . Fog retu rned a t night .Large Congr . a t Tidworth a m . Snow lies deep a s everywheredr ifted . Horse tra cks in general qu ite obliterated excepting wherewaggons have pa ssed . Sheep ventu re bu t little fr . ye Fold andcea se fr . u sing Tu rneps .

31st .— It is very remarkable that no Flocks of Sma ll B irds ar eto be seen in ye Fields a s u sed to be in su ch hard weather t h e .

Larks abou nded a t ye Ist frost . Riding and wa lking moretolerable till ye even when the freezing snow was more gla zed and

dange rou s than it h a s been a t a l l . Spent ye Day a t Mr . P“ ,

met Mrs . D . and famy . Mu sic , vesp and no cards , retd in yebeginning of ye yr . 1 785 with S . W . and C . H . W . H aydown one

continu a l sheet of Ice and al l the beaten Paths u ncommonlydangerou s .

Mr . P . was Mr . Powlett , of Amport , S . W . and C . H . W .

were the son s of Mr . Henry White , Samson and Charle sHenry .

The remarkab le frost of 1784 is the subj ect of a mostintere sting letter - from Gi lbert White to the Hon . Da inesBarrington (NO. in which he mention s the pecu liar localcharacter of the cold

,which was not a s severe at Selborne as

at Fyfie ld.

As a contrast to this long and severe frost we may selectthe record of a su dden rise and fa l l in the temperature on

June 20th ,1 78 1 . On the 1 9 th the thermometer had been

76 . But on the next day there was a “ Violent thunderstormwhich lasted abou t 2 hours , it came from the SE.

” Therm om e t e r 85 to 6 5 , it fel l 20 degree s during the storm . Hemention s on 1 1 th Au gust the same yea r the great heat ,

”

88 , highest thi s year , within two degree s of ye morn beforeye great storm .

A remarkable storm i s chron ic led on 27 th February ,1 78 1 :

Some few driving showers,then a most dreadfu l hu rri cane for more

tha n 3 hou rs Family forced to leave th e pa rlou r by rea son of th e

smoke . The wind raged so fiercely with equ a l ly su dden gu ststha t the trees began to fall abou t in Tapp

’

s Grove and Ga le ’ sOrchard a t a sad ra te . Thatch flying abou t . The ridge and othertiles on ye N .W . point of ye wa sh hou se thrown with violence on

ye green . The la rgest elm in ye lower grove which h ad 0 se a t

rou nd it blown down , thou gh it stood so remarkably sh e tcr cd !C

1 8

The wind seemed rather more mischievou s ju st a s it shifted rou ndto the N . by the W . , which u su a lly happens in storms of wind,bu t cea sed , or rather ba ted its force soon a fter .

28th .— Ma son repa iring the tiling on ye wa sh hou se . The Pa rsonage

tiling and a lso the chancel sadly torn and the Chu rch roofdamaged . The efi e ct of ye storm more genera l than wa s imagineda t first, many barns and other bu ildings down everywhere and thesta te of trees wonderfu l indeed . Waggon loads of h ay whichwere left abroad for the sheep blown over in many pla ces , and thewaggon tu rned u pwards on Thorney Down . Largest wa lnu t treein the meadow broke off short

,being deeper rooted than ye elms .

The grea t gigantic elm a t Thru xton entirely demolished ; it wasmu ch inju red by a storm abou t 7 yea rs since , bu t before tha t themost tru ly grand tree I ever saw ,

both in size and beau ty . Largetrees blown down at Appleshaw . Most of the venerable ol d treesdestroyed a t many noble sea ts

,viz . , Lords Pembroke and Ports

mou th , Mr . Portman ’s , and a t Farley, nea r Ba singstoke .5th Ma rch — Served S . Tedworth . Mr . Smith ’s fine large spreadingtrees which were thinned ou t , sadly torn and demolished . Mr .Poore lost only 4 trees

, bu t says it was ye fiercest storm since 1 734 .

H a-y t e r’

s ba rn blown into ye street . E lm whichwa s blown downmea su red 1 7% feet , sold to Bu ckland for 17s . 6d . it was mea su redin ye sma llest part . Mr . Holt ’s large trees before his hou se r e

ce iv e d no damage from ye hu rricane , which seems su rprising, a s

being the a lmost only instance . E lms which were blown downshow mu ch bloom . The storm wa s as vehement a t Selbor ne bya ccou nts from there .

1783 , 17th Ju l y .

— The su n sinks away every day into ye blu e mist abou t5 p .m . , and seems to set behind va st black clou ds .

19th — Air seems clearer from ye la te blu e thickness, which h a s beenso very rema rkable tha t ye su perstitiou s vu lgar in town and countryhave abou nded with ye most direfu l presages and prognostica tions .

1782 , 25th September — Ha il la id so thick on ye road ne ar Overtonyesterday, a s t o resemble snow and be mistaken for it .

1784, May 6th .— Whirly pu ffs of whirlwinds seen la st Tu esday in many

places moving from N . to S . Ha ts hu ng u p to dry taken u p to ava st height into the air . Prognostic of dry weather . Hats takenu p by the whirlwind on Tu esday were pu rsu ed towa rds Qu a rley ,bu t kept on fly ing in the same direction like an air ba lloon .

It i s very possib le tha t other cons ideration s bes ide tho seinteresting to the Meteorologist impressed thi s freak of theNorth wind on the worthy Rector ’s m ind , for th e arriva l of anew hat was an event sufficiently important to enter , thu s1 783 , May 3 r d .

— New h a t a rrived Mu nde an system .

Jun e 2 l st .

— C . H . White ’s and Ha rriet's ha ts came from Wa tts ,

London , by the Ba th coa ch .

G ilbert White h as ob servations on Engl i sh snakes inletter s da ted 1 768 and 17 7 6 . In the former to ThomasPennant , Esq , he remarks , Providence has been so indu l gent to u s a s to allow Of only one venomou s reptile of the

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The collect ion of truffles was a regu lar part of th e year ’swork

,and the entrie s ar e very numerou s and precise which

record the result of the Tr u fle m an’

s vis its .

1780, Janu ary 6th .—Tr u fl e m an came ; absent nea r 6 weeks, ve ry few

fou nd 7t h time .

1782 , Janu ary 6th .

—Tr u fl e m an 3 rd time ; sca rcely any to be foun dwhere the m an h as been into Gl ost e r sh ir e to Lord Davies , wherethey find many t r u fl e s , thou gh it h as not been the cu stom to huntfor them . He fou nd hi s Lordship hu nt ing y “1 with a pig.

Mr . Henry White seems to have a lways been keenly aliveto any poss ible im prove nt s in fa rm ing and on the look o u t foranything that cou ld be introduced with a dva ntage , andamongst other things gave some a ttention to the cu ltivationof tobacco . He often speaks of the tobacco plants in his owngarden , and at any rate took great interest in those raised byhi s neighbours . Thus he notices

1780, September 14th .

— Fine planta tion of t obacco a t Taylor, Kents ,and Sm ith , ye Ma l st e r s , some leaves 13 inches by 21 .

1781 , May 7th— Tobacco plants of la st yea r ’s growth , cu t by E .

Smith . Smoked a t ye parish meeting a t Ea ster and mu ch approved . Toba cco plants from Bu ckland ’s pu t into ye boy

’s hotbedand seeds .

1781 , September 28th .

— Tobacco leaves ga thered and cu t green by R .

Smith , then dried and proved to be excellent, with a fine flavou rlike ye Havanna Segars .

Here is a notice of an occupation , which l ike manys imi lar ones has “ gone” from these part s now.

1781 , Octobe r l 3th .

— Va lerian ye Medicina l, gathered by poor womenfrom the hedgerows and copses to be sent to London for the u seof ye Apothecaries 2 women in ye new field ga thered it tod ay.

It abou nds mu ch in this pa rt ofHants .1 781 , May 11 .

—Dwarf E lder or Dane Weed flou rishes mu ch beyondye Pa rsonage Hou se . I t wa s brou ght from Selborne abou t 3 yearssince, and is u ncommon in these parts planted some slips on yeedge of ye grove .

1783 , Febru a ry 5th — Wa t er Cresses in grea t abu ndance in ye brook ,many people come with horses to carry away loads of them to sendto London by ye coa ches .

Several visit s from Gilbert White , of Selborne , are recorded . The diaries do not begin early enough to inc ludethat one during which he wrote the letter to the Hon . DainesBarrington (NO. ix in hi s Natura l History) dated from Fyfie l d,nor are any particulars given a s to hi s ob serva tions whilethere ; but there are several notes of intelligence which hadcome from “ Brother Gi lbert ” or “ B r other White from

2 1

Selborne as he i s called . For instance the construction of

the well - known p ath on the Hanger there is thu s mentione d

1782 , April 4 .— The New Path u p Selborne Hanger cu t obliqu ely f”

ye foot of ye Z igzag t o ye corner ofWadden Close,opens the most

pi ctu resqu e V iew of the inside Wood in ye style of Reu bens ; andthe most amazing Views e ver seen .

1781 , March 8 ,

— The Storm wa s so vehement a t Selborne by a ccountsfrom there , broke Bro . White ’ s large wa lnu t tree and overset hisAl cove and by Acc t in ye French Paper nu mbers of la rge Treeswere demol i shed in ye Tu il l e r ie s and Lu xe m bou rgh Gardens a t

Paris .

The Old fami ly torto ise , spoken of in Letters vi i , xiii ,xvn, xxxvi , and L . to Hon . Daine s Barrington i s thu s remembered 1784 , July 23 ,

“ Tortoi se at Selborne seems to enj oyhis pre sent situa tion as well as he did Ringmer but does notappea r to increase in s iz e .

”

2 very be au tifu l Tortoises brt from Madaga sca r by Mr . C l1s . Etty ;bu t both died immediately a fter their a rriva l a t Selborne , su pposed to be destroyed by ye jolting of ye Boot of ye StageCoa ch — Ha il Storm a t Selborne on ye 5th u l t . with va st pieces ofIce made grea t destru ction of W indows , Hot - bed lights a s also ofWheat and Hops and wa s a ccompanied with a va st deluge ofRa in .

Neither Annu a l Fowers nor Cu cumbers nor any produ ction of

H ot - beds have grown for some time pa st , owing probably to yecold nights and shady wet wea ther. This is the ca se a t Selbornea s well a s hers — Grapes a t Selborne blossom j u st a fortnigh t laterthan la st year .— Wheat not so forward by mu ch at Selborne, somenot tu rned colou r a t a l l .

1782 , Oct . 12 .-Hop Fa ir mostly finished very few br t and a lmost a l l

sold,ye best a t £10 and £11 . O ld and bad abt £6 p

’r cwt . Selborne s“ to have sent their whole crop in one Waggon !

1784, Oct . 15th .

— Some of ye Hops which were cu t off by ye Ha ilstorma t Selborne Ju ne ye 5t h sprou ted ou t so mu ch a s produ ce ( somesay ) a better crop for it . Qu ,

might not this be a hint for pru ningor pinching in ye same mann er a s i s practised on Melons or

Cu cumbers .1780 . Au g. 28 .

— Bro . and Ne ice a rrived from Selborne . Miss Pooreand M iss Bu tcher sa t for their pi ctu res t o Mr . Metz 1st time .This article shou ld be in ye next day’s column .

This Mr . Metz who appear s to have l ived in London , paidmany v isit s to the Whites a t Fyfield and pa inted the portraitsof many of them . There i s a tradition in the fam ily thatG ilbert never wou ld sit for his likeness , and there i s not oneof him known to ex ist . The fa ct , however , that he wass taying with hi s brother at Fyfie l d at the same t ime a s theartist

,who certainly painted many of his relatives , a lmost

22

raise s hopes that some Sketch may some day be found , e specia l ly a s on Aug . 30 Neice M . White sat for her Picture toMr . Metz 1 st time . Bro . W hite ,

” however , was taken i l lon Sept . l st and H . White taken il l in ye n ight” the sameda te . The illne ss was not a long one , for there is nothing toshew he did not take duty on the 3rd, and on the 4 th heD ined at Mr . Foyle s , West Cholderton , wi th Mr . and Mrs .Ekins , fine Pine Apple in ye Dessert , Cool evg . AuroraBoreali s and Meteors . On Friday 8 th ,

“ Bro . White r e

turned to Selborne in Rob t Lake ’s chaise . 1780 , Oct . 3 ,

Nephew Barker arr ived from Selborne . On Tuesday ,Apri l 2nd, 1 782 , Henry White set out for Selborne abt 10a .m . , dined at Lu nways , arrived ab

t7 vesp at The

next day he found “ Vast Torrent s gu shing into the lanesabt Selborne and violent Floods in ye sands beyond WoolmerForest . While the Rector of Fyfie l d was staying with hisbrother , Apri l 6 th , H . W . and G . W . saw the new Alta rPiece at Winchester Ca thedral ye raising ofLazarus , by Mr .West— very fine

,ye Frame gone to be changed .

Va st thu nderstorm with violent ha il rose up abou t 2 p m . ne a r Sou thampton and steered away for Winton ha ilstones very la rge bu tno irregu l ar formed pieces of ice . The sou nd wa s so formidabletha t it was thou ght pru dent to take shelter under ye cav e s of yeTu rnpike Hovel on Magda len Hi ll . The melting ha il which l aydeep on ye road, clogged t o the horse

’s feet so a s t o make it verydifficu lt riding. Bright evening and very cold , bu t no frost .H . W . and G . W . arrived at home abou t 9 vesp . Dibsda l e

’

s Hou secheaper than Lunway s .

The next day was Sunday . It wou ld be intere sting toknow if Gilbert White took any part in the services ; probab ly he did , for this i s what i s entered

Yesterday clou dy and rou gh NE. wind a l l night and morn, rathercold , dark day bu t no sign of ra in . Sa cr'. a t Fyfie l d . ServedKimpton a fternoon service for Mr . Cane . Do . began l st timea t Shipton . Thu nderstorm a rose abou t 4 p.m . ,

very bla ck inye S . and we r e away to ye W . A very steady ga le blowing fromN.E. qu ite cold ; thu nder at a distance bu t no ra in came near .Comi s’ . Poore a t Tidhwor th . S . H . W . to drink t e a with do .

There i s no indication of the date of Gilbert ’s return , buton Friday , 2 6 th Apri l ,

“ Mrs . Carley paid in fu l l for ye horseto Idm e stone

, Tidworth , and Selborne paid by Robt . 1 1 s . 6d.

”

He made another v isit late in th at year (1 782) for it i s ment ione d November l st , Martin seen flying about ye chalkc liff at Wherwell by G .W . on hi s return to Selborne .

23

To Mr . White ’s old fashioned,bu t sou nd and well tried

principle , of do ing oneself what we wi sh to have done , we owethe fa ct that many interesting trace s of the interior economyof the household a r e preserved in his diaries . It i s as difficul tin these a ltered days to rea l iz e wha t the va lue of a Fa ir was ,a s to think of a corre spondence so scanty

,that the recept ion

of a letter wa s a ma tter to chron ic le . It is this d ifficu ltywhich makes mu ch of the record of Urban l ife and government a century ago , a s ha rd to underst and a s if the reign of

Edward III . ra ther than of George III . were the period ofstu dy . The a lteration i s so thorough , and has come sosu ddenly , that it carries with it an inevitab le air of e xag

ge r ation .

It says a very grea t deal for the energy and activity of thisworthy Rector , that whi le he was do ing so much whichdepended on his own learn ing

,whi le he was taking so

honoured and prominent a place in loca l society,there were

bu t compara tively few ma tters connected with the prov ision ing of the hou se or the work of the farm which he doesnot set down a s they occu rred .

Perhaps the most characteristic and i llustrative are thenotes on the cheese consumed .

There was a cheese fa ir a t Andover it i s frequently mentione d in the town documents . I have often heard of it fromthose who can recol lect how the cheeses u sed to be pi led upby the roads ide , and offered for sa le . There i s still a cornerin Weyh il l Fair where cheese is sold . If I am not m istakenmost Of it comes from Wi ltshire . In my own Rectory hou se ,built between 50 and 6 0 years ago , there are capaciou s rackswhich tradition tell s were fi ll ed with chee ses at Fa ir - time . ”

I have no distinct r e e ol l e ction of ever ta sting a Hampshirechee se

, or at lea st one made near here , but a friend of m inewhose memory can go back well nigh three score years andten

,tell s me that if a (wooden) plou gh wanted tightening up

while work wa s go ing on,the readiest plan was the u sual one ,

to cut a wedge from the chee se in the dinner bag and hammerit in .

However,the hou sehold at Fyfie ld throve on it . It wa s the

cu stom to buy a stock at Andover Fa ir and replen ish it atWeyhill Fa i r

,and every chee se that was cut is duly entered

in the D iary,a cheese as a rule lasting abou t four days .

Once,however

,in 1782 , it did not last so long . The 28th of

the stock was cut on March 1 st , and on March 2u d we read ,

24

Cheese cut 29th ,that yesterday being very strong . The

following entry will expla in the des ignation “ Fives ,” S ixes,

"

&c . , mean ing that number to the hundredwe ight

1781 , October l 0th .

— Fa ir a t Weyhill .Cheese bou ght of Mr . Stone .

cwt .

Common Cheese 7 Sixes .Do . 1 Fives .DO. 1 Sevens .

54 Che eses . Tota l 9 a t 33s .

a t th e same time 2 Mr . Powlett .1 Mr . Cane .

no Tru ckles or Sage .

11th .— Cl1e ese fa ir very fu ll and said to be sinking in price .

Thi s was the second supply in that year , for AndoverFair on 1 l th May the purcha se had been ,

Chee se b t of R . Stone 61 in No .

Common Cheeses a t4 cwt . of Fives 33s per cwt .

3 cwt . of Sixes 14 17 0

2 cwt . of Sevens

9 cwt .

and 1 cwt . 8 lbs . of Tru ckles, No . 7, and Sages, No . 2 ,a t £2 6 8

It may be as sumed that this was not a ll Hampshire cheeseOf the typica l character mentioned above .

These were stored on shelve s in the Parsonage , bu t

The be st la id schemes 0 " mi ce and menGang aft agley.

”

1781 , Dec . 24 .

— Shelves behind ye kitchen fell with 21 Cheesesprovidentia l escape that no one was hu rt . Cheeses on ye shelfwhich fell y s morn 15 new ones , 4 old

,1 Sage and 1 Tru ckle ,

weight su fficient to have broken the ablest Head .

1782 , Apri l l 3 .

— Cheese cu t 38th and 39th , 1 a lmost ea ten u p by themice coming a long ye ceil ing to ye hanging Shelf and not observedin time .

1 783 , Janu ary 15 .— J os . Lansl e y stopped ye Holes in ye ceilings to

keep ye mice from ye cheese .18th .

—Mice gnaw this fresh mortar and come to ye che ese aga instoppd once more t o - night .

Other stores were bought in the same way,so that the

household were for many things,at any rate

,qu ite independent

of shop s .

25

1 781 , Janu a ry 22 ,

— 2 t . Malag Raisins a t 28 /1 t . Smyrna do . a t 34/t . Cu rrants 52s . and 56 /Tota l Loaf Su ga r, 2 t . 71h .

Powder do . 56lb.

23rd .

— Weighed off Su gars,Cu rrants , &c .

2 l e ave s of l 3d .

10 do . 102 do . 114 do . la rge 9

z} v t . Powder Su ga r .14 loaves hanging on ye beam in ye kitchen .

A sub stantial re serve like thi s i s calcu lated to calmdomestic prognostica tion s , even when it can be recorded a s

it is on 5th March , 1783Mu tton h as been so very sca rce for some time as not t o be got a t

any ra te owing to ye Rot among ye sheep , br ‘ on by ye pa stwet sea sons , particu larly ye la st most u nparall eled su mmer . Ba congetting dear in proportion .

1780, Janu a ry 25t h — Grea t want of a ll sorts of produ ce from yega rden , and grea t compla ints in}ye markets in London and yecou ntry .

Some notes of the price s at which fa rm produce sold areworth preserving

1780, Febru a ry 13th .

— Sold L d of whea t t o Horsebridge Mill for£9 5s ,

by Mr . Berrett .April 17th — Fa rmer K ibbe ck bought 1 t on of the meadow h ay rickof 1777 for £3 per ton .

Ju ly 14th .

— Pa id Jane Thorn , fin ished weeding, pa id in fu ll 1 1 days ,55 . 6d .

Ju l y 29th .

—Whea t, sold 1st load from ye ri ck for 11 gu inea s , to Mr .

David , ofRu shall .September 16th .

— V iolet bot . 3 doz . and ha lf bu tter a t 7Sd,bad stuff.

October 2nd — Geese 8 b t at Monxton mill a t 23 . 6d . each , 2 bro thome and killed .

October 30th .

— Uph aven Fa ir, pigs rema rkably cheap ; good sizeddo . sold a t 48 . ea ch .

November 25 th — Team t o Andover with Mr . Gooda ll ’s h ay and Mr .Hemming’s cheese and honey . 4 Tru ckl e cheeses a t 6d . weighed48 lbs 4s . honey a t Std . per 25 lbs . - 11s 51d .

Pa ckages and Pan .

1781 , Ma rch 24th .

— Ba rley sold a t Andover market by Mr . Bennett, 8qu ar ters a t 18s . to Farmer Cooke, of Collingbou r ne .

May 25th— Bu tter from Andover , 6 lbs . a t 75d .

Do . from farm , 4 lbs . a t 8d .

May 29th .

— Bu tte r from farm , 6 lbs . a t 7 zi.d .

Ju ne 26th — 5Sga llons of gooseberries from Taylor , Kent , 28 . 9d .

Ju ly 24th .— Hogshead of Cyder price £3 10s , ca sk to be retu rned .

November 3rd .-Appleshaw Fa ir very fu ll, and sold very cheap ,

m any Dorsets u nsold .

26

1782 , December 11th — Sent a sample of ye old cat s to Andover ma rketby Mr . B ‘

,bu t for want of examining them myself it was taken

ou t of a damaged mu sty part where a little ra in h ad entered !This day a proper sample was sent , and sold at 23s . per qu arter !a t lea st 38 . per qu arter under ye ma rket price

1 783 , Janu ary 7t h — 21 qu a rters 4 bu shels of oa t s sold for £23 115 .

Ja nu a ry 9th .

- Mr . Bu tcher ca lled and took another sample of yeoa ts , he says tha t .ou r finest dry ba rley wou ld yield 2 gs . perqu arter [

a t Wa rm inster, 39s . at Ramsay.

May 3r d—Whea t fa lls in ye price owing to importation from

America ! it h a s been a s high a s £18 per load la tely in ye westernmarket s .

1783 , October 11 th — Hops, none from Selborne and very few fromthat district, few from Fa rnham and a very thin shew on ye Hillt h o . some Kenti sh and some Old Hops were brt . Best price £11per cwt . Bou ght none . Weyhill being ye worst market whenthey a r e dear th e . the best when they a r e cheap .

1784 , Janu ary 17th — Ca lled a t Mr . Daniel s Ru sha ll a .m . Do call edhere on his retu rn from Andr Market , wd . bid no more than 348 .

for ye Barley therefore he h ad i t not . Newbu ry Market mu chcheaper than Devizes and Wa rminster 5 or 6s . per Qr .

March 13th .

— H ay , ye la st y r s meadow,sold yesty to F r Taplin at

3 G118 per Ton su pposed to be abt 5 Tons, proved to be sadlydamaged by pu tting mu sty Shocks into ye rick from ye summercocks

,fetched to day 1 Te n 2 t . , abatement expected and mu st

be made, sad neglect of Serv“ ! and a grea t loss a s wel l a s vexation .

Apri l 19th — H ay sold a t £5 per Ton in ye Avon Bou rn, sd . to be

sold for 6 and £7 in ye West and a t 45s . only a t Oxford .

October 5th .

— A sa ck fu ll of walnu ts brot in for ye Tithe of Holdways which he b t of Fa rmer Berrett, sent some t o R a m r idge .

November 9th .

— Barley rose la st Sa ty at Andover Ma rket 5 pr Q”from 25/ t o 30/ sa id to be cau sed by ye redu ction of ye pri ce ofspiritu ou s Liqu ors which h a s se t the Distil l e y

'to work . Thiscou ntera cts ye cfi e ct of ye va st plenty of Cyder .

1 784, December 4th — Markets fa ll mu ch both for Wheat and Barley .

December 18th .

-Markets continu e to fa ll,ye best Ba rley not worth

more than 25/ per Qu a rter and Whea t more dul l than it wa s .

There are a few ob servations which perhaps may be calledFarm Lore

,as for example

1 784, Ma rch 26 .— Smu t Ba l ls do not break when wheat is threshed on

Hu rdl es, therefore the Gra in is not Bla ckened, bu t they do not

blow away in winng.

April 3rd — It i s thou ght best not t o sow Barley immedia tely afterSnow a s it i s apt to chil l ye earth .

1780, Jul y 24th .

— Reaping Wheat begu n in Fr . B e r r e tt ’s piece N . of

ye Grove . It was by no means ripe or nea r it, bu t wa s sadl yB lighted so tha t many ears have now no corn in them a t a l l , and itis to be feared tha t this mischief i s more genera l than it is nowsu spected . Fa rmers think Ba rberry Trees efi e ct this othersra ther su spect Frosty night s and scorching Days in Ju ne to be a

more probable cau se.

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1784 , Ju ly 24th .

— Ru ff ’s finest Dog pu ppy r un over by F r B e rrett’eC art of Green Vetches and killed on ye spot to ye great delight ofye savage Race of swinish carters

1 784 , Au gu st 7th — Cu rtis ’s Flora Londinensis ye 3 vols . re tu rned fromChu te Lodge , in ye Bu t ch e r s

’

s Hampers,with abu ndance of Su et,

&c . , &c . , &c . , yet escaped u nhu rt ! l

It has been already remarked that the fam ily at Fyfie ldRectory were in great social request ; nor i s this to bewondered at . His d iaries prove that Mr . White wa s a manof much learn ing , ever ready with qu otation s from the c la ssicauthor s , and fam iliar with all country loving subject s h ecou ld converse practically on things connected with the farmand garden , a s wel l as about dogs and guns , coursing andhunting , Astronomy , botany and natural history were hi shobbies . Wha tever subj ect he begins

,the conc luding sen

t ence s of hi s paragraph s are fa irly sure t o have a notice of

some matter of natural Science . His sense of the humorouswas very keen ; even when recording vexatiou s incidents begeneral ly put s it in a gen ial way , for example1781 October 31st .

— Lansl e y’

s m an and boy sifting ea rth for morta rIn new wa shhou se ; not being able to Obtain ye wire coa l ru ddercontented themselves with destroying ye bottom of ye wheatru dder . Not near enou gh sifted, and grea t want afterwards forwant of dry earth .

1784, Janu ary 10t h .

— Bu sh faggots , 5 lost their way coming u p yevillage , embezzlem ents Strongly su spected among ye Poles and

elder Lop . Barley ri ck pu lled mu ch higher than fou r - legged pigscou l d rea ch .

But his love for mus ic , and the proficiency in performanceattained by some of hi s fam i ly and hou sehold contributed , nodoubt

,a great deal to the enjoyment afforded by those friendly

gatherings so frequent in the neighbourhood , at which theWhites were ever welcome as gue sts , and the hearty hosp itality with which he enterta ined travellers a s well as thefriends l iving round him

,is refreshing to read of. . Everybody

seems to have been on the most cordia l terms with them ,

visiting and be ing v is ited in turn , without the least trace of

c lique or exc lu s ivenes s . The mu sica l instruments in u se atthe Rectory inc luded the Harps ichord , Pianoforte , Sp inet ,F iddle

,and Violoncello . Mr . White cou ld not only play , but

tune and r e - quil l the Harpsichord . One of their friends , Mr .Holt

, ofR edenh am , possessed a Coele stina ,” which afforded

great delight to the mus ic - loving Rector . An extract ha salready been given which show s his disappo intment whenca rds took the pla ce of music , but it would almost seem as if

29

at his own hou se it had u pon occasion been too much for hispatience .

1 783 , Janu ary 23rd .

—Pent on , Clanville, and Bl ism or e Ha ll families todinner . Ca rds , cards , ca rds , e t pr ae t e r e a nihil .

1780, Ju ly 11th .— H . White, Cha s . White , and Sir P . H . Clarke rode

to Andover . Harpsichord timed by Mr . Trema in .

1781 , September l 9th .

— Ha rpsich ord is to be sent to Mr . Pether,London , for new ja cks , keys , &c . , &c . , &c .

1781 , October 19th .

— Sent Rob t . with the cook Jolly and Bu ckland ’sma chine t o retu rn Sir P , H . C ’s Piano Forte to Mr . Bank ’s

,Sa rum .

B " ba ck Mr . Wellman ’s Ha rpsichord for E liz . and a lso 1 cwt . ofSope and 18 doz n of Comm " Candles , 4 doz . m old do . Sir P . H . C .

h ad the Piano Forte from Sarum Ju ly 1 7th , by T . Bu r r ’ s ca rt .October 20th .

— Sent the Harpsi chord t o go to Mr . Pether, No . 25,Street , Oxford Road , London . wh o i s to pu t in new keys ,

jacks , wires , &c . , &c . , and to make it a complete instrument for10 gs . By H at h e r a l l next Monday , ca r . p“.

1 782 , Janu ary 7th .-Waggon to Andover abt noon b r t home Treakle,

stinking Pr m int Ma sh t ub and Ha rpsichord . Harpsichord h adbeen sent to London ever since October 20th .

Janu a ry 8ih — Harpsichord u npa cked and b”t very safe . Its tou chis not inferior to tha t of any new instrument, and the tone verysoft and equ a l to any new or old , and it i s very complete indeed ,well worth the expense .Februa ry 19th .

- Pa cked u p and pu t into ye 1d of h ay ,Mr . Wellman ’s

Harpsichord , and a lso sent Violoncell o to Banks to ra ise ye sou ndpost .Ma rch 19th — Fiddle sent to Mr . Banks for a new peg by T . Bu rr’ .

No ink ce u l d be h ad, no qt bottles in Sarum .

March 25th .

— Harpsichord su nk a whole note below concert pitch ;ra i sed it ha lf way .

April 23rd.

— Ra ised ye Harpsichord to concert pitch ; it was su nkha lf a note

1784 , December 23rd .

— Began tu ning ye Harpsichord and qu i l ling it .Took ou t ye Piano t op and discovered ye rea son ofye keys stickingso sadl y, it was ye want of more play in ye pinholes

, and a lsoca sting of two of ye long keys Mr . Pether ’s wood not being wellsea soned soon rectified by ye a ssistance ofye carp”.

December 24th .

—Ha rpsichord completely tu ned and qu ill ed , and yekeys perfectly rectified , so that it is now in better condition than ever .

1783 , March 1 .

— Pu t a green blind to ye middle light of ye Parlou rwindow to skreen ye Ha rpsi chord from ye su n .

1784 , Febru ary 4th — Harpsichord b" downsta irs into ye commonParlou r .

May 8th— Harpsichord carried u psta irs for ye su mmer .

Apropos of quilling the Harp sichord th e following i s an

interesting entry bearing on the im portance of Fairs in th ecountry l ife of the time .

1781 , October 9th — Qu ills 1500 b t from y c Sedgem oor Me r ch ant 0 11

Weyhill a t Is . per Hu nd , the cheapest market by fa r . AtAndover they a r e fu ll three times a s dea r .

30

When opportun ity Offered the White fam ily attended publ icconcerts , but mu s ical invitation s ” to neighbours ’ hou se swere a continual source of pleasure to them . Now and thenwe get the reflection s of a candid though friendly critic .

1780 . Au gu st 23rd .

—Many horses coll ected for ye expedition to Sa ru m .

Au gu st 24th .

— No . 14 (i. e 14 In number) went to hear the Sa rummu sick . The Miss Abrams with their mou ths shu t and du skyfa ces . The Messiah a t Chu rch and Daphni s , &c . , a t ye Room .

Gl

be e k ode best ca lcu la ted for the Arcti c C ircle , Piozzi sh am m

’

d

A r am .

1 781 , October 5th . Mrs . White, &c .

,went to Mr . Pa rry’s Concert a t

Sa r u m , most beau tifu l travelling thither and ba ck .

yR oad du sty In

ye tra ck over ye Downs .1782 March 6th .

—Mr . Pa rry to dinner with Mr . Wellman . Somelessons and one song , u nlu cky h oa 1 sene ss prevented more .

March 1 st .

- Set ou t after dr with T . H . W“, and

went to Mr . P ’s concert,Mr . Da le and S .W . on h oI sch a ck . Down s

very plea sant and dry enou gh for travelling .

December 19th — Went t o Sa rum Concert with Mr . Dorse t sh ir e Band , very fu ll room .

pr i1 15th .

— To R e de nh am vesp . with E liz . , Chas , and Mr . Dale .Mu sica l visit to meetMr s . P“

.

Febru a ry 6th .

— D ined a t Mr . Holt s with Mrs . W . , EW and Chas ,

met Mrs . Mabbot , Mr . and Miss Bu tcher . Mu sic vesp . Coelestina ,&c . Mr . H y and T.H .W . r e t ‘l from Sarum to t e a . Ln fromOxford 7d .

1 783 , Au gu st 29th .— Went to the OI atOI io of the Messiah for Mr .

Wellman’s benefit a t Romsey .

September 26 th .

— H . and B . Wood and Da le , and S .W . and C .H .W . ,

went to the Ora torio of E sther a t Sa lisbu ry.

October l 6th .

— Mrs . and M iss Powl e t , Mrs . Goa t e r and Miss Sanez ,Mr . and Mrs . Pollen

,Mr . and Mrs . Le v e r su ch , Mrs . and Mi ss

Bu tcher, &c . , &c . , came to hear Ma ster Crotch .

October 17th — Went with Bro . B . White , &c . , to Mr . Poll en’s to hea r

Ma ster Crotch perform on th e Celestina .

Thi s mu st ha ve been the celebra ted Dr . Crotch , ProfessorofMu sic at Oxford , wh o was born 5 th Ju ly , 1 775 , and d ied29th December , 1 847 , and therefore eight years o ld at thisperformance .

1 784 , Sept ember 24th .

— Mrs . Bru ce and ye Miss Litchfie lds fromR am r idge ca lled a m . to hea r mu sick .

October 29th .

— Drank t e a a t R e de nh am Mr . and Mrs . Penton,

&c . , there . Mu sick was proposed and a ttempted bu t ended in F .

fl a t , Mr . Bayes’

S note .

1 782, May 5th .— Mr . Parry came and sta id . Dr . with M . Wellman,

i e com ds for hi s benefit in a lr from Mr . B”May 14th .

—Rode to M . Pa rry ’s benefit conce 1 t a t ye Sa rum Th e a tI e .

Ju da s Mach abs very decently pe r fOImed Mr . Parry ve i y grea t as asinger and player , h ad a tolerably good hou se and more than e xpd .

1782 , Febb. 231d .

— Mu sica l invita tion to R edenh am disappointed by vewe t even . Mr . Holt going to Ba th .

3 1

The d inner hour i s not stated,but it wa s probab ly about

4 o ’c lock , a s th ere was time for exped itions after it , as wel las mu sic . There i s a favou r of apprecia tion in the recordsof the dinner partie s tha t makes us think of the su ccesses ofDr . Primro se ’ s dau ghter . If the cakes a t t e a a r e short andcrisp , they were made by Ol ivia , if the gooseberry wine wa swell kn it the goo seberries were of her gathering

,it wa s her

fingers tha t gave the p ickle s their pecu l ia r green, and in the

compos ition of a pu dding it wa s her ju dgm ent tha t m ixedthe ingredient s and we a lmost listen for the voice that stillcall s with such human accents : “ Deborah

,my l ife

,grief

you know is dry , let u s have a bottle of the best gooseberrywine . to keep up our sp irit s— and Sophy

,love

,take your

guitar and thrum in with the boy a little .

1782, March 21st .

— D ined at Mr . Bowles with his nephews ye R e vnd

Messrs , Powell and Matthews . Deta ined by bad wea ther till 9vesp .

, dr eadfu l bad weather fu ll in ye fa ce so a s t o make it terribleriding . Snow clogged to ye horse’s feet

,continu a l danger of

fa lling and in m any pla ces ye tra ck nea rly obl itera ted made a la teretu rn ra ther ha zardou s, and dou btfu l a s wel l a s pa infu l throu ghye cold and wet .

1781 , Au gu st 10th .

— Sir P . H . G , Mr . F . D . , B y , H . , and Mrs . W . todinner a t Mr . Powl e t t ’s . Venison , cant a l e u pe , &c . , &c . Mrs . wentin Mr . Crookshank ’s pha eton . H . retd .

1 784, Sept . 27th — Venison a side presented by S ir S idney Meadowsvery fine and fa t . Sept . 29th venison fea st .

1 783 , Ju ly 2Ist .

— Mr . Cook brou ght h is son ba ck to dinner fromAn dover, hi s own horse ’s knee demolished

,his servant ’s horse so

lame as to be left u nder ye fa rr ier ’s care . Mr . Da le brou ght hisson back from Bla ndford t o dinner in a wh isk e v. Invited to dinea t Dr . Smith ’s . Mr . C . went . Venison foetid .

1781 , Sept . 8t h .

— D ined a t Mr. Gau l e r'

s, Weyhill, with Mr . Crook

sh ank , Ba rrett , Gray, &c . Venison,Cham pagne

,and Pine Apple .

1784, Feb . 7 th — Cheese, a very fine old Cheshire received from London ,

weighed 601bs . , a present from Brother Thoma s : Do . cu t thisevening . Shru b 2 ga lls . b t from Mr . Bu nny ’s . Cheese cu t fromPa rsonage ye 3 rd .

1780, Sept . l 6th .

— Mr . and Mrs . Powlett dined here ; brou ght theGa rden of Eden wa ll fru it

,Grapes

,and the finest Canta e l e u pe

Mel on , weighed 9lb.,ye flesh near 4 inches in thickness

1 780, Sept . 4t h — D ined a t Mr . Foyle ’ s West Cholderton,with Mr . and

Mrs . Ekins ; fine P ine Apple in ye dessert . Cool even .

1 782 , Ju ly 17th — J u o . Cooke set ou t thi s morn for Stockbridge 0 11Minny , R ob‘. on C a rley ’s Ha ck ; bou ght 150 crayfish a t 78 . 6d .

sent do . a t n ight to Andover to go by ye coach to Bro . B . L '. from

Mr .

’

F ielden 8d .,and T “

. P . 1d . L '. from Mr . Fieldon Lango

,

brou ght next day .

1783 , May l st .

— Tro llte begin to come u p ye Brook in pu rsu it of

minnows . Abou t 200 minnows we r e ca u ght la st Sa t u rday and

dressed , nea rly a s good t o e a t a s gu dgeons .

32

1783 , April 30th .

— Two brace of fine cu cumbers sent from R edenh am .

Received a fine present of sa lmon and lobsters from Mr . Cooke ,Christ Chu rch

,came by a P . cha ise from Sa rum ; shou ld have been

brou ght by T . Bu rr la st night .

The notices of tea partie s are innumerab le , very valuab lea s giving the names of local people , but otherwi se genera l lyof no particu lar interest . One room in the hou se appear s tohave gone by the name of the Tea Room . There are buttwo a llusion s to the china , so tha t ou r feelings are spared thecoveting that m ight have suggested itself.

1784 , Janu ary 13th .

—Wedgwoods yellow ea rthenwa re shivered topieces by ye frost by standing with wa ter in it u nder ga rden pots .

1 781 , Janu ary 2 l st .— Received parcel of books from Bro . B . and a box

china Bro . Woods .1780, Au gu st 26th — Em

. W . , pictu re pu t u p in ye Te a Room a

rema rkably good likeness .1 784 , March 30th .

— Mr . C . S . A . and C . H . W . , and W . A . H . , to

Andover vesp . dinner, t e a , Mr . D . Amport . Great riots a t AndoverElection, Town Hall windows broke , three h ogsh d beer let abou tye street, &c .

1 783 , Janu ary 13th .— Twelfth Day Cake, a fine one pre sented by Mr .

ISe r r e t t .

1 780, Febru ary 14th .

— Nine Va lentines, a t Munday’s al l day .

1 781 , November 6t h .— D ined a t Mr . Cane ’s and came ba ck soon in

expectation of playing Off ye fireworks .November 8t h .

—Bon Fire, seve n sky rockets, fou r J 9 . in a box , andfive Roman candl es .

Mr . White wa s al so a cricketer , a s appears from thefollowing entries1782, Ju l y 3rd — Game of Cricket with Mr . Hy . &c . vesp . in ye H omeMeadow .

1782, Au gu st 20th .— Played a t cricket in Privet with Mr . Amy"

, &c .

All we t throu gh coming home .

The residence with the fam ily at Fyfie ld Rectory , of youngmen of position who were preparing for the Un iversitie s

,

must have secured for the Whites a wider range of societythan so retired a neighbourhood wou ld have afforded . Anentry under 4 th March , 1 784 , explains the system

Samsu sett Off abt 8 m a t to keep term a t Oriel with H H W .

Settled in fu ll with Mr . Dale , whose son having resided here j u stthree yea rs goes to Ba ll . Coll . Oxford , a s Gentn Comm”. Sett offfor Newbu ry abt 2 p m . His books wd ju st 206 l .

Another entry lets u s into some of the domestic arrangements .1 784 , Febru ary l 0th — NO fire lighted yet in ye School Room in yePa rsonage ; lectu re held in ye Nu rsery, the wea ther being too coldfor a la rger room .

3 3

In his scholastic work the Rector was assisted by severalgentlemen , who among other subject s taught French

,

Drawing , Music , and Dancing . Mr . Wellman was the musicmaster , Mr . De l a rne l l e took the French and drawing .

Extracts have already been given which mention Mr . Wellman ’s concerts ; he probably lived at Salisbury , and had awide circ le of pupil s . Mr . Goodal l was the dancing master

,

and is very frequently mentioned .

1781 , Ju ly 13th— Mr . Gooda ll came the l st time , improved and approved of by ye Ve st r is

’

s and Ga l l ani.

Ju ly 20th — Messrs . De l arne l l e and Gooda ll absent on accou nt ofSarum Races— a t semper gau des ill u dere rebu s H u m anis .

Au gu st 31st— Grand Ba llett u nder ye direction ofMr . Gooda ll .December 14th— Mr . Gooda ll ye la st time . Grand ba l l with th eSta rkie family.

1782, October 25th— Fu ll Ba ll with Mr . Gooda ll . Mr . H Y. came from

Andover .

The Rev . Cane who se son “ Bob was one of thepupil s

,al so helped in the teaching . Mr . Cane lived some

time at Kimpton Rectory and probab ly held the cura cy ofShipton Bellinger . The Rev . Goddard was a lso , I think ,accustomed to give some assi stance , he became afterwardsRector of Kimpton on the death of Mr . Foyle .

1 784, May 22— Rev . Mr . Godda rd S. Tidworth presented to yeRectory of Kimpton yesty by G5 Foyle Esq.

1 784, Au gu st 2 —'

Mr . Goddard indu cted to K ym pton P .M . Went toa ttend do .

The Rev . Samu el Topping was a grea t personal friend , andpossibly a helper . We have an entry of his wife ’s burial .

1784 , May 1 1— Mrs . Topping died before noon . Mr . P . Du ke il l .

May 18— Bu ried Mrs . Topping nea r her u ncle , the la te Dr . Barnes ,

in Thru xton Chancel .

The Register ofThruxton records the interments mentionedin the diary .

1772 .— The Rev d . Dr . Joshu a Ba rnes , Rector of this Pa rish , was bu riedFeb . the 14th .

1784, May 18th— Bu ried

,C a therine , wife of the Rev . Samu el Tepping .

Assi stance probab ly only in elementary subjects wa s al sogiven by a Mr . H e dde r ly , of Apple sh aw . The Mr . Da le mentione d above wa s George Da le , of R u ddl e ston , co . Herefo rd ,Gent . The son

,John Da le , who ma tricu lated a t Ba liol

College, Oxford , 1 2 December , 178 1 , at the age of 1 7 , took

the degree of B .C .L . 1 788 , and D .C .L . 1793 . The pu pi lD

34

who figures mo st con spicuously in the diarie s i s S ir PhilipHoughton Clarke

, of Shirland , whose pedigree may be thuscondensed

S ir Simon Woodchu rch K t ma rried Su san dau ghter and heiressof Henry Clarke and h ad issu e two sons, Simon , wh o marriedAdrian Fortescu e, and Cla rke Woodchu rch wh o inheriting h is

mother ’ s estates adopted the name ofCla rke and h ad i ssu e . PeterClarke, a lia s Woodchu rch ,

whose son S ir John Cla rke , fou ght a tPoictie r s whose descendant Wa lter Clarke of R a tcl ifi e , co . Bu cksma rried Elizabeth , da u ghter ofSimon Edolph of St . R adigans, co .Kent , and h ad issu e — Sir S imon Clarke created a Baronet 1 May ,1617 , and died 1642 he ma rried Marga ret , da u ghter and heiress ofJohn Alderford ofAbbots Sa lford , co . W a r . , and h ad issu e threesons , John, second Bart , who died s .p . , Peter, killed in 1639, andS ir Simon Cla rke , third Ba rt , wh o died in 1687 . He ma rriedMercy, dau ghter of Philip Bra ce of Doverda le , co . Wark , and wa ssu cceeded by his eldest son ,

S i r Simon Cl a i k e , fou rth Ba rt wh odied 1718 ; he m a I r ie d a da u ghter of the Rev . Ca stle and wa s su cce e de d by hi s only child , Sir S imon Peter Clarke , R .N , who dyingwithou t 1ssu e the title 1 everted t o his cou sin , S ir Simon Clarke[eldest son of Philip , the second son of Sir S imon the third Bart ]wh o married Mary dau ghter of Philip Bonny, Esq , of Jamaicaand h ad i ssu e , Sir Simon Clarke , seventh Baronet wh o marriedAnne dau ghter and co - heir of Philip Hou ghton , Esq , the grea tJam a ica planter , and h ad issu e, Sir Philip Hou ghton Clarke , wh osu cceeded in 1777, bu t died u nmarried, and th e title devolve d u ponh is brother .

The first entry mentioning him is

1780, Febru ary 29th .

— S ir Philip Hou ghton Clarke and Mr . Poorea rrived from London

From that time he went about with the White s everywhere .

We read of his horse,his piano

,his p icture s , hi s plaster

casts , his books , hi s prints by Albert Durer , until on

1782 , Janu ary 29th .— Sir Phil ip Hou ghton Clarke left this pla ce to live

with his mother In Town . Jno White rode a lmost to Winton withhim on Cha rley’s nag.

1782 Febru ary 8th .

— Pa cked u p and cod ed S . P . H . C .

’

s boxes etc . la stnight you ng Na sh came to do it .

4 Squ are Dea l Boxes1 Sma ll long DO1 Thin Sma ll Ca se1 Roll on Straw ye Ea sel Frame .

He came down at interval s to vi sit his o ld friends,bu t not

to stay long .

The White ’s ne ai e st neighbourwa s th e ii medica l adviser whowa s bes ides a great pe 1 sona l friend , Mr . Philip Henr y Poore( grandfather Of Maj or P . H . Poore

, ofAndover) , then quite a

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3 6

Horse Chestnu t Tree ever seen i s now growing in Mr . Dyke ’sga rden in va st vigou r and strength , and seems not to havea ttained to its fu ll size , its bloom is destroyed and leaves inju redby the late frost . He moved the fence of h is garden t o take thistree in from ye meadow adj oining . Beech trees scorched tota llybrown as in D cr in ye plantations a t S . Tidworth a t ye NW corner .

Mr . Pugh , however , takes the place of medica l adviser , andthe diarie s give no fu rther indication Of Mr . P . H . Poore ’ smovements .

1780 , Feb . 12th .

—Rode to indu ct Mr Thos Fou nta ine into ye Rectoryof N Tidworth dined a t Mr . Poore’s .

This is Mr . Edward Poore , the you nger , who died 1803 .

1781 , May 28th— Noble piece of sa lmon sent by Mr . Poore of Tid

worth, in high sea son . Grou nd very hard and dry you ng shoots

of Oaks &c . ; sadly scorched by ye Frosty Morng.

— Influ enz a

very afflict ing and violent pa infu l abt ye Fa ce and Mou th, qu ite

agom z m g.

3 l st .— M . Pu gh twice , Dr . Downe vesp t o ye sick— sad hou se .Lu cy mu ch worse J110 W . very i ll bothe bled by Jno Tapp .

