HEADLEY
Hallege (xi cent.), Hertelegh (xiii cent.), Hedle
and Hetlegh (xiv cent.), Hedley (xv cent.), Hethelie
(xvi cent.), Hedleigh (xvii cent.), Heathley (xviii
cent.).
Headley is a large parish near the borders of Surrey
and Sussex containing 6,871 acres of land and
52 acres of land covered with water, of which
1,511½ acres are arable, 1,117½ permanent grass, and
852 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The village lies about
4½ miles north of Liphook Station on the London and
South-Western Railway, and is reached from it by
narrow winding lanes. It extends north-west of
Bramshott to the Surrey border, its high ground
commanding a wide and picturesque view of the romantic scenery of the three counties, having Hindhead and its neighbours the Devil's Punch Bowl and
the Devil's Jumps prominently outlined to the
east. The village lies round a heath, for, as the
name implies, Headley was in origin a settlement
in a clearing. To the south-east of the village
is Hilland, the residence of Mr. W. J. Phillips, J.P.
The schools, with a recreation-ground adjoining,
are on the heath itself. To the west of the heath
is the rectory and the church of All Saints with
its massive ivy-covered tower, and near by is the
Holly Bush Inn, mentioned by Cobbett in his
Rural Rides. The old pound still exists, and a
chestnut tree marks the spot where the stocks
once stood, though they themselves have disappeared. The road on the east of the heath makes
a sharp descent past Arford House and Curtis's
Hill, thence it turns by the Wheatsheaf Inn to
the east, and climbs up steadily to Grayshott.
The country through which it passes is most
beautiful—dense pine-woods alternating with the
wild stretches of heather which cover Headley
Common, but there are signs that it will soon
become as popular for a residential neighbourhood as Hindhead or Haslemere. Many roads
are already marked out and many villas already
built. Grayshott is a district which is fast becoming populous, owing to the growing appreciation in which the charming scenery of Wagner's
Wells is held.
Thirty years ago there was only one primitive
grocer's shop in the hamlet, then it became a receiving place for letters, and now the village has a whole
street of shops and a fully equipped post and telegraph
office. The late Lord Tennyson lived here for a
short time, but finding the spot not sufficiently
secluded removed to the house which he had built
on the top of Blackdown. Grayshott Hall, near the
village, is the residence of Mr. A. Ingham Whitaker.
Other hamlets in the parish are Lindford with its
inn, the 'Royal Exchange,' Hearn, Deadwater, Hollywater, Stanford, the property of Major-General W.
Brownlow, C.B., of Eveley House, Wishanger, with
its fish-pond in the north of the parish near Frensham
Great Pond, Sleaford, and Barford. As most of these
names imply, Headley is very well watered, this district being rich in shotts or natural springs, concerning
which the late Mr. Shore wrote as follows:—'This is
a county of springs, the most interesting of which are
in the beautiful glen-scenery of Wagner's Wells at an
elevation of from 400 to 500 ft. above the sea. The
Wagner's Wells stream flows from Grayshott to Ludshott through a series of beautiful ponds at different
elevations until it joins the Wey near Bramshott flourmill. This southern Wey then flows past Bramshott paper-mill to Lindford, where it receives the
streams from Woolmer Forest. One of these
streams flows, except in dry seasons, from Woolmer Pond, and the other with which it unites
has several branches, one of which flows from a pond
on Weaver's Down, another from Forest Mere Pond
and through Roody Pond, another from Wheatsheaf
Pond and Bohunt Pond, and another from Fowley
Pond. These streams unite and form the Holly
water at an elevation of about 245 ft. above the
sea. . . Headley is one of the least known of our
Hampshire villages, but is one of the most interesting. It has a character of its own, plenty of sand
on a clay or loamy outcrop, and in one part of it,
the part called Arford, plenty of water and springs at
an elevation of about 255 ft.' (fn. 2)
Headley Mill
In a perambulation of the parish taken in the reign
of Edward VI five mills are mentioned: one built on
Frensham Pond and held by Richard Drake for a rent
of 13s. 4d., another lying between the highway called
'Grevat Lane' on the west and a river bank and a
meadow called 'Kyttsmede' on the east, a fullingmill and a water-course held by Thomas Fygg, a mill
held by Richard Gyll, and a messuage and fulling-mill
abutting on Lacyes Marsh. (fn. 3) At the present day there
are the following six water-mills in the parish: Park
Mill in Headley Park, formerly a corn-mill, used for
electric light and pumping; Headley Mill to the west
of the village, on the River Wey, used for corn; Lower
Stanford Mill, formerly a corn-mill, but now disused;
Upper Stanford Mill, used for electric light, formerly
for paper-making; Barford Upper Mill, used for corn,
and Barford Lower Mill, now disused, formerly used
for flock, and previous to that for paper.