Ju ly l 6t h .

- Showers before noon , bu t clea red away p m , Seems topromise dry wea ther . Cou ns r Poore a t Tidworth S ’ . P. H . C . and

Sam . Served Thru xton .

Oct . 11 .—Served Fyfie ld a t 9 Ma

‘. S Tidworth at ha lf - pa st eleven

ca lled a t Mr . Smiths . Mr . Townsend and son dined a t Mr .Poores with S . P . H . C . , ye Conns , and J a W retu rned early,vesp clou dy and dark . Mr . Da le and H . W to Andover .

1782 , Jan . 21 .

— Rode t o Mr . Poores with Sam to dine with Mr .Fountaine , and the Tenants , retd to Te a with ye Counsr . Samand Bb Cane to Andover with Do vesp .

1783, March 15th .

—Mr . Pu gh came to Ma ster Ha lliday. Do blooded,

h as been bad with a cold ever since Tu esday.

Somet imes we sigh for the good old times —sometimeswe do not . Entries like this are about as good as anythingto modify longings for the pa st

,and stifle such sentimental

sighs . Many of the grea t hou ses of the neighbourh ood aredescribed briefly , or ra ther Mr .

'

White set s down hi s op in ion sand impression s about them .

H u r stborne Park , which wa s built by the second Earl ofPortsmouth , did not command hi s u nbou nded adm iration .

The hou se was unhapp ily burnt down in 1891 .

1782 , September 14th .— Rode t o Ld Portsmou th ’ s new Hou se with Mr .

Metz, Mr . Da le, and C . H . W . Roads violently du sty,ha rd and

disagreeable . Hu rstbou rne Hou se, a va st enormou s p ile,strong

bu ilding , very little ornamented, on a bleak u ncou th and u n

comfortable situ a tion , bu t ye Apa rtments Spa ciou s and magnificent .1 784, May 13th .

—Went with Mr. C . to Mr . Ekins . DO retu rne dfrom Ireland . Bp . of K illa la if he plea s e s . Recd Messrs . Bart on

37

and Heyes . Saw Wilbu ry Hou se , &c . , a very bea u tifu l spot andelegantly planted , some good pictu res and 2 or 3 grand rooms, thechambers ra ised 7 feet high to 14 feet and consequ ently the wholeroof taken off; ornam entSof ye plea su re grou nds ra ther u ncou th ,delightfu l shady lawn close behind .

R am ridge House , in the Parish of Weyhil l , a fine specimenof Adams ’ s work , wa s another building Mr . White did notso much admire . The pa rk i s stil l rem arkab le , a s it wa s inthe time of Edward III .

, for its very fine tree s, bu t the

Rector ob serves with an evident shake of the head .

1 780, Decem ber 18th — Wa lked to R a m r idge with Sir P . H . C . 860 .

p m . a very large and expensive hou se and too lofty for thecou ntry.

Jul y 24 .

— Rode to R am r idge vesp . with Bessy &c . lime bloom ,fine

perfume .Au gu st 23 .

— S ir P . H . C . Mr . W ., Mr . Metz , and Bessy rode to

R am r idge vesp .

December 4th — Sent ye pictu re home to R am r idge .

Most l ikely one by Mr . Metz .

1782, October 1 1th — D ined a t R am r idge with brother Benjn hou se

most e l ege nt l y finished two most su perb looking gla sses in yeDrawing room sa id to have cost origina lly a t Paris £500 each ;very dark wa lk home . Messrs L ev e r su ch and Crookshanks andsevera l ladies from London visiting Mr . Gaul es .

1784, April 17th .

— D ined a t R am r idge with Mr . W . , Mrs . Wa llop andMiss Ba iley and Messrs . Chamberla in, Barlow and Hayn es grea tcu tting down and gru bbing u p sed qu antum m u tatu s ab1110 .

The Manor of R am r idge , now the property of Ewe lmCollege

, Oxfordshire , wa s once owned by Geoffrey Chau cer ,th e poet . It ’s history may , it i s hoped be more completelyworked out in connection with Weyhil l Fa ir .The e state was purcha sed in 1 858 by M . H . Ma rsh

, Esq ,

M.P. There ar e many entries in the D iary a lluding to Mr .Talbot

,a gentleman I have not sa tisfactorily identified I am

Open to correction bu t I think tha t he must have l ived in themansion a t Quarley , sub sequently the residence of the Coxfamily

,which wa s pu l led down many years ago . Mr . Talbot

was a great sportsman and kept a pack of bou nds , which heused a t times for deer hunting .

Gen ial,scholarly and ta lented a s Mr . White m u st have

been,it i s no wonder tha t he was fond of company , especia lly

if there happened to be music , or tha t h e was a lways a mos twelcome guest . He was very much given to ou tdoor exercise ,and frequently mentions the keen del ight he found in hiswalks and rides

,that su ch a lover of nature was fond of dogs

38

goes without saying and there a r e many entries in his d iariesin which he al lu des to his dogs in affectiona te terms : thefol lowing anecdote of one of them , which wa s told me by W .

White, Esq ,

the Rector ’s grandson,is worth pre

serving He kept severa l sporting dogs , which wereadmitted to t h e hou se . One winter even ing an o ld pointer ,lying on th e hearthrug , started up barking having been letou t she returned in a short time t o her repose . The nextmorn ing some rail s were found broken up and ready to beca rried away . The depreda tor had been disturbed by the dogwhich had detected the trespass notwith standing the nu mberof person s pas sing c lose by along the high road . Fond of

his dogs and hi s gun and with a wa rm appreciation of sport ,the R e ctor did not recogn ise the rea l character of true sportin the so ca l l ed deer hunts .1 782, Janu ary 15th .

—Mr . Ta lbot ’s hou nds brou ght a doe throu gh th evillage, and took her a l ive in Farmer B e r r e t t ’s ri ck yard . Sheh ad r u n,

it wa s compu ted, abou t 15 miles , y e t looked lively and brisk .

Janu a ry 16 .th —The do e carried to Gi at e l y In a ca rt , poor anima l ,to be persecu ted aga in .

1 784, December 4th .

— Deer taken a t Thru xton byMr . Ta lbot’3 hou ndsafter a long cha ise it was cau ght in Conh ol t Wood by ye foxhou nds , having strayed from ye pen a t Gr a t e l y in ye summer .The Prince of Wa les expected to hunt deer with Mr . Ta lbot thismorning a t Sarson Copse , to come with Mr . Fitzroy from Dowle sLodge

, bu t prevented by ye we a ther .

The Prince of Wa les wa s of course afterwards George IV .

he did come in 1795 , and on November 4 th of that yea rhunted at Clatford Oakcu t s . C . F . Randolph

,Esq , J .P.

, of

Kimpton Lodge , has a bureau which was purchased at thesale at the hou se at Quarley , and the tradition c lings to itthat when he was vi siting at the hou se it was used by thePrince ofWale s to keep hi s George ” in .

The Rector went in for coursing , as witness the followingentry

,which , if it were dealt with as it ough t to be , wou ld

take several pages of notes to itself1 781 , D e c . 4th — Went ou t cou rsing with T . H . W .

, Sam . ,Chas , Gil .

and Bob Cane to se e ye Norfolk gent l n near Tidworth . Manyhorses

,bu t too many people spoiled the sport and bau lked the

hares from ru nning u p t h e hills , consequ ently many cau ght .Abou t 100 p ,eople E of Orford, L“ G . Lennox

,2 other Genl'

,

Howe and Pitt , Mrs . Howe and Mrs P itt , Dean of Sa ru m, &c . ,

&c . , Sir Jno Rou se , S ir G . Pau l .1781 , Dec . 7th .

—Boys went after the Norfolk gent l n wh o were cou rsingnear Lavingt on, therefore contented themselves with a cou rse nea rSnoddingt on, and brou ght home a fine ha re .

39

Of the distingu ished com pany mentioned above some mayeas11y be identified , the

“ E of Orford” was George,third

Earl of Orford , a lord of th e bedchamber , and ranger of St .James

’

s and Hyde Parks , who su cceeded to the title in 1 751 ,and died unma rried December 5 th ,

1791 , when the honour sreverted to his u nc le

,the celebra ted Horace Wa lpole , wh o

became fourth Earl , and died 1 797 . It wa s George , the thirdEarl , who d ispo sed of the splendid collection Ofp ictu re s m adeby his grandfa ther , Si r Robert Wa lpole , first Ea rl of Orford .

Sir George Onesiphoru s Pa u l , of R odborou gh , wa s the sonOf Sir Ones iphoru s Pa u l of Rodborou gh , co . Gloucester ,crea ted a baronet 3rd September

,1 7 62 .

General Lord George Lennox , M.P. for Su ssex , wa s th esecond son of Charle s

,second D u ke of Richmond

,he married

Louisa , daughter of the Marqui s of Lothian , and died in1 805 his son Charle s succeeded his uncle a s fourth Duke .Genera l Howe mu st have been the distingu ished com

mander in the American W a r .

W a s General P itt the son of D iamond Pitt wh o in

1 7 1 6 had bu ilt Abbot s Anne Chu rchIt i s high ly probab le tha t the Norfolk Gentlemen wa s

the name of a c lub, and while on thi s coursing tour the

members most likely made their headqua rters a t Amesbury .

Mr . Assh e ton Sm ith , the elder , wa s l iving in the neighbou rhood a t the t ime ; but not in Tedworth Hou se a s it is now ,

because tha t did not receive its present shape unti l 1828 . Ifthere was any hou se near a t which such gu e sts were m orelikely a t that date to be qu artered at than another it wou ldprobab ly be the Mansion a t Qu a rley , for there wa s a sportingmaster .An intere sting entry in the D ia ry for the year 178 1 records

a visit paid by Mr . White to Amesbury Hou se

1781 , Febru a ry 20th .

— Expedition to ye D uke of Q u e e nsbu r y’

s and

Stonehenge, Me t aqu e fe r vidis vix avita ta roti s .” “ Thu s ye

ancient Dru ids , &c . Excellent Shru b , Ch . Brandy , &c . Hou sea t Amesbu ry mu ch a ltered by ye present Du ke , the approa ch nowon the side next the tu rnpike .

Pi ctu res likewi se differently pla ced and some taken away .

Lady Forbes and Lady Clarendon possess the other ha lf of thi sgrand collection of portra its by Vandyke and Lely , wh ich wereformerly a l l to be seen together a t Cornbu ry Lodge , Oxfordshire .

General P itt wa s probably Sir William Au gu stu s P itt , K .B ., of

H e ckfie ld, Hants , wh o was a genera l in the a rmy he was the you n estson of George Pitt , Esq ,

of St r ath fie ldsa y e ; he died De ce m

l ljoe i

is1

8V9 .

40

1 781 , Febru a ry 22nd — Paper covering a t ye Du ke of Qu e ensbu ry’

s

new kitchen and cart hou se ; very light , beau tifu l and elegant , bu tqu ery whe ther du rable, and h ow expensive !

William Douglas , third Earl of Ma rch,fourth Duke of

of Queen sbury , was created an English peer Au gust , 1 78 6 ,by the t itle of Ba ron Dougla s of Amesbury . He d ied u n

married 1 8 10 . The pari sh of Kimpton adj o ins Fyfie l d, andin its qua int o ld church Mr . White frequently took servicefor the Rector , the Rev . E dward Foyle [sen ior] , who wasnon - res ident . Mr . Foyle , who had su cceeded in 1 750 theRev . Wi lliam Goodenough in the l iving Of Kimpton , heldthe stal l of Minor pars Al tar is” in Sa lisbury Cathedral ;he l ived at th e Manor Hou se , West Cholderton . The diarie srecord1784 , April 19th — Served K impton Chu rch l 0th time .26th — Mr . Foyle retu rned to K impt on Chu rch .

May 3rd— Served K impton Chu rch aga in,

making 11th time . Mr .Foyle ill and rema ins a t Ba th .

10th .- Serve d K impton Chu rch aga in 12th time . News a rrived

tha t Mr . Foyle died a t Bath la st Friday .

1 7th — Went to serve Kimpton be fore 10, bu t retu rned not b eingwant ed .

This Mr . Foyle was succeeded by the Rev . John Goddard ,who se a cquaintance we have already made while h e wasrector of Tedworth . He did not l ive long to enj oy hi s change ,dying in 1785 . Mr . Goddard wa s succeeded by the Rev .

Edward Foyle [j un ior] , son of the former Rector , whosedaughter married the Rev . Charle s Randolph , hi s successora t Kimpton . The present Chairman Of the Bench and of

the Board of Guardian s of Andover , C . Foyl e Randolph ,

Esq , M .A . , of Kimpton Lodge , i s the son of the last namedRector .Here is the record of v isit s made and rece ived during the

month of January , _

1 780 , as they are entered under therespective days . Just one word of introduction . I believewhenever Mr . White speaks of riding it i s on horseback , asa t this time

,1780 , I do not think he had a ca rriage for the

road ; later he set up a whisky,bu t when Mrs . White rode

with him , I have no doubt it wa s on a p illion behind him .

1780, Janu ary 2 Wa lked to R e denh am very thick fog and‘ gentle

thaw ; Mr. Holt not at home .”

3rd Went Famy . visit t o Mr .Topps, NO. 8 (i s ,

eight in nu mber) ; very warm close wea ther ;some few drops , bu t wind bea ring u p to N . 4th D ined at Dr .Smith’s . Venison . 6th Rode with Mrs . W . to Appleshaw ,

41

p m . Ground very cloggy ; mu ch ice in ponds , &c .

° wh ea t nippedby ye frost in some places , and ye blade withered . 10th Mr .and Mrs . Berrett and Mr. Goodall t o dinr . Rode to Abbott ’sAnne, Amport , &c . , &c . Ca lled on Mr . Bu rrou gh , Mr . Evans , Mr .D . , &c . 1 1th Went to dinner a t Mr . Andrews ’ . Very goodriding on the tu rnpike ; st ill weather and clou dy, nr . Ford .

14th Walked to Amport with Bessy and H . Woods .” 15thRode to Conh ol t Park wit-h S . Gravelly roads , not bad . Mr .Scroggs and Fam . with S ir Sydney Meadows .

”1 7th Rode to

Applesh aw with 2 E . W e . and H . Woods , and dined a t Mrs .Bu tcher ’s , Mr . Holt , Poll ens , &c . Grou nd very cloggy . 19thMr . Powl e t t ’s fami ly and Mr . Du ke ’s to dinner ; Mr . P . and

Mr s . Duk e u nable to come .

”21st Mr . M ebbot

’

s fam . and Dr .S im son ’s dined here . ” 25th D ined a t R e denh am ; J . A .

'

andH . s . , Celestina , &c .

To deal with thi s group of Rector White ’s friends fir st ,there are some who will recur aga in and aga in we are su reabout . “ Mrs . W .

”wa s hi s wife .

“ S ”was hi s son

Sampson . The “2 E . W s .

” were Mrs . White and theirdaughter E liz abeth

,Bessy . Henry Woods wa s a pupil ,

apparently on very friendly terms with the fam i ly , withwhom be frequently went on their v is its . Mr . and Mrs .Berrett and Mr . Gooda l l were

,I am almost sure

,farmers at

Fyfie ld. It i s natu ra l to u s to a ssocia te the name of Pollenwith R e denh am but at the time these diaries were writtenit was the res idence of Wa lter Holt , Esq ,

who se onlydaughter

,Louisa ,

married in 1778 ,Mr . afterwards S ir John

Pollen,crea ted a Baronet 1 795 .

Mr . Holt rebu i lt R e de nh am Hou se,a s the following entry

in Mr . White ’ s d iary shows , at hi s death the estate passed tohis son - in - law

,S ir John Pollen

,in who se fam ily it remains

to this day .

1784, December l e t— D ined at R edenh am with two E.W '. and

m e t Dr . and Mrs . E lk ins , Mr . Selwyn and Bf- in- l aw ;

Doe Venison . New hou se covered in and ye parapet ra ised , rou ghwa lking in Chapell lane .

SO great i s the in tere st of this neighbourhood in the mostworthy fam i ly of Pollen , tha t I think I may be excu sed if Ihere give some part Of their pedigree . I do thi s chiefly onthe a u thority Of Burke . Edwa rd Pollen

,of London , mer

chant,who se fam ily had l ived in L incolnshire

,died about

1 6 36 . Hi s surviving son , John Pollen , of London , m erchant ,m a rried Anne , daughter of Wil liam Bernard , Esqr e .

,and

widow ofN icholas Venab le s , of Andover , whose monument ison the SE. wal l of Andover Church . Thi s John Pollen was

42

M.P. for Andover , and had a son , a l so named John Pol len ,who wa s a l s o M .P. for Andover

,who was thrice m a rried .

By hi s 1 st wife E lizabeth , daughter of Phi lip Jackson , of

London , he had a son Edwa rd , with whom we are not j u stnow concerned . By hi s second wife

,France s

,daughter of

Edward Exton , Esqr e .

, he had a son,John

,who died

young ; and by his third wife,Ma ry

,daughter of Edwa rd

Sherwood , Esqr e he had a son,al so John Pollen

,and a lso

M .P. for Andover , the third in succession of that name .

He wa s one of the j udges of Wa les . He married Hester,

dau ghter of Pau let St . John,Esqr e .

,of Dogm e r sfie ld Park .

His daughter , E lizabeth , m arried George Hungerford, Esqr e . ,

of Stu dley , in Wiltshire . He was succeeded by his son,a l so

John Pollen , afterwards S ir John Pollen , being crea ted aba ronet in 1 795 . He was first of the name a t R e de nh am .

He married first , 1 778 , Louisa , daughter of Walter Holt ,Esqr e .

, of R e de nh am , who died 18 th Ju ly , 1798 , hi s secondwife was Cha rity Ann , daughter and co - heir of RichardSouthby , Esqr e . , ofBu lford , Wi lts , who died 1 830 . Sir JohnPollen , first baronet , died 17 th Augu st , 1 8 14 . He had twoson s . Hi s eldest son , Sir John Walter Pollen , born 6 thApril , 1784 , and d ied 2nd May, 18 63 , h ad no issue by hi swife , Charlot te E lizabeth , only daughter of the R e v . JohnCraven , of Chilton House , Wi lt s , wh o died 7 th October , 1877 .

The second son of Sir John Pollen , first ba ronet , was RichardPolle n , of L incoln

’s Inn , and R odbou rne , Wilt s born 1 7 thApril

,178 6 , married 14 th Janu ary , 1 8 15 , Anne , daughter of

Samuel Pepys Cockerell , Esqr e . , of Westbou rne , Middlesex .

He died 7 th Febru ary , 1838 ; h is son succeeding to the titleof his uncle became S ir Richard Hungerford Pollen , thirdba ronet . On his death in April , 1 88 1 , he was succeeded byhis son the present baronet .The Pollen ’s coat of arms is Az . on a bend , cotised or,

between s ix loz enges arg . ea ch charged with an escallopsab le , five escal lops vert . The crest i s a pelican , wingsexpanded in her nest , per pale or and a z .

, vuln ing herselfand feeding her young proper ; cha rged on the wing with aloz enge arg .

,thereon an esca llop sab le . It is c lear, then ,

tha t the Mr . Pollen who so frequently figure s in these diariesi s the John fourth of tha t name , who was afterwards createda baronet .I am indebted to John Dudman , E sq . , of Ro sslyn Hil l,

Hampstead,for the manu script in “ fa ir copy ” of severa l

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

44

AN ELEGYOcca sioned by the death of Ma ry the wife of John Pollen , Esq ,

Andover .Oh cru ell fates , and thou , too , cru ell death ,Why dost thou with inva lu able brea thThu s make thy sports P And wh y dost thou refu seTo give some respite t o a brea thless mu se PWou ld it not sa tia te thee the fru it to take PBu t mu st thou a lso ev ’n the body breakFrom whence it sprang , which might have yielded moreHadst thou not thu s its very vita l l s tore .I ’d a lmost sa id thou h ea rs ’t a Spite , 0 death ,

*Aga inst the best of familys on earth .

For this I grieve , for this I make m y mone ;And ’ ti s for this my mu se makes su ch a dolefu l tone,And that with ju sti ce ; for the choicest wifeTo the best hu sband hath resigned her life .

Oh how sha ll I give vent u nto my t ears ?My tongu e is dumb , my mu se oppr e st with fears ,Lest sh e shou ld mong great Poll en ’s lady ’s fameWith verse tha t s ba ld , verse tha t IS wea k and lameBu t withou t this I can ’t the du ty doWhich I to her transcendent Merritts owe ,Whom I m ay j u stly say wa s grea t and goodFor , su re , her vertu e was a l ly

’

d t ’her blood ,Which from no less a Family did springThan Sherwood’s lofty for my mu se to s ingHer piety and goodness were too highFor su ch an humble mu se a s mine to fly .

Her converse plea sing wa s,with pr oflit t join

’

d,She always cu rteou s wa s and a lways kind ,And condescending to the lowly mind .

Unto her preciou s memory the poorOwe grateful thanks , for mak ing many a cu reOn them when ve x ’

d with dism a l l sores and bla ins ,E ’en cra zed with grief for their excessive pa ins .If sh e i s dead , cry they, we cannot live ,W h o long did by her charity su rvive ,Joyn

’

d with a knowledge in the hea ling Art,Which God to her did l ibr al ly impa rt .And for a wife search a l l the kingdom rou ndFor goodn ess scarce her equ a l] can be fou ndTo her dear spou se (th

’

Almighty grant that heA long, long blessing on the ea rth m ay be)I say her love to tha t great m an wa s su chThat sh e thou ght nothing in the world too mu chTo do for him, wh o to retu rn her loveGave his , resembling wha t t hey do above .

H e av’n to this cou ple gave so va st a store

Of happiness 1n love, they cou ld not wish for more

Two of h e r ch ildre n dy ing som e tim e be fore h e r .

4 5

Nay , bu t one thing was wanting to complea tThi s h appine s su bstantia l] ,

’twa s so grea t ,Which wa s (pit ty t h ad not) a longer date .

I never heard, nor ever yet cou ld findA mother so indu l gent and so kind ,As sh e t ’her children wa s , the darlings of her mind .

Nay , to her m enia ll servants ; a lways sheSo ca lm and condescending u s

’

d to be ,As if they were a lmost her fellow qu ality .

Bu t ah I my mu se a t length is wea ry grown ,Al l r e ady she to su ch a pitch ha th flownConsid

’

r ing, t oo , tha t sh e mu st higher flyIf she her u ntold vert u es wou ld descry ,Which a r e above the clou ds nay , e ’en above the sky .

Besides su rveying what ’ s a lready done ,My watery eyes qu ite stopt her going on.

SC . (1711

Conh ol t Park comes in for Rector White ’s enthu s iasticadmiration

1780, December 5th — Rode with S ir P . H . C . , and spent the day wi thS ir S idney Meadows , Mr . Scroggs and Pam ? a t Conh ol t Park .

Walked rou nd do . , the most lovely scenery of evergreens possiblet o be imagined . The deer in Sir S idney Meadow ’s Pa rk remarkablyfine and large .

1782, Ju ly 24th .— Rode t o Conh ol t Pa rk , Sir S idney making h ay and

bu ilding ba rns . Wheat looks strong and well , some la id verymu ch by ye ra ins , other corn prosperou s bu t ra ther late , h aycu tting a t R am r idge , mu ch spoilt a t Clanvi lle and mu ch standingin and abou t ye pa rk .

Sept ember 2nd — Mr . Wentworth with Mr . A and Chas : toConh ol t pa rk, beau tifu l day and prospect-s, Isle ofWight seen veryclearly. Alfred’s Column a t Mr . Hoa r ’s very visible in ye morn .

F ine hau nch of venison for D 1”

. Mr . Da le to Amesbu ry on Sancho,and to Stonehenge .

September 4th — Sir S idney Meadows horses in the most exqu isitea ccu racy of discipline in the menage , and very bea u tiful in thisform . The ma ster a m iracle of the most a lert agility.

The great importance to local history , a s well as theeminence of the person s themselves , ca l l s imperatively fora short pedigree of the fam ilie s connected with Conh ol t .Dan iel Me e dowe , of Ch a tish am , born 1577 , d ied 1 651 , by

hi s wife E lizabeth had a son , S ir Philip Medows , Amba ssadorto Denmark and Sweden

,born 1 625 , died 1 6 September ,

17 18 , who married Constance , da u ghter of S ir Tho s . Lucy ,of Charlecote

,and h ad i ssu e S ir Philip Medows , Kn ight

Marshal of the King ’s Pa la ce , died 3 December 1 757 , whomarried Dorothy

,sister of Henry Boscawen , l st Viscount

Falmouth,and had is sue three son s and five daughters ; the

46

eldes t son i s the S ir S idney Meadows,of Conh ol t , who

succeeded his fa ther a s marshal of the palace,and married

Jemima , daughter of the Hon . Chas . Montague,youngest

son of the first Ear l of Sandwich , bu t d ied in 1 792 , s .p .

He was succeeded by his brother , Philip Meadows , Esq ,

Depu ty Ranger of K ich m ond Pa rk , who married the LadyFrances , dau ghter of Wi lliam Pie r r e point , Ear l of Kingstontheir son Cha rle s , born 14 November

,17 37 , a ssumed t h e

name of Pie r r e point , and on the dea th of hi s u ncle , thesecond Du ke of Kingston , wa s created 23 Ju ly , 1 796 , Ba ronPie r r e point and Viscou nt Newa rk , and ma de Ear l Manver s9 April , 1806 . He ma rried Anne Orton , da u ghter of JohnMills

,Esq , of Richmond , who died 24 Augu st

,1 832 .

They had issue Charles Herbert , second E arl , and the Rt .Hon . Henry Manver s Pierpoint , of Conh o l t Park , P.C .

,

formerly envoy to the Cou rt of Denma rk,born 18 Ma rch ,

1 780 , died 10 November , 1 8 51 , who married the Lady Sophia ,dau ghter of Henry , 1 st Ma rquis of Exeter , who died 1 823their daughter Lady Cha rle s Wellesley , the late owner of

Conh o l t , was the wife of Lord Charles Wellesley , son of t h egreat Duke of Wellington , d ied 9 October , 1 858 ,

and who seson s a r e the present Duke of Wellington and Lord ArthurWellesley .

Rector White expresses an op in ion on Bidde sden Hou se ,which we shal l not a ll agre e with . The first visit of the writerto that most intensely intere sting place , was an experiencenever to be forgotten . The drive through grounds ornamentedwith trees of immense age , pa ssing on the way to the housepart of the terra ced garden with it s bowling al leys , broughtus to a bui lding

,the facade of which h a s certainly not been

altered since it wa s built by Genera l Webb , one of Marlborough’ s most distingui shed officers , who will live for everin the page s of Thackeray ’ s “ E smond . When the doorclosed behind u s it seemed to shut out the nineteenth centurya ltogether , and transport one as by magic into the time ofthe ga llant Genera l , whose pictu re on a very la rge scale face sthe door . The kitchen and it s smokej a ck , vast tab le and

dres ser,the meat sa fe app roached by a stair, standing in the

qu aintest of quads,

” the fu rnitu re , su ch a collection a s bu tseldom fea sts the eyes of a lover of things ancient , very mu chof it probab ly the Genera l ’s own , and the china ! It i snece ssa ry even in rem iniscence to insi st on the fa ct tha tother men’ s goods” a r e not to be coveted .

47

The Webb s sold the p roperty to the Everetts,and it i s

probab ly thi s sal e which Mr . White refers to .

1782, September 30th . Went to Bidde sdon Sa le Exh ibition , yehou se melancholy ; ye situ a tion il l chosen and ye fu rnitu re veryindifferent , most u nfortu na te specimens of ta ste , particu larly inPrints . "

Mr . White gives the old and nea rly forgotten name ofBl issam or e Ha l l to Clanvi lle Lodge

,now the residence of

Mrs . Fa ith . Wha t the clu b held there wa s I do not know .

Tradition points to the fine chestnu t tree s in the field , calledthe Grove ,

” at Penton , as the rema ins of an avenue onceextending t o tha t hou se .

1 783 , Janu a ry 20th . Wa lked to Sir S idney Meadows with Sam and

Cha s , fou nd do . gone ou t , wa lked round ye park after do . Mr .and Mrs . Scroggs and M iss there

,her br o . gone to dine with ye

Lu na tic Clu b a t Bl issam or e Ha ll . Very rou gh and hard walking ;retd home near midn ight , mu ch driving snow a l l ye way .

In Penton Mewsey,a t th e Lodge

,now the sea t of Mr . and

Lady Su san Sutton , Mr . Crookshanks wa s then living , withwhom the Fyfie ld parson wa s on terms of intima cy .

1 78° October 1 7th . Rode to Penton a fter Breakfa st to treat abou tMr . Crookshank ’s bla ck ma re . Presented with hi s remnant of

claret, 19 bottles .”

19th . Cla ret br t home in Bu ck land ’s ca rt,horse r an away with the

cart and greatly endangered the ca rgo .

”

22nd . Mr . Crookshank ’s au ction a t Penton began yes ty , finishedt o - day . Bou ght his bla ck ma re for £7 , la rge looking - gla ss a t

£2 l 6s , ova l do . a t £2 3 8 , tota l £11 195 . Bou ght a lso ye ga rdenstone roller for Mr . Cane a t 1 1 5 . Articles above £1 1 193£12

23rd .

—“ Mr . Crookshank ca lled to take leave . Looking - gla sses br thome and fixed u p in ye Drawing - room .

”

It wa s to Penton Lodge Mr . Thoma s Assh e ton Sm ithcame in 1826 and stayed here till 1828 , when having effectedmany a lteration s a t Tedworth Hou se after his father ’ s deathhe removed thither , bu t it was to Penton he brought hisbride

,Maria , second dau ghter of W illiam VVebbe r , Esq , of

Binfie l d Lodge , Berks . There are many occas ions on whichhis father ’ s n ame i s mentioned , bu t nothing particu lar saidabout him . We sha l l find the better known foxhu nter figuringin the log books of the Rev . C . H . White .Very many interesting a l lu sions to the person s and pla ces

j u st named wil l be fou nd in S i r John E . Ea r dley -Wi lmot ’ sReminiscences of Thomas Assh e ton Sm ith , E sq .

48

The most nob le fami ly of Pa u let wi ll be famous a s long a s

Engli sh history i s read , bu t it had more local centres in thispart ofHampshire in the se vent e e th and eighteenth centurie sthan it has now , so tha t we c la im a c lo ser intere st in it

,than

that which we sha re with the rest of the cou nty . There wasa settlement a t Knights Enham

,which I have not yet c leared

up , but the branch a t Hu rstbourne Ta rrant i s intimately conne ct e d with the head of the fam ily a t Amport , the seat of thepremier Ma rqu is of England . The White s of Fyfie ld continned on terms of intimate friendship with the fam ily atAmport , and mention of them i s continu a lly occurring in thed iaries . Another fam ily in the same village named Dukewere in the same pleasant circle of friends .

1 782 , Febru ary 3r d — Mr . Powl ett called .

May 18 th .

— Mr . Powlett, j u n . , ca lled .

Ju ly l 0th .

— Mrs . Powlett and Mrs . and M iss D u ke to t e a .

1 781 , Febru ary 1 st .

—Mr . Powl e t t’

s pa inted gla ss a rrived in a tru nk .

Febru ary 26 th — Mr . Powlett, lawn levelling and grou nd forming .

Febru a ry 13 th .

- Sent the pa inted gla ss to Amport,vesp .

Augu st 16th .

— Borrowed Mr . Powl e t t ’s telescope it i s a very fineclear reflector for day obj ects , bu t a la s I the Planets a r e t oo fa r off.

Au gu st 18t h .

— Ju piter ’s satellites tolerably distinct throu gh thetelescope .

October 4th .

— Sent Mr . Powl e t t’

s Reflecting Telescope home bySop ,

and a Tru ck l e cheese .

1782 , Janu a ry 25th .

—Rode to Mr . D u ke ’s , a .m ., pu t string in ye Piano .

Andover Ga zette , &c . D ined a t Mr . Powl e t t ’s , received in fu llfor cheese . The new approach to Amport Hou se forming .

The Mr . Powlett so often referred to mu st , I feel sure ,have been George , you ngest son of Norton Pow lett , Esq , of

Amport,by hi s w ife Jane , da u ghter of S ir Charle s Worsley ,

of Droxford . He succeeded in 1 794 a s 12th Marqui s of

Winchester ; he married Martha , daughter of Thoma sIngoldsby

,E sq . Mr . White d ied in 178 8 , which wa s before

hi s friend came into his title , but in the Log Books of hisson ,

the Rev . C . H . White , he is spoken of a t once1 795) a s Lord Winchester .The pa inted gla s s mentioned in the diary m ay very

probably be tha t stil l to be seen in Amport Church in thewindow of the transept which forms the Marqu i s ’ s pew .

Some of it a t any ra te i s seventeenth century , thou gh it i snow leaded in with modern gla s s .George

,1 2 th Marquis ofWinchester , d ied 22mdApri l , 1 800 .

There i s,however

,an interesting alliance in thi s branch

of the fam ily . We mu st not pass over withou t notice Lord

49

Henry Pawlett , second surviving son of Wil liam ,4th Marquis

— settled at Amport , and married Lucy , daughter of SirGeorge Philpott, of Thruxton , who lived where Mr . B ai leyl ives now , and an account of the troub le s of whose familywi ll be found in H ants No te s a nd Qu e r ie s , Vo l . v . p . 8 .

The Mr . Paw lett , afterwards 12th Marquis,mentioned above

,

was the is sue of this marriage .I am indebted to Mrs . Straton , of Wi lton , for the u se of

t h e “ Log Books” for 1 795 , 1 797 , and 1 798 , which werekept by the Rev . Charles Henry White , who lived on in thesame hou se after hi s father ’s death . Thi s gentlemanmarried

, 3rd, June , 1802 , Chri stian , daughter of AlexanderSt . Barbe , E sq . She died 9th Ju ne , 1 806 , aged 22 , and i sburied at Fyfie ld . He continued to serve ” some of thechurche s hi s fa ther had officiated in .

It will not be nece ssary to give very many extract s fromhi s Log Books

,

” which have but compara tively few obse r

vations , and are almost entirely la cking in the quaint andgraphic detail that distinguishe s his fa ther ’s j ournal s . Aswil l be seen

,they carry down the hi storie s and notices for

fourteen ye a rs,but in most cases the entrie s are expla ined by

what has a lready been said. The Rev . C . H . White died25th October

,1 859 .

1795, Jan l st .

— A robin in Fyfie ld Copse so tamed by the cold a s tofollow SW . when shooting and settle some time on h is gu n .

Mr . Powlett had now come into his title,and we note ,

1795 , Janu a ry 4th served Tidworth 6th time . SW . and

C .H .W . dined a t Lord Winchester ’s .Janu a ry 9th — Mr . Asheton Smith ca l led , wa lked from Tidworth .

Janu ary 24th .

— Wild goose shot in the meadows .

Ju l y 12th ca lled a t Mr . Ashton Smith ’s . Sir John Pollenca lled . T.H .W . a rrived from London on horseba ck .

Ju ly 22 ,— SW . and C .H .W . to the visita tion a t Andover . C .H .W .

to Enham Sa le .

Probab ly this sa le wa s a t Enham Place on the death of

David Dewar,Esq ,

who died at Milford,near Lymington

,

December,1794 .

1795 , November 1 l th .

— S.W ,to Oxford , on horseba ck to Newbu ry .

Mr . Foyle ca lled . Settled K impton C u racy.

1797 , Febru a ry 13 th .

— Sent D ick to Romsey to swear in a s su bstitu t efor SW . in the Provincia l Ca va l ry. Sir Thos . Ch a m pne y s ca lled .

April l 1t h — The Prince ofWa les ’s Hou nds a t Abbots Anne Wood .

The Prince , wh o i s visiting a t Mr , Cox’s,hu nting with them very

la rge field .

50

April 12th .— Mr . Cox ’s Hou nds with Bag Fox and Box Ha res a t

Ju niper Hill ; good sport . The Prince of .W a l e s , e tc . , withthem .

May 12t h .

—May Day kept dancers pretty numerou s notwith standing the showery wea ther . A ba ttle threatened between Man

Lansl e y and Wa ters , of Thru xton .

Ju ne 24 .

-S.W . to Stockbridge with D ick to have h is u n iform , &c .,

for the Cava lry .

ept e m be r 9th .

—Agreed with O ld Hu tchins for D ick ’s wages t o befou r gu inea s for the next year .

December 14th .

— Mr . Asheton Smith ’s E lection a t Andover .December 19th — Thanksgiving Day for Nava l Victories .

1 798 , April 4th to Andover t o appea l aga inst the TaxedCart being su rcharged a s a one horse cha ise . A meeting ofrogu esand fools .

May 8th .

— The whisky, a lia s Taxed Ca rt , taken to piece s , the seat

made into a ga rden cha ir .

Ju ly l 6t h . to Andover to appea l abou t Tax Cart ; got ofi

the su rcha rge .Ju ly 2oth .

— Began era sing the crest from the books in consequ enceofNew Tax .

Ju ly 2l st .

— Sent spoons , &c . ,to ha ve th e crests taken ou t .

Au gu st 2l st .— S.W . with his Bride , la te Miss F . White , a rrived

from Selborne to dinner .September 4th .

— Pa rt of the Glou cester Militia pa ssed over Fyfie ldfield in 20 waggons , on their way t o Ireland, by a forced ma rchthey go fifty miles a day .

November 29th .

— Thanksgiving Day for Lord Nelson’s Victory over

the French,la rge congrega tion , bell ringing, 8110 .

December 22nd — The parlou r chimney R om fordiz e d.

The youngest son of Rector Henry White , who we read ofin his very earliest days in the diaries , the Rev . FrancisHenry White

,wa s chapla in in the Royal Navy from 18 1 1 to

1 8 14,before he became Vicar of the first Me dity of Patti shall .

He too kept a Log Book of sim ilar character for over fiftyyears withou t interm ission , but I have not seen it . In allprobability more of the volumes of the D iarie s from which wehave quoted are in existence , and may some day furn ishfurther extract s of interest .Enough has , however , been given to show the thoroughly

typ ical character of the family to which we owe the delightfu lHistory of Selborne . The fam ily i s stil l abundantly r epr e

sented by its members , who are distinguished in va riou sprofessions , and as a fam i ly seem to have made GilbertWhite ’ s asp iration their common motto .

I was born and bred a gentleman and hope I m ay be a l lowed to diesu ch .

And I think ou r delight in his graceful writings i s

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CHAPTER II .

KIMPTON.

Kimpton , as we see it on the Ordnance map,is the fifth

in size of the parishes within the valley of the Anna ; andin rega rd to popu la tion i t stands in the n inth place . Andover ,including Sm anne l l and H ath e rden, and enclo sing the ancientparish of Knights Enham , so fa r exceed s al l its ruralneighbours , tha t comparison with them is hardly possible , itsacreage being l ittle short of tw ice and a ha lf tha t of even thela rgest of them . Kimpton , however , with an area of 27 10

a cres,i s only exceeded by Amport

,Abbotts Ann

,and

Goodworth Clatford if Andover be om itted . It l ies nearlydue north and south , mea sured in which direction it i s aboutthree m ile s long , whi le from east to west it i s two m ile s . It

is bounded on the north by Ludgershall , and on the northwest by North Tedworth , both in Wilts , on the west by SouthTedworth and Shipton Bellinger , on the south by Thruxton ,and on the east by Fyfie l d.

In regard to level s the Bench marks show the lowe st po intto be j ust south of the Church , where the stream runsinterm ittently on its way through Fyfie ld, 254 feet above thesea . The highest po int i s j ust on the north - west boundary

,

where the road from Ludgersha ll comes in , 4 20 feet ; so thatthe difference between the highe st and lowest parts is 1 66feet . Pickford Hil l on the west is 400 feet , Kimpton DownFarm

, 338 , and Grea t Sh odde sde n, 327 feet . Whateverwa ter there i s or ever has been mu st have flowed ou t by thesou th - ea st corner of the parish , where a r e situated theChu rch

,the ol d Rectory , and Kimpton Lodge .

None of the great Roman roads we know of ran near thepari sh ; bu t the chief road shown on the map i s the onewhich wou ld take the traveller south ea stwa rd throu ghWeyhill , Andover , and Harewood Forest to Micheldever , andnort h - west to Ludgershall .

53

In the south - west corner of the pari sh near Pickford Hil lis a Tumu lu s

,which will ca ll for fu rther notice la ter on .

A compa ra tively sma l l amou nt of wood exists ; KimptonWood

,L ittleton Copse

,and Newdown Copse a r e the prin

cipa l , none of which a r e of grea t extent .Having thu s exam ined the physica l fea tu res of the country

we sha l l be the better prepa red to inqu ire who have been thepeople inhabiting Kimpton in the pa st , and wha t have beentheir life ’ s storie sAnd fir st

,it wil l be convenient to have a defin ite time to

start from,and it i s natura l to make tha t sta rting point the

Doomsday Su rvey .

We find there tha t within the area now form ing the p arishof Kimpton there had for a long long period been threemanors — Sh odde sde n , L ittleton , and Ch e m onstu ne — forKimpton

,after a l l

,i s bu t a comparatively modern form of t h e

name . The account given stands thu s

Hu gh de Port holds Littleton , and Azor held it a llodia lly of K ingEdward . It wa s then a ssessed a t 5 hides and now a t 5 ya rd lands .Here a r e 4 plou gh lands , 2 in demesne and 5 villeins , and 6 bordererswith 3 plou ghlands . The woods a r e u nprodu ctive . Its va lu e in thetime of K ing Edwa rd wa s ten shi llings, and a fterwa rds

, and i s now ,

fou r pou nds . Hu gh de Port holds Ch e m ont u ne , and Goisfr id holds itu nder him , and W e ne si held it a llodia lly of King Edward . It wa sthen as now a ssessed a t 2 hides . Here a r e three plou ghlands , 2 indemesne

, and 2 vill e ins and 8 borderers with 1 plou ghland : a lso oneservant and woods which a r e u nprodu ctive . The valu e in the time ofK ing Edwa rd was sixty shillings , afterwards forty shillings, and nowfou r pou nds .Age m u nd holds Sh ot e sde ne of the K ing , and he held it a llodia lly of

Qu een Eddid . It wa s then a s now a ssessed a t one hide . Here i s oneplou ghland , one ha lf in demesne , the other held by a villein . Its va lu ewa s fifteen shillings and now is ten shillings .

The names of the manors let u s a l ittle into their history

If we compa re t h e loca l names in England with those on t h e C0 11t ine nt we sha ll find tha t for more than a thou sand yea rs England h asbeen distinctly and pie

- eminently the land of incl osu res . The su flixe swhich occu r most frequ ently in Anglo - Sa xon names denote an enclosu reof some kind— something hedged , wa lled in , or protected . An exam ination of these names shows u s tha t the love of priva cy and the se cl usive ne ss of character which i s often la id to the cha rge of Englishmenprevailed in fu ll force among the ra ces which imposed names on o u r

English villages . The preva lence of these su ffixes in English namesproves a lso h ow intensely the nation was imbu ed with the sa credna tu re of property, and h ow eager every m an wa s to possess some spotwhich he cou ld ca ll his own and gu ard from the intru sion of everyother m an .

54

The su ffix tort constitu tes a sort of t est word by which we a r e

enabled to discrimina te the Anglo - Saxon settlements . It is the m ostcommon t ermination of Engli sh loca l names ; and, a lthou gh it is

.

a

tru e Teu toni c word, y e t there is scarcely a single instance of it in

Germany .

The primary meaning of the su ffix “to rt ” is t o be sou ght in the

Gothic ta ins,the old Norse t e inn ,

”and the Fri sian t ens , a l l of

which mean a twig, a radica l significa tion which su rvives in the phra sethe tine of a fork .

” Hence a tu n or ton was a place su rrou nded bya hedge, or ru dely fortified by a palisade . Origina lly it meant only asingle croft

,homestead or fa rm , and the word kept thi s meaning in th e

time of W icl iffe . H e transla tes St . Ma tthew xxii . 5 Bu t theidispise den , and wenten forth con t o his tou n , another to hismarchandise .”Bu t in most ca ses th e i solated ton became the nu cleu s of a village ;the village grew int o a town ; and, la st stage of a l l , the word town h a scome to denote no t the one sma ll croft inclosed from the forest by th eSaxon settler, bu t the dwelling pla ce of a va st popu la tion twice asgreat a s that Which the Whole of Saxon England cou ld boa st .

These extracts,which I have preferred to make in his own

language,from Canon Isaac Taylor ’ s Words and Place s”

(pp . 124,1 25 , account for the sign ificance of the names

of other pari she s in ou r va l ley , a s Penton , Thruxton andMonxton , and another passage from the same book (p . 387 )wil l help u s still further to realise the growth of the pa r ish ofKimpton

W e me e t with indication of the exist ence of extensive esta tes on

which stood la rge hou ses , occa siona lly of stone , bu t more frequ ently of

wood , for the residences of the proprietor su rrou nded by the mm , or

inclosu re for ca ttle , and the ba r tu n, or inclosu re for the gathered crops .Rou nd the homestead were enclosed fields with barns , mills and weirs .There were deta ched ou tlying sheep folds and sheep cotes, with residence s for the serfs

, and special pa stu rages were a llotted to swine andgoa ts . The esta tes were separa ted from one another by a m a r k or

broad bou ndary of woodl and . There were open forest pa stu res fed byswine . In these woodlands the preva lent vegeta tion consisted of thethorn, hazel , oak , a sh , lime, elm and fern . The maple , beech , birch ,a spen and willow grew less abu ndantly .

We shall probab ly be j u stified in conc luding that as thewoods in thi s case are said to be “ unproductive there wa sbut a smal l proportion of beech and oak to furn ish pannage”

for the hogs .The suffix den indicates a wooded valley W here the swine

pastured , which wa s presumab ly the origin of the name of themanor ofSh ot t e sdene .

A special interest has always attached to Sh ot t e sdene ,which comes ou t a s early as the Doomsday Survey . L ike

55

Penton Grafton it was held by the lovely and sa intly QueenEdith , wife of Edward the Confessor , daughter of E arlGodwin and si ster of Ha rold . There a r e few more attractivecha racters in history than this gentle and beau tifu l thou ghbadly trea ted queen . Her bea u ty and sweetnes s of cha racterwere p roverbia l

,a s were her skil l in needlework and lea rning

genera lly .

I have quoted in The Story of W herwell Abbey , whereshe sojourned for a time

,the verse Ingu lph of Croyland gives

about her

As comes the rose from the thornCame Edith from Godwin ;Thu s ou t of it wa s made a cou rteou s verse

,

Of which Clerks knew well the FrenchTha t is Scou t sp ins. r osa mGenu it Godwin/ as Edith am .

It is hardly probab le that we shal l ever trace ou t any particu l ar s of Q u een E dith ’ s connection with the manor of

Sh odde sden . She held it a llodial ly, or in other word s i t was

her freehold but there is no tra ce of her being at Kimpton .

Hugh de Port , who held Kimpton and L ittleton , was alarge landowner

,and h ad many m anors besides these ;

amongst them part of the Anna Cou ntry , which from him getsthe name of Amport . ” Mu die

,in his transla tion of the

Doomsday Book ofHampshire , remarks on Amport being oneof the very few m anors of which it s pre sent proprietor cansay tha t it wa s held by his ancestor in the reign ofWilliamthe Conqueror , the Ma rqui s of Winchester being a linea ldescendant of Hugh de Port .W e get some ind ication of the popula tion of Kimpton in

the time of the Conqueror by comparing the particu lars

gl ven .

Thu s in L ittleton there were 5 v ille ins .Ch e m onstone 2

Sh ot e sde ne 1

These v illan i with their families were in servitude to thelord of the soi l like the rest of the ca ttle and stock on it ,and held the folk land by which they supported themselve sand their fam il ies

,and from which they wou ld be removed at

their lord ’s wil l,bu t not their own. The vi llein performed

56

practically the same service s in hi s day for kind a s theagricu ltural labourer now - a - days perform s on a farm for aweekly wage .Of borderers and cottagers there were 6 in L ittleton

,and

8 in Ch e m onstone , but none in Sh o t e sdene .

There does not appear to have been more than one of thec lass of Servi or E sne , the least free of the dependents on amanor , and this was in Ch e m onstu ne .

So that we get a total of about 1 6 fam ilie s within the areanow form ing the parish of Kimpton .

In after times , when the Hu ndred Courts were more fu llydeveloped and the record kept of the view of Frank pledge ,the Kimpton manors were in al l probabi lity inc luded in thet ith ing with Fifie ld, and bore the name of that village , andfrom that source we may hope to gather further informationas to it s people .Before we lay the map as ide there is an historical incident

of much interest , which ought to be noticed , and whichbelongs to Kimpton from it s proxim ity to Ludgersha ll .Along the road

,which , as we have already noticed , crosse s

the top of the parish , there ru shed one September Sundayin the year 1 140 , a pan ic stricken ho st with a t any rate oneterrified woman in their m idst, sparing neither spur northreats nor b lows to urge horse s and men to reach theshelter of the Wilt shire fortress a s quickly as m ight be .The hot haste of that ride has been drawn for u s by the penof an eye witnes s , and it i s the m ost exciting story in theannal s of this quiet Hampshire valley . Once again , indeed ,dur ing the grea t rebel lion , we have a cha s e of retreating m e n

by the fierce sold iers who h ad surprised them ,and the

entrie s in the register of burial s“

a t Andover preserve t h ememory of tha t sha rp encou nter . Otherwise the recordsof ou r valley are records ofpeacefu l rura l life . If I am rightin believing that the B attle of Sce or stan wa s contested withsuch indom itab le courage and su ch terrible ca rnage on boths ides on t h e plain country below Weyhill , we m ay reckonone of the ea rlie st ba ttle - fie lds noted in the History of

England a s among the interesting feature s of our parts .But I do not think that there are more than these threeoccasion s in which war h a s come within the hi ll framedpicture of peace presented by the basin of the Anna . Maythat peace ever be continued to u s , and in God

’s good timeplenteou snes s once more be granted .

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58

I think fit (says the writer of the Ge s ta St ep h a n/ i) to give here a

short a ccorm t of those who,collect ing their forces

,j oined the Cou ntess

in this siege, in order tha t the reader m ay reflect tha t it wa s not byman ’s strength bu t by the marvell ou s power of the Al mighty that so

va st and so mighty a host wa s qu ickly su bdu ed and dispersed , madecaptive and annihilated, as will be shown in what follows . There wa sDavid , king of the Scots

,who

, a s I have before na rra ted , h ad beena lready twice driven from England in shamefu l discom fit u r e , and wa snow a third time to his deep disgra ce and with grea t peril to hi sfoll owers forced to flee as many others were . There were a lso Robert,Ea rl of Glou cester

,Regina ld , ba stard son of K ing Henry and Ea rl of

Cornwa ll ; Milo of Glou cester , wh o wa s now made Ea rl of Herefordto the sa tisfa ction of a l l ; Ranu lf , Earl of Chester ; Ba ldwin , Ea rl ofExeter ; Roger , Earl of Warwick ; William de Mohim , wh o wa s now

made E a rl of Dorset ; a lso Bot t e r e l , Ea rl of Brittany . The ba ronswere no wise inferior to the earls in fa ithfu lness and merit , in cou rageand ga llantry . There were Brian

,mentioned before John , su rnamed

the Ma rshall ; Roger de Oleo , Roger de Nu nant , William Fitz Al lan ,with others , whom it wou ld be tediou s to enumera te . All these havingmu stered their foll owers in grea t force vied with ea ch other in j o intand indefa tigable efforts to redu ce the bi shop ’s ca stle .Meanwhile the B ishop h ad su mmoned the ba rons of the king ’s pa rtyfrom every qu a rter in England , and h ad a lso taken into his pay a t

grea t expense a number of stipendia ry soldiers , and with these hehara ssed those wh o l ay ou tside the city by a l l the means in hi s power .The Qu een a lso , with a ga llant body of men - a t - arms and the stou ta rray of the Londoners , a thou sand in nu mber, well a rmed with helmetsand brea stpla tes , besieged from withou t the besiegers of the ca stleinside the city with grea t sp irit and vigou r . The K ing h ad a l so on

his side certa in grea t men who were of h is pr ivy cou ncils , and admittedto his familiar intima cy, bu t not being endowed with grea t domainspossessed merely of ca stles . The most distingu ished of these wereRoger de Casne t and Will iam , his brother, a ccu stomed t o war , and

second to none in military skill and every kind of excellence . Whenthe rest of the King ’s adherents flocked to Winchest er t o encou nterhi s enemies these brothers , a lso wit-h a well - equ ipped troop of cavah yand a rchers, threatened the city in one qu arter with a formidablea tta ck . The siege wa s therefore of an extraordina ry chara cter su ch a s

was u nheard of in ou r days . All Engla nd wa s there in a rms , with a

grea t conflu x of foreigners , and their position aga inst ea ch other wa ssu ch tha t the forces engaged in the siege of the bishop ’s ca stle werethemselves besieged by the roya l a rmy, which closely hemmed them infrom withou t, so tha t there were perpetu a lly skirmishes a ttended withgreat losses on both sides . Not to speak of the soldiers wh o in theseda ily conflicts were taken prisoners on the one part or the other

, or

wh o perished by va riou s mischances , and in va riou s ways, the positionof the troops led to seriou s losses , for while th e Cou ntess ’s partypressed the siege of the ca stle by every invention of skill and a r t , thegarrison from within shot lighted brands , with which they redu ced toa shes the grea test pa rt of the c ity and two abbeys .

— that i s , a s explained above , Hyde Abbey and the Nunneryof St . Ma ry .

59

On the other hand the roya l a rmy,cantoned withou t th e city, care

fu lly wa tched a l l approa ches by the cross roads to prevent su pplies of

provisions being thrown into the town, and thu s severe famine was

inflicted on the grea t nu mbers now shu t u p w ithin the wa lls . It wa stherefore decided in cou nci l

,by common consent

,to be desirable tha t a

fort shou ld be constru cted a t Wherwell,which is distant vi . m iles from

the city, a s a station for 300 soldiers , from whence they might stra it-e uthe king ’s tr0 0ps and fa ci litate the entrance of su pplies into the city .

Bu t the roya lists , a live to the danger th ey incu rred by thi s manoeu vre ,made a su dden and u nexpected a tta ck on Wherwell in great force , and ,

a ssau lting the post on a l l sides , many of its defenders were taken o r

sla in , and the rest were compelled to eva cu ate it and seek for shelter inthe chur ch . There , u sing the chu rch a s a fortress , they defendedthemselves u nti l brands were thrown u pon it and it was s e t on fire , andth e y

‘ we r e compelled, half bu rnt , to come forth and su rrender a t dis

cr e tic‘

m . It wa s a horrible and lamentable specta cle . Ma iled soldierstrampled recklessly on the floor of the chu rch

,the sea t of religion , th e

hou se of prayer . In one qu arter there wa s bu tcher-y ; in another theprisoners were dragged a long bou nd with thongs . Here the flamesbu rst forth in the chu rch and consumed the roof of the mona stery ;there the consecrated virgins

,relu ctantly compelled by the fire to i ssu e

from their inclosu re,filled the air with shrieks and lamentations .

We must supplement this account by an extract fromlVil l iam of Malmesbury

,who says

To comprise therefore a long series of events with in narrow lim its,

the roads on every side of Winchester were watched by the Qu een and

the Ea rls who came with her lest su pplies shou ld be brou ght in tothose wh o h ad sworn fidelity t o the Empress . The town of Andovera lso was bu rned . Th e abbey of nu ns a t W a r ewe l l was a lso bu rned byone Wi lliam de Ipres

,an abandoned chara cter wh o feared neither God

nor m an, becau se some of the partizans of the Empress h ad secu redthemselves within it .

It i s a ma tter for regret to us that we have no fu lleraccount of the burn ing of Andover . Thi s very s imple record

,

Andover a l so was burned ,” i s al l we know directly of the

event so immensely important in the hi story of the town .

Possibly,though we have no more particu lars of the ca tas

t rOph e , we m ay be ab le to deduce some conc lusion s from thedate , which is thu s m ade certain .

W hen the new line from Hurstbourne to Fu l lerton wasbeing constru cted in 1883 eight human skeleton s were foundvery c lose together . Mr . W . Money , who mentionsthe d iscovery in his H istor y of Newbu r y , suggests with greatprobabi lity that they may have been the remains of some whofel l in thi s encounter .But we m ay now continue the account given in the Gesm

St ep ha m’

of the route and retreat to Ludgershal l

60

When Robert, Earl of Gl ou cester, and the rest of his party learntthe disa strou s termination of thi s afi air they entirely despa ired of

su ccess in prosecu ting the siege , and consu lted how best they mightsecu re their own sa fety by retrea t , for it seemed u nwise and inexpedientto hold ou t any longer a fter the seriou s loss they h ad su sta ined , whenthe bishop ’ s troops h ad bu rnt the town , the citizens were wa st-ing withfamine and want , and they themselves were threa tened with the sameca lamity u nless they made a speedy retrea t. Collecting therefore theirlight baggage they threw open the gates and marched ou t in a body ,the troops being skilfu l ly formed by divisions in close order, the wholearmy commenced the retreat .

Now we must let Florence of Worce ster take up thetale

The Empress h ad already mou nted her horse , a ccompanied and

gu ided by her brother Regina ld , having more than two hu ndred cava lryu nder the command of the E arl of Bristol (Glou cester) a s a rea r gu a rd,when the B ishop su ddenly ordered h is troops to fly t o a rms , and makinga desperate a ttack on the enemy to take a s many prisoners a s theycou ld . Many were thu s captu red , and very many sca ttered and sla in,among whom wa s a knight named Wi lliam de Cu r ce l l , with six troopers ,and he wa s bu ried a t St . Grimba lds . The lady (Matilda ) learning thiswa s in grea t terror and dismay , and reached the ca stle of Lu dgersha ll ,for which sh e wa s making , sad and sorrowfu l, bu t she fou nd it no saferesting place for fea r of the B ishop . In consequ ence of which sheonce more mou nted her horse, ma le fa shion , and wa s condu cted toDevizes .

We take the account of the rout from the Gesta

They were met by th e K ing ’s troops , wh o pou red in u pon themwith so mu ch impetu osity tha t they were rou ted and dispersed , and theEa rl of Glou cester, who commanded the rear gu ard , wa s cu t ofi fromthe rest and taken prisoner , with a l l his followers . The roya l a rmyspread itsel f a ll over the neighbou ring cou ntry in pu rsu it of the vu l ga rcrowd of fu gitives . and not only captu red the soldiers whenever theycou ld be m e t with , bu t obta ined an immense booty in va lu ables , whichh ad been ca st away and l ay sca ttered abou t . Cou rsers , of high meta l ,which h ad thrown their riders , were to be seen ga lloping abou t others ,exhau sted with fa tigu e , were drawing their la st brea th . Shields andcoa ts of ma i l, with a l l sorts of weapons and armou r, strewed thegrou nd : rich robes, preciou s vessels , and va lu able ornaments l yingin heaps were everywhere ready to the hand of the first comer . NeedI speak of the knights

,and even the greatest barons , wh o , throwing ofi

a l l the dist ingu ishing marks of their rank , fled on foot , disgu ising eventheir names in shame and fea r . Some fell into the hands of the cou ntrypeople, and u nderwent the severest torments . Others conceal ing themselves in loathsome caves , ha lf sta rved and fu ll of a larm

,either l ay

there u ntil an opportu nity of escape presented itsel f, or being discoveredby the enemy they were dragged ou t withou t shame or decency. NeedI speak of the King of the Scots, wh o a third time captive as they say ,bu t a lways ransomed, was set at liberty, and retu rned to hi s own

6 1

cou ntry sorrowfu l and worn wi th fatig ue , with a few only of his followers . What sha ll I say of the Archbishop of Canterbu ry, with otherbishops and eminent men from a l l England, who , separated from theira ttendants

,their horses and clothes carried off, or barbai ou sly torn

from them , were scarce able to creep to some safe hiding place afterthe fearfu l rou t .

Such wa s the history of tha t hurried fl ight,which must

have made at any rate the la st part of its ru shing coursethrough Kimpton . It i s a very cu riou s fact , and entirely inaccordance with the chron ic ler ’s na rrative

,that a silver seal

was found at or near Ludgershal l represent ing a knight inarmour , with lance and shield , riding on a horse , the inscr iption on which , Sigil lvm Mil onis de Gl oce st ria ,

” proves it t ohave been the property of one who we know was in that rout— Mi lo of Glou cester , Earl of Hereford ,

“ ex - con stab le ,” a s

he is so often called .

This sea l was engraved in Vo l . xiv . of theAr clm o logia , anda woodcut of it i s given in Kn ight ’s Old England, Vol . i .Everywhere throughou t the land it i s the old parish church

which i s the great connecting link that unites the pa st andthe present in one continuou s history . Although in so manycase s the registers and other records a r e imperfect or defe ctive , yet round the church there a lways gather s thetestimony of the ages , and ever s ince there has been writtenhi story at all neither the story of a pa rish nor its people canbe told without reference to it s church

,as the storehou se of

witness to historical facts a s well a s sacred truth s .Kimpton i s no exception to this ru le on the contrary , it

i s an admirab le example of the manner in which fam ilyhistory is pre served by sepu lchra l monuments . And I amglad of the opportu n ity thu s afforded of entering my prote stagainst the destru ction of memorial s to the dead , which hasbeen such a characteristic of modern church restoration .

Whether such memoria l s are in accordance with v iew s ofgood taste

,or whether they seem to u s so marked by archi

t e ct u r a l incon sistency a s to su ggest their being matter ou tof place ,

” their wanton destru ction is a wrong to the wholecommun ity

,and the removal of them from the church to

which they belong mu st be denou nced a s a pu blic inj u i y .

At the same time it mu s t be admitted that in bye gone daysthe positions selected f0 1 them were often ingeniou sly in

appr 'op1 iate ; so much so tha t th e most conse i va t ive re storerhas no cho ice but to relegate those that int e rfe i e withimportan t architectural fe atu i e s to more conven ient places

62

There i s no mention of a church at Kimpton in DomesdayBook ; but that i s no proof whatever that there was not oneat the time the survey was made , there being no instruction si ssued to the inquisitor s who collected the informationrespecting the church or churchmen . They d id notenumerate them unle ss it was neces sary

,as for example

,

when either held taxab le property as a portion of themaintenance of the church , or as a private possession

,it

became needful to enter this in the retu rn,and it wa s

invariab ly done ; but it wa s unquestionab ly done for the solepurpose of taxation , and without any intention to enumerateeither churche s or priests .There does not appear to be any work in Kimpton Church

of earlier date than the thirteenth century . The church of

Saxon times was very likely of wood , and at any rate thearchitect of the Early English period left no remains ofthe building which occup ied th e site when he began thestructure

,which after six hundred years call s forth ou r

adm iration by the true art displayed in the beautifu lproportion of the whole bui lding , and especially of thewindow s of the chancel .From time to time alteration s have been made , the effect of

which i s disastrou s . The fi lling u p of the exquisite lancetwindows i s a great m isfortune , and I cannot suppress thehope that a true restoration” m ay be undertaken whenopportun ity presents itself. No one wou ld carry o u t such awork in a truer sp irit of reverence for the past than thepresent Rector . To an antiquary the so - ca lled restora tion”

of a church is too often a word of fea r . When , therefore , anancient building of such exceptiona l interest i s in the lovingcare of one who know s thorou gh ly how to appreciate it

,we

mu st be pardoned for expressing a fervent hope that so verydesirab le

,and indeed essential , an undertaking should be

carried ou t under hi s own direction . As it i s few wou ldthink

,from a casual view of the ou tside , that there i s so

much that i s of interest in the interior ; but there i s littleroom for dou bt tha t a j udiciou s restoration , su ch as I havehopefu lly indicated

,wou ld increase the interest a hun

dr e dfold.

The dedication of the Church i s SS . Peter and Pau l,the

festival ofwhich i s June 29 . It s plan i s a nave of four bayswith south aisle and porch , north and sou th transepts andchancel

,and a modern brick tower at the west end .

63

The churchyard has become very much raised on the souths ide , which m ake s it diffi cu lt to speak with certainty as tothe character of two most cu riou s and remarkab ly interestingwindows , which deserve careful attent ion . It is confidentlyexpected that investigation wil l determ ine several que stion swhen it is possib le to exam ine them .

There i s no chancel a rch probably there never was one .

A fictitiou s a rrangement of comparatively modern erection hasbeen put up to give the appearance of an arch but original lythe rood screen

,with perhaps a loft on it

,made the division

between nave and chancel : most likely the lower part wa spanelled . Acce s s to the rood loft was from the northtransept , where part of the structure of the gallery leading toit may be seen .

There are four very fine lancet windows in the chan cel , twoon either s ide ; only , unfortuna tely , they are al l b locked up .

One on the north is an example of those a rchitectural puz z les ,a “ low side window .

” The tra cery of the east window andthe two - light window on the south s ide of the chancel wereintroduced by Dr . Baynes when officia ting here in 1870 heal so Opened the chancel door , which had been b locked up .

The alta r is a very fine example of the first half of theseventeenth century . The carving on the legs i s strikinglybeautiful .There i s al so a good chair dating from about the time of

Charles the Second .

There are two architectural features in the chancel whichcall for special notice .

On the north side i s a sha llow reces s within an arch withseven cu sps . The hand of the mason has been heavy on itand overloaded it with detail s , which we may venture to sayd iffer con s iderab ly from the original . This i s u su ally calledthe Easter sepu lchre

,and it m ay have been turned to account

in that way .

It wil l be seen by reference to the Andover Churchwarden s ’

Accounts of 147 1 , which have been already published , that agreat deal of the sepu lchre fu rn itu re u sed at Pa scha ltide wa smovab le . The image repre senting th e Lord

’

s body” beingpla ced in a box during th e time it wa s watched . I am verymuch inclined to think that this a rch at Kimpton i s part of atomb

,althou gh very likely the slab of the monument pla ced

under the arch m ay have been util ized for the Easter sepu lchreceremon ies .

64

On the oppos ite s ide is the Thornborough tomb , which Ithink i s by no means in its origina l form . As it i s , it con sistsof a l ow altar tomb o f Purbeck marble , held to the wal l byancient iron c lamps

,above which is a slab of Purbeck , with a

cresting of Tu dor flowers and the bra sses of Robert Thornburgh and fami ly 1 522 .

Thi s brass is very intere sting . It represents RobertThornburgh in the armour of the period , with head nu

covered , showing the long hair a s then u sual ly worn ,kneeling on a tasseled cu shion at a desk , over which i s a

cross marked with the four b leeding wounds . From his lip sis sues a scroll , with the words Crux xpi libera me .Immediately behind him i s his first wife

,Alys , in the

u sual costume of that date , kneel ing at a desk , and with a

scroll bearing the inscription Cru x xpi sa lva me .

” Behindher the smal l figures of her son and unmarried daughterstand with their hands jo ined in prayer .Behind these i s Anne

,the second wife , al so kneeling at a

desk , and with a scroll inscribed“ Crux xpi defende me .

”

Her son and s ix daughters , four of whom were unmarriedwhen the monument wa s erected , occupy pos ition s behindher .The inscription beneath is Ofyor cha rite pray for the

sou le of Robert Thornburgh,e squ y e r , who s body here r e sty th ,

and dyed the xij day of May in the yere of or Lord God M .V. C .

xxii,for ye soul s ofAlys Anne , hi s wyve s, all there

children , on whos sou l s Jh fi have mercy .

The Th ornbor ou gh s l ived at Sh odde sden Manor , which , a swe have already seen

,was at the time of the Domesday

Survey in the tenure of Age m und, who held it a l lod ial ly of

the beautiful Edith,Queen of Edward the Confessor . It

passed into the Thornborough family , and i s now ,together

with the Manor ofL ittleton , the property ofSir R . H . Pollen ,Bart . , of R e ddenh am . When we a r e talking about theKimpton fam ilie s we shall have more to say about theTh ornbor ou gh s .

On the south wal l of the chancel is a p iscina or drain forrinsing the sacred ves sel s after Holy Commun ion . It has atrefo i l head and p roj ecting basin

,but h a s been so much

renovated that it i s not easy to speak with certainty of itsdate .The tie beam of the roof has a good bo ss carved with oak

leaves , and the king post is wel l moulded .

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6 6

The tower was r e - built in brick , to corre spond with Kimpton Lodge , by G . S . Foyle , Esq , in 1 887 . There are threebel ls . In the interior of the tower i s the Hatchment fo rKing George III .

, 1 8 12 .

A stone on the out side near the porch probably gives thedate of one of the occasion s on which the Church was

repaired and be au tifie d.

”

George FleetWood , JohnBatt , Ch vrchwa rdens

1 702

The que stion suggests it self involu ntarily a s to whetherB il l Stumps m ay not have been the scu lptor .Taking a final glance at the whole church" before pro

ce e ding to record the monumental inscription s , it i s im

Since the above a ccou nt of th e Chu rch was written , variou s worksof repa ir have been carried ou t .

In the interior,the lancet windows of the chancel which were blocked

u p have been opened o u t and glazed , two squ ints one on either side of

the ent rance to the chancel have been brou ght to light these squ intsenabled the congregation in the transepts to see the priest a t the higha lta r .The miserable dea l roofs , lath and pla stered benea th th e coll a r, of

abou t th e same da te a s the tower , of nave, a isle, and sou th transept havegiven pla ce, in the transept to an oak panell ed roof, and in the nave anda isle t o a simi lar roof withou t the panelling . In the thickness of t h esou th wa ll of the sou th transept between the bottom of the sill of thefine two - light window and the grou nd a cu sped a rch mu ch mu tilate dwa s discovered ; in the centre of the wa ll of the rec e ss a t the ba ck ofth e arch is a one - light window mea su ring in the clea r two feet six

inches in height by eleven inches in width ; the sil l of this window i sbu t a few inches above the floor level of the t r ansept , ,

1e ve l with thes ill of the window and immedia tely u nder the arch i s —

a sha llow trench ,once dou btless covered over with a stone slab , which conta ined a stonecist mea su ring externa l ly 4 feet in length by 15 inches in width thi scist

,wh i ch wa s broken in ha lf, probably once conta ined the relics

of some sa int or marty r in whose honou r, no dou bt, the a ltar whichstood in the transept wa s dedica ted . Externa lly the brick bu ttressesbu il t aga inst the ea st wa ll of the chancel and the sou th wa ll of thetransept have been removed and the gable s of both ch ancel and transept , which h ad fa llen down, have been rebu ilt . The north and sou thwa lls of the nave , the wa lls of the sou th tr ansept and the ea st wa ll ofchancel have been cleansed of the pla ster which di sfigu red them , thedorm er window of the a isle h a s been removed, and a dry a rea formed ,with a dr a in to take off the ra in wa ter, on the sou th side of the chu rchand a lso on the north side of the nave .

E. D . W .

67

possible to avo id be ing struck with the adm irab le proportion sof the building , which give it a pecu liar dign ity . The littleaisle is but 5ft . 9 in . wide ; but it has an a dm irab le effect .Th e chancel measure s 25ft . 8in. by 14ft . 6in. From thenorth wal l of the north transept to the south wal l of thesouth transept measure s 43ft . 9in .

,the transepts a r e each

13ft . wide . The length of the nave i s 47ft . , and its width14ft . 6m .

The monuments in the church a r e numerou s . Theinscriptions are given in fu ll , with numerals for facility ofreference .

I

On th e Ea st Wa l l .

On a watered stone .

D . PositumMariae Norborni uxoris Gu l ie lm iNorborni Arm ig simu le t filiae Joannis Foyle Armig e t Mi llecent uxoris ej u sQuae St e m natis cl aritat e m v ita ornavit cl arior e

Synce r e erga Deum religiosa vixit evangelium quodprofe ssa est uxor casta mater prudens

pariter e t pia ne m ini iniu r ia , bene facie ndopluribu s nota n ihil illins se ve ritat e

ju cundu s j u cu nditat e se ve r iu s fuitDispl icu it e i ornam entor u m van ita s cui sempercordi fuit , non corpu s auro atqu e ge m m is dit ar e

sed an iman e xornar e vir t u tibu s

In l ibe ris suis H u m fr e do , Gu l ie l m o , Millecent , Rachel ,Maria s ibi ipsi quasi su pe r st e s sh i it potins

quam obiiti 1 658s Su ae 37

H ou r gla ss Sku l l and cr oss - bone s il fa t tock at sh o ve l

Anno

On th e Ea st W a l l .

A marb le monument with cherubim .

At the base a coat . Argent , a bend sabl e , on which a r e

3 arrows gu l e s .

M . S .

Reverendi Thom ae Ch o lwe l lin Ar tibu s Magist ri

68

e t h u jus Ecc le siae nu pe r R e ctor isQui Pieta te in Deum Reverencia in Eccl e siam ,

Amore in Pa t r iam ,Fide in am icos ,

Et H u m anita t e Erga omnes fuit Spe cta tissim u s

obiit xx die Sept Anno ZEtatis su ae l vu

Anno Sa l u tis M .D . CXCIIISe cu l i Pe r t ae su s

R icd‘" Kent gen e t H onor a tissim a E lizabethaMiller

,Am icitiae , e t Gra titudini ,nunquam m or tu r ae

Dicar unt

On th e Sou th W a l l of th e Ch ance l .

On a marb le urn .

SacredTo the Revd Edwd Foyle M .A.

Rector of this pa ri shHe died 20th Ju ly 1832

aged 74 years .

On th e F l oor of th e Ch ance l .

1 668

Here ly e thThe body of

Mil lecent Norborne the daughterof Wi lliam Norborne E squire Shedeparted this l ifeth e te nth dayof Februaryaged 18

On th e F loor ofth e Ch ance l .

E . F .

1882

69

On th e F loor of th e Ch ance l .

The Revd John Godda rd A.M .

Rector of this parishand of South Tidworthborn 1 3 Jan 1708

D ied 2 l st March 1 785 .

On th e F loor of th e Ch ance l .

In Memoryof E lizabeth second wife ofthe Reverend Edward Foylela te Rector of this pa rishwho departed this lifeDecember 12 1 793

aged 6 1 .

VI II .

th e F loor of th e Cha nce l .

Depositum DoimMil licent FoyleRelict Joh anis Foyle de K ym pton inCom itat SouthtonArmiger qu e obiitPrimo die Mar tii

Anno Dom in i 1 66 1m ta tis su m 68 .

On th e F loor of th e Ch ance l .

Hic j a ce t Johanne s Foyle deChute in Gom itata Wilts Arm igerqui obnt tertio d ie Ju nii Ano Dom

1 67 1 m ta tis su m 54

Se riu s aut citiu s sedam prope r am u s

ad u nam .

70

X .

On th e F loor of th e Chu r ch .

Sacredto the memory of

George Soley Foy le E sqwh o departed this life

on th e 14th day ofOctobe r1839

In the 7 1 st year ofh is age

al so ofAnne hi s wifewho died September 1 3th 1841in the 68 year of her age .

On th e F loor of th e Nave .

Hic jace t Johannes Foyle Ge ne r osu sfil ie s nat m arjm u s Jcann ie Foy le

de Chute in Com itatu Wi l ls Arm ige r ,qu i obiit octavo djr Mar tii annodom in i 1 670 m tatis su l

25 Te ndim u s Hue omne s .

On th e Nor th W a l l of th e Chance l .

A marb le monument having a coat of arms at th e top .

Gu l e s a saltier , compony counter - compony , or and a z u r e

be tween four crosse s cros slet fitch ée u rgent , on an e scu tche onofpre tence a rgent three loz enges gu l e s each charged with an

eagle displayed of th e fie ld .

Near this place are interredThe remains ofJohn Foyle E sq

OfChute in th e County ofWiltseldest son ofEdward Foyle E sq

of Somerford Keynesin the said County

who died April 21 17 15 aged 33al so of

France s his wifethe daughter ofJohn B ishop E sq

of Chilcom b in the County ofDorset

7 1

afterwa rds married t o Wm Harri swho died Nov 10 1 7 53 aged 7 7

a l so ofConstance Foyle

daughter of Edward Foyle Esqby Constance his wifewho died Nov 8 1 74 6

aged 14 .

X III .

On th e No r th lVa l l of th e Ch a nce l .A ma rb le monument .

Sacred to the Memory ofGeorge Soley Foyl e E sq

of thi s pla cewho departed this life Oct . 1 4th

1 839 aged 70 yearsHe was the only son ofGeorge Foyle E sq

of Somerford Keynes , Wilt s .“

Also in Memory ofAnn rel ict of the aboveGeorge Soley Foyle

who departed thi s l ife Sep . 13 th

1841 aged 67 yearsThis tab let i s erected

a s a tribute of affection bytheir only children

Ann Randolph and Sarah France s Fawcett

On th e No r th Wa l l of th e Ch ance l .

A marb le monument with coat of a rm s .

Quarterly . 1 st Ga l e s , a saltier , compony counter - componyo r and a z u r e , between four cro sses crosslet fitch ée a rgent .

2nd Ga l e s , a bend e r m ine ; 3 Barry of s ix , sabl e and a rgent ,in chief three plate s 4 a z u r e , a chevron between three cocksa rgent .

Near this Placelie the Remain s of

The Rev Edward Foy leofWest Cholderton

72

Prebendary of Sarumand thirty four yearsRector of this Pa rish

He wa s Second Son ofEdward Foyle E sq‘

of Somerford Keynes , Com . Wi ltsand died May 7 th 1784 aged 57 yearsleav ing by Anne

,hi s first Wife

Daughter of Thomas Hayter E sqof the Close Sal isburyone son Edward andone daughter France s

WhoIn memory of a deserving Manand a most affectionate Fathererected thi s monument .

On th e Nor th W a l l of th e Chance l .

Coat of arms at th e top .

Argent,a saltier counter - compony sabl e and or , betwe e n

four trefoi ls slipped of the se cond .

D . e . M .

J oh annis F oy l e Armiger i , nec nonJ ch u nis F i li i eju s natu maximiQuorum corpora hic propter iacent

Ille Pa te r Honesta stirpe oriunda s , Virtute suaFam il im su m Dignit at e m adau xit in post e ru mEdu ca tu s L ibere , m oribu s probu s , spe ctat u s fide ,

Indole insuper e t IngenioAd Pie tat e m Pr u dentiam Patie ntiam Pacem t e m pe ratiam

Factu s Totu sNobilibu s e t Prim oribu s viris Gratu svenerabili s vu lgo charu s omn ibus

Qu i a omnibu s pr ofu it opibu s Consi lio ExemploVir p iu s

,pru dens , pr ovidu s , D ives nec tam en Ava r u s

Qui rem suam satis ampliamIndu stria propria (bono cum deo) partam

(u t vivu s ben igne u sus) ita morien sSuis Pau pe ribu s l ibe ris nepotibu s

Largissim e e ffu dit

S ic de m u m vita lau dibil it e r Acta

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74

It often cau ses me much surprise that the good folks whol ive in the Anna Valley

,a s their fa thers and grandfathers have

done before them,do not show a keener intere st in their

family history ; for a l though we have not many of the largeland - holding fam ilies of the m iddle ages represented amongstu s , yet the fa ct that the ance stors of la rge nu mbers of ou rneighbours have been hereabouts

,and left their tra ces through

centuries,i s mo st remarkab le . If it were only that we can

po int to the lands held by Hugh de Port before the NormanConquest being still in the possess ion of his descendants , itwou ld be much to feel a pride in bu t it i s true throu ghoutou r population . Among the chi ldren in the Penton Schoolare some having the same name (chri stian a s wel l a s surn amein one in stance) a s the Bayliff of Andover exactly threecenturies back

,and a good friend of m ine who kept my garden

for me at Enham was a namesake of one figuring constantlyin th e Town Records more than another century before tha t .The Pa rish Registers of this val ley ou ght to have a peculia r

value , becau se it i s throu gh them that family histories canalone be traced . The fortu nate circumstance

,that we have

been ab le to make the o ld lists handed in by the tithing men

avai lable for research , enhance s greatly the value of al l theother re cords ; becau se , taking a l l together

,it enab les u s to

gather a much more complete view of the past than i sgeneral ly obtainable .

The registers of Kimpton have been kept , a t any ra te s incethe beginn ing of this centu ry , with the most scrupulou s ca re ,and may be cited a s exemplary for preserva tion . An entry inthe book lettered C . , NO S c, ontains a copy of

A Li st of a l l Extant Register Books 1n the Parish of K impton1n

the cou nty of Sou thampton transmitted to the Regi strar of the D ioceseofWinchester a ccording to the Act of Pa rliament pa ssed 1n the fiftysecond year of George the Third K ing , and a r e deposited l n the Pa rishChest a t K impton .

A . No . 1 . A Register Book of Baptisms Ma rriages and Bu ria lsfrom the yea r 1593 to 1662 , on Pa rchment .B . No . 2 . A Register ditto from 1 6 62 of Bapti sms Marriages andB u ria ls to 1732 , on Pa rchment .C . No . 3 . A Register ditto of Baptisms to Janu ary l st 1 782 , onPa rchment , when a new Register with Printed Forms began . Ma r

r iage s in the same Registe1 (C . No . 3 ) on Pa rchment t o 1 754, whenthey were e ntered in the New Registe1 , acco 1 ding to the Act ofPa rl iam ent , with Printed Forms .Bu rials 1n the same Registe1 ( C .No . 3 ) on Pa1 chment to Janu a ry 1813 .

D . No 4 A Register ofMa rriages with P1 1nt e d Forms from 1754to Janu a ry l st l 800

g

7 5

E . No . 5 . A Register of Baptisms from Janu ary l st , 1782 , toJanu a ry 1 , 1813 , with printed forms .F . No . 6 . A Regi ster of Marriages from Janu ary 1s t 1809 to

Janu a ry 1 , 1813 , with printed forms .Edward Foyle A .M .

Re ctor of K impton

To Joh n Bidding, Esqr e ,

May 20 , 1813 .

Registrar of the D iocese ofWinchester .

Th e 19th Section of the Act of Pa rliament pas sed in 18 12dire cted li sts of a l l registers then in every pari sh , togetherwith the periods at which they re spectively commenced andt e rminated , to be transm itted to the regis trar of the respectivedioceses ; but very few of the clergy were s o carefu l and conscientiou s in carrying ou t this requirement as Mr . Foyle . Inth e diocese of London only four or five of the se list s weretransm itted.

There are in the country 8 12 known example s of registersbeginn ing as e arly as 1538 ; bu t the ge neral starting pointwas th e injunction ofQueen E lizabeth , 1559 , thou gh it wa snot til l 1599 that every parish was ordered to provide aparchment book in which the entrie s were to be fairly andlegib ly transcribed from the earlier paper book or thetemporary paper memoranda

,and each page authenticated

by the s ignature of the m inister and churchwarden s . Thisparchment book was to be kept in a sure coffer with threelocks and keys . The Kimpton regi ster therefore begin s sixyears earl ier than the average . In 18 13 the present form of

regi sters for baptism s and buria l s wa s ordered by Act of

Parl iament , so tha t in most vil lages th e volume thencommenced is the one in present use . Th e present formof the register of marriage was introduced in 1 836 .

The earlie st of the Kimpton registers , A No . 1, i s a book

ofparchment fas tened at the narrow end of the leaves . It isnot bound , as is frequently the cas e with the olde st registerspossibly carefu l bind ing m ight be better for the pre servationof these books

,bu t it require s con sideration in each separate

instance .An entry under January 18 , 1727 , gives some particu lars

abou t the then pre sent condition of the church .

Att a vestry du ly called and he ld thi s day it i s u nanimou sly agreedby a l l present viz Chr . Fleetwood , Mr . Woodward , Giles Vincent,Robt Mu nday, John Ga le , John Mu nday, John C a l e , Robert Gya t,and Wm . Mayn , yt ye broken bell shou ld be new cast and ye chu rchceiled . Gr . Gree nway R e ctor .

7 6"

The following entry i s an intere sting oneA rate agreed vpon, made by the pa ry sh ione r s of K y m pt on

clerk ’s wages and the keeping of the belles a t Ea ster, 1688 .

Im pr . Mr . fi oy l e 13s . viijd .

Cr ofe r H opkyns viijd .

R a l ph e Gooda ll xijd .

Edward Ga le xijd .

Cr ofe r Fleetwood viijd .

Wm . H opkyns viijd .

John Cha lyn xijd .

John Davies iiijd .

John Tybu l l iiijd .

John Sh e vie r iiijd .

x for Hedges iiijd .

x for Kent iiijd .

Rich Barnes . M . Mi ller iiijd .

Lyt l e t on fi a r m e viiid .

Sh ode sden fi a r m e l gs . viiid .

Br ixie s h ou ld

Ed Bla ckmans h ou l dM . Hu ntW iddow Millet tW iddow Gooda llW iddow Ga leTh e Gr ay l ieMich MorrellJames Edington

Sm .

The entries of collection s a fter briefs a r e not so numerou sas at some of the churche s

,bu t ar e worth recording . They

appear to belong to the year 1 6 6 1 only .

Re ceived a t K y m pt on for Elm it e r the su mme of fower shill ings andeight pence in the year 1 661 .

Ju l ie 1661 Gathered a t K ym pt on ,Oxfo rd , fou re shill ings

Ju l ie 1661 Col lect ed at K ym pton for Watchet three shill ings and twopence

Ju lie 1661 Gathered a t K ym pton for Fakenh am in the count ie of

Norfo lk e three shillingsJu lie 1661 Gathered a t K ym pt on for r e - edifying of the chu rch a t

Pont efr a ct e in the cou nty of Yorke fou r shillings 1dAu gu st this 18 1661 Received then a t K y m pt on for W a t r ingbu r ie in

the cou nty of Kent two shi l lings nine penceAu gu st 26 1661 Received then a t K ym pt on for Bol ingbr ook e in

L incolnshire three shillings ten penceCol lected for th e ship ca lled The Blessing of Du blin two shill ings ten

penceCollected for Drayton in the cou nty of Sa lop thre e shi llings eight

penceCollected a t K ym pt on for Mil t en in Norfolk one shilling and nine

pence

7 7

Briefs were le tters patent issued by the Sovereign directingthe collection of alms for specia l obj ect s named in them . Itwill be remembered tha t the ru bric in The Book of CommonPrayer direct s tha t a fter the N icene Creed (if occasion h e )

briefs , citation s , and excommun ication s read . AnAct of Pa rliament wa s passed to regulate these appeal s in1705 . And when we consider the se samp l e entries rela te toone year only , and the complete ab sence of local c laim o r

interest in the objects for which these collect ions wereordered , we are not su rp rised to find tha t Act beginWhereas many inconven iences do a ri se and frauds ar e

committed in the common method of collecting charity moneyupon b r iefs by letters pa tent to the gr ea t t roub l e and prej udice of the obj ect s of such ch a 1 ity and the great discouragement of well disposed pe i sons .

’

The Act provides that the forms shoul d only be printed bythe Queen ’ s printers . The nu mber of copie s to be expressedon th e regi stered copy fi led in the regi ster of the Court ofChancery . These cop ie s were then to be del ivered by theundertaker o r u ndertaker s” and produ ced to the c lergy and

churchwardens , &c ., very special care being taken tha t the

people ca l led Qu akers” should not escape . The registrationof the amounts collected was compul sory within two month s ,and the undertaker s” were to be al lowed for their pains

,

”

and whereas there hath been an evi l p ractice in farming andpurchasing for a sum ofmoney the charity money that shou ldor m ight be collecte d on such briefs , to the very greathindrance and discouragement of a lmsgiving on such occas ion

,

” the purchase of them was made illega l .Possibly the brief holders came ou t extra strong in 1 66 1

but at any rate we find tha t Mr . Pepys was rather exercisedabou t it

,for in his d iary he ha s entered 1 66 1

,June 30

(Lord’s Day) . To church where we ob serve the trade of

briefs is now come up to so constant a course every Sundaythat we re solve to give no more to them .

” The wonder isth e system la sted so long .

Th e churchwarden s ’ books of a parish are a lways int e r e sting, bu t a s a rule have not been so well pre served as theregi sters . There i s but one volume rema ining at Kimptonfrom 1 7 63 to 1791 , from which I ab stract the account forthe earliest year

,1 76 3

Apri l 7 . Pa id the Cla rke10 . Pa id Wm Mu nday 5 adders

Paid Eliz Gale

78

Pa id Tim Tayler 3 a ddersPa id Fill am or e 4 h edgh ogs

Pa id for two addersPa id E liz Ga lePa id Anne AlexanderPa id WoodlandsPa id Wm . Spra tts adderPa id Englands Ma ids a dderPa id E lemes for 1 h edh ogPa id E liz Gal ePa id John Ph ia l e m or e 3 h e dh ogs

1 10 9

On the fly leaf of the register book B No . 2 a l ist of rectorsi s given , which i s singu larly complete . We mu st waitpatiently— very patiently— till the Hampshire Record Societybrings ou t the long promised volumes of the EpiscopalR egisters before we can get the names of the p re - Reformationrectors . It i s however much to have so good a list a s this ,extending over three hundred years .

R e ctor s of K im p ton with Institu tion .

Christopher PerrinRobert Addams D .D .

William HobbesHenry JollyThomas Ch olwe l lThomas SmithGeorge GreenwayWilliam GoodenoughE dward FoyleJohn GoddardE dward FoyleCha rles RandolphEdward Foyle RandolphF . G . Holbrooke

The monumental inscriptions of Rev . Thomas Ch o lwe l l

(IL) , Rev . John Goddard and Rev . Edward Foyle (III . )have been already recorded .

The Rev . Henry White , rector of Fyfie ld, brother of thecelebrated naturalist , White of Selborne , whose mostinteresting diaries for the yea rs 1 780 to 1784 are in thepossession of the Rev . F . G . Holbrooke , rector of Kimpton ,was on intimate terms with the c lergymen wh o held the l iving

79

during that time , and makes frequ ent mention of them . Forinstance

1784 April 19 . Served K impton Chu rch 10th timeApril 26 . Mr . Foy le r etu rned to Kimpton Chu rchMay 3 . Served Kimpton Chu rch aga in makes 11 th time . Mr .

Foyle i ll and rema ins a t Ba th .

Mav 10 . Served Kimpton Chu rch a m . 12th time . News a rrived tha t Mr . Foyle died a t Ba th la st Friday .

May 1 7 . Went to serve Kimpton before 10 , bu t retu rned not

being wanted .

1 784 May 22 . R e v M1 . Godda rd , S . Tidworth , presented to yeR e ct 0 1 y of Kimpton yesty by Gs Foyle Esqr e ,

,Aug. 2nd. M1 Godda rd indu cted to Kimpton , p m . Went to

attend do .

The Rev . John Goddard was Fellow of King ’ s College,

Cambridge , he took hi s B A. in 1 730 and M .A . in 1 738 .

Thomas Ch olwe l l matricu lated at Oxford (Oriel College) asse rvit e r 1 Apri l 1 656 , took hi s B A. 1 659 , M .A . 1 6 63 , wa srector of Asley , Hants

,1 679 , and of Kimpton 1 680 .

The o l d rectory hou se at Kimpton , which stands j u st ofi’

the road to the north east of the church , i s a bui lding of

unusua l interest . More modern a ddition s have concealed theoriginal plan to a great extent . But I have very little hes it ation in saying that the old part of the hou se dates a s farback as the fourteenth century . The subj oined descriptionof a typical rectory hou se of thi s date from Dr . Cutt s ’

adm irab le “ Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages ,”

page 256 , i s exactly what the Kimpton hou se wa s before thefloors and other addition s had been introduced

It s principa l featu re wa s of cou rse the hall . We know a t once wha tthe ha ll of a timber hou se of this period of a rchitectu re wou ld be . Itwou ld be a ra ther spa ciou s and lofty apa rtment with an open timberroof . The principa l door of the hou se wou ld Open into it . The screensa t the lower end of the ha ll , and the back door of the hou se wou ld beat the other end of the screens . At the u pper end of the ha ll wou ld beth e ra i sed da i s , a t which the ma ster of the hou se sa t with his family .

The fireplace wou ld either be an Open hearth in t h e middle of the ha lllike tha t which still ex ists in the fou rteenth centu ry ha l l a t Penshu rstPla ce , Kent, or it wou ld be an open firepla ce u nder a proj ectingchimney a t the fu rther side of the ha ll .

There was al so a chamber and soler a t one end of the hall .The soler of a mediaeva l hou se wa s the chief apartment afterthe hal l it an swered to the grea t chamber of the sixteenthcentury

,and to the p a rlour or drawing room of more modern

time . Sometimes there wa s a ch amber under the soler,

80

reached by a stair from th e upper end ofth e hall . Ne xt the rewa s a buttery and cella r a t the other end . In the buttery inthose days were kept wine and beer , tab le linen , cups, pots,&c . , and in the cella r the store of eatab le s , which , it mu st beremembered , were not bought in weekly from the v il lage shopor the next market town , but were partly the produce of th eglebe and tithe , and pa rtly were la id in yearly or h alf- yearlya t some neighbouring fair . The buttery and cellar we realways at the lower end of the hal l , and Opened upon th escreen s with two whole or half doors s ide by s ide .There was a good mantel of the 17 th century in one of the

rooms into which this old house h ad been d ivided , which h asbeen r e - erected at the Stone House ,

” Mad ingley Road ,Cambridge . A new rectory hou se was bui lt in 18 72 .

A store of history a lmost a lways l ies hidden in the namesof the field s of a parish , thou gh often it i s difficu lt t o givesatisfactory explanation s of them . It require s a thoroughl ocal knowledge which none but an old res ident is likely toposse ss

,and in the case of the pari she s it i s hoped to deal

with in these papers it i s not l ikely we sh a ll e xhau st a l l thatshou ld be sa id . There i s however a fea r le st derivationsshou l d be attempted which are too fa r fetched , or made up tosuit the name as given in Spelling perhap s no t accurate , o r

from a pronunciation of a word that may not really be whatit sounds like from ru stic lips .But there are certain words which come into field name s

a l l over the country abou t which there is no doubt . And itm ay be well to begin with the word Fie ld itself. This iswithout doub t Anglo - Saxon , and comes from the same rootsays Canon Isaac Tayl or in hi s Words and Place s” — as th eNorse fe l l . A fell i s a place where the ground i s on the fal l ;a field or feld i s where the trees have been felled . In o l d

writers wood ” and feld are continual ly contrasted .

Just l ike the American term a c learing ,”th e word field

bore witnes s to the great extent of unfelled timber which stil lremained . With the progres s of cu ltivation the word h asl ost it s primitive force . But bearing it s original mean ing inm ind we sha l l be ab le to trace in some of the field names atKimpton a sort of comparative history of its cultivation , or a t

any rate to say what parts were left a s wood a fter the surroundings had been c lea re d by the fell ing of the timber . Th einformation about the Kimpton fi e lds ha s been gathered fromthe t ithe m ap made in 1836 , and in Speaking of a particular

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82

The Town Meadow (204) seems to me a very interestingfield name . It was so cal led because it was the mea dow Ofthe ton

,or enclosed pla ce where the lord of the m anor (or hi s

representative) lived , a s h as a lready been said in an earlierpa rt of this artic le . The word Furlong” occurs more thanonce among the n ames of the field s ; as a measure of lengthi t was equivalent to 40 perche s . It s origina l sign ification ,however

,i s a l l that can be applied to i t here a r r ow long,

or the length of a furrow, which might , of course , beindefinitely extended . In Kimpton Pe r r am Furlong”

mea sures 5a . 3 r . 28p . ; whil e“ Bu shy Hedge Furlong” i s

a s much a s 85a . 2 r . 25p . The Common Field” wemust ob serve while on the po int

,measu res 50a . 0r . 27p .

Bu t the most interesting su bject of ea rly cultivation whichi t introduce s will be better di scussed under some of the otherparishes we hope to describe hereafter .The manor hou se at Sh odde sde n is a very p icturesque and

intere sting bu ilding ne ar the road . There have been so manya lteration s from t ime to time tha t it is difficu lt to trace it soriginal plan

,and with the exception of the s ide towards th e

highway there i s probab ly nothing to be seen of e arlier datethan the seventeenth century . But there appear to be sometra ces of a moat , and viewing it from the higher ground on

which Mr . Fowler’

s dwelling house stands , it i s almostimpossib le to avoid the conc lusion that the house , as we seeit

,represents a structure of earlier da te than detai ls warrant

ou r assign ing it to . Wall s , windows , doors , and chimne ystacks have been r e - built but it is probab le that the genera lprospect Of the out side i s to a great extent as the Thornborough s saw it . That the spot, and perhaps the generalarrangement of the farm c lu stering rou nd the dwelling , i s thesame as in the days when the manor belonged to the lovelyQueen Edith , may be taken for granted . It would have beengratifying if we cou ld have po inted with certainty to anyrema ins of th e time of Robe rt Thornburgh , e squ y e r ,whose monument (or the rema ins of it) stands in the chancelof Kimpton Church , with the date 1522 . Bu t it wouldha rdly be safe to say that . That gentleman seems to havebeen su cceeded a t Sh odde sden by John Thornburgh , probablyhis grandson , al so styled esquire , who was buried at Kimpton30th December , 1 593 after whom we have record ofEdwardThornbu rgh , of Sh odsde ane ,

-Esqr e . , who wa s buried in the65 th yea r of his age on the 3 1 st ofDecember , 1 627 .