Broxhead Common, Headley Common, and Wishanger Common lie within the parish. The first of
these originally formed part of Woolmer Forest, and
is situated in the north-west of the parish. Wishanger
and Headley Commons lie respectively in the northeast and south-east corners. It was an important day
for Headley when Parliament sanctioned the inclosure
of the forest land. (fn. 4) Some idea of the extent of the waste
prior to that time may be gained from the fact that
although large portions in this and adjoining parishes
were disafforested and brought under cultivation by
the Act no less than 8,000 acres are still held by
the crown as a royal forest. There seems to be no
doubt that Headley Park, the seat of Mr. C. W.
McAndrew, was once part of the forest, and the same
may be said of Eveley, the seat of Major-General
W. V. Brownlow, C.B. The surveyor of the reign
of Edward VI made the following return concerning
the woods and wastes of 'Hethle': 'Wood of Hethle
and waste being in the wood contain 240 acres, lying
in length on the east of Graueshote, in length between
Kyngswodd Bottom on the south and Graueshot and
Shirley Dene on the north, and on the west abutting
on Brokesbottom, and on the east abutting on
Les Merke Okes, of which the wood contains 140
acres and the waste 100 acres. There is another
waste containing 100 acres, lying on the east of
Hetheleshyll and north-west even to Graueshott.
There is also another waste called Eveley Marshe and
Pryor's lose. There is another waste called Lacyes
marshe lying on the west of Stanford. Another waste
lies at the west of Erthpytlane.' (fn. 5)
A permanent military camp has been made at
Bordon in the west of the parish. The soil and subsoil are sandy, the chief crops being barley and wheat.
The manufacture of paper was once carried on in this
parish, (fn. 6) Stanford Upper Mill and Barford Lower
Mill being as before stated used for this purpose. In
the time of the paper-tax, when paper had to be
stored at a distance from the mill, the paper from
Bramshott was stored and perhaps taxed in a building
in Headley parish.
Amongst place-names may be mentioned 'Hearon
(now Hearn), Bareland, (fn. 7) Wassellane, Wassheford (now
Washford), Lynsted, Golland's Cross, Fulmore Oke,
Bevelleshedge, and Oldsmith Corner' (fn. 8) (sixteenth century).
MANORS
In the time of the Confessor Earl
Godwine held land at HEADLEY
assessed at 3 hides. At the time of the
Domesday Survey the same land, assessed at 5 hides,
was held by Count Eustace of Boulogne. (fn. 9) It was
reckoned a part of Bishop's Sutton, and consequently
followed the descent of that manor (q.v.).
BROXHEAD
BROXHEAD (Brocheseve, xi cent.; Brockesheved,
xii cent.; Brokkeshefd and Broxhed, xiv cent.;
Brocas Head, xvii cent.) was held of Edward the
Confessor by Spirites as an alod. At the time of the
Domesday Survey it was placed under Neatham hundred, and was held of the Conqueror by Nigel the
Physician. (fn. 10) In the latter part of the thirteenth century the manor was held of Baldwin de Calne by
Hugh de Vaches and Margery his wife and Roger
Launcelevy and Joan his wife by the annual payment
of 40s. (fn. 11) In 1281 Roger and Joan granted lands in
Broxhead to William son of Sampson to hold of them
and the heirs of Joan at fee-farm by the annual payment of a mark of silver. (fn. 12) In 1295 Herbert de
Calne died seised of 40s. rent in the vill of Broxhead
which he held of Sir Hugh Despenser. (fn. 13) His heir
was his son Herbert who it seems died young and was
succeeded by his aunt Euphemia, sister of his father
Herbert de Calne. Euphemia left a daughter and
sole heir Margery who married John de Roches. (fn. 14)
The latter was succeeded by
his son and heir Sir John de
Roches, who in 1333 settled
the manor by fine on himself
and Joan his wife and their
heirs. (fn. 15) Five years later the
manor was settled on John and
Joan in tail-male with contingent remainder in fee-tail successively to their daughters
Alice, the wife of Henry
Romyn, and Mary, the wife
of John de Borhunte. (fn. 16) Henry
and Alice died without issue
while Joan de Roches was holding the manor, and
thus on her death in 1361 (fn. 17) it passed to Mary the
widow of John de Borhunte, who shortly after her
mother's death became the wife of Sir Bernard
Brocas. (fn. 18) Sir Bernard died in
1395, after Mary's death, having married Katharine relict
of Sir Hugh Tyrrell, at whose
death in 1398 the property is
described as a tenement called
'Brokkesheved' in the parish