- WilliamTh ornbor rowe , po ssib ly the son of the last -mentioned , seems

83

next to have represented the fam ily , and we find the baptism sOf his children recorded . Constance 1 605

,Bridget 1 607 ,

E lizabeth 1 6 10 , John 1 6 13 .

Then in 1 628 we find Edward Goddard,gent .

,and Mrs .

Constance Thornburgh , daughter of Wil liam ThornburghE squire

,were married the four and twentieth da ie of Ju ly .

I am a fraid at present I have no more about them,bu t it is

very delightfu l to have the picture in our m ind of wha t m u s tbe , so fa r , the conc luding scene of Kimpton in the pa s t w iththe ga llant bridegroom and his fa ir bride

,M istre ss

Constance,

a s the central figures in the most picturesqu ecostume ever worn in England , namely , tha t of the ea rlyyear s of King Ch a rles the first

,with which the portra it s by

Vandyke m ake u s so fam iliar . W e leave them a t a periodwhen l ife a s drawn by Shakespea r , with it s forma l method ofaddress

,its cou rtly phrase s , and the cha rm of polish of

manners,had not pa st away

,and whi le th e elevating laws of

Chivalry were still remembered .

I most freely and gratefu lly a cknowledge that in thepursuit of enquirie s about Kimpton , I p roved to myself thatt h e frank , free courtesy , the thoro u gh o l d fashioned realhosp ital ity

,is quite as much in evidence a s ever it was , and

as ever it wi ll be,so long a s Englishmen love their home and

their country .

I think it wi ll be better now to lea ve Kimpton for a time,

and try wha t can be sa id of its neighbou r— Weyhill .It i s not pretended that these rema rks a r e anything more

than the r ou ghest sketch , ra ther meant to show what dir e ct ion enqu iry shou ld take than to be s upposed to exha u st th esubj ect . It u sed to be tha t a man wrote a history of aCounty

,and gave some account of ea ch parish . There were

giants in the ear th in those days . But historica l scien cehas since then made such strides tha t no one wou ld evencontemplate such a ta sk . If local history i s to be written ina ccordance with ou r present mean s of knowledge

,it mu st be

parish by pari sh , or hundred by hu ndred .

I have hardly so mu ch a s a l lu ded to any evidence fromR ecords and MSS . All that rema ins to be done ; bu t to bedone thorou ghly it wants the continu ou s applicat ion of yea rsand years , and the help of many hands . There i s no spotin England which i s more fu ll of historical intere st in a qu ietway than our own va l ley , and I ea rne stly wish tha t thes ea rch fo r that intere st were more common than it has beenhitherto .

CHAPTER III .

WEYHILL.

The parish of Penton Gra fton , or Weyhil l a s it i s commou ly ca l led , lies between Appleshaw 0 11 the west and PentonMewsey on the ea st . Its northern boundary , where ittouches the parish of Chute Fore st , i s the d ivision betweenthe countie s OfHampshire and W ilt shire , thou gh on the ea stit i s overhung by a p a rt of the grea t pa rish OfAndover , roundwhich the cou nty bou nda ry is continu ed . The pa ri shes ofAmport and Monxton j o in i ts southern l im it . The a rea i s1 88 5 acres , and it i s therefore the sixth in point of s iz e of theparishes in the va l ley . In 189 1 the popula tion was 430 .

One main road runs throu gh from north t o sou th , go ingupwards through part of Chu te Forest , and form ing for somedi stance the western boundary Of Tangley , striking th e oldRoman road from Winchester at Hampshire Gate , the borderof the cou nty . Southwa rd this main road goes to Winchester ,though now with one or two breaks , jo in ing that from Stockbridge j ust above Weeke . In this direction the parishmeasu res but little short of three mi le s . Its greate st widthfrom east to we st i s about a m ile and a half. Quite nearthe southern extrem ity the main r oad i s cro ssed by one whichruns from Andover to Lu dgershall

,and this la st i s even now

a lmost touched by an ancient British tra ckway , which ru nsacross Penton Mewsey and jo ins the Roman roa d known a s

the Portway a t H ol down . Thi s “ Drove” road i s ca lled theH ar r oway .

” The Portway was the direct commun icationbetween Old Sa rum and S i lche ster .One great difficulty in topographica l stu dies i s a lways that

of imagin ing localities without the roads that ar e so fam il iarto u s . As very many of the turnp ikes , however

,a r e

compara tively quite modern they often give rise to m istakenconj ectures . In the case be fore u s the antiquity of the

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8 6

a woman remarkable for her rank and beau ty, was carried prisoner.

toMa lm esbu ry

, on which a ccou nt Eadmu nd , the king’s son ,

disse m blm ghi s intention

,took a jou rney into those parts . Seeing her he became

enamou red, and becoming enamou red he made her h is wife , ca u tiou sly

keeping their u nion secret from hi s fa ther , wh o wa s a s mu ch an obj ectof contempt to h is family a s t o strangers .

Thi s marriage took pla ce between the fea ’ t of the Assu m ption (Aug . 1 5 ) and the Nativity of St . Mary (8 th 101 5 .

About this time Florence of Worce ster tell s u s (sub a nno

Cnut,the brave and nob le son of Swege n Forkbeard ,

arrived at Sandwich with a la rge fleet to c la im the crown hisfa ther h ad won . And shortly afterwards sa iling round thecoa st of Kent entered th e mouth Of the river Frome , andswept off much booty in Dorsetshire , Somerset shire andWi lt shire . King JEth e l r e d then lying s ick at Corsham , hi sson , Eadmund the Et h e r ling on the one hand , and EadricSt r e ona the Ea ldorman , who was steeped in stra tagems anddeceits on the other

,levied a great a rmy . But when their

force s were un ited the Ealdorman laid al l manner of snaresfor the Eth e r l ing and plotted hi s death , which being foundou t they presently parted and ma de way for the enemy .

The men of Wessex , the Saxon Chronic le tell s u s , subm it t e d to Cnut ,

“and delivered hostages and hor sed the

army , and then it was there unti l m id - winter . ” That make sc lea r the position of this county in the party pol itics of thet ime .The next year , 1016 , Cnut worked his way plundering and

spo il ing a s he went,and Eadric the Ealdorman with him ,

over the Thames at Crickla de,and on to Warwickshire . So

hi s course mu st have been through the sou thern part ofWa rwickshire , traversing Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Huntingdonshire , and so by the northea st corner of Northamptonshire , again along the fen s toStamford and thence to York . He returned by another waya l l to the we st

,and then before Ea ster came al l the a rmy

to their ships . ” And after Ea ster Cnut went with his shipsto London . Meanwhi le Eadmu nd the Et h e r l ing had riddenthrou gh Staffordshire , Shrop shire , and Cheshire , and theyplundered on their part and Cnut on his part ,

” i s the feelingway the English chron ic le put s it . Uh t r e d, the Earl ofNorthumbria , though he subm itted to Cnut from need ,

”

was ruthles sly killed by the counsel ofEadr ic the Ealdorman .

King ZEth e l r e d was throughout thi s doub le foray in London ,

87

where Eadmu nd went to meet h im before Easter . And u pto thi s time Cnu t and Eadmund seem to have had noencounter .

fEth e l r e d II . died 23 April , 10 16 . As the Saxon chron ic leputs it , He ended hi s days on St . George ’ s Mas s Day , and

he held his kingdom w i th grea t to i l and u nder grea t difficu l tie s the while hi s life la sted .

”

The Londoner s , it i s c lea r from Higden and other ch r on ic le s , dec la red for E admu nd ; while Cnut wa s as promptlyprocla imed a t Southa m pton (F l o r e nce of W or ce s te r

,sub a nno

101 6 ) by the bishops , a bbots , ea ldormen , and a l l wh o rankeda s nob les in England having come to him there . The intrep idEadmund left London and came into Wessex , where he wa swell received . I conj ecture tha t he went u p the river Stourand probab ly m ade Shaftesbury his hea d - quarters

,and em

ployed his time in rally ing his friends around him and

collecting a large army .

Cnu t left Sou thampton and arrived at Greenwich on Re gation Day , 7 May , and within a little spa ce they went toLondon , and they dug a grea t d itch on the south s ide , and

dragged their ships to the we st side of the bridge , and thena fterwards they d itched the bu rgh a round so tha t no onecou l d go e ither in or ou t , and they repeatedly fought aga instthe burgh but the town smen strenuou sly with stood them .

Therefore raising the siege for the present , and leaving partof the army to gua rd the ships , they made a forced marchinto Wessex

,and a llowed King E admu nd Iron side no tim e

to get together hi s a rmy . However,with such troops a s he

was ab le to muster in so short a spa ce of time he boldlyencountered them in Dorsetshire , giving them ba ttle a t a

place called Pen , nea r G illingham ,when he defeated and put

them to flight .It i s qu ite clea r tha t this first ba ttle was an atta ck by Cnu t

on Eadmund ’ s position , and one in which the Danes got a

sharp repu lse . The s ite of thi s conflict appea rs to h ave beenpo inted ou t u nint e r r u pt e dly by loca l tradition .

In Hampshire Note s and Queries , vol . v ., p . 1 25 nt seq.

I have gone fully into the su bj ect of the authoritie s wh odescribe thi s campaign

,and a l so into the different su gge s

tions which ha ve been made a s to the scene of the second ofthe five ba ttles between the claimants for the crown of England , and to tha t a rtic l e I m u st refer those of my readers whowish to go into the matter more fu lly . I maintain tha t the

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country I have mentioned fu lfi l s every particu lar by which wecan identify tha t battle field .

I sh a l l now quote from the contempora ry translation of

Po lydor e Vergi l , an au thor , of whom S ir Henry E lli s says ,Tha t Po lydor e Vergil i s without m i stakes cannot be

a sserted , but they are very few his endeavour was to write ,a s he says

,a sincere history .

”

Su ch ha ste made Canu t u s to ce pe with Edm u ndu s , whom he u nderstood to be retu rned to Andover

, a towne within xv miles ofSar isbe r ie ,whither a s soon a s hee approa ched hee planted his tent es on a playnegr ou nde within the sight of h is enemie s , and brou ght his soldiersforth in good a rraye . Edm u ndu s refu sed not the pr e fe r a s soone a shee espied the stande r de s of his adversaries t o be h oy se d . They con

tinned the fight from iij of the cl ock e u ntil ver is night , and neitherpa rtie on the better hand a t the length Edr icu s minding to appa l andkill th e hea rts of the English m e nu ,

went u p into a certa ine wa tchtower , and then cr ie ing with a high voice tha t Edm u ndu s was sla ins ,showed forth a swoorde drOppinge fu ll of bl odd, whom , while he thu syelled and shou ted

, th e English a rchers h ad nea r hand sl ayn e . Thisde e e y tfu l trayne wa s a sma ll plea su re t o the devisers , for the K ingnow being a ccended with wonde r u s indignation , e ncou r aginge h is

noble wa rriors , soe fu r iu sl ie a ssay l e d them that first he cawsed them togeve grou nd , and consequ ent l ie , a s a lt ogether enraged , h e e pu tt thema l l to flight , and h ad committed wonderful slau ghter if they hadd notbeen v e r ie swift e , and the night veri c darke and farr spente . Canu t u s

being thu s foyled t r avayl e d a ll the night towa rd Winchester, and h arbor owe d himself in a sa fe pla ce . Edm u ndu s , a s I find in su mmwriters

,didd not pu r s ew e his adversaria , bu t deflected towa r de s Sa ris

berie,minding to su ccou r e hisEpe opl e there , be ing in distresse throu gh

another rou t of the D anes . No t longe a fter Canu t u s was there himselfin presence

,se e tha t addressing their companies they fou ght not fa r

from tha t e it tie . The conflict wa s cr ewe l l t o be h olde , while the irstom ack e s and boddie s weare fr e sh e , and continu ed in equ al l proportionu ntil the nights departed them . The next daye from the v e r ie ri singof the su nne the Englishmen stoode in arraye u ntill tha t Canu tu scame u nto the fight, which wa s m ant ayne d nobl ie and with like end onboth sides with mu ch slau ghter and semblable conclu sion the eveningdi ssevered them . The day e nsewenge the a rmies took

'

reste , refreshinge themselves with mea te , and heaping a ll the dead ca rk a sse s

together they boorne d them,neither yea t in the meanwhi le didd they

l ay their weapons from them ,for on both sides they wanted xx thou sand .

The night foll owing Canu tu s pr iv ilie bie s t e a l ith e removed his tentesand went towa rds London , which cit ie wa s a lmost be e se ege d with h isnavie . Edm u ndu s , a ssone a s the daylight descried the departu re ofh is adversa ries , followed their Steppes , and with fina l conflicts r ay se dthe seige

,whereof in grea te pompe and triu mph hee entered th e citie .

Su pposing Iron side to have come from G il lingham ,where

the first battle wa s u nqu estionab ly fou ght , by way of Sarum ,

he wou ld easily be ab le to march along the Portway , and on

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the gentle , lovely , and a ccompl ished Queen of Edward theConfes sor . It i s no t necessa ry to repeat what has been saidof her u nder Kimpton . And in tha t a rticle I have al sodescribed the condition of the dependents of a manor inAnglo - Saxon tim e s . And I need only draw a ttention to thenu mber and condition of the popu lation of Penton Gra fton atthe time of the survey . There were 27 borderers or cottagers nea rly twice the nu mber in the whole three manorsin Kimpton .

In the other manor of Clanvil le there were four borderer s ,so that within the a rea of the pa ri sh of Weyhil l , a s we knowi t . we a r e certa in tha t the fam il ies m ay thu s be reckoned

Fam ilies of the Lords or of the ReeveVillein sServiBorderers

Which shows a very large amount of prosperity .

A quotation from a charter of Richard I . will now beu seful as showing how Queen Edith ’ s m anor became thep roperty of the Abbey of Gr e st e in . It is taken from anInspeximu s Charter of Edward II . ( ii . in which herecites the earlier grant .

R ica r da s D e i Gr a tia r e m Angl ice da m Nor m annics , &c . Scia tism e conce ssisse e t p r e s enti ca r t a nostr a confir ina ss e om ne s sa bscr ip ta s

dona tione s fa cta s D e o e t e cc l e sice Sane ies M a r ice de Gr e st e in e t

m ona r ch is ibide in De o Se r ventibns e a: done W il lie lm i r egis Anglor u me t du cis Nor m anor nm in Anglia qu icqu id h abeba t in Penitona in

t e r r a in p r a tis in silvis in consn e tndinibu s e t a liis c il lce p e r t in en tibns

cu/m tota e ccl e sia .

D a ta p e r ina nnm Wil lm i d e Longo Ca m p o Ca nce l l a r ii nos tr oEl iensis e l e cti. apnd W e stra a iiij . die Novem br is a nno p r im e R egni

no st r i.

Richard , by the grace of God K ing of Engla nd, D u ke ofNormandy ,&c . , know ye tha t I have granted , and by this my present cha rter haveconfirmed , a ll the u nderwr itten gifts made to God and the chu rch of

Sa int Ma ry of Gr e st e in and to the m onks there serving God, by thegift ofWilliam ,

K ing of England and Du ke of Normandy,whatever

they h ad in England , in Penton , in land , in meadow,in woods

,in

cu stoms , and other things belonging to the vi lle with the whole chu rch .

Given by the hand ofWi lliam Long Champ , ou r Chancellor (B ishop)elect of E ly a t Westminster the fou rteenth day of November, in thefirst year of ou r reign

9 1

In Gough'

s Al ien Pr iorie s,the date of the foundation of

the Abbey of Sa int Mary Gr e st e in i s given as A.D . 1 140 .

But thi s is an obviou s m istake,a s we see by the passage in

Domesday it wa s in possession of “Pe nitone before A.D .

1066 , and the date shou ld probab ly be 1040 . Beside themanor ofPenton thi s abbey held the manor of W ilmington ,in Su sse x , by gift of Robert , Earl of Moreton , in th e time ofWilliam H .

, and an alien priory wa s e stab lished there and

they al so held the manor of Gr a tinge s , in the parish of S .

Olave Cr e ting, Su ffolk , by gift ofRobert , Earl ofMoreton , inthe reign of W il liam the Conqueror . It

W a s taken care of by some monks belonging thereunto , or by theiragent , the prior of Wilmington , thei1 chief cell in England .

yK ing

Edwa rd III . granted this to Tydeman de Lym be r , a merchant , and

afterward the abbot and convent sold it by the king ’s li cense to SirEdm ond de l a Pole . Tann er ’s Notitia , p . 511 . The parish of Cr e tingSt . Mary, in Su ffolk , which was most u su a lly styled the priory of

Cr e ting, wa s cell t o this abbey , and a fter the su ppression of theseforeign hou ses was by King Henry VI . ma de part of t h e endowm entof Eton College . Tanner ’ s Not1t1a p . 511 . Alien Pr ior ie s, Vo l . I . ,

page 89 .

That the Abbot of Gr e st e in spent some of hi s time inEngland i s pla in from severa l entries on the Patent Roll s .On th e se occas ion s if he visited Penton it wou ld probab ly beonly to receive the Compo ta s from the steward . Hi s re sidencewou ld most likely be at Wi lm ington .

In Letter s Patent , dated at Canterbury , Ju ly 9th , 1285 ,Reginald Abbot , ofGr e st e in , nom ina tes N icholas , de MagnaVil la , his fellow monk , and John de Gr enst e ad, c lerk . Afurther clau se perm it s the Abbot to be qu it of summonsesbefore the j u stice s of the forest for four years ( 14 Edwa rd Im em b. So fa r a s this exemption applies to Penton itwoul d exempt him for the time from attendance a t the Courtof the Forest OfCh u te and Finkley .

The same date (14 Edwa r d I . , m e inb. 10) a mandate i sgiven to the eschea tor on this side the Trent to restore thetempora litie s of St . Mary Gr e st e in t o Reginald

,cal led

“ Carvel ,” elected Abbot and confirmed by the Dean and

Chapter of L i sieux,and a writ de int endendo i s directed to

the tenants . A memorandum i s appended that the saidabbot did not have letters of the dean and chapter testifyinghi s confi1 m a tion directed to the king , but only to the B ishopOf L is ieux (the d ioce se in wh ich

D

Gr e st e in was situa ted) ,praying a favour of hi s bened iction ; and the king restored

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the tempora litie s by special gra ce ; and Master Wi lliam deLu nda , keeper of the wa rdrobe , h a s gone bail to theChancellor to have the said letter s sent .By Letters Pa tent

,da ted a t Pontefract

, May 2 l st , 1 327 ,Wil liam , Abbot of Gr e st e in ,

staying beyond sea s,h a s letters

nom ina ting Richa rd de Mil l e wa rd and Wi lliam Conr e y e , hisa ttorneys , for three yea r s . By fine of one m ark a t theinstance ofAdam de B rom , Su s sex .

In 1 330 , by letter s pa ten t , da ted a t Asene y , Ju ly 2 (4Edwa r d III . we m b. p rotection i s given for one yea r forthe Abbot of Gr e st e in .

As we sha ll have to speak of the alien priorie s whendea ling with Monxton and Abbots Ann

,it m ay be wel l to

describe wha t they were , and it will be best to qu ote for tha tpurpose J . N icho l ’s Introductory Prefa ce to Alien Pr ior ie s,Vol . I .

,to which the reader i s referred for references to - the

Rolls of Pa rliament , the Clo se Rolls , Rymers Fce dera , &c .

Alien priories were cells of the religiou s hou ses in England whichbelonged to foreign monasteries . For when manors or tithes weregiven to foreign convents , the monks , either to increa se their own ru l e ,o r ra ther to have fa ithfu l stewa rds of their revenu es , bu ilt a sma llconvent there for the reception of su ch a number a s they thou ghtproper , and constitu ted priors over them . Within these cell s therewas the same distinction a s in those priories which were cellssu bordinate to some great abbey . Some of these were conventu a l and

having priors of their own choosing , thereby became entire soc1 e tie s

within themselves , and received the reve nu es belonging to theirsevera l hou ses for their own u se and benefit, paying only the ancientapport a cknowledgment

,or obvention , a t first the su rplu sage to the

foreign hou se, bu t others depended entirely on the foreign hou ses , wh o

appointed and removed their priors a t plea su re . These t ransmitted a l ltheir revenu es to the foreign head hou ses

,for which rea son their estates

were genera lly seized to carry on the wars between England ‘

and

France , and restored t o them aga in on retu rn of pea ce These a lienpriories were , most of them , fou nded by su ch a s h ad foreign abbiesfou nded by themselves or by some of their family . The whole numberi s no t exa ctly a scerta ined . The Mona sticon hath given a list of 100 .

Weever (p . 338 1 says 1 10 ; an a ccount i s here given of 146 . A few inNormandy

,mentioned in N e u st r ia Pia only (whose la nds have not yet

been discovered ), a r e su pposed to have been fou nded by some of the

ancient English nobility or their descendants . Some of these cellswere made indigenou s

,or deniz on , or e nde niz e d .

The a lien priories were first seized by Edwa rd I . 1285 (s e e qu o ta tionfr om Pa t en t R o l l for th a t y e a r given above ) , on the breaking ou t ofthe wa r between France and England , and it appea rs from a roll tha tEdwa rd II . a lso seized them , thou gh this i s not mentioned by ou r hist o

gians

, and to these the Act of restitu tion 1 Edwa rd 111 . seems t ore er .

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a s appea rs from the following extract from the Patent Roll of9 Edwa rd II . (in. in which the name of the parish shou ldbe specia lly noticed . The instrument i s one reciting andconfirming gifts to the Abbey of Gr e st e in.

Tr ansl a tion— The King to a l l to whom , &c . , greeting, &c . We havegranted and confirmed the gift which Wi lliam de Mere se made to thea foresa id Abbot a nd convent of tha t whole land with its appu rtenanceswhich sometime belonged to R andu lph de l a Hu ll and Ali ce his wifein Penton Gr e st e yn and C l anfe l d, to have and to hold them for u s and

ou r heirs as mu ch a s in u s lies to the a foresa id Abbot and convent andtheir su ccessors . We do grant and confirm , a s by the cha rter and

writing of their gift a foresa id which they thence have i s rea sonablytestified

, 850 . At Westminster xxiii day of April .‘

So far as the m anor goe s then , it wi ll be sa fe to regardR am ridge and Clanvi lle a s by thi s time u nited in one holding .

A MS . in the l ib ra ry of Corpu s Christi College , Oxford , speaksof Tria manoria R am r u gge in H am pt onia , Conock inW il tonia , Marshe in Bu ckingh am ia ,

” a s given to God ’sHouse ofEwelme , which expression seems to imply that theHampshire manor s were known by the name of R am ridge

only .

The Corporation of Andover among it s muniments possesscopies of four very interesting deeds , the originals of whicha r e in the Pu b l ic Record Office . These cop ies were made foru se in the suit about the site of Weyhil l Fa ir , of which weshal l have t o speak later onThe three earlie st are what are known a s Inqu isitione s

post m or te m .

It m ay be well to explain that the se were enquiries held bya sworn j ury of the district . The j ury was summoned byvirtue of a writ directed to the County E scheator , beforewhom the inquest was held— when any tenant in cap ite died .

The Court thu s formed had to enqu ire— first , of what landsthe person died posse ssed secondly , by wha t rents orservice s the same lands were held ; and thirdly , who wa s thenext heir and wha t was the heir ’ s age . The Obj ect ofobta in ing thi s information was that the proper officers mightbe ab le to levy the du ties and services thereupon due ; for onthe death of each tenant in cap ite a t ax termed “

a r e lief”

was c la imed by the Crown , and the heir cou ld not take possession until the r e lief was pa id and hom age done . Moreover

,if the heir was a minor the Crown c laimed to admin ister

the e state u nti l he could make p roof of the exp iration of hislega l infan cy and perform homage .

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Translation of an Inquis ition (Ex B u nde l Esca e t de AnneR egni R egis Edwi Te r tii xxx vto . p t e 1 . a . no . 6 1 ) from acopy in the posses sion of the Corpora tion of Andover

,A. D .

136 1 .

Inqu isition made a t Ande v e r in the cou nty of Sou thampton on thela st day of November in the thirty - fift h yea r of King Edwa rd theThird after the Conqu est . Before John de Estbu r y , E scheator of theLord King by virtu e of a certa in writ of the sa id Lord K ing directedto the sa id eschea tor and sewed to this Inqu isition . By the oa th OfRichard a tte Mere, Joh n Mewe , Thoma s Bu l k e pu t , Symon Gy ot , Johnatte Ha le , Robert atte Cou rt , Robert , Howlers , John l e Eye , JohnCr ol , John Nywe m an , Henry Mor annd and Wa lter Uppe h u l l . W h o

say tha t Thoma s de l a Pole , Knight, decea sed , held in his demesne , as

of fee on the day on which he died the mano r of R am r ugge with thea dvowson of the chu rch of the same manor with its belongings in thecou nty aforesa id of the Lord K ing in capite by the servi ce of a fifthpa rt of one kn ight ’s fee . In which manor is a ca pita l messu age withdiverse bu i ldings which is worth nothing a yea r beyond reprisal s , and

one windm ill which is worth two shi llings a yea r beyond reprisa l s .Again there ar e there two car r u cat e s of land ofwhich ea ch ca rr u cat e contains in itself one hu ndred a cres whereof one hu ndred acres can be sewn a

year, and ea ch a cre when it ou ght to be sewn ou ght to be worth forseed iijd . a year, and when it lies void it h as no va lu e a year becau se itlies in the common . Aga in there a r e there iiij a cres of meadow whichar e worth v iiis . a year, a t the ra te of ij s . an a cre . Aga in there i s therepastu r e for x13 oxen ccc . sheep which cannot be enla rged , nor i s it ofany yea rly va lu e becau se it lies in the common . Aga in there ar e therex a cres of pa stu re in severa l , every a cre of which i s worth iiijd . a year .Aga in there ar e there fifty a cres ofwood , the pa stu re and u nderwood ofwhich is worth nothing a yea r on a ccou nt of the shadow of the trees .Aga in th ere ar e there iij a cres ofwood in severa l , ofwhich the u nderwoodand pa stu re i s worth xij pence a year . And there i s there three pou ndsof rent held for fou rteen shil lings a yea r payable a t the fea sts of thePu rifica tion of Blessed Marv and of St . Micha el in equ a l proportions .Aga in there ar e there vij yardlands the rent and servi ce of ea ch ofwhich i s worth ten shi llings a year

, and ix ha lf ya rdl ands , the rent and

service of each Of which is wor th six shillings and eight pence a year ,to be pa id yea rly a t the fe a st of St . Micha el . Aga in the plea s andperqu isites a r e worth five shillings a yea r .And they say that the same Thoma s did not hold any other land or

tenement in h is demesne as of fe e of the Lord King in capite nor ofothers in the aforesaid cou nty on the day on which he died . And tha tthe sa id Thoma s died on the twenty - fou rth day of October la st pa st ,and tha t Micha el de l a Pole, brother of the sa id Thoma s , aged thirtyyears and more is h is next heir .In witness of which the a foresa id j u rors have aflixe d their seals tothis Inqu isition . Given a t the pla ce day and yea r above mentioned .

It is more than a little rema rkab l e that in this document,

the da te of which is 1 36 1 , we shou l d have a de scr iption Of

the manor so very much a s we see it now,though more than

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five hundred years have elapsed since it was written . Themany magn ific e nt tree s a t present growing in R am r idge

Park are the succe ssors (or in some cases perh aps m ay bethe very tree s themselve s) of those whose shade was moregra tefu l on the hot days of summer than profitab le at theannua l a ccount a t Mich aelma s . The “ cap ital messu agewith divers bu ildings

,

” the “ common,the wood known

sti ll a s “R am ridge Copse , al l der ive an add itional inte rest

from this c lea r proof Of their hi storica l continuity .

There is a curiou s little hi story in connection with‘

One ofthese “ ya rdlands ment ioned in this inquisit ion . A yardland (r irga ta ) wa s a mea sure of land

,the actual area of

which i s very uncerta in , and we sa fely conj ectu re that then ine mentioned in the inquisition were the sma ller holdingsin the pa rish . It i s given in Woodwa rd and Wilk s ’ Historyof Hampshire , bu t a s u sua l in tha t book without any r e

ference , and up to the pre sent I have been unable to verify it .

In 1246 William de D e v eny s ca ll ed in qu estion the right Of Lu cy deMontagu to a ya rdland in l a W a ge , of which Roger de Wanton and

his wife Ca therine h ad wa rranted to her the title . Will iam cla imedthe land , a s his inheritance of which , in the time ofK ing John , Gi lbert ,hi s ancestor, wa s seized . Katherine ’s attorney ofi e r s on their pa rt thewager of battle in the person of William Cotele

,a freeman . W ill iam

de D e ve ny s a ccepts the challenge . The battle i s a rranged , Williamgiving 408 . for license of agreement . The pla intiff ’s pl e dgm en for thesettlement of the bu siness were Geoffrey de Maunde vil l and others .

Wa lter l e Bretu n , Will iam Milk e sop and others were pledged for thedefendants” (vo l . iii. , 10 .

It wil l be well to give new translations of the other Inquisitions , which are taken l ike the la st from a copy among theAndover Archives bu t the origina l s are al so in th e PublicRecord Office . Ex Bu nde l Esca e t de Anno R egni R egis

H enr . 5 ti. 80 . no . A.D . 1420 .

An Inqu isition taken a t Andover in the Cou nty of Sou thampton on

Satu rday next a fter the fea st of Sa int Leonard in the eighth year of

t h e reign of K ing Henry the fifth a fter the Conqu est , before JohnParsons the K ing ’s eschea tor for the sa id Cou nty, by virtu e of a writof the Lord King directed to the same escheator and sewed t o thisinqu isition . By the oa th of Robert Ly ly e Richard Pynm e r e JohnForster , Ni chola s Not ebe m John K ynge st on Nichola s Wa le Nichola sTail lou r John Blyk e John Su nbu ry John Col yns Robert Idde and

Thoma s Tilly,wh o say u pon their oath tha t Thoma s de l a Pole, Knight ,

named in the sa id writ , on the day on which he died held of the LordKing in capite the manor of R am r ugge with its appu rtenances togetherwith the advowson of the chu rch of Wee in the sa id Cou nty in hi sdemesne as of fe e . And tha t the s ite of the sa id manor isworth nothing

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Mi cha el and hi s heirs ma le i ssu ing from his body t o hold of th e LordKing and his heirs by the aforesa id service for ever . And if the sadWilliam shou ld die withou t heirs mal e issu ing of hi s body then thesa id Manor of R am r u gge with its bel ongings shou ld rema in to Richardde l a Pole son of the sa id Micha el and his heirs m a le issu ing from hisbody . To hold of the Lord King and his heirs by the aforesa id servicefor ever , and if the sa id Richard shou ld die withou t h eirs ma le issu ingfrom his body then the Manor of R am r u gge with its belongings sha llrevert to the aforesa id M icha el and his heirs t o hold of the Lord Kingand his heirs by the a foresa id service for ever, by virtu e of which fin ethe sa m e Thoma s the fa ther wa s then seized in his demesne a s of feea s is a foresa id and afterwa rds the a foresaid W illiam de l a Pole and

Richa rd de l a Pole died , t o wit ea ch of them withou t heirs ma leissu ing of their body

, and a fterwards the a foresaid Thoma s the fa therdied the a foresa id Thoma s his son u nder age for this rea son standingin the cu stody of the K ing , wh o likewise died the 27th day of Ju ly la stpa st withou t heirs ma le i ssu ing of h is body, for which rea son the aforesa id manor with its belongings reverted t o William de l a Pole newEa rl of Su ffolk a s kinsman and heir of h im Michael , specified in thesame fine by virtu e of the aforesa id fine , t o wit the son of Mi cha el theson of Micha el specified in the sa id fine it ou ght to revert . And theysay tha t the sa id Earl William i s of the age of thirty years and more ,and they say tha t the site of th e manor aforesa id is worth nothinga year in a l l ou tgoings beyond reprisa ls and there a r e in the samemanor ninety- fiv e a cres of a rable land of which ea ch acre i s wor th ayea r in a l l ou tgoings beyond reprisa ls two - pence . Two hu ndred a cresof fa llow land which i s worth nothing a year, twenty a cres of pa stu reof which ea ch a cre i s worth twopence a year . Twenty a cres of u nderwood which a r e worth on the whole twelvepence a year . Seven pou ndsof rent of rent of a ssise from divers tenements a t the wi ll of the lordthere to be pa id yea rly a t the fea st of Ea ster and the fea st of SaintMicha el the Archangel equ a lly , and twenty shillings of rent of therent Of divers free tenants Of the sa id manor to be pa id annu a lly a t theaforesaid fea sts equ a lly. And they say tha t the aforesa id manor is heldof the Lord K ing in cap ite by the service of a fifth part of a Knight ’sfee , and they say tha t neither less or more land or tenement have comet o the hands of the a foresa id Lord Henry the K ing a foresa id nor intothe hands of the present Lord King , by the death of the a foresa idThoma s the fa ther , nor by reason of the minority of Thoma s the son of

the same, nor a r e in h is hands . And they say that Ka therine sister ofthe sa id Thoma s the son is h is next heir . and i s of the age of fou rteenyears . In testimony of which the Ju rors have a ffixed their sea ls tothis inqu isition given the day year and pla ce above written .

The inquisition s of 1420 and 1430 give almost identicaldeta il s of the m anor . It would be very interesting to e xam ine into those deta il s more c lo sely , bu t it i s not expedientto take u p the requ i red space here . The fact of importanceis perfectly c lea r that the p rom inent feature s of commonwood and pa stu re , and the site of the cap ital messuage , werethe n a s we see them st ill .

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As before the da te of the earliest of these inquisitions ,136 1 , we have shown reason to believe Clanvi lle had becomeab sorbed in t o the larger manor of R am r u gge . There i s noreason for a ttempting to identify any particu lar features , forthe whole parish mus t be included .

The names of the holders of the manor , however , take u sinto one of the most distres sfu l periods of English history

,

and we are thu s introduced to a man who bore a prom inentpart in the troub les of the time , and had no small share inbringing about the disasters from which the country sufferedso much .

It wi ll be seen in the inquisitions j ust quoted tha t the firstmember of the fam ily of De l a Pole mentioned i s S ir Thoma s

,

wh o d ied on the 24 th of October , 1 3 61 . He was the son ofWilliam de la Pole

,merchant , of Kingston - upon -Hu ll

, 2nd

B aron Of the Exchequer,who died in 1 366 .

Thi s Wil liam de la Pole had three son s —~Michael,Thoma s

,

and Edmond . The eldest son , Michael de la Pole , was bornabout 1 330 , kn ighted before 1 355 , created E a rl of Suffolk1385 , and Chancellor of England . Attainted February 1 388 ,died 5th Sept .

,1 389 .

Sir Thomas de la Pole appear s to have been the secondson of Wi lliam , the merchant of Hu l l . As we see from theInquisition taken at Andover in 1 36 1 , he died 24th October ,1 36 1 , seized of the manor ofR am r idge , and , leaving no issue ,his brother Michael ju st mentioned became hi s heir . Edmondde la Pole was probably the y oungest son .

Michael de l a Pole , the favourite of King Richard theSecond

,who

,by the death of his brother , S ir Thomas , in

1 36 1 , inherited the manor of R am r idge with hi s other property , wa s a most conspicuou s chara cter in his day . Theweak and foolish King , who was ready to sacrifice his kingdom for hi s favour ite s , m ade him Earl of Suffolk and LordChancellor

,and al lowed him five hundred and twenty pounds

out of the profits of the county of Suffolk and the e states ofWi lliam Ufford

,late Earl of Suffolk . But in the next year

he was removed from his office of Chan cellor at the demandof Parliament

,impeached , and summoned to appear and

give account of hi s adm inistration , and , being found guiltyof m i smanagement

,wa s compelled to restore al l the grants

he had rece ived of the King , which were so enormou s thateven the King himself wa s surprised at their amount . Hewas in addition confined in W indsor Ca stle . After the

H 2

100

defeat of the army raised by the other favourite , the Duke ofIreland

,M ichael de l a Pole retired to Ca la is , where hi s

brother,Edmund de l a Pole

,wa s governor of the ca s tle .

Edmond,however

,refu sed to ha rbou r his brother Micha el

w ithou t the consent of Lord Wil lia m Bea u champ , governorof the town

,who sent the e x - Chancel lor ba ck to England a s

a pr i soner,and was himself impr isoned for doing so . Toge

ther with the Du ke of Ireland Micha el de l a Pole wasban ished in 1 388

,and died 5 th September , 1 389 .

Thi s Micha el de l a Pole,the fa vou rite

,h ad two son s , one

ofwhom , Richa rd , we can pa ss withou t fu rther notice thantha t before 1430

,a s shown by the la st quoted inqui sition , he

h ad d ied withou t male is su e .

Hi s other son was,like himself

,named Micha e l de la Pole ,

and wa s born abou t 1 36 1 ; h e wa s restored a s Ea rl of Su ffolk ,and died 14th September

,14 15 . He h ad fou r son s , Michael ,

Will iam , Thom as , and John .

The eldest of them,Micha el de l a Pole , wa s born abou t

1 392 ; succeeded hi s fa ther a s E a rl of Suffolk , bu t the sameyear was sla in at the battle of Agincou r t , 25 t h October , 1415 ,l eaving no male heirs .The second son (the one with whom we have the chief

concern) was Wi lliam Ea rl Of Su ffolk , hei r to hi s brotherMich a e l j u st mentioned . He wa s born l 6 th October , 1396 ,made Kn ight of the Ga rter 1420 , crea ted Duke of Su ffolk1 448 , and mu rdered 2nd May , 1450 . He had marriedAlice

,da u ghter and heire s s of S ir Thomas Chaucer , Kn ight ,

son of Sir Geoffrey Chaucer , the famou s English poet . Shedied 1474 , and is buried at Ewe l m .

The third son of Michael de la Pole wa s Sir Thomas de l aPole , the inquisition 0 11 whom i s printed above , from which itwil l be seen that he died the 2 l st of Augu st , 1420 , leaving a

l ittle son a l so named Thoma s , only three year s Ol d,and a

dau ghter , Ka therine , fou rteen years old . The boy died , a s

the deed informs u s , on the 27 th Ju ly , 1430 . So that them anor of R am r idge then went , a ccording to the provisionsof a deed made in 1 384 ,

to William ,second son of Micha el

(wh o h ad died in a t tha t t ime Earl and afterwa rdsDu ke of Su ffolk

,mentioned above .

The direct ma le line,i t wi l l be ob served , h ad twice fa i led

in ea ch ca se with a Thoma s,and in each case the manor of

R am ridge h ad by tha t fa i lu re gone to an elder brother .The pedigree of the De la Poles is of nece ss ity rather com

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in spite of a l l efforts tho se a t the head of affairs saw thatsucces s wa s no longer po ssib le . A fresh effort for peace wasmade by William de la Pole , Earl Of Suffolk , wh o had nowbecome the m in ister of Henry VI . ,

and negotia ted for hismaster a marriage with Marguerite of Anjou . Her father ,R éné , the t itu lar King of S icily and Jerusalem , was al soduke of the province s of Maine and Anj ou , and these weresurrendered by the Engl ish m in i ster as the price of a matchwhich Suffolk regarded a s the prelude to a final peace .

The head of the war party , the Duke of Gloucester , wa sfound dead in his bed at St . Edm ondsbu ry . But the difficu l tie s he had ra ised fo i led Su ffolk in his negotiations , andby 1451 the English were final ly expelled from the so il ofFran ce .But the ruinou s is sue of this great struggle rou sed England

to a burst of fury against the Government , to whose weaknessand credu lity it attribu ted its disasters . On the meeting of

Parliament at Leicester in 1450 the Duke of Suffolk wasimpeached . The King

,fearing what m ight come from the

fury of the people , ban i shed the Duke for five years theDuke himself looking upon thi s exile as a proper mean s tosecure him from worse h arm , therefore speedily embarkedfor France . Bu t he was followed by a ship called theN icholas , belonging to the Duke ofExeter , then Constab le ofthe Tower , and being taken was brought into Dover , whereh is head was struck off on the s ide of a cock boat , and thehead and body were left on Dover sands , where they werefound by a chaplain ofhis , and taken up and buried e ither atVVingfie l d, in Suffolk , or at Kingston upon Hu l l . He served24 y ears in France , and 17 without ever returning home .He was Pr ivy Counsellor 15 years , a Knight of the Garter30 . This slight sketch Of the trou b lou s times in which thelatter part of hi s life was passed will enab le u s the better toappreciate the calm and p iou s plans and purpo se s which areexhibited in the document of which I wi ll give a translation ,t aken like the Inquisition s given above , from a c opy amongt h e Andover mun iments .From the Patent Roll of the 1 5t h Henry VI . , 111 . 3

The King t o a l l to whom, &c . , greeting, know ye that of ou r specia lgra ce and for two hundred and fifty marks pa id to u s into ou r hanaper,we have granted and given licence for u s and ou r heirs , as mu ch as liesin u s , to ou r dear and fa ithful cou sen, Wi lliam de l a Pole Earl ofSuffolk, and Al ice , hi s wife , they and e ither of them which sha l lsurvive for a certa in a lmshou se , of two ch apla ins and thirte en poor

103

men , by the same Ea rl and Al i ce hi s wife , or either of them ,their heirs

and assigns , to be institu ted , placed and depu ted ; to wit, chapla ins tocelebra te divine service , and they, the chapla ins and poor men a foresa id , to pray for the good estate of u s and of them , the sa id E arl andAlice , w hile they sha ll live , and for ou r sou l and the sou ls of them theEarl and Alice a fter we have depa rted this life , and for the sou l s Ofou r ancestors, and for the sou ls of the pa rents and benefa ctors of themthe Ea rl and Alice , and of a l l the fa ithfu l departed , and for the fu lfilment and execu tion of certa in prayers and work s of cha rity and

devotion , a ccording to the order of them the Ea rl and Ali ce , or eitherof them , in this ca se made and provided . To begin , make , fou nd , andestablish a t Ewelme , in the cou nty of Oxford , a s they or either of

them sha ll be able , for them ,the chapla ins and poor men , to live and

inhabit for ever , and tha t th e same hou se which herea fter shal l beerected , made , fou nded , and established sha ll be ca lled Ew e h n Almeshou se for ever, and that the same chapla ins and poor men in the samehou se herea fter so erected , fou nded and established by the a foresa idEarl and Alice , or either of them ,

sha ll be a body corporate in fa ct andin name , having perpetu a l su ccession and having the a foresa id hou se a tthe same time t o live in . Also they sha ll have a common sea l to beu sed in the bu siness of the aforesa id hou se for ever

,and tha t they

shall be persons fit and capable of acqu iring and rece iving any lands ,tenements , rents , a dvowsons , and of prosecu ting and defending a l l

manner of a ctions and dispu tes in any Cou rt and pla ce , and of pleadingin the same . Moreover we grant and give licence for u s and for ou r

heirs a s i s a foresa id , a s mu ch as in u s lies,a s t o the a foresa id Earl and

Al ice tha t they, o r either Of them or the heirs of them , so to any otherperson whatever that they m ay give and a ssign to the same chapla inand poor men and the aforesa id hou se , or the hou se that sh a ll befou nded and established , lands , tenements , rents , and possessions and

advowsons and patronage of chu rches, both of those which a r e held of

u s in capite or a r e otherwise held of u s . and those which a r e held of

other persons than of u s u p to the valu e of 100 m a rks a yea r , a s theysha l l be able. To have to them and their su ccessors a s well for theirhou se and habitation as for aid in their su stenta tion for ever . And tothe same chapla ins and poor men and their su ccessors tha t they m ayreceive

,pu rcha se , and appropriate to their whole and sole u se su ch

lands and tenements, rents and possessions , and a dvowsons and

pa tronage of chu rches a foresa id u p to the va lu e of one hu ndred ma rksa yea r, a s from the same Earl and Alice, or either Of them o r the he irsof them ,

or from any other person wha tsoever a s shall desire to g ive ,grant, or a ssign su ch lands and tenements , rents and possessions , andadvowsons and pa tronage to them , and that they m ay be able to holdsu ch lands and tenements , rents and possessions to them and t o theirsu ccessors for ever . In like manner by the tenor of these presents wehave given specia l licence , the sta tu te de t e r r is and of mortma in notwithstanding . Nevertheless by inqu i sitions whence they ou ght to betaken and in the chancery Of u s or ou r heirs rightly retu rned sha ll betried

, that it m ay be done withou t loss or prej u dice t o u s or ou r heirs ,or of any others wha tever. In testimony whereof witness the King a t

hi s manor of gton the third day of Ju ly .

By writ of Privy Sea l .

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Not e in th e m a r gin

Memorandum tha t on the twenty - fou rth day of Febru a ry in th e

twentieth year of the reign of the with in written K ing , the chapla insand poor men within written pu rcha sed to themselves and theirsu ccessors

,lands and tenements to the va lu e of fifty

- nine pou nds ayea r, t o have and t o hold to them and their su ccessors for ever in fu llsatisfa ction of the hu ndred ma rks within wr itten .

It i s no part of my present purpose to give any account ofthe “ Almshou se

, or hou se of God , a t Ewelme , except asthe present owners of the manor ofR am r idge . But I desireto draw attent ion to a most interesting pamph let by the Rev .

H . K . S imcox , rector ofEwelme , which not only gives a veryvaluab le historical a ccount of the foundation , but makes somesugge stion s which deserve earnest cons idera tion . It isentitled Suggestion s for the Amendment and Improvementof the Scheme under which the ‘ Almshou se or House of

God at Ewelme i s now Admin istered .

” Printed for privatecircu lation . Wa llingford Bradford , printer and stationer ,St . Mary Street . Mr . S imcox quotes in the appendix thepreamb le of the original statutes , which , a s it shows muchof the personal ity of the nob leman by who se p iou s gift theparish of Penton Grafton became the property of EwelmeCollege , I feel it ought to be reproduced here .

In the name of God, be it knowne to a l l t r ewe cristen pepu l l th econtentes of thi s present fou nda cion se yng, h e ryng and u ndyr st anding.

We,William de l a Pole, Du ke of Su ffol k e , and Ali ce my wyfe ,

Du chesse ofSu fi ol k e , de sy r e h e l th in body e , gra ce in sowle , and everl astyng joy to opt e yne . Becau se a l l cris ten pepu l l m ek e ly and

de vou l t ly conside r yng h ow by the u ph oldyng and m aynt enyng of

divine service, and by the exe r cy s e of works of mercy in the sta te of

thi s de de ly lyfe in the la st dr edefu l day of dome they sha ll with th em ercy of ou re Lord t ake here pa rte and pereion of j oye au d bly sse withthem that sha ll be saved a u ght of r e son to have a grete and ferventde syr e and a besy cha rge in m ynde to u phold and m aynt ene divineservice

, and to exerci se, fu lfills and do works of mercy before the endof their dedl y lyfe . And namely to su che persons tha t m ay by no

fa cu l te of l awfu l l cr aft e gete here body l y su stynnau nce . Bu t foth y rm ore bene be tyn with so grete penu ry of pove r t e tha t for lakke ofsu stynnau nce , and they were not by a lm e sse r e l e vyd they shou ldl ygh t ly pysh .

Thys we devou tly conside r yng W il l m and Alyce above sayde h avebe l dy t e r e ct e and fou ndid an howse of a l m e sse for two prestes and xiij .pore men t o dwell and to be su st e yned in the same a l l tymes to comein pe rpe tu it e se t and e difie d u pon a certyne gr ownde of ou respu r t e ynyng to ou r maner and Lordsh ippe of Ewelme in the Cownt e ofOxenforde annexid u nto the ch u r ch y e rde of the pa ry sh e chu rch of

Ewelm e in the west syde, the sayde chu rch beyng in th e est syde of thesaid hou se of a lm e sse .

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10 6

a ll u ded to in the inqu i s ition of 1 3 1 6 . The landscape garden ing displays so m u ch ski ll tha t it is impossible to helpthe conj ecture tha t it mu st be the work of CapabilityBrown .

”

The Rev . Henry White , recto r of -Fy fie ld,has m any notices

of R am r idge Hou se in his d ia ry . He does not appear however to have apprecia ted it s bea u tie s

1 780 . December 18th .

—Wa lked to R am r idge with S ir &c . ,

p m . A very la rge and expensive hou se , and too lofty for the cou ntry1780 . Ju ly 22nd — Rode to R am r idge vesp with Bessy, &c . : limebloom , fine perfume .1780 . Au gu st 3 rd — Sir Mr . W . M . Metz

,and Bessy rode

to R am r idge vesp .

1 780 . December 4th — Sent ye pictu re home to R am ridge .

1 782 . October 11th — D ined a t R am r idge with brother Benj . hou semost elegantly fu rnished . Two most su perb looking gla sses in yedrawing room , sa id to have cost origina lly a t Pa ris £500 ea ch . Veryda rk wa lk home Messrs . Le ve r su ch and Crookshanks and severa l ladiesfrom London visiting Mr . Ga u ler .1784. April 1 7th — D ined a t R am r idge with Mr . W . , Mr s . Wa llop

and Miss Ba iley, and Messrs . Chamberla in , Ba rlow , and Haynes .Grea t cu tting down and gru bbing up se al qu a ntu m m u ta tu s abil lo .

Mr . Ma rsh , who took a forty yea rs ’ lease of R am r idge in1 8 55 , made a grea t alterat ion in the bu ilding . His in itia l s ,

with tho se of his wife and three daughters ,a r e in box edging on the terra ce in front of the

house . He was succeeded by Colonel Shaw - Storey , and in1 887 by Col . Ha rma r , J .P. , the present occup ier . The a rmsofHarma r a r e q u a rterly , or and sable on a bend engra il edgule s

,between two rose s a rgent barbed and seeded proper ,

three loz enges erminois . Crest ’

ou a wreath of the colou rsin front of a cu bit a r m vested sab le cu ff or , in the hand tworose branche s lea ved and slipped vert , that on the dextergule s tha t on the sinister a rgent both barbed and seededproper

,a portcu lli s w ith cha ins o r .

I have rema rked before tha t I do not know how longClanville wa s held a s a sepa ra te Manor , bu t tha t by 18 1 6 ith ad come into the same hands a s R a m r idge . We find itnow,

in my opin ion , one of the m ost interesting and

picturesqu e pl ace s in the north ofHampshire . A long streetrunn ing nearly due north from Weyhil l church continuesthrough pa rt of the pa rish of Chu te Forest , form ing thebounda ry between th a t pa rish and Tangley t il l it fina lly leavesthe county

,where it comes u pon the Roman road between

Winchester and C irencester at Hampshire Gate . The gradient

107

increa se s all the way along . It is 300 feet above the se a atthe point we have reckoned a s its sta rting , and it rea ches600 a t Hampshire Gate , althou gh a spot very c los e to tha t inConh o l t Park is 697 feet . This road i s j o ined at Du ckStreet , c lo se to the bounda ry of the parish and of the county ,by another com ing from Penton Grafton . The two waysmaking a sort of inverted V with the po int to the northbetween Na th ane on the east, and Flinty , in W ilt shire , on

the we st . At thi s po int is wha t yet rema ins of th e v illagegreen , once more exten s ive bu t now partly taken into thegarden s .Clanv ille may be cons idered in many ways a typ ical village ,

and wou ld yield materials for ca refu l stu dy of the vi llagecommun ity . The age of the present street i s proved by thesiz e of the tree s standing on e ither s ide of it . One immensechestnut i s yet rearing it s venerab le head oppos ite Weyhil lschool , and another , nearly as la rge , wa s felled within myrecollection . On the other side of the road , thou gh nearerthe extrem ity of the parish , are some very large tree s oppositeClanville Hou se .R am r idge hou se stands in its p ark with unu sual ly fine

timber on the west of the road , and Clanvi lle Lodge i s on theeast some way fu rther down . The old name of thi s hou sewas Bl issm or e Ha l l

,and , a s su ch , it i s frequ ently mentioned

in Mr . White ’ s D iarie s . It was to a great extent rebu i lt byth e late T . Fa ith

,E sq .

Further north , on the right hand side , i s Clanv i lle Hou se ,a very interesting building of the ea rly part of the eighteenthcentu ry . A brick in the ga rden wa ll i s inscribed P.L . (PhilipLockton) , 1 793 . This m ay indicate the date when th edrawing room wa s added , but the front part i s certainlymuch older . The dining room i s particu larly characteristic ,and there a r e three other panelled rooms

,and a very qu aint

staircase . Two enormou s y ew tree s , one measuring 1 0 feet4in . rou nd the tru nk , stood at the ba ck , which mu st havebeen many centuries in growth , and a most effective avenueof limes

,the average girth of which is 7 feet , is growing on

the slope of the ga rden to the border of the grounds , and i sso arranged that with the doors of the hou s e set open astriking v iew i s obta ined , which however was finer sti ll whent h e pollarded l imes in the meadow in front extended to thetop at present only two rema in . Clanvil le Hou se wa s longthe res idence of the Lockton fami ly , and i s now occupied by

108

Montagu Edwa rds , E sq .,to whom I am indebted for much

valuabl e a s sistance .

A cap ita l example of the formal sty le of garden ing so verymuch in fa shion in the seventeenth centu ry , and which h a snever been a ltogether discontinu ed , is seen in the trimmedyew tree s near the end of the v illage street . We find tha tthe tree s in Andover chu rchyard were kept trimmed in thisfashion , a s entries frequ ently occu r in the old churchwarden s

’

books recording payments for do ing i t,as for example

1703 . To moneys pa id fo l fol e ing and staking t h e t1 eesin the ch u 1 ch y a r d 01 10 00

To moneys pa id Chu bb fo1 t1 im m ingthe yew tree 00 00 06The signboard of the Three Horse Shoes inn i s an in

t e r e sting spec imen of iron work .

A very ancient hou se i s still standing on the east s ide ofthe road . A modern add ition

,a s la rge a s the origina l p art

yet existing , very mu ch con cea l s it s cha racter . It i s bui lt ofwa ttle and daub

,with smal l proj ecting oriel window s

,and the

ol d chimney stands bu t a very little way ou t of the tha tch .

Some of the rooms a r e panelled . I regret to say I have beenas yet unab le to investiga te it

,as I hope to do more fu lly ; but

so far as I am abl e to j udge from t h e imperfect v iew I cou ldobta in I have no hesita tion in a ss ign ing it s erection at thelate st to the commencement of the fifteenth century .

Mu ch valuable informa tion abou t the p a rish,i llu stra ting

what h a s been sa id , and wha t sti l l rem ains to be told , wil l befou nd in an Act of Pa r liament

,52 Geo . III .

,1 8 12 ,

for th esight of which I am indebted to M . E dwards , E sq . I quotethe preambl e entire .

A B ill for inclosing lands in the pa ri sh of W e y , otherwise W eyh il l ,Within the manor of R a m r idge , in the cou nty of Sou th a m p ton, and in

the hamlet o r township of App l e sh aw, in the sa id cou nty (Roya lAssent 20 Ju ne ,Wherea s there a r e within the hamlets or townships of Penton

Gr afton , Cl a nvil l e , and Nu tbe a n, and within the sa id parish of W ay ,

otherwise W ey h il l , in the cou nty of Sou th a m p ton , severa l open and

common fields,pa stu re , down , and wa ste lands , conta ining in thewhole ,

by estima tion , 680 a cres or thereabou ts , and d ivers ancient inclosu res ;and wherea s there a r e within th e sa id ham let or township ofApp l e sh awsevera l open a nd common fields , pa stu r e , and wa ste land , conta ining 1n

the whole by estimat ion 120 a cres or thereabou ts , and divers ancientinclosu res ; and wh e 1 e a s the two chapla ins and thirteen poor men of

Ewe lm a lmshou se in Ewe l m in the coun ty of Oxford ar e Lords of thesa id Manor of R a m r idge , comprising there in the whole of the sa idham l ets or townships ofP enton Gr afton, Cl a nvil l e , andNu tbe an, and

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1 10

within the hamlet or township of Appleshawand whereas J a m e s Edwa rds , Esqu ir e , is Lord of theManor ofApp l esh aw, and as such entitled to the right of soi lin the commons and wa ste lands within the sa id hamlet ortownship of Appleshaw .

” It will come more properly withinany description we a r e ab le to give of the pari sh ofAppleshawitself.Bu t it wil l perhaps save confusion to notice here that part

ofMr . Edwa rds ’ property in the manor of Appleshaw, thoughnot of la rge extent , l ay within the boundarie s of the parish of

Weyhill , and that i s the rea son for it being mentioned in theAct j u st quoted . We mu st not look u pon it a s appurtenantto the manor of R am r idge , bu t

“ parcel” of the manor ofAppleshaw and R e dde nh am .

It give s name , however , to a part of the parish borderingon Clanville , cal led Ragged Apple shaw ,

which m ay as well bespoken of now .

Appleshaw i s not a word needing very much explanation ,a lthou gh it is an instance of the way in which place - namese lucidate our history . In no single instance throughout th echa rter s do we meet with a name implying the existence ofany kind of pine or fir

,and this curiou sly corroborates the

a s sertion of Cae sar tha t there was no fir in Britain . Thenames of fru it trees a r e a l so very rare

,w ith the exception of

the apple tree , and even thi s appears chiefly in Celtic namesTa y lor

’

s W or ds and P la ce s . The first par t of the nameof the pari sh then i s easily understood . Sh aw means a woodor shady pla ce , and , like the kindred words h o l t , l ea ,

h il l , andm e r e , proves that the greater part of the country was nothingbut woodland . Sh aw, however , m u st not be confounded withh aw, which mean s a pla ce where tree s h ad been hewn . Wem ay render sh aw (an Anglo - Saxon word ) a shady pla ce in awood ,

”and perhaps apple orcha rd wou ld not badly represent

the meaning to u s . Bu t here we have a prefix r agged, whichhas given rise to some m i sinterpretation . The explanationis , however , at once ea sy and pleasant . Ragged i s a termapplied to fru it trees when they have a good crop . Thu s

,they

say H ow fu ll of fruit that tree is , it’s a s ragged a s it can hing

— H a l liwe l l . We m ay thu s safely conclu de that this part ofthe pa rish had been renowned for its good apple crop s frompre ~ hi storic times .From Va ncou ve r

’

s Agr icu l tu r e ofH a mpsh ir e drawn u p forthe Boa r d ofAgr icu l t u r e and Inte rna l Imp r ove m ent

,1 8 10 , it

1 1 1

appears that Penton Gra fton conta ined 48 inhabited hou se s ,with a popu la tion of 345 . The tota l sum ra ised for al lparochia l pu rposes wa s £ 327 14 5 . 3d .

,of which £304 8 s . 6d.

was expended on a ccou n t of the poor . The poor rate wa sfou r shillings in the A note adds There i s no workhouse in this pa rish

, bu t 2 5 hou ses a r e fo u nd by th e pari shfor the res ident poor .The ty th ingm an

’

s retu rns and presentments to the CourtLeet , which ex isted a t Andover for a va st number of years ,mention the butts , the stocks , and the pound . A sampleentry wil l be sufficient

1568 . Penton Gr .a fton Item,tha t the bu tts for the a rchers and

the stocks for the punishment of ma lefa ctors m e in defau lt, and itbelongs to the inhabitants the1 e to r e paii them . The bu tts and stocksa r e t o be su fficiently repa ired bef0 1 e the fea st of the Anu nciation of

Blessed Ma ry next ensu ing , under a pena lty of vjs . and viijd .

1 693 . Oct . 5 . Penton G1 afton . Wee present the pou nd to be indefau lt , and to be amended m 20 days u pon penalty of 1 O 0

Wee pi e sent the stockes , f0 1 m e r l y presented and not amended , to bedone in 20 days u pon the pena lty of 0 5 0

Wee pr e se nt t the way between Peter Noyes and the stocks to beemended by the 12th fi ebi u a ry next on the penalty of 0 5 0

In the same y e a 1 the r '

e t u 1 n of the “ resia nts for Penton Graftonwa s as follows

William Drake Esqr Thoma s Th u r stinRichard Whitehead Gent Josiah Ta rrantRobert Ta rrant Richard St e venceWilliam Mill s Isaa ck St e v e nceJohn Noyes Thoma s NoyesCha rles BendallNath anie l l Ta rrant Richard MoreThoma s Ta rrant Thoma s SteventonThoma s Knowles Robert Tarrant ju nrRichard St e v e nce William Fu llerSamu ell Ta rrant Wi lliam HayesJohn Ga le John H e l l ia r

Hu gh Ga le Robert CrossePeter Benda ll Robert Ba rnesJohn Barnes se nr William Limpa sPeter Ga le Thoma s Wa leRobert Fu ller William GreeneHu gh GreenJohn Hu rst For J ewr ym en

John Gu y a t t Anthony B ileyWilliam Browne scu r Peter NoyesWilliam Browne j u nr Thoma s Da lby

Whi l st we have Records of this ch a racter before u s it w il l

1 1 2

be well to quote the following,which may poss ib ly form the

subj ect of further comments la ter on

1575 , Sep . 19 , Penton Gra fton . Peter Moyse h a s not amended a

certa in footway leading from Ande v e r to the Common called “ l e

Pyke ” and l s bea the ” whereby the l e ige s of ou r L idy the Qu eenwh o cannot freely go and retu rn by tha t way to the Common a r e inconvenienced therefore he is fined xijs . iiijd.

The following pas sage fromA complete system of geography of the known world comprehendingthe History of the Universe , both Antient and Modern , and the mostmateria l Revolu t ions and changes tha t have happen ’d in it, eithe r byConqu est or Trea ties ,Pub lished under the na m e of Herman Moll , London 1 744 ,is too good to be lo st . Speaking of AndoverW e can ’t leave i t withou t mentioning a village on the west of it a tthe beginning of the open Down ca lled Sa l isbu r y Pl a in . Its name i sW e yh il l where i s only a desola te chu rch

,on a rising grou nd , with

hardly a hou se abou t it , yet’tis of Note for a fa ir reckoned one of the

biggest in Engl a nd for Hops , Cheese , and s evera l other Commoditiesand for sheep there i s none so big especia lly of the Do r se tsh ir e Ewesfor store sheep which the fa rmers come or send for to this fa ir notonl y from the cou nt ies of B e r ks , Orfor d, B u cks, B edfor d, and H e r t

for d, bu t from Midd l e s e x , K ent , Su r r e y , and Su sse x . The hops ar ebrou ght hither from the three cou nties la st mentioned

, and the chee sefrom W i l tsh ir e , Gl ou ce st e r sh ir e , and Som e r s e tsh ir e .

Among the traditions of the fair which a r e worth preserving i s the curiou s o ld p ra ctice which obtained at thevariou s inns in the vi llage of Horning the Colts . ” Anyonewh o h ad not attended the fa i r before

,e ither in the hop

ma rket or otherwis e , was deemed a“ colt

,

”and wa s initia ted

made free” by the fol lowing r ite,which s eems to have

come down from very ea r ly da teThe new hand wa s sea ted in a cha ir amidst the regular

frequ enter s of the hou se , and on his head wa s pla ced a hata dorned with two horns , between which wa s fixed a cup .

”

The Officiant stood before him and sang the following strain,

the rest all jo ining in the choru s,which wa s repeated several

t imes

So swift ru ns the hare , so cu nning ru ns the fox ,

Why shou ldn ’t this you ng heifer grow u p to be an ox,

And drink with h is daddy with a large pa ir of horns .Ch or u s— VVith a la rge pa ir of horns .

The hea d covering was then handed down so tha t th enovice cou ld drink the a l e from the cu p,

which held abou tha l f- a - p int . The ceremony conc luded by the company

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1 14

Whether any indication s may be traced of the origin or

antiqu ity of this custom I wil l not venture to say, but I aminclined to regard it a s going back to remote da te

,and I do

not think it at al l hopeles s tha t further informa tion may begleaned . I hope to be ab le to recur to the most interestinginns of the pari sh later on .

We sha l l probab ly never dissociate the name of the parishof Penton Grafton from Weyhil l Fair

,which , a s has been

remarked , has ab sorbed all other geographical d i stinctions ;for it i s the fair that has made the hil l t o be the most r emembered and noteworthy spot

,and the fa ir that has a lways

held the paramount interest . There i s no need of recall ingto those wh o live within reach the precise locality of the“ Fair Ground .

” We can recognise it under the adoptedname of Weyde n Priors in Mr . Hardy

’

s capital story of

The Mayor of Cast e rbr idge .

” But it i s important tonotice that the ground we see so annually teem ing withl ife and an imation i s partly glebe and partly land “ parcelof the manor of R am ridge , and the strip we cal l the HopRow s , for we shal l have t o see hereafter that it was thesubj ect of a long and tediou s lawsuit to determ ine whetherthis precise spot wa s ob liged to be the place where th e fairmus t be held , o r whether it m ight be kept in anotherselected site in the ne ighbourhood . That it s fame made itfam i liar over al l Southern England may not unfairly bededuced from the passage already quoted from the “ Vis ionof Piers Plowman

,

” and it wil l help u s very mate rially tounderstand the past history of the valley if we look into thesocia l want which thu s met its supply in ou r m idst throughthe mean s of this great fair .Professor Thorold Rogers , in his Six Centuries of Work

and Wages ,”h as much that wi ll help u s to sound conc lusion s

on the subj ect . He says

Ou r forefathers in their market regu la tions were a lways anxiou s toensu r e what I m ay ca ll natu ra l cheapness . They did not a ttempt tofix the price of a rticles , the plenty or the sca rcity of which dependedon the abu ndance or the dearth of the sea sons, for the a ssize of breadand a l e contempla ted the extremes of e ither cheapness or dearness .Bu t they strove t o prevent the a rtificia l enhancement of price . Hencethe offences of foresta l ling,

that is the pu rcha se of corn on the road t othe ma rket, and of regra ting , i.e .

, the r e - sa le of corn in the same ma rketa t an increa sed price .

The essence of mediaeva l trade was the ba rga in . It was no dou bt a slong and as anxiou sly discu ssed as it now is in an Ea stern t own . Th e

1 1 5

import ance of it when hands were stru ck on it was indicated by thegift of

'

the lu ck penny— God ’s silver a s it was ca lled— the earnest orpledge of the contra ct .

Thi s grasp of hands after a barga in i s conc luded i s sti llwell known , and the cu stom of God

’

s Silve r su rvives in theQueen ’s shilling accepted by recruits .As important , however , as markets in the economy of

mediaeva l society were fairs . It is not easy to understandtheir origin

,bu t there i s one particu lar which Andover

especial ly i l lustrates , as indeed it doe s the whole hi story oftrade through the Middle Ages . The great fact that al l tradewas

,under the control of the Guild Merchant mu st not of

course be lo st s ight of. In the ordinance s of the gi ld writtenin the fourteenth century , in wha t i s known as

“ Th e OakBook at Southampton , it i s enactedAnd no one sh a ll bu y any thing in the town of Sou thampton t o sell

aga in in the same town u nless he be of the Gild Merchant , or of thefranchise , and if anyone does it and is fou nd gu ilty a ll tha t he h a s thu sbou ght sha ll be forfeited to the K ing And no one except agildsman sha l l bu y honey, su et, sa lt, herring , nor any kind of oil , normill stones

,nor fresh lea ther, nor any kind of fresh skins , nor keep a

wine tavern , nor sell cloth by reta il , except on ma rket and fa ir day ;nor keep more than five qu a rters of corn in hi s grana ry to sell by reta ilif he is not a gildsman , and if anyone shall do it and be fou nd gu iltyal l sha ll be forfeited t o the King .

These two regu la tions that non - gildsmen cou ld not buycerta in artic le s , nor sell by retail , were , so long a s the GildMerchants retained power of control , su spended during thefa ir , and the feeb ler gra sp of the Companie s which succeeded

(in thi s neighbourhood in 1 599) does not appear to haveinterfered with the unfettered trading there .

Having seen then how amidst the regu la tion s affectingtrade during the M iddle Ages the free trading of the fair wasstil l possible , we want next to observe why the fair was soessential

,as it unquestionab ly became , at a very early date .

The trader did not exist in the vi llages . In most villageshe hardly existed in the beginning of the presen t century .

Professor Thorold Rogers says that in hi s native village thefirst shop was opened for general trade about 60 years ago (hewrites in and for many a year afterward s the wants ofthe vil lagers were su pplied by packmen and pedla rs

, o r , inthe ca se of the more opulent , by carts , which cameperiodical ly from the nearest town for orders . In thethirteenth century all but the largest towns were les s than

I 2

1 1 6

m any modern'

villages . Except in London i t was not po ss ibleto get foreign produce

,other than wine

,a t a reasonab l e rate ,

and the purcha ser of such produ ce obta ined it more cheaplya t the grea t fa irs than he did in London itself.

Aga in,there were produ cts sold in most towns which cou l d be pur

cha sed in the grea test variety and a t the lowest ra tes a t the great fairs .The landowner ga ined the best ma rket for his wool a t the mart towhich traders thronged from a l l parts of the world Bu t he ha d tol ay in his own stock ,

either by exch ange for h is produ ce , or with hisown money . For 40 days he lived 0 11 fish here he cou ld bu y h erringsand sa lt fish at the lowest prices . He needed to pu t u p h is own winterstore in the powdering t ub, and he pu r e h ase d sa lt a t ha lf the ratewhich the cou ntry dea ler demanded

,and of mu ch better qu ality. He

wanted sheep medi cines,verdigris and coppera s , or , best of a l l , t a r , and

he cou ld bu y it by th e ba rrel a t ha lf the reta i l pri ce . Cloth and

lea ther , linen and fu r , kitchen vessels of iron or bra ss— I am writing ofwhat I find wa s a ctu a lly bou ght— cou ld be obta ined here a t rea sonableo r na tu ra l prices . Not h ing wa s t oo cu mbersome or t oo costly for amediaeva l fa ir, for if the dealer did not find cu stomers here he cou ldfind them nowhere else . It was frequ ented by noble and serf, bychu rchman and soldier

,by merchant or trader and pea san t , by monk

and cra ftsmen .

I am drawing no imagina tive pi ctu re , 60 y ea rs ago . A visit to anau tumn fa ir for the sake of laying in winter su pplies wa s pa rt of theordina ry life of a small cou ntry gentleman or a wealthy yeoman . Hereh e got ba les ofWest of England cloth for hi s hou sehold , hides and

u ppers for shoes and boots,cheese in districts where da iry fa rming was

not pra ctised, and a host of conveniences and rare lu xu ries . Some ofWedgwood ’s finest pottery wa s regu la rly sol d over Sou thern Englanda t vill age fa irs , and in the o ld days of differentia l and sumptu arydu ties , u prigh t and p iou s men , wh o wou ld ha ve defrau ded no m an con

sciou sl y , thou ght it no harm if, in the inner recess of the booth , theyba rgained for a keg of French brandy or a ca se of Hollands , or a roll ofribbon , or a ya rd of la ce . So a centu ry and a ha lf before , or over twocentu r ies, books, which wou ld have ha rdl y fou nd a sal e by any modernmeans , were circu lated even when they were u nlicensed .

Ten or twelve generations ago these fa irs were a necessity,three or

fou r, a great convenience , wit-h which the cou ntry cou ld ill dispense .At present the importance which they once possessed h as pa ssed away,and their significance is forgotten . There i s no pa rt of English socia llife which h a s been so totally a ltered by improved means ofcom m unica

tion a s trade , especia ll y trade in the cou ntry . Two genera tions agopedlars carried t e a abou t in pa cks on their shou l ders . At the presenttime a cou ntry grocer can one evening bid his agent by letter free a

chest of t e a from bond, and the next day h e can have it in stock .

Goods can be ca rried a t one - tenth the cost,time , and ri sk from the

centres of trade to distant vil lages . Migra tory trade h a s thereforebecome su perflu ou s and obsolete

, and the grea t marts of the Plant age ne t s , of the Tu dors , of the Stewa rts, and of the early reigns of thepresent Roya l Family, have degenerated into scenes of coa rse amu sem ent, and afte r having been grante d and protected as the highest and

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1 18

The improvement in commu ni cations h ad a l so no little effect inpu lling down the fa ir when people fou nd they cou ld get from pla ce topla ce , buy wha t they wanted from hand t o mou th instead of pu rcha singonce a yea r , and pa cking away their goods in store rooms , in whichthey r an al l the risks of rats and mice, of damp and sta leness . Theysoon cea sed to a rrange their commissa ria t by the fa ir, and lea rned t ode a l for what they needed with the shopman in the town . Then bydegrees as the C ity grew stronger and the fa ir weaker it sl id downSt . Gile s Hill towa rds the ga tes , u ntil a t la st it entered int o the town ,and abandoning the o l d site a ltogether camped for a day o r two in thebroad High Street, where still its noi sy ghost h olds reve l once a y ear,

In common with other fa irs a distinctive feature a t Weyhil lwas the Court ofPie Poudre ,

” which was held in a speciallyerected tent in late times by the ofiice r s of the Corporationof Andover . I am almost certain that the late Mr . C .

Herbert , ofEa stanton, h as told me he ha s sat on it .The Court of Pie Poudre . Cu r ia p edis p u lve r isa ti i s a

court held in fairs to do j u stice to buyers and sellers , and forredress of disorders comm itted in them . It i s so calledbecause they are mo st u sua l in summer when the suitors t oth e court have du sty fe e t , and from the expedition in hearingcause s pre per thereto before the du st goe s off the feet of theplaintiffs and defendants . It i s a court of record , incident toe very fair , and to be held only during the time that the fair iskept . Se e Sta tu te 1 7 , Edwa rd IV c . 2 .

I have hitherto only found two instances of a roll of theCourt of Pie Poudre among t h e muniments of Andoveractually so described . One is of the fifteenth of E liz abeth ,1572 , the other i s of the twenty - fir st of E lizabeth , 1 578 .

The former is headed (in Latin)

Weyhill Cou rt held a t W ayh il l the la st day bu t one inSeptember in the xvth yea r of the Qu een a foresa id .

John Bene pla intiff aga inst Thoma s Rooke, Wi lliamGor m e l l pla int iff aga inst Henry Sk e a t e , HenryTu m k s clerk pla intiff aga inst— Smyth , Jes Hu gopl aintifi aga inst Emele Vr e l l .

let a su mmons Edm unde Morell pla intiff aga inst Richa rd Jone s onbe issu ed a

‘

pl e a of debt .let a. summons Robert Ve l l

'

pl aintiif aga inst Richard Gyatt on a

be issu ed plea .

Up Cla tford The tithing m an there , &c . , sworn comes and presentsa l l well .

Ann Abba tis The tithing m an there , & c . , comes and presents al lwell .The tith ing m an there comes and presents al l well .

The tithing m an there comes and presents a l l well .

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let a summons po 10 Ed Abbat t .

be i ssu edJohn Al ky u se pl a int ifi aga inst Robert Holmes on a

plea of debt .Ch o l e r ton and The tithing m an there comes and presents a l l well .AppleshawFife l de The tithing m an there comes and presents a l l well .Penton Grafton The tithing m an there comes and pres ents a l l well .Foxcot t e The tithing m an there comes and presents a l l well .

Knights Enham The tithing m an there comes and presents a l l well .H a th e rden The tithing m an there makes defa u lt forManor the manor .

The writing of thi s rol l i s horrib ly bad indeed it is hardlyreadable . It wil l be noticed that the form of record i s verysim ila r to that of the ordinary view ofFrank Pledge bu t theattendance is from other pla ces beside the regu lar tithings .The other roll i s here given translated

Weyhill A cou rt of pie pou dre held there the twenty - ninthday of September in the twenty- fir st yea r of thereign of the Lady E lizabeth by the gra ce of GodQu een of England France and England defender ofthe fa ith , &c .

In the time of Robert Noy se and R obe r t HibbardBailiffs of Andover .

Vp Cla tford Wil l iam Ra tne tithing m an there comes with R ich dToggy s presents a l l well .

Abbotts Ann Wil liam Da lby tithing m an there comes with W ill iamHu rst presents a l l well .John Ba tt tithing m an there .

Micha el Skete tithing m an there comes with LeR ewa e Wil l Croft and Willin Fu l an and Hu ghHopkins and presents tha t a wether sheep of whit ecolou r came a stray on the fea st of Sa int James la stpa st , and beyond tha t a l l is well .

Amport Richard My l l e r tithing m an there makes defau lttherefore he is in mercy xxd .

Ch o ldwa r ton William Mu nday th e tithing m an there makes defa u ltAppleshaw therefore he is in mercy xxd .

Kimpton and The tithing m an defau lt therefore he is in mercyLittleton xxd .

Fifie ld Thoma s James the tithing m an there come withW il l m Cook and Thoma s Horen sworn and presentsa l l well .

Penton Gra fton John You ng the tithing m an there came with DavidBu ckland , swor n and presents tha t a ( P) sparrowhawk of a ( P) colou r came a stray on the xxvijth of

September la st pa st and beyond that he presents a l lwell .

Foscot t John Noye s the tithing m an there comes with JohnMu nday and Thoma s Page , sworn presents al l we ll .

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Knights Enham Edwa rd Blake the tithing m an there present s that awhite lamb came a stray on the la st day of this instantmonth of September and rema ins in hi s keeping andfu rther th a t a l l is well .William Goodyear pla intiff aga inst Thoma s Twynegentleman on a plea of taking away and u nju stlydeta ining his ca ttle .

Antony Peterson pl aintifi aga inst Henry Tr ir ie inh is own person 0 11 a plea of trespa ss .

It wa s a tta ched Wi lliam Broker pla intiff aga inst Wi lliam Sper on a

therefore next plea of debt 11 qu arters of barl ey va lu e xvis .

cou rt

The part the fair supplied in the domestic economy i s wellillustrated by entrie s in the diary of the Rev . H . White ,rector of Fyfie ld. I give ex tracts from a paper in Hampshire Notes and Queries , Vo l . VII . , p . 88 . It was thecustom of thi s worthy c le rgyman , who was a brother ofG ilbert White

, of Selborne , to buy a stock of cheese atAndover Fair and replen ish it at Weyhil l Fair , and everycheese that was cut is du ly entered in the diary , a cheese a sa ru le lasting his hou sehold about four days . Once howeverit did not last so long . The 28 th of the stock was cut onMarch 1 st , 1 782 , and on March 2nd we read “ Cheese cut29th , tha t yesterday being very strong .

” The followingentry wi ll explain the designation “ F ives ,

” S ixes ,”&c . ,

meaning that number to the hundredweight .

1781 . October l 0th . Fa ir at Weyhill .Cheese bou ght ofMr . St one .

cwt .

Common cheese 7 Sixes .Do . 1 F ives .Do . 1 Sevens .

54 Cheeses Tota l 9 a t 33s .

a t the same time 2 Mr . Powlett .1 Mr . Cane .

No tru ckl e s or sages .11th . Cheese fa ir very fu ll and sa id to be sinking in pri ce .

Thi s was the second supp ly in that year,for at Andover

Fair on the 1 1 th May th e purchase had been

Cheese bt . of R . Stone , 61 in No .

Common cheeses at4 cwt . of Fives3 cwt . of S ixes 33s . per cwt .2 cwt . of Sevens 14 17 O

9 cwt .And 1 cwt . 8 lbs . of tru ckle s No . 7 and Sages No . 2

a t £2 6s . 8d .

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1 22

incident a t the commencement of Mr . Hardy ’s tale ,“ The

Mayor of Ca st e rbr idge ,” represents any fea ture of the life at

the fa ir I cannot say ,but here a r e some notes from among

the indictments in the m u n iment chest of the Corporation ,which are not so u nl ike modern experience .John Daniell la te of Portsmou th labou rer is a person of bad repu te

and on 30 Sep . ( 1 699 ) a t Weyhill obt e yne d and t ook away fromRichard Wa ll is by a certa in deceptive game called cu ppe s and

ba lls ten shillings .Ca leb Cla rke of London victu a ller , Benjamin Arnold of - Sou thwa rk ,

and William Stevens of London gent , and John Briant of the cityof Norwich , clothworker a r e persons of ill repu te , and on 28

September 1697 . a t Weyhill stole certa in pieces of gold ca lledgu inea s from Richa rd Mowland by a certain deceptive game withca rds .

Benjamin Arnold pleaded separa telyand John Briant not gu ilty.

and pray travesty at the next session of the pea ce . W itness— Richa rdMowland sworn

a s to Benjamin Arnold and John Briant— Tru eas to Ca leb Cla rk and William Stevens— W e do not know

I have new to Speak of the lawsu it s which have been con

tested about Weyhi l l Fa ir,and I mu st confess the task is a

very form idab le one indeed . I have often mentioned h owcarefully the t own of Andover has pre served the records ofit s transactions

,and, perhaps , there i s no part of its history

where they are so fu ll and nu merou s a s about thi s long protracted struggle . And this difficu lty presents itself. Toprint the whole of the documents i s ou t of the question ,and yet they contain informa tion of the grea test interest , andthey ought to be printed , not only to perpetu ate that information but to render it a cce ss ib le . It i s not t oo much to saythat they have a lmost certainly never been read since theywere tied up in bu ndle s a s they were done with

,and that it

i s in the last degree improbab le that one in a. thou sand ofthe present o r future inhabitants of Andover ever wi l l readthem . As manu script documents scarce any of the town ’ sarchives are likely to be known

,though were they printed ,

some , perhaps m any , wou ld learn their value .I sha l l give a s cop iou s extra cts a s I can ,

even at the riskof being t edious , becau se I feel so strongly that it i s a dutythe present owes to the future to get as many records a s possib le into print ; but the grea t bu lk mu st , I fear , be

'

left,

although I cannot refrain from saying tha t it wou ld b e a verywelcome ta sk to me to prepa re them for the Press if anydesire were evinced for having them in type .

123

The bu lkiest bundles of papers are the depositions,

and

what follows wi ll prove how much there mu st be in them of

local intere st . The witnes s of the olde st people , and thosemost likely to be well - informed abou t this part of thecountry , i s set down as to wha t they knew or cou ld r e

member . As an example the first one I looked at was thesworn recollection of an o l d gentleman of four score yearsand ten ,

” and a s it wa s taken in 1 692 i t will be seen a t aglance that it gives a persona l rem in iscence of the ne ighbou rhood in the reign of Charles the F irst .In order to real ly a scertain the matter in di spute we mu st

go‘back to the year 1599 , when the cha rter wa s given to the

town which revolution ised it s con stitution,althou gh most of

the ancient institution s were preserved in their o ld form .

The fact mu st be grasped that a lthough little difference wasmade beyond sub stitution of one bailiff for two

,and convert

ing the forward men into burgesses,yet the intended

effect wa s to bring abou t a constitu tiona l fresh start , and thi swas not effecte d without some feel ing be ing exhibited , as i sshown by the expres sion made u se of in thi s charter ofQueenE lizabeth

And Wherea s the aforesa id good men and inhabitants of ou r borou ghand town pea ceably held and enjoyed divers other ju risdictions , etc . , bythe lett ers patent of divers of ou r progenitors , made a s of prescriptionand u se from time whereof the memory of m an i s not to the contrary .

And wherea s a lso by the insinu a tion of divers of the men and

inhabitants of ou r sa id borou gh and town of Ande v e r , We have beeninformed tha t divers dispu tes , qu estions , and ambigu ities have la telybeen moved and a ri sen , and it i s likely will da ily more and more arise ,a s well concerning the va lidity and force of the aforesa id letters pa tent ,by reason of the a foresa id variety of the names and incorporations a foresa id , and by rea son of divers other defects in the sa id letters pa tent a sconcerning the va lidity and force of the prescriptions and u se a foresa id ,whereby many and gr ievou s and inconvenient things have frequ entlya risen and happened , not only to the men and inhabitants of ou r borou ghand town a foresa id , bu t a lso to many other of ou r fa ithfu l su bj ects withthem

,ba rga ining and contracting, and th ereu pon the same men or

inhabitants have hu mbly besou ght u s tha t we , for the avoiding of strifesand controversies which on tha t occa sion m ay hereafter h appen , wou ldvou ch safe t o make , redu ce , and create the same men and inhabitantsinto one certa in defi nite and u ndou bted body

,corporate and politic .

We therefore,desiring tha t su ch strifes , ambigu ities , and incon

venience s m ay be hereafter entirely done away, and considering tha tthe borou gh and town ofAnde ve r is an ancient and popu lou s town anda thorou ghfa re throu ghou t ou r whole kingdom of England in thewestern pa rts, and wi l ling tha t herea fter a certa in and u ndou bted modein the same borou gh and town of in and u pon the keeping of ou r peace

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And fu rther we grant to the ba iliff, good men and

bu rgesses tha t they m ay have a ma rket to be held every week in thesa id borou gh and town , to W it , every Satu rday, and fou r fa irs t o bethere holden and kept , to wit , one fa ir to be holden yea rly a t Weyhillwithin the Foreign Hu ndred a foresa id on the day before the Fea st ofS . Mi cha el , and on the day of the Fea st of S . M icha el, and on the daynext after th e Fea st of S . M ichael the Archangel . Another fa ir tobe holden within the borou gh o r town aforesa id on the day beforethe Fea st of S . Leonard , on the day of the Fea st of S . Leonard , andon the day next after the Fea st of S . Leona rd . And another fa ir to beholden within the borou gh or town a foresa id yearly on Thu rsday and

Friday in the third week of Lent, and another fa ir to be holden there

yearly on the day before the Fea st of SS . Philip and James , togetherwith a Cou rt of Pie Pou der du ring the times of the sa id fa irs , togetherwith stall age , piccage , fines

, amerciaments , and a ll other profits ,com oditie s , and emoluments wha tsoever of su ch markets , fa irs , and

Cou rts of Pie Pou der i ssu ing,happening , a rising , and contingent , and

with a l l the liberties and free cu stoms t o su ch ma rket and fa irs appu rtaining and belonging .

This Charter (which i s sti ll in force) was accepted as theworking regu la tion of the town , and the t itle to the fairs andmarkets , &c .

, u ntil 1 674 .

On the 26 th July in tha t year we find what appea rs to bethe first record pre served of the l itiga tion tha t proved to beso tediou s and lingering .

But before tha t there wa s evidently a movement towardsconstitu tiona l changes . The fi rst indica tion i s on 9 th August ,1 67 1 . Libe r C . p . 8 .

Ordered tha t the Ch arter be renewed , and that the Ld . Marqu ess ofWinchester be High Stewa rd ofAndover . To make it a Mayor Town ,and instead of Approved men and Bu rgesses to make Aldermen andBu rgesses a s before to ga ine a m a r k e t t for Tu esday for sheep and

bea sts and one fa ire abou t the la st of Au gu st . Lr e s t o Ld . Marqu issand Sir H . Lu cy concerning it .

Th e r efe r ence s given be low a r e to th e ca l enda r of th e

Andove r docu m ents wh ich I a m comp iling. W h en it does no tse em e ssentia l to gir e a docu m e nt a t fu l l l ength . I h ave onlyt r anscr ibed th e dige s t of it fr om th is ca l enda r .

F . 26 Me r cu r u Vice sim o Sexto die Ju ln Anno Regni Ca roli Se cundi16 74 Regi s Vice sim o Sexto Inter Magist r u m Dida scu l u m t r ede ce m

Pa u pe r os Homines H ospitii de Ewelme in Ewelme in Comita tu Oxon . Willm ’s Drake Armiger e t Constantia u xor e ju s .

Henrie ’Whit-head and W il l’

m Godda rd Ar ’ qu er Ba l l ivi probiHom ines and Bu rgi de Andover in Com ’ Sou t h ’ton .

’

W a l t e r u mRobinson Pe t r u m Blake and John Sp ent e y de ft s .

Upon opening of the matter thi s present day u nto the Right H onbl ethe Lord Keeper of the C r e a t e Sca l e of England by Mr . Serj eant

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pretence of Ty t l e shou ld be made in the sa id fa ire be ing th e greatestand most beneficial fa ire to the W e st e rne Cou nty e s of England and

that thereby grea t tumu lts in so e grea te a fa ire and breaches of thepea ce might ensu e . Itt was therefore prayed tha t this Cou rt for th epr e se rv acon of the pu bliqu e pea ce and t o prevent su ch distu rbance a s

might happen a tt soe grea t a meeting wou ld grant an inju nction forthe qu ie t t ing of the pl aintifi Drake in the possession of the saidDownes and fields a t t or on Weyhill aforesa id belonging u nto the sa ideManor fa rme and de m e asne s off and in su ch pa rte of the sa ide fa ire a sha th been formerly held and kept thereu pon and in receiving su chdu ty e s a s have been formerly pa id u nto the fa rmers o r L e a se e s of thesa id fa rme and de m e a sne s or their servants and agents withou t anydistu rbance wha tsoever by the deft s of any of their agents or servantsor any e l aym ing for from by or u nder them or any of them or anyother persons whatsoever whereu pon and u pon debate of the ma tterand on fu ll hea ring of Cou nce l l for the defendants and What cou ld bea l l e adge d on their be h a l fe s . This Cou rt h e ld it very rea sonable and

ju st and doth order the same , and tha t the defendants and a ll otherpersons whatsoever bee e njoyne d a ccordingly . The pla intiffs counce l lfu rther offe r r ing to adm it t of any entry and t r e sspa sse a s if madeby the deft s on the premisses in order t o bring their Tyt l e if they haveany u nto a Lega l] de t e r m inacon by any trya ll a t the Common Lawwithou t delay.

I do not think there i s any further reference to the matterin any of the documents preserved unti l we come to thi ssubjoined entry in Libe r C . ,

page 70 . It has a sort of

disheartened tone about it , which would almost lead to thehope tha t the end of the strife was in view .

2 April , 1680 . It i s this day ordered tha t the hu rdles a tt Waybillbe disposed of to Mr . Wm Ch u nce t ts or any other person t hat will givemost for the same , and in case difference a rises abou t the va lu e then itbe referred to skilfu ll workmen (on ea ch side to be chosen) abou tsettling the valu e thereof .

But two years a fterwa rds the tone i s quite different ,a lthough the record shows the working of some party fe e ling,which , happ ily , we cannot follow. The subjoined extractfrom Libe r (J.

,page 78 , will expla in a great many docu

ments , which need not all be given in ful l , but which wil lpretty nearly tell their own ta le .

16 May , 1681 . Wherea s the K ing ’s Matie , u pon the Corporacionaddr e sse presented ha th beene plea sed to manifest grea t kindnesses tothe Corpor a con and since its happy r e st ou r acon ha th a lready grantedu nto them a weekly m a r k e t t for ca ttle and one fa ire to be held y e e r l yin the sa id town on the la st ofAu gu st, in the pa ssing of the lr s. patentit wa s by some contrivance stopt a t the Grea t Sea le by t h e Earle ofShaftesbu ry when Ld . Chancellor, and wherea s some of the immu nitiesand the privileges gr a u nt e d to the Corpor acon a r e incerta ine for l th ebetter a sce r t e yning and noting whereof, It is this day ordered tha t a

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su rr ender be made of the present Cha rter of the Corpor acon, and thata new Charter be procu red and obt e yne d from His Ma tie . with thisfaire and m ar k e t t , and su ch other new pr ivil edge s and advantages a sm ay prove advant agiou s to the Corpor acon a l l which to be done a t thecha rge of the Corpor acon .

Libe r (J., p age 79 .

30 Au gu st , 1682 . It i s th is day ordered by and with the consent ofa ll and every of the a foresa id approved men and bu rgesses tha t for therea sons m enconed in the order of t h e la st comon Cou ncil , a su rrenderbe made of the present Cha rter of the Cor por a con , and tha t a newCharter be procu red from his Matie . with the new fa ire and m a rk e t tand su ch other pr ivil e dge s and advantages a s m ay be and prove advantagl ou s t o this Corpor a con,

and the same to be done a t the charge ofthe Cor por acon .

Protested aga inst per one Peter Blake .

The next evidence we have i s on page 88 (Libe r C . )1 682 . Wherea s his now Ma tie . was lately plea sed t o renew theCharter of the Cor por a con , and thereby t o confir m e and gr aunt e u ntothe Bay l ilfe , approved men , and Bu rgesses of this Cor por a con thereantient and severa l other new pr ivil e dge s . By rea son whereof the sa idapproved men and Bu rgesses a r e st ill obliged to give their attendanceon the Bay l ilf for the ty m e being in order to consu lt and advisetou ching the pea ce and welfare of the borou gh or towne of Ande vr eaforesa id in making su ch by - lawes a s m ay condu ce to the wel lgoverning and m aynt e yning thereof, which take vp a considerable partof the t ym e of the sa id Bayliff, approved men and Bu rgess, yet therea r e diverse persons within this sa id towne that conspire together theimposing of inferior offices vp on many of the sa id approved men and

B u rgesses within the sa id towne and pa rish to them to obstru ct and

hinder there giving a ttendance on Mr . Bayl iff for the pu rpose aforesa id . Its therefore thi s day ordered tha t noe approved men or bu rgesswhatsoever belonging to this Corpora tion sha ll have any offi ce imposedon h im u nl ess it be the office of a chu rchwarden within this pa rish , bu tsha l l from henceforth be freed and discha rged from bea ring any inferioroffice with in the sa id town (except as a foresa id) , any order heretoforemade or u sage to the contrary notwithstanding .

1 682 , 10 Nov . (Libe r O. , p a y e

e a s the Corpor acon of Ande vor ha th of late been exposed togrea t expense and charge in renewing the Cha rter , and in defending ofse ve r a l l hearings before hi s Maties . ’ Cou nce l l tou ching the right of

Weyhill fa ire and m aynt e yning the new pr ivil e dge s gr au nt ed in and bythe sa id Cha rter, and wherea s the Cor por a con ha th a lread y taken u p a t

interest the some of one h im dr e d and fifty pou nds towards afi r ay ingthereof

,which i s not su fficient to discha rge the same , a s appea rs by

se ve r a l l a ccou nts thi s day produ ced , and wherea s divers su its ar e a lreadycommenced and more likely to a rise tou ching t ry inge t h e right of thesa id fa ire by rea son whereof considerable somes of money wilbe

expended,and wherea s severa l of the approva l m e n of the Corpor a con

have already deposited and lent severa l somes ofmoney , and others a r elikewise desired and have promi sed t o l end more towa rds carrying on

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and defending of the sa id su its , whereu pon it is this day orde red thata l l and every some and somes of money a l ready deposited and lent orherea fter sh albe by any of th e sa id approved men towards defendingand trying the right of the fa ire sh a lbe reimbu rsed and pa id themrespectively in tru st ou t of the pr ofit t s of the sa id fa ire in ca se thesame be r e cou e r e d or otherwise sa tisfy e d ou t of the yea rly rentsbelonging to the Corpor acon, a s the same shall a ccrew and becomepayable, any order to the contra ry notwithstanding .

Next in order we come upon a series of petition s andcounter petition s

, of which two samples wil l su ffi ce .

F . 1 . 1682 . Petition to the King ’s most Excel lentMaj estic from inhabitants of Rumsey and the pa rtsadja cent in the cou nty of Sou thampton .

That there h a th a lways been fo r time immemoria l a very grea t fayreyea rly held and kept on th e 28t h , 29th , 30th dayes of Sept . at or u ponWeyhill on ye lands belonging t o the H ospita l l of Ewelme and Rectorof the pa rish of Weyhill a foresa id, which fayre the Corporation of

Andover pretend they ha ve power to remove by v ertu e of a Cha rterlately obt e y ne d from you r Matie . ,

which if th e y shou l d proceed to doeit wou ld be a very great losse and damage to you r petitioners and manyothers you r Ma ties ’ loya ll

‘ su bj ects , and a lsos m ay occa sion thedistu rbance of the publick e pea ce , there being no plac e near so

commodiou s and capable of receiving so great numbers of people a sresort and cattle a s a r e u su a l ly brou ght thither .

“Wherefore m ay it plea se you r Ma tie in consideration of thepremises graciou sly to order tha t th e Clau se in AndoverCha rter relating to the sa id fayre to be repea led and you rPetitioners sha ll ever pray, &e .

75 signatures .

Other petition s are fromFordingbridge (F . 2)Winchester (F . 3 )Blandford , Dorset (E . 5)Du ctor Lu ff you rMa j esties pr offe sor inthe University of OxfordMa ster of the Hospita lof Ewe lm (F .

The counter petitions were mostly worded in this way1 682 (F . 6 )— from Inhabitants ofTowne and Bu rrou gh of Mar l ebor oughin the Cou nty ofW il t e s being within twelve mi les (or thereabou ts)ofWaybi ll having been informed that se v e r a l l remote t owncs and

places have preferred vn t o his Ma tie and hi s h oubl . Privy Cou nce l lse ve r a l l fa lse and clamou rou s petitions vpon the im por t u nitie andinstiga tion of Mr . Drake and some other of h is adherentsconcerning a fayre yea rly kept on Waybi ll and other pr ive l egcsand immu nities la tely granted by h is Matie to the Towne and

Corpora tion ofAndover in the Cou nty of Sou th ’ton, and tha t th e

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After this the lawsuits begin in earnest , but I think thetran script of two papers wil l enable u s to get through thehi story of n ine years of it . The Corpora tion have two copie sof it — F . 32 and F . 33 .

l . Tryall . Whe rea s a cau se between John Lu fi e Dr . of Physickand Thoma s D ixon pl t . and Wa lter Robinson Bay l iffe of. AndoverDeft . on a feigned i ssu e settled by my Lord Keepe r of the Greate Sca l eof England wa s t r y ed before me a t th e Ca stle of Winton t h e la stSummer Assizes and u pon a long and fu ll evidence then given . Itappea red t o the Cou rt that the Bay l ifi e and Cor po r acon of Andover bytheir antient ch arters and u sage h ad a right to k e epe W ayh il l fa ire(the thing then in qu estion ) on any pla ce on W ayh ill and tha t thepl aint ifi h ad noe right to a fa ire or any good prescription t o ba r theD efts . right in keeping the sayd fa ire on any pla ce on Waybill . Yettthe Ju ry contrary t o the evidence and contrary to the directions of theCou rt gave their verdict for the pl aintifi s .

All which I hu mbly ce r tify e

J . Charlt on .

17th Ju ne 1684 .

2nd Trya ll . Wherea s a cau se between John Lu ffe Dr . in Physickand Thoma s D ixon pl t s . and Wa lter Robinson Bay l iffe ofAndoverDeft . wa s by direction of the High Cou rt of Chancery t r y e d a t t h e

Barr of the Exchequ er the first Wednesday of this terme . It didappe a r e u pon the evidence tha t the fa ire h ad been removed from theplace where it was antient-ly kept and that the pla intiff h ad not anyty t l c to a fa ire nor any good prescription to barr the Defendants rightof keeping it u pon any pla ce on Weyhill yet the Jewry contrary t o thedir e con given by the Cou rt concerning th e evidence given and repea tedby the Cou rt gave the ir verdict for the pla intiff. All wh ich w e hu mblyccr tifie .

16th Ju ne 1684 .

W . Gregory .

F . Street .3rd Trya ll . The third trya ll was by a Ju ry of gent . of Middx

viz t . , Sir Richard Fi sher, Sir Wm . Hill , S ir Thoma s C l e rge s , &c . , wh o

gave their verdict for the Towne which verdict is e xe m plyficd and

nothing sa id aga inst it .4th Trya l l . The 4th tryall i s the spe cia l l verdict sett forth verbatim

on the other side of this paper, which says Andover hath th e right ofthe sa id fa ire .

And the same twice Decreed in Chancery and more fullyexplained by the order against which order the appellants nowpetition the House of Lords .The verdict upon the fourth tryal l

(Tr a nsla ted fr om th e La tin)Th e j u ry say u pon their oath tha t the a foresa id Ba iliff , Approvedmen and Bu rgesses ofAndover a foresa id hold and have by right andar e a ccu stomed t o hold the aforesa id fa ir on the lands of the aforesa id

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Manor of R am r idge , and u pon the glebe lands of the Rectory of

Weyhi ll in the ca se above mentioned , and a lso on the land ca lledBlissom or e Ha ll a cre Bu t tha t the aforesa id Ba i liff, Approved menand Bu 1 0

1

e sse s ofAndov er aforesa id have not the r ight and power ofholding and keeping the fa ir a foresa id 111 any other convenient pla ce a tWeyhill a foresa id which they

,the Ba iliff and Approved men of

Ande r er , m ay procu re a t their plea su re, a s John Lu ffe a l l edged 111 th eca se above .

The last decre e in Chancery .

Th e Cou rt on hearing the whole matter and what cou ld be a l cadge d

on either side and reading the la st verdict , doth decla re tha t they a r e

fu lly sa tisfied w ith the la st 1 e11dict for keeping t h e sa id fa i r e on thethree pa rcells of grou nd , vi z ,

on the lands belonging t o the Manor ofR am r

1idge , B l issom e r Ha ll acre and the Glebe lands . And therefor edoe th ink e fit t and so orde r and decree tha t th e sa id fa ire be for thefu tu r e kept by the Ba il iffe , Appr1oved men and Bu rgesses of Andoveron the sa id 3 pla ces a ccor ding to the sa id 1

1 1

.e rdie t And that Ande vorbe enjoined from keeping the sa id fa ire from off the lands ment ionedin th e sa id verdict for the fu tu r e .

Th e description of some of the paper s com ing next in ordera s taken from the catalogue now in pr ogr ess will tell u senough without open ing the paper s themselve s .

1681 , 3 April . Recognizance and bond given by Tl ronra s D ixon ofWeyhi ll , clerk, William Drake of Weyhill , Esq. , Nich Norbonc of

Chu te , to give secu rity to abide the order of the Cou rt of Chanceryh e a r ing date 2 1 Feb . , 1 683 . Paper 5 fos . F . 18 .

1685 , 10 Ju ne . Ma ster ofEwe l m Hospita l versu s Ba l iff ofAnde ve r ,o rder for new trial a t Exchequ er on the grou nd that on a former occasion the j u ry wa s p r eju diced , some of them bred u pp in Qu een ’sCol l ege in Oxford and soe pr e ingage d 0 1

1 interested persons and thesa id colledge a t t the cha rge of the s u it . F . 19 .

Ju ne Ewe lm H OSpit a l v . Ba il ifi ofAn dover . Defendantshaving ga ined the verdict at the K ing ’s Bench by a su bstantial j u ry of

gentlemen ofM iddlesex , pla intiffs a r e to r1 e 1nde1 a ccou nt of the la st 3

fa irs a ccording to th e recognizances , 0 11 in defa ul t to pu tt the r e cogni

z ance in su it . Former inju nction discha r1g1

.ed F . 26 .

1686 , 16 Ju l yr The pla intiffs h ad lodged a petition on 23 Ju ne la stconrpl ayning of t h e la st or der It 1s ordered by the Lord Chancel lortha t th e Ma ster sta te the ca se specia lly of the la st 3 fa ir s . M1

1

.

Attorney General to hea r both pa r ties , who a r e to a ttend h im a t hi shou se 1 11 Hampshir ,e and he is desired to mediate . F . 27 .

Int e r M am ru n B ida s’

oa 3 ct 1 5’

p a up e r e s h o iés H ospita l de Ewe lm e

c t a l’

Qu e 1 , e t Ba l lw a iin p r obos h ow s ct B a rgenscs de Ande ve r Defts .

Wherea s by an order ou t of th e High Cou rt of Chancery, hearin gda te the l 6 th day of Ju ly la st pa st , made in thi s ca u se t h e m a tte rs 1 11difference was by the sa id or der r ecommended t o mee to hear bothparties , and end the ssame in an ami cable 11 a 1 In pe r su ance thereof Idoe hereby appoint Te u sd l y t h e l 0th day of this instant A ugu st a t 10of the chick 1 11 t h e morning , for a l l pa r ti es to attend me a t my ho u sea t H igl ie l e r e .

Gi r en u nder my hand the 6 th day of Au gu st , 1 686 ,R . Sawy e r .

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W e c , whose names a r e hereu nder written , t h e Bay l iffe and Approvedmen of Andover , doe h ereby vnanim ou sl y su bm it a l l differences andmatters in Controversy relating to Waybill fa ire vnt o M1

1

. AttorneyGenera l , and wha tsoever determina tion Mr . Attorney sha ll maketherein we e do hereby promise and agree to stand conclu ded by .

Witness ou r hands this Nynth day of Au gu st, 1686

Th o W e stcornbe , Bay l itfe

John StanifordWill GamonNa RobinsonWill BarwickJa Grove

Note y t on t ewsday 10 Aug , 86 , M11

. Attorney Genera l] , in yepresence of se ve r a l l members of Ande ve r Corpor acon, and of Dr .D ixon Re ctor of W ayh il l , proposed an accom rnodacon an y t Ande ve r

shou ld be Kynde to ye Chu rch , and shou ld give him for ye u se of hi sglebe 201i per ar m . du r ingc fa ire a t Waybill , and r e m it t ye 3 la s t yea rspr ofit t s and his pa rt of ye cost s , ye D 1

1

. craved tym e to consider of it,till t ewsday then next following , a t we h tym e he declared y t he wou ldnot a ssent thereto vu l csse Ande ve r wou ld give him 101i per ann . more .F . 27 b .

Report of S ir S . Clerke .

21 d ie Febru ary , 1686 .

Between Ma ster , &c . , of Ewelme and Ba litf, &c . , of Andover .In pu rsu ance of an order of the 1 1th day of Ju ne and a su bsequ entorder of the 16t h of Ju ly la st, I have in ye presence of Cou rrse l l andClerks in Cou rt 0 11 both sides considered of ye m r és thereby to mereferred , And the la st m encione d order directing m e to state ye mre ast o the pr ofit t s specia lly of the three la st fa ires of Weyhill in theCou nty of Sou thampton . I find by ye pr oofe s in ye cau se tha t the pl t .

Drake did in the y e ar e s 1683 , 1684, 1685 r e ce u ive for the pr ofitt s of

the sa id fa ire in the sa id y e a r e s a s follows, viz t .

By the sh e epeBy the lea ther and h e ppsBy boothsBy sta lles , che ese and othe r sma ll pr ofit ts

m ake ing in a l l 226 00 00

Ou t of which i s to be discom pt e dFor repa iring of the hu rdles y e a r e ly ou t of

which mu st be dedu cted yearly a s moneymade

.

ou t of the o ld hu rdles se e tha t therer e m a rns

per ann clere , which for the sa id th ree y e a r e scome to 024 00 00

For carriage of the hu rdles to and fro y e ar e lyFor thatching them y e a r e ly 01 10 00 .

Fa r wa tling t h e hu rdles y e a r l cy 0111 , and forMr . Drake ’s interest for the stocke of hu rdles

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The plaintiffs will force Ande ve r to keep it (the fair) ontheir ground , andproduce se ve r a l l old pedlars wh o speak t o a knowledge of the fairbefore 41 Elia , and say that the fair stood then on t h e pl t s ground , andtha t the pl t . received money for setting booths , &c .

,on their ground

and because they can prove that time ou t of mind some part of or fairbranched itself out into their ground , they would confine Andover topla cing t h e fair on their ground . Wee having proved Andover to beLords of the wholl Hundred and owners of th e fair now prove theenjoyment of both t o this day . Wee make ou t that Ande ve r keeps aLeet on this Hill receives all waifs strays quit rents &c . and that Mr .Drake pays Ande v e r a quitt rent for h is farm .

Witnesses John Read,Robt . Noyes , Robt . Le ywood, R ich d . Wale ,

and all pl t s . witnesses .

Then we prove that Andover have always kept a Toll Booth and aCourt ofPypowdcr have always (at great charge) provided Watchmento preserve the peace and men ’s goods during the faire have alwaysrents all tolls weights and scales show pence and a ll other pr ofit tswhich are the proper earmarks belonging to a fair . That the toll boothand tent of the fair never stood on their downs but still on Bl issm or e

Hall acre and wa s so before 41 1 E liz .W itness (additional) ye psh rates Thos . Wale , R ichd. Wale , Jo .

Smith , R ich d . Tarra nt .We have a cloud of witne sses to prove the removal of the fair from

place to place .

To prove the Horse fair removed about 15 years since from S ir JohnCollins his ground (in Monxton psh ) to the dow ns claimed by pl tsWitnesses Th o . Crouch , Jo . Crouch , Peter Wale .

1

The fatt sheep removed about 12 years since from ye great Road t oa. piece of Glebe next the gore hedge .The ffor e show formerly stood on Bl issm or e Hall ground , and theboothes and standings stood there long since memory and now there .

Pedlars removed from Blissm or e Hall land and ch u r ch r ay l e s untothe land or ground cl aym e d by Mr . Drake .

That the Boothes are removed from Bl issm or e Hall land westwardon the sayd downe cl aym ed by Mr . Drake, and thi s long since memory ,and the very marks in th e ground shew it playnly .

And on a view there appears the signes of 23 booths on Bl issm or e

Hall land, and th ere are no t usually above 30 booths in all , and on

measuring the length of th e former place where the fair stood (as bythe signs appea rs) on B l issm or e Hall land was 35 lu gg , and now onthe downs its but 30 lugg .

The cheese, leather , hopps and joynt e r s removed s ince memory muchmore westward by Mr . Drake by hi s ploughing up a furrow beyondwhich they must not pitch .

x x it .

Note ye down on wh Mr . Drake pretends to keep th e faire he hasne e more right t o then any man in the parish . It is a common downto all freeholders a s wel l as to ye tenants of

‘

y t manor . Then thebeginning of Mr . Drake ’ s pr e t entiou s t o our fair or to the pi ccage andstallage on this down was about 1651 , before which tyms the boothsand coops were p icht by eny one wh o could bring and pitch hurdles

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and other materials there . All the tenants of the ir manor a s well asall the pari sh as well a s those of that manor, and all

fore igners as well as parishioners and it s likely before that t im e Mr .

Drake did with the rest sett up some coops and booths and might takemoney for the use of hi s stu fi , and all this was winkt at by Ande ve rbecause they had not then a purse sufficient to provide all m at e r ia l l sfor so great a faire .

In the year 1651 Mr . Drake by Arti cles shutt the other Com one r s

ou t from setting up pens in ye fair by granting them in lieu thereofleave to break up C l anfie l d Downe and Ch a lkcr oftf

.Then att or late tryall they quarrell with Ande v e r for getting thefair on Cholderton field , which they say is no e part of W ayh il l wee inanswer to i t prove vt tyms ou t of m ynde some parte of the fair h asbee n always kept on thi s grou nd , and y t Mr . Drake himself hath by1118 servants pitched sheep coops for the fair on this Cholderton field .

Then they make a great Noye s of ye H ospita l l right when the H os

pital never had 2d . pr ofitt by it either directly or indirectly since itsfoundation , nor ever paid taxes for it , though rated at near l 001i. perannum .

In Stockbridge Southwark St . Gy l l e s Reeding Uph aven and H orwe l l

fairs the owners have not ye ground . Yett the owners appoynt thesefairs ad libitum , and the owners of the land receive satisfaction for thetrespass only .

Not e y't notwithstanding the noye s they make of keeping the fair in

ye tything of Wey and no e where else , we e prove y t 3 other t y th ings ,viz . , Cholderton Mu nxton (P) Penton have all land on this hill , and

!five tyms out of m ynde parte of ye fair yearly kept on their lande r e .

Among the wi tnesses whose names have not been alreadygiven are Joan L imp as , Rob t . Tarran t , Th o . Co le , Tho s .Figgis

,Hugh Gale

,Rob t . Batt , Pe ter Wale , Thos . B arrett .

It i s very remarkab le h ow the se fam ilie s are s t i ll r epr esented in the neighbourhood .

There is one more paper we mu st pu t before ou r readers ,4 th Feb 1691 . F . 47

Upon hearing Cou nce l l this Day att the barr upon the pe t e tion andappeal of th e Schoolmaster and thirteen Pore men ofEwelme H ospita l l

in Com ita t ’ Oxon ’ W illiam Drake Esqr . and Constance hi s wife andWilliam Goddard of Woodhay in Com it at South ’ton from an ordermade the two and twentieth Day of September la st on th e behalf of

th e Bay l ifi e of the Towne of Andover th e Approved or honest menand Burg esse s of the said Towne James Groves , William Gammon ,Wi l liam Berwicke , William Cooper, Thomas W e stcom be , WilliamDowling , Edward Noyes , and Robert Noyes , members of the Corporation ofAnde ve r , a s a l so e upon h e a r e ing Counsell upon the Answers of

the Bay l iffe Approved men and Burgesses of the Towne of Andoverand of James Groves , William Gammon William Barwicks Wi lliamCooper Thomas W e stcom bo William Dowl ing and Edward Noyes putin thereunto after due consideration had of what wa s offered byCounce l l u pon the said petition and answer . It is ordered and adj udged

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by th e Lords Spiritua l and Te m por a l l in Parliament assembled that th esaid order made by the Court of Chancery the two and twentieth dayof September last com pl ayned of by the Petitioners shall be , and is

hereby sett aside and Reversed .

Math . Johnson , R cr . ,

parliamenter .

I freely confes s that to an unlegal m ind al l this i s t ediou sand not a l i t tle confus ing ; bu t I hope that in prin t ing so

much we have done something to make the conten ts of thetown mun iment ches t in tell igib le , and a grea t many facts arebrought ou t which wil l tend to elucidate obscure po int s inthe his tory of the town .

The proceed ings now take ano ther form , and th e be st waywill be t o print thi s long documen t dated 19 th January , 1 694 ,becau se i t reci tes the who le history of the trial s , which havebeen exceedingly d ifficu lt to fo llow in detai l from the separatepapers

,many ofwhich are undated . The question s wi ll be

found at the end of the documen t , the answers com ing firs t .Judging from experience i t would be po s sib ly a trifle lesspuz z l ing to read the Interrogatorie s ” first .

The answer and e xam inacon of Nicholas Flower t o the interrogatorieexhibited against him touching a contempt supposed t o be comm ittedby him in breach of a p

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pe tu a l l injune in a cause wherein the Mr .Schoolma ster and thirteen poor m en of the h ospita l l of Ewelme in thecounty of Oxon , William Drake , E sq . , and others are pl t s . , and theBail ifi e , approved men and burgesses of Ande v e r , in the County ofSouth ’ton , and others are deft s .

To the first interrogatory this respondent saith that he doth confesseand adm it t that on the twelfth day of September last which wa s beforethe last Weyhill faire , hee was Bail iffe elect of the said Corpor acon ofAndover, and that one Mr . Franci s Ne rbone did then deliver unto thi srespondent a coppy of an injunction of such pu rpor t e and effect as inand by the saide interrogatory is sett forth

,and that the inju ncion

itselfs under the sca l e of this H onobl e Court wa s then showed him bythe said Francis Norborne , and was by him then made acquainted withthe cfi e ct of the said inju ncon, and this respondent hath the said copynow at the time of hi s exam inacon, and can produce th e same, andbelieves that the parchment writing new produced to him t o be e thesame original inju ncon that was then showed , and believes that se ve r a l lother like coppy e s of the said inju ncon were on the said twelfth day ofSeptember del ivered to and served upon Mr . Edward W a th am , Mr .Gabriel Goldney, Mr . Joseph W im bl e ton, and othe rs, members of thesaid Co rpor acon .

To the second Interrogatory this respondent saith that he admitsthat the plaintiffWilliam Drake did order Thomas Powell and Hunt,in this Interrogatory named as his workmen , t o build stall s, boothsand standings on the manne r lands of R am r age , whereof some par ts ofWeyhill fair hath been formally placed , and that they were actually attworks thereon the thirteenth day of September last, and saith that on

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h im h a rm l e ss e therein , and also denies that the said Styles or any other ,by this respondent ’s order, or while he was by or present , to h is knowledge did pitch any forke or stake intermixt with the plaintiff

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sservants or any of them save what wa s set t on Bl issam or e Hall Acre ,and save wh ot this respondent hath herefore confessed and admitted , ordid use any words conse rning to the said Styles pitching stake forstake with the said Hunt and Powell , or sav ing him ,

the said Styles ,h a r m l e sse other then a s aforesaid , or did say there should be noe fair ort o that effect other then what i s before sett forth .

Thi s respondent did further insist and say that as to se e much of thesaid perpetual in j unction sett forth in the first Interrogatory, wherebythe said Corpor a con, their officers , agents , m inisters , and servants areenjoyne d and commanded not to disturbe or molest , nor t o pe r m it t ,suffer

,or procure the said Mr . Drake

,and h is then wife , their servants ,

workmen , agents , or assignees , or any person under them ,in right of the

manor of R am r age , t o bee molested or disturbed in building or settingu pp of standings , booths , stalls , penns , and hurdles in and upon the landsbelonging to the said manor of R am r age in the ancient and usualmanner ; and the pr ofit ts to the said W i lliam Drake and h is then wifeand other the pl a intifi s , by reason of the premises belonging andapp e r t eynm g,

to have , receive , gather, and enjoy by themselves, theiragents

,and servants, peaceably and quietly for ever , without any

molestation or interruption whatsoever, according t o the tenor and trueintention of the seve r a ll orders , verdict , and decree in the said injunctionspecified

,the same i s irregularly inserted in the plaintiffs inj unction

and not warranted by the said verdict or decree , or any order now inforce , as he is advi sed , and humbly conceives , and is likewise advised ,and doth insist that as well by the pr oofe s in the said cause , as by thesaid verdict and decree , it plainly and manifestly appears that thecomplainants or any of them neither have nor hath any right in thesetting upp of any boothes , penns , stalls , standings , or other couvenience s for the u se of the said faire upon the three parcells of land orany part thereof , but that the same did a lwaie s, wholly and soly, belongt o the said Ba l iife , approved men, and burgesses of Andev e r , for thatitt did appe ar e to this court, as the truth wa s and i s, as this respondentis advised and informed , that E lizabeth , late Queen of England , wasseized in fee in right of her cr owne of and in th e said manor of

R am r age and particularly of the place where the faire hath been usual lykept

,and the said Queen , being so seized , did by her letters pa t t e nt s

under the Great Se a l s of England , bearing date the one and twenty e thday of May, in the one and for ty e th y e ar e of her r e igne , grant to th eba l iife , approved men , and burgesses ofAnde ve r the said faire , with thep iccage and stallage and all other pr ofit t s , com oditie s , and appu r t en

emees whatsoever to the same faire belongings , and that the said manorand lands did r e m ayne in the Cr owne ti ll on o r about the fifteenth y e a r eof the late K ing James the F irst, when the same were granted to theRegius Professor of Ph y sick e in the University of Oxford , and thatin or about the month of December one thousand six hundredseventy and three the complainants first exhibited their bill inthi s honou rable Court touching the matter in question , and didthereby only pray that they may, by Commission, examine suchwitnesses as they h ad, for the preservation of their testimony , t obee used att any tryall att l aws a s there may be cause, and an

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injunction to quiett their possession till effect ed , or the pr ofit tsshal l be recovered from them by due course of lawe and afterwards ,the twenty - sixth day of Jul y , six and twent ieth y e a r e of th e r e igne ofthe late K ing Charles the Second

,did pray tha t thi s Court , for the

pr e se r va con of the publick peace and to prevent such disturbance asmight happen a t t soe great a m eeting , woul d grant an injunction forthe quieting of the plaintiff Drake , in the possess ion of the downes andfields at or near W ayh il l belonging t o th e sa id manor and in such parteof the said faire a s h ad been formerly held and kept or should beehereafter held o r kept thereupon , and in receiving of such dutys tha t hadbeen formerly to the farmers or lessees of th e sa id farme and demesnesof R am r age , or their servant-s or agents wit-bout any di sturbancewhatsoever by the defendants , or any of their agents , or servants or anyclaim ing for, from ,

by , or under them , or any other person whatsoever ,and the said Cour t did then order the same and that the defendants andall other persons whatsoever bee e njoyne d accordingly , the plaintiffs

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counsell further offering t o admit of any entry and trespasse as if madeby the defendants in the premises in order to bring their title , if theyhave any , unto a legall de t e rm inacon by any tryall att the Common Lawwithout delay ; and that afterwards , on or about the twelfth day of

Jun e, one thousand six hundred eighty and three , the said complainant-e s ,together with the Rector of Weyhi ll , did pr e fe r r e their bill in thi shonourable Court , and thereby pr aied that the defendant-s may beforced to try the i ssue in that bill m encioned, and did pray an inj unetion to continue till th e is sue should bee t ry ed, and a Commission forexamining of witnesses to perpetuate their testimony t o bee used attany tryall att lawe

,and that afterwards , on or about th e seventh of

July in the thirty - fourth y e ar e of the r e igne of K ing Charles th eSecond , the plaintiffs in the said cause did obt eyne an order that thesaid faire should be kept on the downes

,glebe lands , feilds ,

grounds , a t t Weyhill belonging t o the manor fa rm s and demesnes ,and Rector of W ay h il l , in the said order mentioned , where thesame had been anciently kept , and for that purpose an injunetion was thereby granted ; but the said plaintiffs were forced t o

give security,such as the manor therein m encioned should approve of,

to bee answerable for the pr ofit ts of the said faire if the right on thesa id tryall should be adjudged against them ; and that the issue thatwa s settled between them wa s to this effect whet-her the said corpor aconofAndover had righ t and power to appoint the said faire in any con

v enient pl ace att Weyhill where they should procure at their pleasure ,and that the said issue was t ry e d at the Somer Assizes in the years onethousand six hundred eighty and three at Winchester

,wherein John

Luffe , Doctor of Physick , and the said Thomas D ixon were plaintiffs ,and Walter Robinson , Ba il iife of Andover was defendant , after whichtryal l St . John Charleton

,who was the j udge that t r y e d the cause , (l id

the seventeenth of June , one thousand six hundred eighty foure,cer

tify e that upon a long and full evidence then given i t appeared to theCourt that the Bay l iffe and Corporacion of Andover

,by their antient

Charters and usage , h ad a right to k e e pe W ayh il l faire (the thing thenin question ) , on any pl a ce on Weyh ill , and that th e plaintiffs had noeright to a faire nor any good prescription t o barr the defendants ’ rightin keep ing the said faire on any pla ce on Weyhill ; y ct t the jury cont r a ry t o th e evidence, and contrary to the directions of the Court, gave

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their verdict for the plaintiff , and that th e defendants having obt e yneda new tryall upon the same issue att the Exchequer barr, by a Hampshire jury, the whole Court did unanimously, the sixteenth day of

J une , one thousand six hundred eighty foure , ce r tify e that it didappe a r e upon th e evidence that the faire had been removed from theplace where itt had been antie nt ly kept , and that the plaintiffs had no t

any title to a faire nor any good prescription to barr the defendantsright of keeping itt on any place on Weyhill ; yett the j ury, contraryto the direction given by the Court concerning the evidence given andrepeat ed by the Court, gave their verdict for the plaint iffs . Thatafterwards the defendants obt e yne d another tryall , upon the same issue ,by a substantia l l Middlesex j ury , whereupon a full and faire tryall thedefendants obt e yne d a verdict against the pl aintifi s , and there beinganother tryall, had att the K ing

’s Bench barr in Hi llary terme , in theyear one thousand six h m idr e d and ninety , by a Hampshire j ury , thesaid jury did give their verdict t o this effect , that the Bailiffs ,approved m en, and Burgesses ofAnde v e r have held and have right andhave accustomed to hold the said faire upon the lands of the manor ofR am r age and upon the glebe lands of the Rectory of Weyhill andalso upon the lands called B l issom e r Hall Acre , and that the aforesaidBail iffe , approved men , and Burgesses of Andover have not right andpower of having and keeping the said faire in any othe r convenientplace att Weyhill aforesaid which the said Bail iife , approved men, andBurgesses ofAndover aforesaid should procure at their pleasure andthe cause coming afterwards t o be heard upon the Equity reserved inthi s Court (videt) in Easter Te rm s , in the y ear one thousand six

hundred ninety one , this Court , on the hearing of the whole matter andwhat could be a l l e adge d on either side and reading the last verdict, diddeclare that they were fully satisfied with the last verdi ct for keeping th esaid faire on the three parcells of ground (videt) on the lands belongingt o the manor of R am r idge , Blissam or e Hall Acre , and the gl obe lands ,and ordered

,adj udge d and declare d that the saide faire bee for the

future kept by the said Bail iffe , approved men, and burgesses of

Ande ve r on the aforesaid places according t o the said last verdict, andthat t h e injunction in this cause awarded should bee continued andmad e perpetual for the proh ibiting the said Corporation and Towne of

Ande ve r from the keeping and removing of the said fair from thesaid lands and places m encione d in the said last verdict for the future ,which said last verdict and decree hereupon are the same verdict anddecree specified in the inj unction mentioned in th e said interrogatoriesas thi s respondent humbly conceives ; and th is respondent is advisedand humbly insi sts as aforesaid that se e much of the said injunction a si s before spe cify ed i s not pu r su e ant to the said verdict o r decree, nor iswarranted by either of ‘ them , nor ought the said in j unction , by theconstant rules of this Honourable Court, bee awarded in that manner,but the said injunction , att least for so e much thereof as i s beforespe cify e d, ought to bee sett aside as irregular, and not any wais to beemade use of t o bring this respondent into contempt of this said Cou r t,and therefore thi s respondent humbly pr aie s hee may have h is costes inthi s behalfs most wrongfully su st e yned .

John Squibb .

Capt . apud Ande ve r in Com South’ton decimo nonodie Janu ar . Ano R ni nri Du i Dne Willi MariusRx e t R ne nunc Angl &c. quinto coram nob

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Item . D id the said plaintiff William Drake and his then wife or

either of them or any other of the pl aintifi s as y ou knowe or believeorder or appoint Thomas Powell at Appleshaw Nichs H im t e ofSh oddeHunt in the County of Southton or any other person or persons andwh oby name as the agents servants labourers or workmen to build stallsboothes and standings on ye manne r lands of R am r age in the u su a l l andconvenient places where th e said Powell and Hunt or any other personor persons and who by name on the thirteenth day ofSepr . last actuallyatt work in the usual] and convenient pl aces did y ou as Ba iliffe electfor the said Corporacion , or as any other officer or member and whatofficer or member of the said Corporacion or otherwise on th e

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saidthirteenth day of September or at any other time or times

,and when

come on the said manor l ands with s e ve r a l l workinen and servants andwith whom by name and interrup or disturb th e said plaintiff or thesaid Hunt and Powell or either of them or any other of the said workm e n agents or servants in the carrying of stakes forks and o therm a t e r ia l l s for building and setting upp of boothes stalls penns orhurdles on the said manor lands on ye u su a l l and antient places anddid you ride crosse or against the said Powell and Hunt or either of

them or any others of ye said workmen se r u ant s or agents or by anyother meanes interrupt or disturbe them when they or either of themwas or were carrying fork e s and stakes to bui ld boothes and standingson the said manor lands , did you im pl oy or order, or wh o else im pl oy e dor ordered Wm . Styles or any other workmen o r servants and wh o byname on the Corporacion ofAnde v e r ’s be h a lfe or

_on your owne account

and behalfs or cause t o interru pt or molest the said plaintiffs ’ workmenPowell andHunt or e ither of them o r any other in setting upp boothesstalls or standings on the aforesaid manor lands and ( lid you im pl oy ororder or wh o else did im pl oy o r order y e sa id Wm . Styles to pitchforks s and stakes on ye plaint iffs said manner lands for ye use of yesaid Corporacion of Ande ve r did you say to or tell the said Styles thatyou would beare him h a r m l e sse and did the said Styles or any othersand wh o by your order and while you were so by and present on thesaid manner lands pitch s e ve r a l l or any fo rk e s and stakes interrupt thethe said plaintiffs servants on the said manner lands did y ou declareand say t o Th e . Powell and Nich Hunt or t o any others then presentthat the said Styles should pitch stake for stake with the said Powelland Hunt lett them or either of them pitch as far as they or either ofthem would on the said m annor lands , did y ou soon afterwards sayor declare or tell ye said Powell and Hunt or either and which of themthat ye Corporacion could bee without a faire and that there shouldbee noe fair or used words to tha t or to any other such like purpose .

Will Na rbor ough eE . Pyke

Before the lawsuit s we have already described had come t oa conclusion ano ther act ion was commenced , which i s described as

The Towne ofAnde ve r v . Dr . Thom . D ixon .

Dr . D ixon was the Rector ofWeyhill from 2 6 June, 1 682 , ti ll

h is death , 1722 , and the d ispute was about the righ ts in his

1 43

glebe . He had been one of the plain tiffs in the act ion againstthe Corporation , joining with the Mas ter of Ewelme College .Now the town are suing him . The papers are very voluminous , and , it mus t be confessed , not a little wearisome . Mo s tof them are no t very d ifficu l t t o read , so perhaps i t wil l sufficeif we give little more than the resu lt of the action , which i scon tained in the decree of the court , F . 68 , which wi ll al soshow the cros s act ion .

”

M e r cn r z'

i u nde cim o ( l ie J zil ii Anno 11

m R egis &1 R egina; Gu lie lm i

and Ma r ice Se xto int e r B a l livm n p r obos h om ine s &1 Bu r gense s

B zwgi de Andov e r in Com Snth ton Qu e r t e s Th om a Dixon Sa cr a;

Th o l p’

fe ssoo1 Eccl e sia de W e y h il l in Eodem Com R e ctoq D eft em

Et inte z1 p 1 . dict Th om a D ia on Qu e 11

. p 71

. dict Ba l l ivu m 197 0 110 51

h om ine s EZ1?ge nse s D efi e s .

These causes coming t o be heard this day before the Rt . H onbl e .

the Lord Keeper of the Great Sca l e of England in the p ’senes of

Cou nce l l learned on both sides , the said Corpor acon ofAndover by theirbill a l l e adging that they, the Bay l iffe , approved men and Burgesses ofthe town ofAndover, were seized in fee in right of theirs said Incorperaeon of and in a fayre cal led Weyhill fayre with a py powder courttoll and other p

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fit ts thereto belonging , and that divers cont r ove 1 sie shad arisen between them and the said D 1 . D ixon and oth e i s t ou ch inge

the placing of the said fayre on their several lands on Weyhill,and that

after se v e 1 a l t i y a l l s att law and hearings 1 11 thi s Cou1 t itt wa s at lastdecreed by thi s Court in favour of the said Corpor acon, which decreewas founded on a verdict obt e yn e d att the King

’s Bene-h barr, and thatit was thereupon r e com ende d t o Sir Robert Sawyer, Knight , thenAttorney Generall , t o make an end of all differences between the saidCorpor acon and Dr . D ixon , and thereupon the said Corpor aconDr . D ixon , about the twe nty e th e day of August, 1686 , did enter intoart icle s of agr e e m

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t, reduced into writing under hand and seale and

duly executed thereby , reciting that a decree had then lately been made ,asserting that the placings and ordering the sayd fayre doth belong t othe said Corpor acon , and that th e said Dr . D ixon and others then con

cerned should be accomptable to the said Corporation for the pr ofit t sof the three last fayres by him and them received , and that by anorder of this court made the sixteenth of July then last past itt wasrecommended t o Mr . Attorney General] to end all matters in difference between the said par ty e s , and that the said Corpor acon andDr D ixon attending t. .he said At t0 1 11 e y Gene 1 a l l he was pleased t odi1 e ct a s followeth (viz t ) that the sa idy Corpor acon should 1 e l inqu ishto the said D 1

1

. D ixon the th1 ee y e a 1 e s p fitt s of the said fayre bythem received , and also his pai t of the costs of suite de cr

ye e d to the

said C0 1 p0 1 acon ofAndovor should have the free u se of all the gl e ablands 0 11

lW e yh il l for keeping the fayre thereon , and should have the

sole use of such parts of the said gl e ab, lodging t h e a r c hu rdles andother m a t e r ia l l s u sed about t h e fayre in th e same manner as t h e saidDr . D ixon hath formerly done , for all wh ich pr

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m isse s the said Corporacon ofAndover shoul d pay to the said Dr . D ixon on Michaelmas dayyearly

,at t h e Pa rsonage h ou se in Weyhi ll the sume of twenty pounds

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for so long tym e as he should continue Rector ofWeyhill , to all whichdesires and directions of Mr . Attorney Generall the said Corpor aconand D 1

1

. D ixon then submitting did mutually covenant with each otherto stand to and be concluded by

, bu t the said Dr . D ixon of late refusedto stand to the said articles or to make the Corpor a con any lease of hissaid gl e ab land , but brought an aceon att law ag

’t them touching thep

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m ise s , and therefore the said Corpor a con ofAnde v e r prayed that thesaid aceon att law might h e stayed and that the said Dr . Dixon mightbe decreed to p

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for m the said articles and make them a lease of the saidgl e ab land , whereto the cou nce l l for the said Dr . D ixon insisted that heby his answer h ad sett forth that the said arti cles of agreement weregrounded upon the decree of this Court made the e l e avent h day of June,1686 above m encone d, and on the aforesaid order of this Court madethe s1xt e e nth day of July , and that the said order and decree are sincesett aside and reversed by the decree of thi s Court made the twentysecond day of May in the third year of th e ir e pr

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sent Ma j’

tie s’ reign

upon a bill of review brought for that purpose by th e h ospita l l ofEwelme ag ’t the said Co rpo r a con ofAndover and the right of the saidChurch and h ospita l l of having the said fayre held on th eir lands andon a place called B lissom e r hall are thereby and by a verdi ct h ad attthe King ’s Bench barr by a jury of Hamshire

,in Hillary term . in the

second year of their p’

sent Maj esties ’ r e igne , which was settled andasserted , notwithstanding which last verdict and decree the Corpor aconof Andover had removed the Wi ltshire and Hampshire sh e epe coopsfrom a ce r tayne parcell ofgl e ab land cont e yning five acres , called fairlands, to other places where no part of the faire was ever kept before ,and had inverted the said faire in the manner of placing and keepingthereof

,and that the said Dr . D ixon att the tym e when he submitted

and executed the said articles was forced and t e r r ify e d into a complianceto avoyd accompting for the p rofit t s of the three former faires andpayment of the costs of the former suite , and thereof he ought not tobe decreed to a specific e xe cu con of the said articles which were foundedon an e r r oniou s verdict and decree which have been s ince sett aside andreversed , but that he m ight be p

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m it t ed to proceed on his aceon at lawag ’t the said Corpor acon he had set forth that part of the said faire hadtym e ou t of mind been kept 0 11 certain p ’eell of gl e ab land belonging tothe said Rectory (viz t . ) on a ce r ta yn parcell of the said gl e abland calledfayre lands afor e sayd, cont e yning about five acres , and on one otheracre of the said gl e ab land bounded southward with the gore h edg andon one oth er acre ly ing next the highway on the south side of the churchofWay, and on lia an acre lying 0 11 the comon down called Weyhilldown , and tha t the said Corporation of Andover had by colour of thesaid articles removed the said faire from the said p

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ce l l of land , and hadinverted the sam e in the manner of keeping and holding thereof , andthat the said Dr . D ixon had been as aforesaid forced and terrified intothe said articles

,and therefore and for the reasons aforesaid prayed that

the sa id articles might be set aside and discharged and that the saidfaire might be kept on the same place and in the same manner asformerly, whereu nto the counsel for the said Cor por acon insisted thatby their answer they had sett forth that the said articles were fay r e lyobt e yne d and that the said Dr . D ixon entered into the same freely andvoluntarily without any compulsion whatsoever , and t h e the formerdecre e was reversed by other persons y ett the same stood in force ag

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perhaps j udging from ou r feel ings as we read about it , wem igh t be tempted t o think the Andover folks had had enoughofit . Bu t the Andover fo lk s of the c lo se of the seven teenthcentury , like their de scendants of the present day , werecrammed ful l of Br it ish pluck , and were as far off as everfrom knowing when they were beaten , and al l I can allow myreaders in the way of respi te i s t o turn for a moment toanother serie s of records .In L iber C” the Mane l oqu iu m or Town Coun ci l Minu te

book we read under 1 692Ordered that a lease be taken of Mr . Richard Kent , of Bl issm or e

Acre att Weyhi l l,for se ave n years from ye date att tenn guineas per

ann . rent . “

There is no en try of the forma l appointmen t of Trustee s ,bu t that was apparen tly one of the next steps , for we find oneofLease s (numbered L . 1 2 . i s an

Indenture between the Bailiff and Corporation of Andover andJoseph W im bl e ton of Andover, gent . , Edward Warham of Andover ,Nicholas Flower of Andover and Robert Hillman of Andover, Trusteesof Fairs and Markets t o rece ive all Toll s

, &c and t o pay over t o theu se of the Corporation and t o hold in trust the Lease of the Glebe Landcalled Whitecroft at Weyhill

,from Dr . D ixon Rector ofWeyhill, for

50 years from the 15th September t o the 15t h October in each year withliberty to keep a stack or pile of hurdles there at the rent of £5 for thefirst two years and afterwards at £9

,which lease i s dated 2 June

The counter - part Indenture i s L . 12 . 2 .

In 1 729 Articles ofAgreement (L . 12 . were signed between theRev . Joseph Todhunter Rector ofWeyhill and the Bailiff and Corporation ofAndover , to let for 21 years the glebe at Weyhil l for a sheepfair at the yearly rent of £46 less rates &c . , and t o sell the hurdles at avalua tion .

”

And among the papers there i s the following receip tWeyh ill

,Sep . 27 1729 .

Received then of Mr . Thomas Woodman Bail iffe of Andover thesum of fourty six pounds by John Hacker being in fu ll for ye rent du eon account of ye sheep fair holden on the g lebe this year .

Received I say by me ,JOSEPH TODHUNTER ,

Rector ofWeyhill .

This looks a s if things had gone on fairly smooth ly , moreso than one would have expected from the r ather trucu len tre so lution passed by the Council in 1692 .

To be payd by Mr . ‘

Bay l ifi s order w’

e h funds are ou t of the moneyslate received from Mrs . Hawker which said sumes are accordingly aidand now rem ains of the three hundred pounds take n up of r s .

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Hawkins the sum of eighty pounds as a fund for ye use of the CO1po1 at ion to carry on any contest y

’

t shall o r may happen about Weyhi llfay1 e or oth e 1wise which sayd foursom e pounds is in M1 . R awlveshands answerable by Mr . Bay l iife .

”

This i s no t the place t o go into the financial matters of thetown

,but there i s a do cumen t which , though it is 200 years

o ld, yet makes one consciou s of a co ld creeping sen sationwhen you look at it , bu t yet gives a nearly complete recordof the do ings during these years . It i s Mr . Dowling ’ s bil l .You don ’ t , a s a ru le , look t o lawyer ’ s bil l s

'

a s likely to

afford ligh t and amu sing read ing ; bu t see ing that I thinkwe h ave fol lowed even ts with some c lo senes s and quoted so

much from gent lemen of the long robe to prove the steps wehave traced and seeing , moreover , that the statute of lim itations removes all the terror s of this bill , we may just dip in toi t for a few i tems which shew the manners and cu s toms of

travel and such like . It begins 1 690 .

My expenses up t o L ’

don <8: down and on the ClarksOfficers of ye Cort .

To Sr . Charles Port-e rhi s clerkto Sej t . Kill ingworthhi s m an

Mr . SquibbAffidt

qfil ing and copy

Coach t o H am st e e d and expenses therep .d Mr . Stone to copy Br e vat t sThe Lords Con1 1 s ofiie e 1 s had 111 a l llre

R e e .

payd them more than r e e dbe syde s horse hyre

2 4 0I payd Nat Webb for horse hyre for 17 dayes forhis horse t o Weyhil l , Winton , Combe . Tedworth ,

Chute and to Weyhill many dayes before andafter the faire O 17 0

Be syde s the moneys pd by Mr . Bay l iffe Ba rwick et o Cou nci l and m Court, I disbu 1 sed 0 10 U

My coach hyre and expenses up purposely to theheal ing the beginning of the te1me and stay 10dayes on itTo Mr . Gu ydott

fl

To Moring to warne some men11 2

1691 .

1691 .

11 Sep .

20 Sep .

1691 .

169%

17 Ma1 .

It is true thi s is j us t over two centuries ago .

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Spt att Angell 0 11 some witnesseson others at WintonThe expenses ofmy 110 1 se , &c. in ye InnePd the office 1 s for placing wit tne sse s at t1 yailHorse hy1 e and expenses up and sending downeMy expenses the fi1 st 5 dayesTo Mr. Squibb for hi s advice and d1 . pleasTo Se j t . Pe m be i ton ye like11 s t o and fr0 111 abt y t affai1 of the pleasD 1 awing Br e v ia t ts in 2 causes 3 copies each , andattendance

I pd halfe a Cl OW l l to gett offW . ThomasMy expenses up to t h e hea1 1ng on the Equity

l e se r v ed and 8 daye attend the1 e onCopy e s of docl a 1 and close copy lresR e t e yne d Mr . HoltI pd the Regi ste 1 for hi s hand t o the orderSpt on him thenMy jou1ncy up and stay a weeke in Ande 1 e1 ’sbu isine sse

My coach hy1 e , ho1 se hyre and expenses up anddowne to and f1 0 111 London and stay the1 e 3 days ,and spent 0 11 the m e sse nge 1 in allOath and expenses up to LondonSj t . Thomas PowisSr . Ambrose PhillipsTheir ClarkesTo M1 . B l a th e 1 ton

To M1 . SquibbTo Mr . English to gett the p1 1y ate sealeSpt att the S Johns head tavern on the Regi ste1PM1 . Guydot ,t Clar

'kes 1n Court and office 1 sPd fees for th e private sealeSpt the first night at a m e e t in of or Cou nce l l MrBr am ston at Ks head tavernMy other expenses whi lst in towneCoach and expenses downeTo Mr . Gu ydot t 2 guineas, M1 . Squibb 2 G , hisdrawing 5 case in p ’ liam t for ye presseCoach wth M1 . East and Mr . CooperM1 . Peasl ey had ofme to attend some Lordsh e s and parcels and porterMy expenses and coach u p and downeand m LondonMyy jou rne y to London t o remove the sh ou ldie 1 s , pdand expended in searches and fees at Whitehall ,and expenses in my journey up t o London , downein towne

1 18 0

2 16 4

It i s also truethat money was worth more then than now, bu t— I t em

p e r a, m u tanta r . If we had no t the actual bill i tself it wou ldbe difficult t o think these figures could be accurate . Bu t they

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150

again to return it to ye proprietor wh en called upon . Th e 2 books 1send belong to G . Guate of Fyfie l d and Thomas Mi llett o f K ym pton .

I should be glad to do the Corporation any good office in t h e pow er of

Your very humble servant,JOSEPH TODHUNTER .

To Mr . Noyes ,Town Clerk ofAndover .

I think,too , thi s valuation i s intere sting

Sep . ye 28 , 1729 .

The number of the Hurdles at W eyhill belonging to

Andover i s one Hundred and Seventy - fiv e duzen , va l l u e dat two shill ings a duzen comes to se ventm pounds andeleven shil lings 17 11 00

The pelts are sixty - nine duzen , at one shilling a duzencomes to 03 09 00

21 00 00

Va l l iu e d byCha s Guyett and Thomas Pe r cy .

Troub le doe s not seem to have been ought of sigh t evenwhen bu sines s was going on smoo thly . The fo l lowing prin tedno tice has been u sed for some memoranda , and has thu s beenpreserved (F)

Andover, Sep . 25 , 1732 .

Whereas th e m embers of thi s Corporation and others inhabitants ofAndevor ,

Received last night by the Post , and many Farmers have alsoreceived

,a printed Advertisement without any name to it dated London ,

August 24 , 1732 . tending t o discourage Persons from Penning theirsheep 0 11 the Corporation Land next W e y h il l Fair . Whoever will giveinformation of the Author, Printer, or Publish er of the said Advertisem ent , or of any Person wh o shall disperse or Pu bli sh the sam e shallreceive on Convi ction of such Person F ive Guineas Reward of theBay lifi of the said Corporation .

The facts mentioned in the advertisement are fallacious and requireno other answer than to put th e county in mind of the attempts madesome years ago publickly to frighten people from penning upon theCorporation Land and the determination of t h e H igh Cou r t ofCh ance r ysoon after in favour of the Corporation , notwithstanding the perpetualinj unction mentioned in the advertisement these attempts having beenlately in part repeated induced the Corporation (to prevent peoplesbeing imposed upon and frightened by false insinuations) to promise anindemnity which they are ready to give in the most au th ent ick mannert o any person desiring it , being determined to support their right as byLaw they may .

The lands and prem ise s upon which the Fairs at Weyhil lare held were with o ther lands leased in 18 1 6 by the twochaplains and thirteen poor men of Ewe lm Almshou se s to

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the late Mr . F . Tabor , wh o a t his death be queathed the samein share s to hi s chi ldren . One of the se shares purchased in1883 by the late Mr . G . Br e adm or e wa s offered for sale byauction by Messrs . E l len on the 10th November , 1893 . Itwas described a s A one - n in th sha re of th e profi ts arisingfrom the Ren ts

,To l l s , Due s , &c .

,receivab le in respect of the

Noted Weyhil l Fair .

”

A disaster which happened in 17 64 i s thus described in abrief in the Bri tish Mu seum (B . xxv . The m e re formalmatter i s om i tted .

George th e t h ird, &c . To all , See . Whe re as it hath been representedunto‘ us as well upon the humble petition of Thomas Pa t t a rd of Sherbourne in the county ofDorset carrier William Nois ofAndover in thecounty of Southampton v ictual ler , and Sa rah S imms of Fullerton in thesaid coun ty of Southampton , sufferers by fire a s by certificate under thehands of ou r trusty and well beloved j ust ices of t h e peace for the saidcounty of Southampton assembled at their General Qua ter Sessions ofthe peace held at Winchester in and for ou r said county on Tuesday thetenth day of Januar y in the 26 t h year of ou r reign— That on thefifteenth day of October one thousand seven hundred and sixty four , asudden and terrible fire broke ou t at Weyhi l l Fair in the parish of

Penton Grafton in th e said county of Southampton in a booth th ercalled the Wh ite Hart booth kept by the said James Barham , which fir einst antly spreading in a short time consumed the same booth call ed theWhite Hart booth and several other booths and standings and largeu antitie s of heps with sundry goods

,wares and merchandise .

hat the truth of the premises was made appea r t o ou r justicesof the peace assembled at the General Quarter Sessions aforesaidas well as on the petition of the said poor su fi e r e r s as by th e

oaths of several credible persons wh o were well acquainted with thepremises before the sad accident happened

,and wh o have made an

estimate of the loss sustained by the said poor sufferers , which upon areasonable computation amounts to the su m of eight hundred and eightyeight pounds thirteen shillings and ninepence

,whereby the poor su fi e r e r s

are reduced t o very low and necessitous circumstances and renderedunable to support themselves without the charitable contributions of

well disposed Christians . Wherefore the said poor sufferers havejoined together and humbly besought us to grant unto them ou r graciousletters patent &c . , to empower them to collect and receive the almsbenevolent and charitable contributions of ou r loving subjects throughoutEngland &c . , and from house to house throughout ou r Counties of

Southampton Wilts Dorset Somerset Berks and Surrey &c . ThomasGollop E sq the Rev . Nathaniel Br istoo vicar , S imon Proctor , JohnCh afie , John D u ning, Peter Braham ,

Thoma s Stevenson and W ildit e h ,

gentlemen trustees and receivers .”

I do not recognise any of the names e xcep t Mr . Gol lop , wh othe Rev . Nathaniel Br istoo may have been I canno t tel l .There i s 110 Vicar . The Rector of Weyhill from 17 56 t o

1 797 was Jo seph Stephens , D .D .

CHAPTER IV .

THESTORYOF WHERWELLABBEY.

in every landI saw , whe1 e \ e 1 light il l u m ine th ,

Beauty and anguish walking h a 11d - l n hand ,The downward slope to death .

”

TENNY SON —“ A dr e a m affa ir wom e n .

‘

Wherwell,a parish of54 1 inhabi tan ts , stretching along the

we stern bank of that troutful stream” the Test : althoughpresenting an almo st perfect example of quie t rural scenery ,has ye t nothing to indicate the very great historica l interes twhich attaches to it . The home , or the quie t res ting place ,of at least three , and po ssib ly four English Queens , wh o wererenowned for their extraordinary beau ty ; thi s ret ired Ham pshire monastery m igh t , one wou ld have thought , have been aSpot famou s and fam iliar to relic loving people , bu t i t doe sno t seem to be so , and the troub le s and sorrows which trackedthe foo tstep s of those wh o were the mo st conspicuou scharacters connected wi th it make the s tory of Wherwell “ adream of fair women ” for which the saddened words of theLaureate form a natural and appropriate motto .

Of Wherwel l Abbey itself there are no remains whatever ,and beyond the accoun t given by Dugdale there is very litt lewrit ten abou t it ; whi le the fact that several of the documen tshe print s are in somewhat obscure mediaeval Latin , make seven that unattract ive to the general reader .B ishop Tanner , men t ion ing i t in hi s Notitia Monastica ,

gives a l aige numbei of 1 e fe 1 ence s t o publ ic 1 e c0 1ds , which ithas been the object of the wr ’it e i to work up . Bu t space ha snecessarily confined the scope of thi s papei , which is , con

fe sse dly ,but a slight sketch and is no t t o be 1 ega 1de d as

exhau stive .

The hi story of the Abbey of Ho ly Cros s and St . Peter , atWherwell , inc ludes the history of the parish in which i t i ss ituate down to the year 1 540 , becau se the parish ,

as such,

hardly had any separate exi stence , so long as the Superior ofthe Mona s tery was Lady of the Manor , and owned the whole

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village and a large part of the ne ighbou r h ood, th o social l ife of

which cen tred round and largely depended upon the convent .But al though the Abbey ofWherwell owned so much of the

surround ing land , there wa s a Manor in the parish of

Wherwell , which did not belong to them ,but which it is

necessary to men tion becau se i t gives a c lue to what de term ined the cho ice of the site . The earl ies t men tion of th eplace appears to be in the wi l l ofKing Edred , A.D . 946 - 955 ,which begins thu s

In the name of the Lord , this i s the will ofK ing Eadr e d . That i sthen first that he gives to the place where he wills that his body shallrest ‘

two golden r e e ds and two golden handled swords , and four hundredpounds . Then he gives to Winchester, t o t h e O ld Monastery threetowns , that is , then Downton , and Damerham and Calne . Then hegives to the New Monastery three towns , that is then W h orwe l l andAnde ve r and Clere .

” —Liber de Hyde,p . 346 .

Referring t o Domesday we are able t o as sert that thi sbequest was the Manor ofF ugcl e r cstu nc now called Fullerton ,which i s the South Wes t part of the Pari sh ofWherwel l . Iti s thu s de scribed

‘

The Abbey of St . Peter holds Fullerton , and it was always Abbeyland . It wa s assessed in t h e time ofKing Edward at 5 hides , and nowat 1 hide . Here are 3 ploughlands , 2 in demesne , and 5 villeins and 4borderers with l ploughland , also 4 servants, a mill worth 10s , and 4acres of meadow . Its value wa s 110 W

The monks of S t . Pe ter’s , the New Monastery

,subse

quen tly called Hyde Abbey , were vigorou s opponen t s of

William the Conqueror , wh o took this Manor from them ,says

Thomas R u dbo rne , and gave i t t o hi s kn igh ts . ”

Bu t while King Edred bequeathed this Manor ofFu llerton ,sa id in Domesday t o have been always Abbey land ,

”to the

New Minister , we can trace the o ther Manor of Wherwel lt lm os t as c learly through his nephew King Edgar , from hi sa un t W e nfie da , presumab ly Edr e d

’

s widow .

One of the mo st interes t ing documen ts prin ted in Dugdaleis a passage from the MS . of John of Tinmouth in theBodlei an Library , which i s here condensed .

After the very remarkab le story ofher ancestor be ing foundin a bird ’s nes t by King Alfred , this chron icle goe s on t o

An infant wa s born to them ,and was called W lfh ilda

,wh o , from her

very weaning wa s pla ced at Wilton to be educated with the nuns there .

111 time , King Edgar , a s h e could not fetch h e r to himself , nor da redto take h e r from t h e ch u r ch , tries through hi s aunt, whose name was\Ve nfie da , to entrap h e r . Whereupon feigning feebleness , sh e inv ited

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t h e girl t o her house at W a r ewe l l , a s that sh e might make her th eheiress of her property , at her death , as if sh e were her own niece .

When she had arrived , behold , King Edgar sitting at a feast , W enfl e da

with him,not feeble

,but merry wit-h royal cheer . The girl is ordered

to her chamber to prepare herself royally , and to be brought t o theK ing . The King made her sit down by his side , and promised herri ches

, a k ingdom , and to become Queen and Lady of Britain if sh ewould be united to him in marri age . But the maiden , with silenttongue

,yet beating heart, offered supplication to Christ , and silently

prayed to be del ivered . Feigning sickness , sh e leaves the feast for awhile t o rest in her chamber, as if she were weary . But the King ,that she m ight not in any way escape , places a guard of soldiers at thedoor of her chamber . The maiden

,therefore , as if for private necessity

goes whither it were disgraceful for men t o follow, and hav ing takenoff h e r stately garments , led by an angel , escapes in fl ight through thepassage of the drain , and in the vill ofWherwell , she wa s entertaineda s a beggar in the hovel of a certain very poor woman , and in t h emorning she comes with haste to Wilton .

It will be well to no tice here that the anecdo tes related byWi l liam of Malmesbury and o thers make i t very plain thatEdgar himself spen t much t ime in the neighbourhood of

Andover , which i s but three and a half m i le s from Wherwell ,and t o tell ou r s tory we mu st give one of these anecdo te s

(which i s corroborated by o th er chronicler s) in hi s own words :

There was in hi s (Edgar’s ) time one E th e lwold,

a nobleman of

celebrity and one of h is confidants,him the King commi ssioned t o

vi sit Elfrida , daughter of Orgar, Duke of Devonshire (W hose charmshad so fascinated the eyes of some persons that they commended herto the K ing ) and to ofi e r her marriage if her beauty were really equalt o report . Hastening 0 11 h is embassy and finding everyt hing consonantto general e stimation he concealed his mission from her parents andprocured the damsel for himsel f . Returning to the K ing he told atale which made for h is ow npurpose

,that sh e wa s a girl of v ulgar and

common - place appearance , and by 11 0 means worthy of such t r anscendant dignity . When Edgar ’s heart wa s disengaged from thi s afi air ,and employed on other amours some tatlers acquainted him h ow

completely E th e lwol d had duped him by his artifices . Driving ou tone nail with another, that i s returning him dece it for deceit , he showedthe earl a fair countenance , and , as in a sportive manner appointed aday when he would visit thi s far - famed lady . Terrified almost t odeath with this dreadful pleasantry

, h e hastened before to his wifeentreat ing that sh e would administer to hi s safety by attiring herselfas unbecomingly a s possible , then first disclosing the intention of sucha proceeding . But what did not thi s woman dare ? She was hardyenough t o deceive the confidence of her miserable lover

,her first

husband , to adorn herself at the mirror , and t o omit nothing whichcould stimulate the desire of a young and powerful man . Nor didevents happen contrary to her design for he fell so desperately in lovewith her the mom ent he saw her that dissembling h is indignation hesent for t h e Earl into a wood at W a r ewe l l e under the pret ence of

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not having a wh ip a t hand , she snatched up some candle s andnearly beat his life ou t so that he dreaded candles al l the res tofhis days . B ishop Tanner says E lfrida was the lady thatcau sed Brithwide the firs t Abbot ofE ly to be murdered .

It was as a proof of pen i tence for the b loodshed in whichshe had been concerned , that in AD . 986 , E lfrida foundedWherwell Abbey for Benedictine nuns .Capg1 ave says ,

“ After him (Edgar) was his son Kyng ,which 1s a mar 'ti1 killed by the f1 and ofAlfrick, hi s st epm odi1 ,but after that sche ded pe nans sche t r ansl at him on toSh aftisby ry , and too monas terie s ofwomen did sche make 0 11at Wherwell where sche lith

,and o ther at Amesbury hard by

Sal isbury .

Wi lliam of Malmesbury says,In exp iation of this crime

a monastery , which wa s bui lt 0 11 the spot (t . e . of the murderofEa1 l ZEth e lwol d) by ZElfrida , is inhabited by a large con

gi ega tion of nuns .In the Ch ar tu l a iy ofWhen ! ell Abbey , presumab ly the book

Tanner no tice s as in pos se ssion of Joshua I1 e m onge 1 Esq1 e .,

and which Dugdale saw in 1 669 in the hands of Charle s Lordde la Warr

,it is thu s touchingly pu t ,

“ And in the place ,which by the inhabi tan t s i s cal led Wherwell

,founded the

Church of the Ho ly Cros s , beseeching Christ , that He wh o ,wounded on the (ever) memorab le Cro s s , shed Hi s b lood forthe redemption of the human race , m ight deign t o gran t herthe pardon (purchased) by Hi s death , His wounds , and by theshedding ofHi s blood rich (in gra ces) .Although in more than one passage of the chron iclers ,

Harewood , the forest in which Earl ZEth e lwo ld was murderedseems to be confused with W a r ewe l l , we may wi th confidencedism iss any doub t as to the s ite ofJEl fr ida ’

s foundation , as iti s with very remarkab le repetition always des cribed a s th e“ place” called by the inhabitan ts W h arwe l l . Canon IsaacTay10 1 conside i s that the name probably means a well with aewer 0 1 pitch e i foi d1 inking , akin t o Kettlewell , and the1 e isa spring neai Dublin fa1m ,

which , it is supposed , may havebeen thi s d1 inking foun tain of early days .

In the year of ou r Loid 1002 , the 1 5th of the Kalends ofDecember

,died the Lady E lfrida of piou s memory , Queen of

Edgar,the peaceab le

,formerly King of England ,

” says theChron ic le in the Char tulary ; and subsequen tly s tates Theafore said King E thelred , son of the said queen , endowed thesame church , and augmented i t with variou s pos se ssions , and

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wi th the agreemen t of b le ssed Dunstan , then Archbishop of

Can terbury , and of St . Eth e lwold, bisl10p of Winchester,

instituted nun s in the aforenamed place of W herwell thatthey m ight serve God there .

” The char ter of KingE thelred II .

,h ere alluded to , is dated the year of hi s

mother ’ s death,and readily lends i tself t o the suggestion

that it i s dealing with proper ty to which he would have hadthe reversion had it not been granted t o the Church .

This documen t D u gdale prints from the Charter Ro ll 44 ,Henry III .

, 11 . 6 , which monarch in hi s Inspeximus recite sthat the original documen t had become worn with age .

Passing over a great deal of introduc tory matter , the part inwhich we are mo st in tere sted begins ,

I , ZEth e l r ed,governor of the English people

,and cor egu l u s of the

whole British island , and of the other islands in th e adjacent parts,

offer with most humble devot ion to Chri st and All Saints a certainnoble convent with the vill round about co 1m e ct e d with it , which thecommon people from the vicinity of a spring are aptly accustomed tocall aet W e r ewe l l , with the little houses which are adj acent round aboutth e before written place or vill , as we have said . The whole portion of

both wh i ch collected equally into one quantity contains seventy manors .And thi s I devoutly ofi e r to the giver of all good gifts for a

1 e m e dy of the souls ofmy fa th e i Eadga 1 , and my mother calledEl fdi ydbecause sh e

,while sh e lived , possessed i t, and applied h e i self diligently

to build it up . And further I add the gift of mostpure devotion , assigning for the support of food and clothing of theholy nuns earnestly serving Christ— in t h e aforenamed monastery acertain other village situate in the province of the West Saxons , whichthe dwel lers of the place call Ede l ingede en of sixty cotlands , which theaforesaid qu een , as long as sh e possessed a spark of life , kept for herown proper u se . I commend the care of the directing of this t othe Venerable Abbess H e anfl e d .

And after the names of the witnes ses it i s addedTwenty - nine messuages are in the city of Winchester laying apartin different places which pi ofits by the afo 1 e sa id se i vice belong to themonastery

,and all outside remain without the demesne . In

the yea1 of the Inca 1na tion of cm Lo 1d 1008 , and the thi1 ty fou1 th ofmy reig n

,I have added ten homesteads to wit , situate in the place

usually called Bu l andu n, with all belongings , 81 0 .

‘

It i s these endowmen ts which afford the connecting in terestof the story ofWherwell Abbey , for they are traceab le duringthe whole of the exist ence of the monas tery , and were in itspo sse ssion when i t was d issolved .

Domesday Book says , The Abbey of Wherwell ho ld s thewho le village in which s tands the Church , and always heldit . The same Abbey holds Tockington (Tufton ) and

1 58

a lway s held i t . The same Abbey ho lds Goodworth

(Clatford) and alway s held i t . The same Abbey ho ldsAnne (L ittle) and always held it . The same Abbeyho ld s Middleton (Longparish ) and always held it .

same Abbey holds Bu l l andu n (Bu llington ) and alwaysheld i t .

The same Abbey holds in the city ofWinche ster 3 1 messuages which are free from al l cu stomary charges , excep t theKing ’ s geld , of which the Abbes s

’

own hou se i s free . Thevalue in the t ime of King Edward wa s 50s and now 30s .

InWinches ter the Abbey had al so a m i ll which pays 48 s .

The L iber Win ton enumerates the Winches ter hou ses withtheir tenant s and rents . They were s ituate in Fl e sm ange r

s tret,Scowit enst r e t , and Alwa rne st r e t . The se are now

known , re spec tively , as St . Pe ter - s treet , Jewry - street,and

Parchmen t - s tree t .Reckon ing up the variou s classes on these six manors we

find a total of 3 6 villeins , 48 borderers , 25 freemen (wh o werea l l in Wherwel l) , and 30 servan ts . The r e l igions, of course ,were no t reckoned . In Wherwell there was wood for 25 hogs ,and in Tufton and Ann there were copses for fence s

,while at

Middle ton there was a fi shery for the u se of the hall . Th ethree m il l s s til l remain in exis tence .

It i s surely no t t oo bo ld a conj ecture t o suppo se that thisproperty which E thelred 11 . confirmed t o the monastery , andwhich certainly came '

to them from his mo ther E l frida,had

come to her from her hu sband , King Edgar , whom ,it i s

reasonab le to infer , may have had it from his aun t W e nfle da ,for according t o John of Tinmouth she possessed a hou se atWherwell

,in which she entertained the King

,and where her

gues ts were “r oya l ly

” attired a t the feas t . The statemen tthat Earl Ath e lwo ld was owner of th e forest i s not reliab le ,and i t i s improbab le that ZEl fr ida brough t this land t o herhu sband as dower . If Edgar ’s unc le , King Edred , wh o leftthe manor ofFu ge l e r stu ne to S t . Pe ter

’ s , Winche ster , shouldhave been the hu sband of hi s aun t W e nfle da

,i t make s the

di sposal of the estate at once natural and complete . Andthen i t is almo st certain that the site of the monastery wa soriginally that of (2) Queen W e nfie da

’

s hou se , and if so , thes tream which now runs murmuring through the beautifu lgrounds of the mansion so inappropri ately cal led thePriory , and indeed under part of th e hou se i t self ( see plan ) ,

-

With here and there a lusty trout,

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1 60

u pon the L ady Emma and they bereaved her of al l thetreasure s sh e possessed , and they were no t to be told , becau sebefore she had been very hard with the King her son ,

inasmuch as she had done les s for him than he would before hewa s King

,and al so s ince .

” E dward the Confessor al so subse

quen tly sen t his own wife , the lovely and gentle Edith fif

daugh ter ofEarl Godwin , t o Wherwell , where it would seemhis sis ter wa s then abbe ss . Over the sain tly lady Edith thechron icler s exhau s t the language of commendat ion . No t onlydoe s Ingu lph

'

l' enlarge on hi s persona l memorie s ofher sweet

ness of disposition and great l earn ing , bu t whenever she i smentioned by any of them , it i s always in the same strain .

There seem to have been two common sayings abou t herAs comes the rose from the thornCame Edith from Godwin ,Thus out of it was made a courteous verseOf which Clerks knew well the French .

That is Sicu t Spina resamGenu it Godwinu s Edith a m .

and the otherIn ri ch and nobl e workHad 11 0 peer a s far as Constantinople .

Edward ’s treatmen t ofhi s gen tl e and beautifu l queen seem st o have been harsh , to say the leas t of it . i Then pu t awaythe King

,the lady wh o had been consecrated his queen , and

cau sed to be taken from h e r al l which she po ssessed in landand in go ld , and in silver , and in all things and delivered hert o his s ister at Wherwell ano ther passage says

,And she

was brough t t o Wherwell and they del ivered her to theAbbes s . F loren ce ofWorces ter adds that The King sen ther with one wai t ing - maid t o Wherwell wi thout honour , andcommi t ted her to the keeping of the Abbess . ” She could nothowever have remained very long , as her father , Earl Godwin ,came back in 1052 , and the Lady Edith returned to thepalace which she adorned as much as she had done thec loister .What may probab ly be a s im ilar instance occurs in 1244

,

when § The Abbes s of Wherwell i s commanded to deliverIsabella the daugh ter of Roger de Aken i wh o i s detained bythe King in th e same abbey to Mazz ie ole la Marr t o be conducted where the King has ordered him .

”

9“William of Malmesbury p . 185 . t Ingul ph Chronicle .1 Anglo - Saxon Chronicle . Close Roll, 29 Henry III . , m . 8 .

1 6 1

King John in 12 15 gran ted* To the Abbes s and'

nu ns of

H we r ewe l l that they may have a fair every yea r at Wherwel lof four days ’ durat ion on the dedication of their church atH we r ewe l l . The church of the mona stery was , as we havealready seen , dedicated to the Ho ly Cro ss . The fe st ival of

the Exaltat ion of the Holy Cro ss , the Anglo - Saxon R oodm a s

Day , the 1 4th of September , is kep t in honour of the expos itiou of a por t ion of the Cro ss in the Basilica , erected atJerusalem by the Em pres s He lena . Th e fa ir main tains itsimportance in the county

,and i s held 0 11 t h e 24th of Sep

tember , which ,as the o l d style i s local ly re tained fo r all s u ch

reckonings , i s the hi s toric date .

Some indication of the need of a fi rm front in da y s of

which i t was true

The good old ruleSu ffic e t h them the simple planThat they should take wh o have the powe rAnd they should keep who can

,

i s afforded by entries on the Clo se Ro ll s of the 6 th , 7 t h ,and

12 th of Henry III . One of the se , 1 222 - 3 ,may be taken as

a specimen

The K ing to M ichael de Col u m ba r greeting , We command you thatyou allow the Abbess of W e r ewe l l t o have her reasonabl e e stovers inh er wood of Harewood to wit , her bush and fire wood and house be t andhay bo t as she has been accustomed t o have in the time of King Richardour uncle and John ou r predecessor

,nor are you to do or allow in this

respect any molestation or grievance . W itness at Oxford by B i shopofWinchester .

The Abbes s of course wou ld have among her servan ts herdapifer o r s teward , and in a gran t ofWillia m I . Wil l iam th edapifer of the Abbe ss of Wherwell and Rober t hi s bro theroccur as witnesse s .Henry III . in 1266 gran ted t o the Abbes s and her suc

ce ssor s a weekly marke t to be held on Wednesdays . Thereis no trace of this now, nor indeed with ou r modern methodswou ld there be any reason in retain ing i t . Bu t rememberingthe s tretch of country which was inc luded in the manors of

the Abbes s,and the monopo ly the Lord of the Manor

posses sed , thi s was doubt les s for a long time a source of conside r abl e profi t .The Paten t Rol l of 8 Richard H . , A.D . 1384 , preserves the

Close Roll , 16 John .

M

162

memory of a remarkab le righ t exerci sed by the Abbe ss . Itappears that the K ing was petit ioned to reverse the ju dgmen tof the Cour t of King ’ s Bench agains t the Convent

,under the

fol lowing circum stance s . The Abbey c laim ed that from t im eimmemori al they h ad had the righ t t o the goods of fugitive sin their hundred of Me stowe . A certain Henry Haro ld of

Wherwel l killed Isabel la,his wife , at Wherwell within the

same hundred , by reason of which felony he fled to theChurch of Wherwell

,and the goods of th e said Henry to the

value of thirty - five pounds four shi llings and eigh t pencewere seized for the Abbes s by Gilbert Jo seph

,then the reeve

of the said Abbey,al though at the t ime the Abbey was vacan t

( that is , there was no Abbess ) . The Court seemed to havehel d the proceeding i l legal , bu t the King rever sed theirdeci sion and confirmed the privilege .

The Chartulary , to which reference has been made , con tain sa very large number of documen ts relating to the propertyheld and acquired by the Abbey . It i s however though tbetter for con siderations of space t o pas s by the whole subj ectof the posses sions of the Monastery . It i s in teresting t o

notice that this MS . has on its first page the words and mu sicof par t of a hymn t o the Virgin Mary which probably hadformerly been u sed in the choir by the nuns themselves .

There are few incidents in the s tory ofWherwell Abbey ,that find a place in his tory after the Norman Conquest . Theholy quie t work of uno sten tatiou s love and duty wen t on

through cen turies wi th un told benefits t o those l iving in theparts around , bu t making little mark 0 11 the wider worldbeyond . With the Conque st the Royal line ceased to haveany personal associations with the neighbo u rhood , and ladiesof local or o ther fam ilie s occupied the po sit ion of Superior ,which had once , at any rate , been held by the King

’ s sisterThe troub le s of the kingdom however did no t pass overwithou t bringing their share t o the u sual ly peacefu l dwellersin the val ley of the Tes t . Wi lliam of Malmsbury tells u sduring the contest between King S tephen and the Empres sMaud

The roads on every side of Winchester were watched by the Qu eenand the Earls who had come with her, lest the supplies should bebrought in to those wh o had sworn fidelity to the Empress . The townofAnde ve r also wa s burnt . The abbey of nuns at W a r ewe l

wa s also burnt by one William de Ipres , an abandoned character wh ofe ar e d

dne ith e r God nor man , because some of the partisans of the

Empress had secured themselves within it .

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1 64

* Joan Dolling had £2 1 3s . 4d. per annum . These pen sionsab sorbed £ 123 6 3 . 8d . , and the account is closed with thes tatemen t an soo r e m ayne th c lere £229 12 s . 05d .

” Tho sepen sioner s marked were s till in receipt of their pen sion s2 and 3 Phi lip and Mary , 1 555— 6 . The account says therewere no j ewels , and no ornamen t s reserved to the u se of theKing ’ s M’

ge stie ,” bu t of plate “ reserved t o the same u se

”

there was “ s ilver gilt 202§ o z ., s i lver parcel gilt 8 7 o z . ,

si lver white 623 o z . ,a to tal of 9125 oz .

”

The su m of all the ornaments , goods , and cat ta l e s there fou ndenbelonging t o the said monastery sold by the said com y ssione r s aspubli cly appe r ith in the books of the sale thereof made and redy to beshowed iiij“ xv“ xxiiil l whereof in payments to the late religious andse r v ent s despatched To vij of the late said r e l igions of the saide latemonastery of the King ’s ma t ie s reward viz . to iiij every of them and xl ‘t o iiij every of them xx" x l .

To xlviij parsons being ch apl e yne s , officers , and s’

vt sof the said late

monastery for their wages and l iu e r ie s xxvl l ii i . Of dettes owing by

the seyd late m ’

st e ry to di’nse p

’

sons as well of the cirie ofWinchester,as of the same town ofWherwell for money owing t o them for victu a l l e sand other necessaries bought and hadd to the use of the said late housexvi l i xviiis ij

d,and soo r e m ayne th clere xl iij s ix“. D ebt e s owing to the

seid late m o’

st e r y— none . To the same by S r John Burley Clerk p

’

son

of Mildesten for t h e costs e xpensis and charges by the late Abbes andconvent su st eyne d in the s

’

pu a l l laws by the wrongful vexation of thesaid p

’

son as by decree made by Doct e r Cockes therein j udge 1m der thehissops of Canterbury now pl e ynl ie may appear xj

“.

Speed gives the value of the endowment s at the t ime ofthe suppres sion as £403 12 s . 10d .

, Dugdale a s £ 339 8 s . 7d .

Of the annuitie s and pens ions men t ioned above t o othersthan nuns

,Wil liam , Marquis ofWinche ster , High S teward ,

had £6 per annum ,Richard Tay lo r , c lerk , £4 , John Cooke

£ 1 6 s . 8d .,and Christopher Browne £2 . The Comm iss ioners

were Robert Sou thwell , John London , Joh n K ynge sm il l ,Richard Powlett

,and William Berner s .

The men tion of the religiou s and servan t s dispatchedsuggests some sad reflections

,bu t the accoun ts we have of

the buildings are especially valuab le in enab ling u s to formsome conj ec ture a s to their s ituation , becaus e no p lans or

v iews have been y e t found , and there is therefore very li ttl et o show what the Abbey looked like .

It mu s t be no ticed first that the Parish Church of Ho lyCro s s and S . Peter was pu l led down and rebuil t in 1 858 .

The o ld bui lding i s stated to have been repaired after theReformat ion with th e best port ions of the Abbey ruins . It

165

had a chapel which was appropriated to the Priory’

a s apew, and which had a separate special en trance . There isno tradition of any o ther church , and i t i s conj ectured thatthe same church” (the term , it wil l be ob served , u sed ofthewho le monas tery in Domesday) served bo th fo r the monasteryand the parish , wi th presumab ly a chapel for parochialservice s as at Romsey . In the inven tory we have thefol lowing accoun t

Houses and Buildings assigned to r e m ayn . The late Abbesslodging w t the houses w t in the Qu adr a u nt e , a s the water leadeth fromthe east side of the Cloi ster to the gate . The ffa r m e r y ,

the m y l l e , andMillhons wh the slaughter house adjoining , the br u inge and bakinghouses w t the granaries

,to the same , the barne and stabu l l e s in the

utter courte . Possess" thereof de l y u r e d t o the Lord de la Warr, byforce of Mr . Ch au nce l l or s l t ’ s .

Deemed to be superfluous — The church quyer and st e pl e cou e r ed wh

l e ade , the cloister cou e r e d wh ty l e s , and centre gutters of l e ade , thechapiter house

,fi r ay t e r dormitory conu ent kitchen , and all the olde

lodgings between the granarie and the hall dore , cou e r ed with ty l e s .

Com m y t e d to the cu stody e of the Lord de la Warr to t h e use of theKing ’s m a

m.

Lead r e m ayning upon the houses aforesaid x fodders . Bellsr em ayning in the st epe l there v . poiz by e stiac v

mVij

e weight .

The number of bells i s the same as at pre sen t .No thing more can be said abou t the o ld church ,

for withthe exception of some fragmen t s ofmouldings and one monumen tal effigy , and part s of two monumen ts , there areab solutely no traces of i t . The presen t hou se (the Priory)wa s built abou t the time of Charle s I .

, and , a s has beenmen tioned , stands partly ove r a stream

,which run s beneath

the drawing room and is sue s at the back of the house underan archway of o lder workmanship than the rest of the wall .The s tream is conj ec t ured to be the moat round QueenW e nfle da

’

s hou se . It derives its supply of water through adoub le cutting made in a sou th - easterly direc tion to a higherreach of the Te s t . The burial ground was certainly north of

the presen t house , and nearer the church ,and i t i s probable

the Abbess ’ s lodging” was much m o re in the cen tre of theQuadrangle

,which i s s ti l l nearly completely surrounded by

the moat excep t on the side towards the church ; and i t isvery easy t o se e h ow the clo is ter migh t connect the con

ve nt u a l bui ldings with the church , having the water l eadingfrom i ts eas t side t o the ga te , suppo sing the gat e to bewhere the road formerly ran to j o in the Winches ter ‘turnpike .

’

The s ite of the slaugh ter hou se which was pu lled down abou t

1 66

15 years ago i s close to the s tab le s , which have some verymass ive o ld timber s in them ,

and are,in al l probability , on

the o ld site in what stil l forms an “ou ter court . ” The mil l

and m il l hou se are probab ly where they always were . Themonument , erroneou sly s tated in White

’ s Hampshire t o

be in the Winches ter museum,was dug up in the church

yard i t i s in a mutilated condit ion , and now placed in thechurchyard wal l grouped with o ther fragmen ts which havenothing whatever to do with i t . It represent s an abbes s ,po ssibly about the time ofJoan Co tteri ll or Cecili a Lav ington .

A rude , and probably early , s tone coffin i s in the churchyardand two coffin lids in the Priory ground s .The prebend” or Vicarage ofWherwel l appear s a lways to

have been in the hands of the monastery . The s ite of theAbbey was gran ted 3 1 Henry VIII . to Sir Thoma s Wes t ,Lord de la Warr

, wh o exchanged it for an estate calledH a l fnake d Park in Su ssex

,and the property has come down

through the fam ilies of Cu tler , Cutler Bou lte r , and Fryer , t othat ofIr e m onge r in whom i t is now ves ted .

This confessedly very imperfect notice may conc lude withthe transcrip t of an in script ion placed in the Priory” wall ,the actual date of which ,

however , like i ts statemen ts , i sques tionab le .

Anno Dom 1649

Here was the Monast e i y of W h e 1 we l l . E1 e ct ed by QueeneE thelr .ed Demolished by the overacted zeale or ava i ice of K ingHenry

,and of its last ruines here buried there yet remains this hi s

monument .

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168

ca se , bu t with this much in i ts favour , that i t had a ll the pr ot e ction the honourab le and influen tial family of K ynge sm il l

could secure for it . The las t Abbes s wa s Morph u e t K ynge s

mil l , who se cou s in wa s the la st Pr ior and first Dean of S t .Swi thun , Win che ster . Her father was S ir John K ynge sm il l ,of B asings toke , Ju stice of Common Pleas , wh o died 1509 .

And her brother was S ir John K ynge sm il l ofSydm onton ,wh o

died 1 556 , and i s buried at Kingsc lere . He was one of th e

Commis s ioners for the D is so lu tion . It i s bu t fair t o as sumethat he d id hi s bes t for hi s s ister and the nun s in her charge .

And there does not seem to be any indication of the harshtreatmen t and vind ict ive cruelty which in far t oo many case saccompan ied the confiscat ion .

That the fam i ly of the K ynge sm il l s had foreseen thebursting ofthe storm i s eviden t and they had doub tle ss laidtheir plan s accordingly

,but there i s much to show that thi s

conven t found considerat ion in the hour when i t was mos tneeded , and that , a s far as it was poss ib le , they befriendedthe religiou s .While the e s tate s of the Monasterie s were being c aught

up in the market” and their purchase pro spect ively arrangedfor

, Commissioner K ynge sm il l kep t his eye 0 11 Wherwell , a si s shown by a passage in Thomas Cromwell ’ s note book .

Item to r'

e 1ne m be 1 Wari en for a m ona st e i y Mr . Gostyk e for amonastery John F 1 e e m an for Spalding , Mr . Kingsmil l f0 1 W h e l we l l ,myself for Laund . Item to r e m em be 1 to know the true value of thegoods of Castl e Acr e fo1 my part thereof

Mr . K ynge sm il l , however , d id not ge t Wherwel l Abbey , norany of it s proper ty

,for which more than one had been on the

look ou t .

It was sold to S ir Thoma s West , Lord de la Warr , and'

th edeed by which it passed t o him wi ll be found on the Paten tRol l 3 1 , Henry VIII . It reci te s that by a certa ininden ture bearing date 3 March , 3 1 of ou r reign , between u sof the firs t part and the aforesaid Lord la Warr and L adyE lizabeth hi s wife on the o ther part , they had bargained andsold t o u s and ou r heirs the Manor or Lordship ofH alfnak e d

and W a t t e r t on in the county of Su ssex with H a l fnak e d Park ,Goodwood Park , and proceeds ,Know ye that we in consideration if if 3“ have given and granted

if ”X“ ”X‘ to Sir Thomas West Lord la Warr and Lady E lizabeth hiswife the site and precincts of the late monastery of W h e r ew e l l

'otherwise called Wherwell in ou r county of Southampton lately di ssolved ,

1 69

together with all and singular houses , stables , structures , dovecotes ,&c . , &c within the site and precincts of the late Monastery . And allthat water mil l and thirty acres of land and several water in W h e r ewe l lform erly parcell of the possessions of the late monastery , and formerlybeing in the hands of the last Abbess fo r the use of the said latemonastery . And also the manors or Lordships ofW h e r ewe l l , Westover, Middleton , Totyngton (Tufton) , Bolynton Good , otherwise Goodworth Clatford and Little Ann

, wit-h the appurtenances , parcell of thepossessions , profits or hereditaments of the said late monastery, and allthat prebend of Good otherwise Goodworth , &c . And the advowsonof the parish church of W h e r ewe l l form erly belonging to the latemonastery . And all woods , &c . And all that wood called Harewood ,containing by estim ation 660 acres if if it And all that messuage

,

Jayes , formerly in the occupation of a certain Rich ardBurley with all , &c . , &c .

, in as ample manner and form as the lastAbbess it it To be held of us and our successors in capite for a

part of a Knight ’s service , yielding and paying to the Augmentation Office £137 3s . 8d . a year .

S ir Thomas Wes t wou ld seem then t o have paid a con

side r abl e sum fo r the s i t e of Wherwell and it s manors andadvowsons . But curiou sly enough some of the property thu sconveyed to him was so ld over aga in to someone else . Thecalm serenity with which the m istake i s rectifie d wil l be bestseen from another documen t .

Memorandum . Whereas the King ’s highness by his graces patentunder h is great seal of England for the su m of forty pounds and elevenshi l lings amongst other things bargained , sold and granted unto JohnGy e r s , E squire , to his heirs and assigns , the advowson gift andpatronage of the prebend and parsonage of Wh e rwell , in the county ofSouthampton , And whereas also a long time before the ba rgaine saleand grant of the said advowson to the said John Gyors in form aforesaid

, ou r said Sovereign Lord the K ing gave and granted the sameadvowson t o the Lord De La W arr to hi s heirs and assigns for ever,by reason whereof the said bargain sale and grant of the said advowsonand patronage of the said prebend and patronage made to the saidJoh n Gy e r s in form aforesaid i s void and of none effect , by reasonwhereof the said John Gyors in reason and conscience ought to berecompensed by the K ing ’s highness of the said fourty pounds andeleven shillings which th e said John hath paid to the K ing ’s h iglm e ss

for the purch ase of the said advowson in forme aforesaid . In consequence whereof it is ordered and decreed by the Chancellor andCounsel l of the Court ofAugmentations of th e revenues of ou r SovereignLord t h e K ing 0 11 the xxth daye of Au gust in the xxxvj th year of thereign of ou r Sovereign Lord Henry the eighth by the grace of GodKyng of England , France and Ireland , defender of the faithe , &c . ,

thatt h e said John Gy e r s in recompense of th e said money paid by him forthe purchase of the said advowson in forme aforesaid shall have of theKing ’s highness the su m of fourty foure pounds and eleven shillingsto be paid to h im immediately upon th e m akyng of the decree by thoseof the treasury of the said courte of the Augmentations of the revenues

170

of ou r Sove r aigne’

Lord the K ynge’

s Crown of such his Grace ’s treasury of the same revenues as r e m ayne th in the hand of the saidtreasurer

,and thi s decree shall be to the said t reasurer a su flicie nt

warrant and discharge in that be h a u lf. [Augmentation Offi ce Decreesand Orders ]In order t o make ou r s tory plain we mu st refer to an

abridged pedigree of Wes t , Lord la Warr . Se e Appendix .

It i s almo st certain that the Lord la Warr wh o purchasedi t did no t himself res ide at Wherwell , and hi s half- brother ,S ir George We st , wa s dead before the suppression of thehou se

,bu t another hal f- bro th er , S ir Owen West , wh o married

Mary,daugh ter ofSir George Gui ldford , ofHemps tead Place ,

Ken t,in al l probabi lity l ived there and wa s buried in the

church .

On the remain s of an altar tomb or tomb s now bui l t inthe wall dividing the churchyard and the Vicarage are theinscrip t ion s

Of y ou r cha r ite p r a y for th e soo l e s of Sir Owen I’Vcste ,K nigh t , and Ma r y h is n

'

yj’

e wh o died .

”

Th e wh ich e died th e 1 8 da y of inly ,a nno dom ino 1551 .

This las t unque stionab ly refers t o Sir Owen West , whosewil l i s given in the append ix .

There i s a strong probabi lity that Wherwell may havebeen made the j o in ture hou se . There are inscrip tions in thepresen t church , removed from the o ld building , to John , sonofHenry

,L ord laWarr , 1 6 56 , and Mary , fi rs t wife ofCharle s

,

son ofCharles , 5 th Lord la Warr .At wes t end ofnave of pre sen t chu rchThis stone is t rusted with ye precious ashes and memory of ye

honourable Mrs . Mary West ,sole daughter of Ferdinando Hudd l eston , E sq . ,

ofMilton Castle, inCumberland ,

and married unto Charles West .Her Rare piety made her life innocent and taugh t her to be a

good dau gh t e r'

and an excellent wifetill she dyed in ye Flourish of her youth and Virtues .

V ita nos tra est Instar fl u m inis quod cu r r it ad mare Mortis .

East endHere l y e t h the Body of the H on . John Wes t, 3rd Son of

The Lord La Warr,wh o died a chi lde ye 5th y e a r e of h is age .

1656 .

Reader shed a teare for ye losse of se e much innocency .

For the sake of con tinui ty we ha ve fo l lowed up the newo rder” of things at Wherwell firs t . Bu t there are some

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172

In ye buttre .It . , iiij vy rk e ns , se aven canstyk e s , ij saltes of pewter , ijdr ynkyng cu ppe s , 1j dosen trenchers

in ye chamber .

It . iiij fe th e rbe dds , one flockbe ddeIt . , a pay e r of fu st en blankets , iij payer of wollenblankets ,iiij fe th e i bolsters , one fl oe kbost e i

It .,iiij pelews of fe t h e r s , viij payer of sch e ts

It . , vj cove 1 l e ts , iiij pe l owbe r sIt . ,

v j cofe i s , one joined bedsted and a t rucl ebedd, and aplayne bedsted

,and one forme

It . ,a tester of de r ne x with cu r t ens to ye same

It . , ye h anyng of ye chamber of red and greneIt .,ij

.

ch ay e r s being tur ,ned ij close stoles

It . , y j cai pe t cu ssh ens and iiij other cu sh e nsIt . , ij carpets of de 1 ne x for a tableIt . , iiij bankers of rede , a payer of dogge s for ye ch e m ne y ,a payer of tonges , a fyer panIt

,a lytell casse t t

It . , a worsted casset , iij othe1 casse t s of clothe , 1j pe ty cot s ,ij foi e partes of worsted

It . , a h ode , 1j lettes e appe s , v smokes , one vay l e ofholende ,another of serrans , ij be ne gi a se s of velvet

It .,v table clothes , xviij table napk ens

It . , iiij hand tewells , one tester of grene saye and cu r t ensof ye same

It . , smale l enyn as pa rk e l e t s and vor e sl e v e s of every sortOther smale t h ynge s

It . ,iij fyne napk e ns , a smale ove r h ose

in ye k e ch yn ,

It . . iiij brasse potts , iij sky l e t s, a chaser , iiij k e t e l se , ijdr e pingpanse , a fry ingepan ,

a ch afyndy se , a gr yddie r ,ij poth ok e s , a pappa and a skym m e 1 , 1j ch ene i se , achopping knyfe , inj l ade l se , ij chamber potts

It . ,x iij plater ,s xij . pot e nge l s , ix sawse i s , vj savoyn

dy ssh e s , v plats , i j basons a pe u t e r boll , a dosen of

a lk e m s spony s

It .

,iij b1 oobys , ij v e 1 ky s , a b1 u yng vatte , a yonting vatt ,

IJ.

t 1 ens with v lytell trens, ij bokyng tobbe s a trevetIt . , ij lode of woodIt . ,

ij lytell ba r r e n pyggsIt . , a sylt , ij kne ding k ew e r s , a bou l tinge wyche , i j

m e l e tobbe s , ij k e yve s , a cl a u se ve , iiij sakesIt . , a stone morter , a ponde y ing t obb and other irenethings

It . ,a save

It . ,old yron

It . , a. hogg of bacon, one salt sy sh e

It,ij bu l t e r s , a syre

It . , a pencon due to her fi om the prince at o r lady dayAno . R . 7°

Suma totalis

iiij s .

xij s .

xxs

K K K S

vj s . viijd .

173

Morph u e t K ynge sm il l’

s place in the fam i ly of that namewil l be seen from the abridged pedigree given in the appendix .

O f the l egatees in her will Mis tre s s Pickering , JoanWoodlock , and Mor ve th Vyne had been nun s a t Wherwell ,and of that commun i ty only one , E lizabeth Hacker , wh o wa sprobab ly no t profe ssed at the time of the di s so lu tion , hadmarried . In the twen ty - seven years that had elapsed sincethey were ej ected from their common home

,i t is very

probab le that severa l of the o lder s is ters had en tered in totheir rest . We m i s s the names ofAlice G ifford , the Prio res s ,Margery Wrigh t

,the sub - prio res s , E lizabeth Clerk ,

“ thesexten

,Joan M itchell , Agnes Sybe l l , Joan Lucas , Joan

Emly,Jo ice Hart

,E lizabe th Tom lyn and Al ice Haward ,

and, as in 1 555 ,these were no t drawing their pen sion s a s

the o thers were , there is a strong presump tion that th eywere not al ive . O f those nuns wh o were then living , Abbe ssK ynge sm il l does no t ment ion Joan Do l ling , Joan Mate ,Margare t Assh e

,Mary Wi lloughby , Agnes Harding and

Mary Inkpen .

It may be that the names of some o thers wil l be tracedin some like inciden tal way , bu t in general terms we mayconc lude that we thu s see the fin a l changing” of the o l do rder , and the pa ssing away of tho se wh o had taken the irpart in i ts tranqui l pas t .Bu t the name of N icho las W i ther s in troduce s ano ther

change of order . Sad and mournfu l like the las t , and l ikethat t oo , shewing the trace s of s tern tyranny and consequen tsu fi

'

e ring.

N icholas Withers was the occupan t of th e manor of

Middle ton , in the pari sh which now goe s by the descrip tivename of

“ Longparish . He held the manor under theAbbes s and Conven t of Wherwell , and died , I think , a veryo l d man in 1 6 64 . S ir Thomas West wh o d ied in 1 628gran ted to him a lease for his own life , the life of his wifeJane , and that of their eldes t son N icholas , at a rental of£ 1 5 , of

“ al l that cap ita l messuage and farme of the manorOf Middle ton .

Loy a list Composition Pap e r s .

In the Royal i s t Compo si tion Papers we find the sign ifican ten try Nicho las Withers of Longparish , Gen t . , seques teredat Mich ’as

,1 645 for delinquency , hi s e state lying there .

It does not s tate what hi s fine was , nor have we very muchmore information as to th e fam ily to which they belonged .

I am indeb ted to the Rev . B . P . W ilkinson , Vicar of Long

174

parish,fo r the extract s from the Longpari sh Regis ter which

are given in the append ix . Whether thi s fam i ly were con

ne ct e d with the fami ly of Wither , of Manydown, is no t

shewn by any evidences I have met wi th .

Another painful ev idence of the hardnes s which aecom

panie d the change from the o ld order t o the new during thegreat rebellion i s founded in the seques tration of S ir EdwardNicho las , wh o apparen t ly held the great ti the s and o theremo lumen ts of the Prebend of Wherwel l which fo r cen tur ie shad belonged t o the Abbey , bu t a s we have seen had beenso ld t o John Gy e r s after hav ing been previou sly sold t o SirTho s . Wes t .In the same l is t of the seque stered , the en try runs .

S ir Edw. Nicholas, K u t .

,secretary t o the late Kinge , sequestered ye

same time for delinquency,h is estate being ye Rectory of Wherwell .

The Local Comm is sioners hav ing as we shou ld de scribeit advertised the farm”

of, I presume , the tithe s and glebe ,inc luding apparen tly the water m ill

, 30 acre s of land andannual ren tal , which in 1 544 - 1545 brough t to the crownwhich had confiscated them a total sum of £ 137 3 s . 8d. ,

found themselves in a difficu lty in accep ting the highesttender , which exceeded that of the occupying tenan t s byonly fifteen shill ings . [Au g Ofiice Misc . Books ,They thereupon sen t a s tatement of the case t o the General

Comm issioners then si tting at Haberdasher s Hall , with there su lt that the then tenan t was confirmed in his ho lding , aprofi t of twelve shill ings a year , however , being made of hism isfortune . The paper is interest ing enough t o be givene ntir e 1

_

R oy a list Comp osition Pap e r s, vo l . Ct‘ tt 593 .

Gentlemen,

H a ve inge duly posted the farme of Longparish, th e estate of Sr

dwa r d Nicholas, Knight and under se qu e st r a con for his delinqu encywhere unto Leonard Greene and William Thornborough

,gent

. ,are

p’

se nt tenants . And thi s day breakings u pp the proposals of such asdesired to be tenants t o the same farme the bearer hereof

,Mr

. Green ,bids for the same one hundred and th ir t ie pounds five shillings perann . cleere of all taxes . And one Thomas Webb

, of Porton , in thecou ntie of Wilts , bide for the same farme one hundred th ir tieand one pounds per ann . clere of all taxes for se av en years . Soe thatwee accordinge to ou r inst r u c

’

cons have agreed to_

’ take for tentethe said Thomas W ebb as biddinge the greater r e nt

mBut att

the importunity of MI1

. Greene beinge tennant in possession.

andh a ve inge been in actual arms for th e Parliament wee thoughtfit t to state and p

’

se nt the ca se unto yr hou rs it being some

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1 76

to what he should receive a year . But when the o l d orderyielded place to the new this i s the way the mat ter wasconch l de d 1

_

R oy a list Comp osit ion Pap e r s Se r ies .

To such person 0 11 persons as are authorised to pay any augmentationformerly settled upon any preaching minister .

The Commissioners appointed by an ordinance of hi s highness theLord Protector with t h e advice of his cou nce l l for the approbation ofpublique preachers

,doe 111 pursuance of the said ordinance approve of

M11

. Edw . Be nta l l , of Tu ck ingt on Chapple , to Wherwell , in the countyof South ’ton , to be a person qualified to preach the Gospe l l as in andby th e said ordinance is required and therefore fitt to receive suchaugmentat ion as hath been formerly settled upon him 0 1

1 ye place W herehe preacheth These are therefore to signify unto y ou that you arethereby required and authorised to pay to the said Edward Benthallwhatsoever by vertue of any order , ordinance , or Act of Parliament , orauthority derived , there is or shall be due upon tha t accompt . And hisacquittance being taken for ye same shall be your sufficient discharge .In testimony whereof they have caused thi s approbation to be enteredand signed by the register there unto appointed .

Dated at Whitehall the 3d day of Novem r, Ann 1654 .

Jo . Nye , Regr .Edw . B enta l l , gent . , maketh oath y th e recd the above written certificatefrom the hands of M1

1

. Nye , R gr . , to theabove said Com .

Sworn before the Com . Edward B enta l l .3 Nov . , 1654 ,

B .W .

And so , for the presen t we mu st leave the s tory , thankfu llym indfu l of h ow it has yet again come to pass , that those evildays of troub le and d isturbance have given way t o times of

tranquility and act ive and benevo len t progres s , and the neworder with the parochial system of the Church in ful l swing ,and the bene fice nt influence of keen interes t and kindlysolici tude springing from the sense of re sponsibil ity on the partof the great hou se ” is productive of greater happ iness andmore complete freedom than when the Lady Abbess wasparamoun t over a l l .There is yet very much more t o be to ld , which if opportun ity

shou ld ever serve wil l be st be treated of in a separate chapter .The chartulary alone would supply ample ma terial s foranother part , and if, with that for a basi s

,the descen t of the

lands formerly held by th e Abbess were traced,something

wou ld be accomplish ed towards the his tory of a large tract ofthe coun ty of which so very little has been written . Mean

177

t ime i t is bu t j u st t o acknowledge the obl igation of al l wh ovalue historica l enquiry whether in topographica l 0 1

1

o therbranche s of the s tudy , t o Hampshire No tes and Querie s ,

”

for wi thout some su ch medium by which information cou ldbe gathered and imparted line upon line , here a little andthere a li ttle

,i t wou ld be almo s t impos sib le to pub li sh th e

historie s of ou r rural parishe s with that fu llne s s of detai lwhich modern science require s .

APPENDIX .

The following original paper s and extracts go t o shew theeffec t of the suppres sion of th e Abbey on the ten an ts andunemployed .

Au gm enta tion ofiice . De cr e e s and or de r s, vo l . iv . , fo . 61 I) .

Be it remembered that in Hilary term,to wit on the eleventh day of

February in the thirty - fir st year of the reign of K ing Henry the eighth ,Richard Bu r l egh e came into the court of the said Lord King of theAugmentation of the revenues of his crown and brough t there a c e r ta l nwriting made and sealed under the conventual seal of th e late monasteryof Wherw ell in the county of Southampton lately dissolved, and prayedthat it might be a llowed

,the tenor of which writing follow s in these

words z— To a l l christen people t o wh om e thi s p’

sent writing shall come ,Morwyt h e K ynge sm y l l Abbes of the house and ch u r ch e of the holyrode ofWherwel l in the county of South ’ and the conu ent of the sameplace , send greeting in oure lorde god e u

’

l asting. Know ye us thesaid Abbes and conu ent for the good and faithful s ’m iec that RichardBurleigh of Mydl e t on,

in the saide cou nt ie , hath done and daylecont endith e t o doc to us and t o ou r m onast e r y e ofWherwell , afor e sayde ,by ou r hole assent and consent have ge u en and gr antid and by thesp

’

sent s do gene and gr aunt e to the saide R ich ards Burleigh the office ofthe cl e r ksh ipe of all the l o rdsh ippe s , mamours , landes , and t en

’

tis to ou rsaide Monastery ofWherwell , appe r t eynynge and be l onginge t o holdeand kepe all and singu l e r ou r l awday s and courtes of all ou r mannors ,lands , and t en

’

t is afo r e saido as ofte as need shall require . To haueoccu pic and exerci se the said office of the cl e rk sh ype unto the saideRichard bu r l egh e by him or by hi s suffi cient depu ty e for the time ofthe lyffe of th e said Richard t aky ingc and per ce ynyngc for the officeafor e saidc in forme aforesaid occu pynge e xcr cysynge of us and ou r

successors y e r cl e y foure pounds sixteen shillings and eightpence s terling ,t o be paid to the saide Richard at too fe astis in th e year, that is to sayeat th e ffe a s t e of th annu nciacon of ou r bl e ssyd l aydie the virgin andSaint Michell the archangel] , by equal pereons wt al l other pr ofit t e s ,com ody tie s , and emoluments be l ongynge to the saide office or annyother , t h e same office h au inge or exec singe before thi s tyms haue haddor accu stomed to h aue by t h ande s 0 u s ou r r cceyou r s formers reves or

178

collectors and of ou r successors for the tym e beynge . And yf it happenthe saide foure pounds sixteen shillings and eightpence or eny ptethereof t o be be h ynde and not payed in manner and form s afor e saide

by the space of one moneth after any of the fe a st ss , of paymentafor e saide , that then it shall be l e yfu l l t o the sa ide Richard bu r l eghby v

’

tu e of this ou r wr yt ynge into ou r maner of goodworth in thecounty afor e saide t o enter and dist r ene , and the

’

de st r e sse s so thert akyn t o dr yv e , l e ade , and carry away, and the same t o with olde vnto

suche tyms as the saide foure pounde s syxt e en shillings and eightpence ,and the arrearages yf any be to the saide Richard bu r l egh e be fullysatisffie d,

contented and payed , wherefore we command and sh ay t l e y e

charge as well the auditors of ou r accompts for the tym e be ynge thatthe payment of the saide foure pou nde s syxt e ene shillings and e igh tpensto the saide Richarde for the occu pynge and e xe r cy synge of the officeaforesaid in form afor e saide gr au nt ed in the accompt of ou r r e ce y u or

or in the accompt of ou r farmer and collector of ou r manor of Goodworth afor e saide for the t ym e be ynge from tym e t o tyms y e r e l y t ot h e ym e due allowances and discharge , make as to all and singler bay l s ,fe r m e r s and all other ou r tenants and inhabitants within ou r lordshipsand manners aforesa id , that vnt o t h e said Richarde in execution and

e xe r cisinge of his saide office be helping and a ssistynge in all thingsas it sh a lbe lawful . In witness whereof t o this present ou r wr y tyngewe the said Abesse and convent haue putt ou r convent seale . Datt inoure chapiter house at Wherwell aforesaid the twe l u e t day of Januarythe twenty and eight yere of the r e igne of ou r Sou

’

s igne lord K yngeHenry the eight . And be ca u se on e r a/rnina tion it se em s to th e afor esa id cou r t th a t th e wr iting and s e a l a r e bonafide , it is by th e Ch ance l lora nd Cou ncil a l l owed, and th e y de cr e e th a t R ich a r d Bu r l egh in fu l lr e com p ense and sa tisfa ction h a ve for th e t e r m . of h is life an annu ityof site p ou nds th ir te en andfou rp ence and a r r e a r s .

Au gu m enta t ion Office , Henry VIII . , Decrees and Orders , vol . 14 ,fo . 55 .

Extr a ct . 10 June 36 , Henry VIII . Ch r istofe r Brown comes intothe court and brings a certain writing under the conventual seal of th em anast e r y ofWherwell lately dissolved and prays that it maybe dissolved . Morph e t K ynge sm y l l Abbess, &c . ,

know yeth at we , &c . , have granted t o ou r servant Ch r istofe r Brown an annuityor annual rent of forty shil lings issuing ou t of all ou r lands and tenements in Wherwell for the term of hi s life recoverable by distraint0 11 all ou r lands . Given in ou r chapter house 2 Oct .

, 30 Henry VIII .All owed by Chancell or and Council , 40 shi llings a year decreed t o

Ch r istofe r Brown .

ABRIDGED PEDIGREE or WE ST LORD DE LA WARR .

Arms : Argent a fe ss Dance t te sabl e .

S ir Reginald Wes t Lord La Warr in right of hi s mo therwh o was si ster and heir t o Thoma s Lord La Warr

,married

E leanor , 2nd daugh ter of Henry,Earl of Northumberland .

He died 27 Augu st 1451 , leaving

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Henry West Lord L a Warr , wh o married Isabel , daugh terof S ir Thoma s Edmonds , Kn ight , Treasurer of the Hou seho ld to King Charle s I . , and by her had is sueCharles (

at

) Wes t Lord La Warr , wh o married Anne ,daughter ofJohn Wild , of Dro itwich , E sq . , and wa s bur iedat Wherwel l 27 December , 1 687 . He had i s sue , Johnwh o was buried at Wherwel l 1 656 , in hi s 5 th year , Henrybap tiz ed 28 March and buried at Wherwel l 25 April ,

1 657 . John , wh o became Lord La Warr , and Charles wh omarried first

,Mary only daugh ter ofFerdinando Huddle

s ton , ofMi lton Castle , Cumberland , Esqr e , and secondly adaugh ter ofSir Edmund Pye , ofBradenham , Bucks .The member s of the fam ily of Wes t whom we know to

have been buried at Wherwel l are dis tinguished by a Theextra c ts from the Wherwel l Regis ter which , by the kindnessof the Rev . W . Ha rison , I am enab led t o give in thi sappendix

,make i t c lear that the hou se mu st have been

occupied by Sir Owen West and Mary hi s wife , wh o wa sdaugh ter of S ir George Guildfo rd , ofHempstead Place , Ken t ,bo th ofwhom were buried in the church .

Robert West , po ssibly the son of Thomas Lord La Warrand bro ther ofSir Thomas wh o succeeded in 1 609 .

Charle s, 5t h Lord L a Warr , who se children John and

Henry were born here , and wh o wa s himself bur ied here in1 687 Hi s grandmotherC icely Lady La Warr

,widow of Thomas , 3 rd Lord , and

hi s sonCharle s West

,whose firs t wife Mary

,daugh ter of Ferdin

ando Huddleston was buried here .

WHERW ELL REGISTERS .

By the kindness of the Rev . W . Harison I am enabled togive the fo llowing extracts from the Regi ster at Wherwell ,which commences 1 634

John,son of the R gh t . H onbl e Charles Lord Lawa r r , was buried

August 1 , 1656 .

Mary W est , the daughter of R ob. West,was baptised the 22nd

March , 1656 .

Henry West , Esqr e .

, sonne to the Right H onbl e Charles West LordD e l awa r r , wa s baptized the 28th March , 1 65 7 .

Henry West , Esqr e ., sonn of the Right H onbl e . the Lord Lawa r r ,

wa s bur . 25 ofApril, 1657 .

18 1

1 6§§artha West, the daughter of Robert West, was baptized Sep . 1 7,

Ise

Tz

h e Right E‘m bl e C icely Lady D e l awa r r e was bu r r idd July 31 ,

The Right R ou ble Charles Lord De l awa r r wa s buried De c . 27, 1687

WILL OF SIR OWENWE ST , 1551 .

P .P .C . 30, Ba ck — In the name of God amen , the xv13 daye of Julythe yere of or lorde God a thousand fyv e hundreth fiftie and one in thefyrst-e yere of K ynge Edward the Syxt e . I , Owen W est , si cke of

be dye , nevertheless hole of m ynde and good remembrance , do make mywill and testament in manner and form a s followeth . F irst , I bequ e ath emy sou le to Alm ygh ity e God my redeemer and maker and m y body tobe buried where it shall please God to be at my departing Also I willt o be bestowed at my bu r ia l l twenty shillings to the poore and twent ieshi llings more at the mouthes m ynde according to the discr e cion of

myne executors Al sos I bequeath to dame Mary, my wist , the lordshipof h ynton Ma r ty l l after my decease during her life , and after her t or e m ayn e be twene my two dou gh t e r s , Marye and Anne , indifl

’e r ent l y

and if thone departe then th e hole land to r e m ayn unte the other duringher l yfe . And I wille that my lorde shall have the gou e r nance of mydaughter Marie in wh om e y s my tru st to se e her bestowed and thotherto byde t h or de r ing of my wief. Also I bequeath unto Spomer andRobert , my s ’vant s , beside their dulie and unto Bartholomew, a quarterswages . Also I bequeath Elizabeth Husse twentie Shillings . Also toWilliam Alyn two quarters of barley and one quarter ofwheats . Therest of all my goodes with the lease and occupying of my farm I g iveand bequeath unto D am e Mary my wife, whom I m ake my whole andfull exec utrix . And also I bequeath unto my lord my broth er my bestgelding , and also I beq ueath unto my brother gy l forde a gelding, thewhich two I ordayne to be the supervisors of this m y last will andtestament . And t o the Vy car ofWherwell I bequeaths a nagge, topray for me . Wi tness Richard Cobbe , the curate, and E liz abethH u ssh e .

Proved 30 Oct . , 1551 .

ABSTRACT OF WILL S OF SIR THOMAS WEST , K .G . ,

LORD LA WARR .

Sir Th os . W e st Lo r d l a W a r r m a de two wil l s one conce r ning h is

p e rsona l th e o th e r h is r e a l e sta te . Th e y a r e ve ry l ong bu t of gr e a tinte r e st a nd im p ortance and wou l d be v e r y va l u abl e to th e top o

graph e r . Th e r egiste r in P .C.C. is th e sam e for both wil l s .

12 More . 5th Se pr . , l and 2 , Philip and Mary . I , S ir ThomasWest

,Knight

, of the noble order of the Garter and Lord Lawa r r ebody to be buried in the parish ch u r ch ofBroadwater in a poor remem

182

brance that I have made there in the south side of the said church , withsuch funeral charges bothe at my bur ying and at my months mind andyears mind as in the discretion of my executors shal l be moste meet .I will that from my death t o my bu r ya l l shall be given to ce rt aynepersons that do come to the said parishs church ofBroadwater for t opraye t o Almighty God to have mercy upon me , and for their paynes tohave money, meate, and drynk e as sh a lbe thought mete by my executorsand overseers , and so in likewise from the time of my death , at myburial and from my burial , at my months mind and at the twelve month smind at discretion ofmy executors as they shal l think best and pleasingt o God, and as shall stand with the K ing and the Queen ’s majestyslaws— ou th e day of my bu r ya l l t o be distribu ted and given amongindigent persons as inhabit and dwell within Newton Valenceand Wherwell such sums of money and almes as shall bethought meet by me at my death , or as shall seem good t o executorsmore or less as the necessity as executors think requisite— a t my burialand months mind and years mind t o such poore people at their own

pa r ish e churches aforesaid so that in no wise they can be compelled t ofurther ha vell or labor for the receipt of the sameAnd yf it be so that at the tyms ofmy decease there be not in my

cofi e r s or elsewhere so moche redy money as may su ffice of and for thedisbu r sm ent s of the saide a lmes and also for the money given to thepriests , then my will is tha t such my plate either of golde and otherj ewels and goodes as I have not given or bequeathed sh a lbe sou ld to

make money for the payment of the said priests and almes of poorpeople as i s aforesaid , and also for the charges of my funeraland yf not su ffice to be l e vy ed on lands .In the parish in which my body shall be buried my wil l is that therebe provided and chosen immediately after my death an sufficient andhable pr e e st to save dailys masse and other dyvine service . And alsotwenty persons of the poorest and most indigent abiders and dwellersat Broadwater or elsewhere the saide priest and twenty personsI will to be daily present at the masse and other divine service used inthe Church of England by the space of a month next after my deceasein the church wh ere my body shall be buried

,and there t o pray to

Almighty God to be merciful t o m e and to forgive me my sinful lifeand Offences that I have committed and done, and th e priest t o havedaily viijcl . and every of the said persons to receive daily for their present being a t the masse and other service every day for a month iiijd . ,

and for the ringing of the great bel l at the same masse and service andat Other tymes according t o the common course and order vis . viiid . ,

and t o the clerk of the same church where the said masse and service issaid every day for a month iiijd. After my said twelvemonth s mindi s executed and done that then and from thenceforth there shal l begiven in alms vj s . viiid . yearly t o pari shes named including NewtonValence and Wherwell for so many years as the annuities granted bymy late well beloved wife to her friends by my consent ou t of themanor of Chawkey of her charitable mind shal l endure . And t o everythe curat or parish preste within any of the said parishes viij cl . , and tothe clerk vjol . , and t o every of the churchwardens in taking paynes inseeing the said money bestowed viiid. , to be paid on the anniversary ofm y death .

I will that blacks be given vnto my sy st e r West, late wiefunto S ir

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184

which things I give him for the defence of this shore provided that heshall not a ly ena t e any part of the ‘ same if he sell it sh all belawful for my executors to recover and t o bestow for the wealth of mysoul . Al l such furnishing as r e m ayne th and doth belong to the greatchambers at Ot‘fingh am shall wholl y r e m ayne to my next heir . I giveall manner of por tal l u s , se l l inge s , locks , keys, tables , forms , joynts tol l e y s that are not covered nor have any silk, gold, or silver uponthem , glass as wel l in the chambers and hall as in the kitchen and a l l

other houses of Office in both my houses in Offington, Southgate, Sulhurst , and in my house in London , shall wholly remain and be asstandards for the same houses as I have appointed about my harnessand artillery . To my said nephew , W il ly am West , son of my brotherGeorge West, certain bedding , hangings , and kitchen st ufi , and otherstuff, implements of household necessary to be used , and also certainornaments for the servi ce of God within the Chapell at Offington andEwhurst the contents of all which be in an inventory andschedule t o this will annexed . And yf I make no such schedul e thenI will that myne executors shall do therein by their good discretion

my well beloved brother - in - law Sir John Gui ldford , Knight ,my cousin Edward Page , Esqr e . , Thomas B ishopp , and John Ll oyde ,gentlemen

,my tru e and faithful executors my right worthy

and we l l beloved John Gower, my nephew James Gage , my nephewThomas Guildford , and Henry Shel ley, Esqr e . ,

to take the place Ofexecutors dying .

Witnesses , John W ar m it , Thomas Owen , Wil liam Mody , ThomasBrowne, Thomas Roffe , W il l yam Lane .

EXTRAOTS FROM THE WILL or SIR THOMAS WE ST LORDLAWARR (REAL

More 13 . 5 September, 1554 . I , the said Lord La War r , am now

seized in my demesne as of fee simple ofmy manor of Stratford Toney,Wilts

,H ony ton, Wi lts , Oke Hanger, co . Southampton , Blatchington ,

Sussex , Sompting and Cookham , Sussex , purcha sed of Sir RichardSheeley

,K t . , Knapp , Sussex , water mi ll in the parish of Knapp

,

Stockpa r t e , H ook l ands,Myddl ebr ook , H one ypor t , in parish es of Shipleyand West Greensted . My park of Knapp , with messuages, woods,underwoods , &c . , in parishes of Shipley, West Gr enst e d, Th ack enh am ,

Essl ington, Horsham ,Ife l d, to the manor of Knapp belonging a ll and

s ingular manor and lands , &c . , now of clear yearly value of £14317s . 10d .

, over and above reprisals . My manor of Blackington withadvowson of the Church , co . Sussex , of the yearly value of £48 .

Cobh am , Sussex , worth £48 7s . All these t o descend to my heirs forever, that i s to say to the Right noble Lady e Jane Duchess of Northu m be r l and, widow, late wief unto John late Duke of Northumberland ,and daughter unto E linore late wie f unto S ir Edward Guildford ,Knight , one of the sisters and heirs of me, the saide Lord La Warr,and to Thomas Dering . son and heir of E lizabeth

,la te wie f ofNicholas

Dering , Esqr e , and to Mary W a rne t , wief of John W a rne t , gentleman,and to Ann Gage , wie f of John Gage , Esqr e .

,which E lizabeth Mary

185

and Ann were daughters unto Dorothy Owen , sometime wief t o SirHenry Owen

,Kt lately deceased , sister unto the said Lord La Warr ,

and ar e Of my heirs according to the r ight course of inheritance of thec

phu ntry and of the realm without any declaration of any wil l t o

1 e r it

And wher eas at the parliament holden at Westminster after dy ve r seprorogations 111 the third year of ou r late Sovei eigne Lord Edward theS ixth reign it was enacted u ppon good and reasonable causes that themanors of the site and pr e cint of the late monastery ofWherwell , oth e rwrse called W a rwe l l , in the county of Southampton ,with a l l manner of houses

, &c .

, within the said site convent and pr e cintof the said late Monaster y of Wherwell with one watermilland thirty acres of land in several with the several water in Wherwell

should be adj udged to belong to me , the said Thomas Westnow Lord Lawar r , &c .

, and to the heirs male of my body andin de fa u l t e of such y ssu e remainder to S ir Owen West, Knight , nowdeceased and t o h is heirs male fo r default of such Issue therem ainder t o the executor s of the said Lord La War r and to the overl iver of them to and for the performance of the last will and testamentofme the said Lord La Warr . And whereas s ithence the making of

the said acte the said S ir Owen West , Knight, i s deceased withoutissue male of his body , I , th e saide Lord La Warr , according t o

the liberty to me given by the said acte touch ing the orderingof my said manors , lordships , lands , &c . , in the same acte con

t e yn ed and Of all lands reputed o r taken as members of themwhich shall grow dur ing the lief of the said William

West.

and wher eof I have author ity and power by the said act to declaremy will and t o appoint what person or persons shall take the same .I therefore will the same to be disposed of in manner andform following . That i s to say whereas upon many and notable actesa nd considerations well known the said Wi lliam West , son and heir ofS ir George West

,Knight , my late broth er, is by the said act of

Parliament disabled t o inherit any of the lordships , &c . , andany other possession of me , the said Lord La Warr , parte Of which h isungodly and unnatural presents and acts he rehearsed and truly declared and se t forth in t h e preamble of the said act , and other hisvic ious and e ve l demeanours were for divers considerations and forthat he is ofmy blude passed over in silence . I do now heartily desireGod to send him his grace t o amend and become his ser ,

vant and doclearly forgive him befor e God h is Offences t o me committed as I wouldbe forgiven And having trust that by the goodness and infinite mer cyand gr ace of the Almighty God who calleth all synne r s and offender swhen it pleaseth h im to repentance , he will amend , DO by this my lastwill and testament and of my ch a 1 ity lonely and nothing of h is deser tsg ive and bequeath to himy the said Wi lliam West during h is l ife

natur al towards the maintenance of hi s living and degr ee , all the r ou t e si ssues

, &c . , of all those manor s her e inafter expressed , being par cel Ofthe land mentioned 111 the said act the manor of Wherwellwith remainder to his heirs male .

Proveed 12 Nov ., 1554 .

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CHAPTER V .

PENTONMEWSEY.

Domesday Book , the record of the survey of the Coun trymade in AD . 1085 , mentions the Church at Pe nit one .

”

It does no t indeed tel l u s very much abou t it , bu t i t at leas tsuppl ie s the in teresting fact that before the Norman Conques ta church was standing on the presen t siteHere i s a church and three servants

,and five acres of meadow ,

and a wood without pannage .

The Manor was held by Tu r a ld of the chief tenan t or

tenan t in cap ite ,” Roger the Earl , a s he i s cal led . We

may therefore,with a lmo st ab so lute cer tain ty , as sume that

th e relat ive pos i tions of Church and Manor - hou s e have beenthe same during n ine cen turie s and more .

Why thi s particu lar Spo t In the Manor shou ld have beencho sen at the firs t for bui lding the church and hous e i s no tvery difficu lt t o conj ecture when the contour l ines of the mapare con su l ted . Pen ton Mewsey i s buil t along the bo ttom of

a l itt le tongue - shaped val ley runn ing nearly North and South ,the Slope s of which are much sharper when facing t o theWest than to th e Eas t . Thi s valley i s stopp e d at i ts southernend by the line of hill which proj ec ts in to the basin Of theAn ton , which i s best known from the fair held on it s cres t atWeyhill . At the foo t of thi s line of hi lls lie s the course ofthe l itt le s tream

,a tributary of the An ton , which though

now general ly dry at Pen ton makes i t self con spicuou s atThe Pe r il l s

” at Charl ton and jo ins the o ther branch of ther iver in the water meadow s at Enham Kn igh t s . A sma llpond never known to be dry , bu t to which c ling traditions Ofoccas iona l di sagreeab le behaviour marks the spring , and a s ageneral rul e keep s to itself the represen tat ive charac ter , as ifi t person ified the stream which doubtle ss attracted th e Saxonlandho lders t o it s banks .The bridges in th e Park make it easy t o t race the sinuou s

course of the bed of a stream considerab le enough when thebil l s were covered with fro st to supply a means of com m unica

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190

and very small . It i s not quite impo ssible that the plan of

the presen t church , or perhaps even the foundations maybe the same , but that is merely conj ecture .Indeed , so far as I have been ab le a t presen t t o a scer tain ,

we have 11 0 information whatever about the church , itss tructure

,and appearance un t il we come t o the alterations and

renovations of the present century .

It happened mo st fortunately that Pen ton Mewsey Churchattrac ted the atten tion in 1843 of Mr . Owen B . Carter , anarchitec t, wh o pub l ished a short account of it , illu stratedwith five engravings , in W e a l e s

’ Quarterly papers on Architecture

, Vol . II . From hi s descrip tion free quotation i s heremade .

Mr . Carter as signs the building ofPen ton Mewsey Churchto the m iddle of the 14 th cen t . or perhaps a li ttle later .The s truc ture

,he says

,is ofstone and fl in t rough ly headed ,

the fiintwork a very good example ofits kind .

”

The style of archi tecture i s that development of theGeometric or Decorated , known as flamboyan t” (fiam e like)or flowing . Mr . Car ter ob serves ,

“ The windows and doorways to the nave are good examples , the former d isplayingsome peculiar tracery , particularly those giving ligh t t o thechancel

,

” the s ingularly gracefu l beauty of which will hardlye scape notice .

The question natural ly arise s , what i s there t o accoun t forthe marked d ifference in the building of Penton Church ,from the churche s of the neighbouring di strict the majorityof them are of rough design and plain detai l , whi le themou ldings and tracery a t

_Penton seem t o Show the work of a

hand that has not l eft i ts mark els ewhere in this part ofHampshire .

At presen t we mu st be content to l e t thi s quest ion remainunanswered . But this much we are ab le t o say . The ManorofPen ton Mewsey and the advowson of the church belongedin A.D . 1 38 1 t o Edmond de Stonor e (Inqu is po s t mortem5 Ric . II . ) — wh o died in that year— and t o his son and heirJohn Stonor e in 1 389 (Inqu is po st mortem 1 3 Ric . thechurch was then valued at £6 1 3s . 4d. (Woodward and Wilks ,Hist . Han ts , vol . iii . , p . and probab ly in the historythe fam i ly of Stonor e we shal l find whatever elucidation i s tobe d iscovered .

Looking round the outside of the church , which we shal lprobab ly approach from the east , the first thing that wi ll

191

attract notice is the gab le wall of the chancel with it s chequerwork of fl in t and s tone . Thi s wal l has been almo st rebui ltin the restorat ion under Cap tain Sutton carried ou t byMessrs . Bodley and Garner , the architec ts , in 1888 , but asthe stones were numbered and replaced in their originalpositions , the restoration” i s properly so cal led . The verybeautiful east window i s en tirely new , bu t i s nevertheles s areproduct ion of the original work as shown by fragmen ts thatwere found .

Unti l thi s last res toration the window now in the north

side of the chancel occupied the place of the east window ,

being placed very l ow,the sill only seven feet from the floor .

The north window has now happ ily been replaced in it s own

pre per place . The bases of the gab le cros se s are in theRectory garden .

The priests” door on the south s ide Of the chancel is veryremarkab le . It wa s for many year s concealed by a roughbuilding originally in tended for a coal cellar , bu t sub sequen tlyused a s a vestry . The pecu liar st ilted arch , compo sed of

irregu lar length s of straigh t s tones , will be no t iced . Twobeautifu l delicate shaft s form the j amb s of the Opening .

Mr . Carter , however , thinks that the door is not original,

but “ formed from stone fragmen ts of the north window of

the nave .

” There are no corresponding mou ldings in thesouth window , but then , on the o ther hand , c lose inspectionwil l make it doubtfu l as t o whe ther the presen t base s of thel ittle column were not originally m ean t for cap ital s , and a r enow reversed .

The smallne ss of the fl int square s in the wal l shou ld beno ticed .

The yew tree , s tanding a t the sou th - west side of thechurchyard , i s s til l of fine grow th it measure s 9ft . 9in . atthe base , bu t it was very much broken in the heavy snows torm of 1 88 1 .

The pretty porch , the gift of Cap tain Sutton , replace s avery di lap idated and hideou s structure . The hinges on thede e r are especially wor thy of notice . Mr . Carter c ite s thema s a u sefu l example ; they have been carefully repaired

,

bu t are a s t h e y were turned ou t of the 14th cen tury workshop .

The mos t interesting feature of the church i s the bellturret , which i s almo st , if not quite , un ique . It i s figureda s a particu larly interes ting example in the ArchaeologicalJournal , Vo l . III .

,p . 2 10 , and i s the subj ec t of a fu l l - sized

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pla t e in Mr . Carter ’s paper . In 1843 , Mr . Carter tells u s th ebelfry was covered with a boarded and t i led erection whichentirely concealed i ts bes t features . Upon c lose examinat ionI found i t so worthy of res torat ion as t o men t ion the subjec tt o the Rev . C . Dodson (the presen t incumben t) , by whom i twas in troduced to the H on . Pie r r epoint , and the resu l thas been i ts perfec t re storation by direc tion of the lattergen tleman .

”

The bell s are modern and one of them not without asu spicion of a crack

,by which i ts vo ice i s rendered les s

tunefu l than it m igh t be . W hi le speaking of th e bell s , i twi ll be well to men t ion here that a small bell was discoveredin 1845 . An accoun t Of i t wi th drawings was read at themeeting of the Archaeo logical Association in 1 846 by theRev . A . B . Hu tchins (Proceedings of the Archae ologicalAssociation , Vo l . II . p . wh o indulge s in a m o st fancifulinterpretat ion of the arabesque s upon i t , which , as it has nota Shadow of probability , need not be quoted here . H is

descrip tion of the bell is this The original h e l l , of whichthe enclosed drawing is a faithfu l repre sentation , was foundlast July by a mason while repairing the back par t of thewall of the o l d Rectory s tab le , at Penton Mewsey , Hants .The same lay concealed within a yard of the floor . Doubtle ssthe fOrm e r li ttle sanctu s bel l had been removed in the reignof Edward the S ixth

,it was therefore necessary when the

Pap ist worship was res tored , t o provide a new bell , whichsat isfactorily accoun ts for the date on it . It was then u sedfor the short period of Mary ’s reign , after which it was r emoved , which account s for the perfect state in which thebell was found . The attention of the archaeo logis t i s to beparticu larly directed to the mode in which the clapper i ssu spended . Ins tead of a ring being cas t in

'

the head on

which the c lapper i s su spended you find that the bel l i s castwithou t any consideration of the c lapper . That when so casta hole i s dril led on ei ther s ide of the head and a wire i s fixedon one side

,the c lapper being on it , and the wire left so

that i t may draw in tigh ter, or be left at fu ll fpl ay , that the

s ound of the bell may be louder or lower as may be requiredin serv ice . The inscription is

S IT NOMEN D OM INI BENED ICTVM .

A° X 1 1555

(Blessed be the name of the Lord)

Mr . Hutchins was probab ly mi sled a s to th e u se Of th e

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193

bel l , which was mo st likely for domes tic purpo se s ei ther a s a

clock or hand bell . Happi ly very care fu l drawings we re madeof i t by Mis s Octavia Dodson . I do not know where the belli s now.

On en tering the Church one ’s first impression wi l l be tha t ofthe completene ss and harmony of its proport ions and outl ine .The original p lan has been departed from by the add ition of

the transep t 0 11 the north Side . Original ly the wall s were plainand unbroken by windows to within a few feet of the chancelarch , bu t a window was in serted during the las t restorationat

. the N.W . end to give much needed ligh t . Mr . Cartersays The ancien t north window had been destroyed anda commun ication formed with a mons trou s erec tion in theshape of a gallery pue ’ furnished with carpets

,chairs ,

curtain s , and open fireplace with al l it s no isy appurtenance s .This abom ination has lately been removed and in its placea sort of transep t ha s been formed and furn ished with seat sa s above men tioned .

”

The window 0 11 the south side of the nave i s not onlybeautiful in it self bu t very in teresting from the pi scina witha credence shelf con structed in the splay . Thi s p i scina of

course indicates tha t there was a s ide altar,about which we

m ay hope in the fu ture t o gather some information , bu tno thing as ye t i s known .

Special notice shou ld be taken of the beau tifu l effec tproduced by the hood mou lding .

The only fragments of ancien t stained glass that remainare gathered into thi s window . They consi st of the u sualoutl ine ornament Of natura l fo liage within a border , workedou t with a scratcher ,

” and coloured by the silver stain a s

described by Mr .Winston to be characteristic of the Decoratedperiod . Mr . Sturgess , of thi s parish , remembers this glassbeing taken from the west window .

The North door has been long b locked up .

In th e reces s formed by it there hangs at presen t a boardrecording the following

BENEFACTIONS .

Anno Dom 1651 Mr . John Read ofLondon left ninePounds per annum to be paid to the Ch u r cl rwa rdensofPenton to be distributed a s followeth namelySix pounds per annum for teachingthe poor children of th e parish of Pentonand ofPenton Grafton in th e pari sh ofWeyhillto read write and cyph e r

O

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Also 13s . 4d . yearly to the Minister ofThe Parish of Penton to preach a scrm on there on the 5th Day ofNovemberand 6 3 . 8d . to the Clerk for making cleanof the said Churchalso one Pound per annum to th epoor of th e parish of Pentonand one pound to the poor ef t h eparish ofWeyhill .

The dimensions of the church within the wall s are nave40ft . by 20ft , chancel 25ft . by 16ft . The to tal length i s 6 7ft . ,the heigh t to the wal l plate i s 1 5ft . 8 in .

The roof i s of the form known a s barre l or waggon shaped .

It was unfortunately partial ly burn t in December 1 889 ,but has been restored t o i ts origina l design . Some newt imber s had to be inserted , bu t a large proportion , inc ludingthe t ie beams , are the Old wood , a bat t l e rnent e d beading hashowever been introduced during the repairs .The beautiful delicacy of the spring of the chancel arch

from i ts j amb s , and the exquisite flowing lines of the chancelwindow s and their mou ldings shou ld be especial ly noticed .

All the stone of the window s , chancel arch , and doorwayis a very fine grained oolite ofthe character ofBath stone .

“ The Fon t ,” says Mr . Carter , i s al so worthy of attention ,

presenting cons iderab le elegance and originality of con tour . ”

The tracery on i t s panel s preserve s no doubt the outline of

the origina l carving , and so gives u s the inten tion of the 14 thcen tury artis t . It i s , however , really

“ made up” in plastero r cement . The chippings and inj uries it h as su stained arethu s concealed , but i t give s an uncomfortab le fictitiou sappearance .The church had undergone a re storat ion , which probab ly

destroyed a great dea l that was valuab le and in teresting . Mr .Carter descr ibes it in 1844 thu s The church has l atelybeen repaired with deal , and adds another to the manyunhappy attempts Of a s imi lar description so common at thepresent day .

”

Bu t by the liberali ty of Cap tain Francis Sutton a completeand thorough res toration , which at the same t ime renderedthe ancien t church perfectly fit and conven ient for it s sacredpurpose was carried ou t in 1888 . The floor was raised to it sproper level by a bed of concrete . The wretched di lap idate dtransep t almos t e n tirely rebuil t . The seats and stall s of

pitch p ine and the pulpit (a very fine example of carving)in troduced , and a l l the fi t tings made as com pl e t e a s po ss ib le .

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196

the lVe st End

Under this stonelieth the Body ofAb“ Leggatt

Citizen ofLondon D isti llerwh o died Oct 7 , 1 718aged 34 years

Marb le Tab let 0 11 W'

es t Wal l of Tran sep t

Louisa ThompsonDaughter of

George Ne sbrt t Thompson E sq“and Cather ine Maria hi s wife

was bor n 18 th Jan and died 2 LOct . 1809Beauteous , and gay, and innocent , and good,

Just on the brink of youth Loui sa stoodThe happiest h e pe s her early years supplied ,But ere fifteen matu red her bloom sh e died .

the Wes t End

he lieth the Body of

shua Strother M .A .

vicar of Br inch l e yin the County of Kentdied March ye 7t h 1 743aged 71 yearsance s hi s wife who

(1 August ye 19th 1 754aged 79 years

the W'

est End

Herel y e th the body ofRichard Appa ry wh odied April 20 , 1731aged 60 years

a faithful friend a father deara loving

(hidden by fon t)

On the same stone

Herel y e th the BodyofElizabeth thewife of RichardAppa ry who di ed

(hidden by fon t)

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On a stone at the West End

In mem ory ofMr . Charles Br ightwh o died Aug . ye 5

age d 69 yearsalso of

Mr . Thomas Brightwh o die d Octoberaged

Hannah Michenerwh o died July ye 9aged 52 yea r s .

THE CHURCH PLATE .

The Church Plate i s of very so lid and sub s tan t ial characte r ,and is pronounced by Lambert to be very good of its dat e .Although a special gift it can hardly have been made withreference t o this part icular parish for , even al lowing fo r th erequiremen ts Of the Test Act , the chalice i s far larger thancou ld ever have been needed , and fo r the more frequen t celebrat ions of the presen t day i t is uncomfo r tab ly capaciou s .The chalice and paten are both Of si lver , of the New Starr

dard ( l l oz . 10dwt s) .The paten measure s 5ginche s in diameter , and stands

2 inche s high . It is m arked with the m aker’

s initials , H .O. ,

a m ark not given by Mr . Chaffers , Britann ia and the l ion’

shead erased , (the standard marks) , and the date letter , whichappears to be the Court - hand Q , and wou ld therefore ind icatethe year 1 7 1 1 - 12 ; weigh t 6oz .

The chalice i s 1 41, inche s high , the d iamet er of the top i s

17

5 inches , whi le the foo t i s exac tly 4 inche s in d iame ter .The marks are C B wi th a bird above and 6 below , a

mark given in Mr . Ch afi'

e r s’ book under th e date 1 7 12 ,

Britannia and the lion ’ s head erased (the standard m a rks) ,and the date le tter , the Court - hand S , for the year 1 7 13 - 14 ;

weigh t l 8o z .

The fol lowing in scrip t ion i s engraved in scrip t on th e

bow lThe gift ofMr . Edward Grace 1714 .

Vestry .

The date letter on the chal ice corresponds with thi s record ,bu t i t wou ld seem as if the pa ten was not made a t the sam e

t ime o r by the same maker .

198

There i s al so an alms - dish 8 —

21 inche s in d iame ter , engraved

wi th the sacred monogram in the cen tre , surrounded by thisin scrip tion

Presented t o the Par i sh of Penton Mewsey by Caroline , widow of

the late Thomas Willi s , December 25 ,

The date letter It shows that the plate was made in 1828weigh t l 3oz .

Although ,therefore , the Church plate at Pen ton Mewsey

i s fine and in teresting , it i s not so O ld as that Of severalne ighbouring churches .There is a large electro - plated flagon .

Some of the Grace fam i ly , by whom the chalice was present ed , res ided at Foxce t t e , and one d ied at Highclere in1 722 their names o ccur in the regi ster from 1 710 t o 1 742 ,but there i s no men tion ofMr . Edward Grace .

THE REGISTERS .

The earliest regis ter i s a smal l book Of parchmen t of

very irregular sized leaves,bu t averaging abou t 9in. by

7in. It has been torn o u t of it s covers . On the firs t page i swritten

of Richard NoyesRegister of Penton Mewsey

The ink has in many place s nearly faded ou t , and here andthere some one has attemp ted t o rev ive th e writing with bu tvery indifferen t succe ss .There are eleven fo lio s . The book i s no t in good condi

t ion , and in places i t i s i l legibl e . It extends from 1 642 , 18

Charles I . t o 1 677 , 29 Charle s II . The las t page being occup ied with a l ist ofBriefs .As i s u sual the Bap t isms

,Marriages , and Burial s are

in term ixed in the register .Some names fam iliar up to the presen t in the parish are

found .

In the year 1 662 i s an entry of the bur ial of Richar dRu ssell , Of Exe ter Co llege , Oxford , son of Richard Ru ssell ,Rec tor of Penton , and In the same year an en try r ecords thatThoma s Co l e peppe r , Lord of the Manor , was buried in theChancel .Several en tries of Burial in Woo len occur , as for

in s tance

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200

peace to have the keep ing of the said book . By this act

marriages were not to be performed by th e m in ister but bythe Justices of th e Peace . After 1 656 it became a commonprac tice for marriages to be celebrated by the m in ister andthe Mayo r of the town jo intly .

There are no en trie s ofmarriages by a magist rat e in Pentonregister , bu t there i s one which shews a decided ant ipathy toth e c ivil” taking the place of the religiou s .

1 657 Sept 28 John Tabor R e ct r of fi accom b andBridget Russell daughter t o Richard RussellRector of thi s pla ce were married by a l awfu l m iniste r

y e banns be ing th r ice p u bl ish e d

The words in it alic s are in a d ifferen t hand and wri ttenwith b lacker ink .

1697 Januy 21 a poor disbanded soldier Bu r y e d according a lateact of parlam‘ fo r burying in woolen

BRIEFS .

The last page of the fi rs t volume of the Register isoccupied by a list of briefs .

These were let t ers paten t issued by the Sovereign direc t ingthe co l lection of alms fo r spec ial obj ect s named in them .

They were granted for building and repairing churche s , andfor many benevo len t purpose s such as compensation for lo s se sby fire .

An act of Parliamen t wa s passed to regula te them in1705 . It wil l be remembered that the Rubric in the PrayerBook directs that after the Nicene Creed ( if occa sion be)Briefs citation s and excommun ications are to be read . Th efo l lowing are tho se recorded a t Penton

Collected towards the relief of those that suffered by fire at MeltonAbbey in dorset 2“ 3 " at Penton Mews ey Feb 3 . 1660 .

Co llected towards the relief of those that suffered by fire at Il m ist e rin Somerset the sum of 4“ at Penton Mewsey March y ° 17 t h 1660 .

Collected towards the relief of th e town ofSou th wou l d als Sou thbayin the county of Suffolk the sum of three shi llings and fower pence atPenton Mewsey June the 20 t h 1661 .

Collected at Penton Mewsey June the 23 rd 1661 towards those thatsnfi e r e d by fire in Fleet Street in ye psh ofSt Dunstan in London th esum of three shillings h a lfpeny farthing .

Collected towards those wh o suffered by fire at H u for d .

Collected towards a fire at Hunge rford one penny .

201

TH E CHURCHWARDENS ’ Boon

Begins Sept . 6,1 838 , at one end ; Eas ter , 1805 , at th e

o ther .

March 27 Paid Wiltshire for 21 moulsAp r il 3 Do . Walter for 6 sparrows

4 Do Wi lkins for 68 m ouls10 Do . Ch il ve 1 s fo 1 2 mouls17 Do . Cr adwe e t for stoughDo . Chivers for 2 mouls

18 Do . Wi l tsh ire fo r 58 moulsMay 2 Do . Wi ltshire for 36 mouls

Do . Chivers for 6 sparrows9 Do . Grigory for hedgehog9 Bread and wine for Sacrament15 Paid Wi ltshire fo r 21 mouls" 6 Do . Dudman for 2 doz . sparrowsDo . Clar k fo r 2 do . do

" 8 Do . Butt for 1 do . and ha lfDo . Cinne t t s for 5 do .

May 28 Do . for 2 doz . of o ld sparrow sDo . fo r 1 doz . of young

30 Do . for 7 moulsDo . Obey ers fo r 4 doz . sparrowsDo . Brown for 3 old sparrows

l une 1 Pa id Vi sitation fees and othe1 expensesAndoy e r

Fo1 spr ows and wantsPa id for wants and stotsPd for adder

July 1 1 George Brown viperCharles W ay t e l adder

Oct . 6 H enry H ou ps 1 we a z l e

Deer 30 Alert r Walter s 1 pole ca tCollected by r ate 1 / in the Pound

Ma rch 23 Do . by r ate at 3d . in the Pound ( in part)Collected by Rate at 1 / in the Pound

March 25 Subscr iption fo r repa iring the Church1 11 band

B0 1” '

1 0wed ofM issG1 ace ThompsonBy tw0 old window s

March 25 D isbursementsDue t o Parish

Jan . 18 Gibbs repairing the TurretHerbert Do . windowsRev. M1 . Dodson fo r Flagon (Par ish )H o u ps Taking down and r -

ep l a t ingChu1 ch Bell tt o be 1 epa 11 ed )Spackman Vase for t h e font

202

Henr y Sturgess for building Fuel Houseand r epairs 4 9 6

Paid Richar d Reaves for keeping order atChur chMinute ofmeeting10 1 fa cultyto pull downthe o l d chur chStatement of Facts a s to Powney BequestThos H ou ps cleaning watercourse roundth e chur chNew pewing the churchResolved that an appli cation be made tothe Chancellor of the diocese for hispermission to sell the cracked Bell andthe proceeds of th e sal e to be usedtowards the restoration of th e originalBell Tu rret which contains two su ffi

cient Bells .

Rncr ons or PENTON MEW SEY.

It is a cherished hope that a list of the Rectors , a t anyrate

,from 1282 , may even tual ly be comp iled . There i s

so much to be gleaned , not merely of the names , but thehi story from the B ishop s ’ Register s that no thing les s thanan exhau s tive search of them wi l l be satisfactory .

As an example of what m ay be found we may men tionthat in the register of B ishop Woodlock , 1 305 , 33 EdwardI . to 1 3 1 6 , 9 Edward II . ther e i s a r ecor d of

“ Leave of

Absence being gr an ted to the Rector of Pen ton , and a wr iti ssuing against Richar d the pa1 son of Penton Mewsey at th esuit of the Abbot ofGrestain .

In the time of B ishop S tratford , 1 323 t o 1333 , we havethe Institu tion to the Church of Penton Mewsey on thepresen tation of Henry de H am bu l l , or again we shall probably get the name of th e Rector when the presen t churchwas built , and no t impo ssib ly something about the builderfrom the Register ofB ishop Edington , 1 346 , 20 Edward III .

t o 1 366,40 Edward III . , for the Rector was instituted then

on the presentation of John de Wyn ton and after by “ theLord King by reason that the lands of John de Win tondeceased were in hi s hands . Or once more in the B i shopricof Wykeham 13 67 to 1404 an institution to the Rectory 0 11

accoun t of an exchange with the parson of Everley in thed iocese of Sa lisbury on the presentation of Edmund deStonor e and a Comm ission fo r the aforesaid exchange andadmis sion to the Chur ch at Penton 0 11 the pr esen tation of

the Lor d King by r eason that he held the custody of the

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