of Headley. Sir Bernard Brocas, aged forty-three or more,
was found to be the son and
heir of her late husband Sir
Bernard. (fn. 19) The younger Sir
Bernard was executed for treason on the accession of Henry IV, but by means of
settlements in trust (fn. 20) the greater part of his property,
including Broxhead, escaped forfeiture and remained in
the possession of the Brocas family till 1506, (fn. 21) when,
on the death of William Brocas, his property was
divided between his daughters Anne and Edith. (fn. 22)
Anne married George Warham in 1514, but died
without issue, leaving her sister Edith, wife of Ralph
Pexall, her sole heir. Edith's son and heir Sir Richard
Pexall died in 1571, leaving four daughters and heirs,
Ellen, Margery, Anne, and Barbara. Ellen married
John Jobson; Margery married firstly Oliver Beckett
and secondly Francis Cotton; Anne married Bernard
Brocas, who was descended from the Sir Bernard
Brocas who was executed in the reign of Henry IV,
and Barbara married Anthony Brydges. One-third
of the manor of Broxhead was divided equally among
the four sisters. The remaining two-thirds remained
in the possession of Sir Richard's widow, Dame Elinor,
to hold for the term of her life if she remained single,
with remainder to Pexall Brocas the son and heir of
Anne and Bernard Brocas. (fn. 23) Shortly after their
father's death, Ellen Jobson and Barbara Brydges
parted with their twelfths of the manor, the former
to Dame Elinor and her second husband Sir John
Savage, and the latter to Anne and Bernard Brocas. (fn. 24)
Margery Cotton died in 1581, seised of one-twelfth
of the manor, her heir being her son John Beckett,
under age, (fn. 25) and her husband Francis died thirty years
afterwards, also seised of a portion of the manor. (fn. 26)
Anne Brocas, who only survived her husband Bernard
two years, died seised of a portion of the manor in
1591, her heir being her son, Sir Pexall Brocas. (fn. 27)
Sir Pexall died in 1630 possessed of ten-twelfths
of the manor. His heir was his son Thomas, aged
thirty-nine and more, (fn. 28) who in 1633 succeeded in
securing the remaining twelfths of the manor. (fn. 29) Six
years later he and his son Robert sold the manor of
Broxhead and a free fishery and a free warren to
Edward Knight, (fn. 30) of whom the site of the manor was
purchased in 1641 by Stephen Lee. (fn. 31) Mr. Montagu
Burrows, in The Family of Brocas of Beaurepaire, p. 341,
states that after the Restoration
the younger sons of the lastmentioned Thomas Brocas were
possessed of an estate for life in
the manor, but gives no authority for this statement, and it is
difficult to ascertain the true
history of Broxhead at this
period. It is probable that the
site of the manor remained in
possession of the Lee family for
over a hundred and fifty years,
as Charles Lee and Mary his
wife dealt with it by recovery in
1808. (fn. 32) In 1827 the manor of
Broxhead, or Brocashead, Slayford Farm (fn. 33) (modern
Sleaford Farm), and Groom's Farm, in the parishes of
Headley and Kingsley, were the property of the Hon.
Henry Legge, (fn. 34) who owned large estates in the neighbourhood. From him it passed into the Sherborne
family, Lord Sherborne having married Mary Legge,
the only daughter of Henry Lord Stawell, who was the
son of Henry Bilson Legge. Lord Sherborne left the
manor to his third son, Ralph Dutton, from whom it
passed to his grandson Henry Dutton of Hinton
House, Hinton Ampner. There is no longer a manor
of Broxhead, the lordship having been divided a few
years ago. The part on the east side of the road from
Lindford to Sleaford was sold by Henry Dutton to
the late judge, Sir R. S. Wright, and on his death in
1904 passed by purchase to Mr. C. W. McAndrew,
of Headley Park. The remainder on the west side of
the road was sold to Mr. Ulick Burke, lord of the
manor of Woodcote, who sold it to Sir David Barbour,
who in his turn sold it to the military authorities as
an appendage to Bordon Camp. (fn. 35)
Roches. Sable two leopards argent.
Brocas. Sable a leopard rampant or.
Dutton, Lord Sherborne. Quarterly argent and gules, the gules fretty or, a crescent for difference.
WISHANGER
WISHANGER (Wissangra, Wishangla, Wishang,
and Wishangra, xii cent.; Wisehanger and Westhangre, xiii cent; Wilhangre
and Wychangre, xiv cent.;
Wicchanger, xv cent.) was
held in 1167 by Gerard. (fn. 36)
The overlord seems to have
been the bishop of Winchester,
for Richard of Ilchester, bishop
of Winchester, granted to the
abbey of St. Mary of Waverley 1 hide of his land of
Wishanger, which lay towards
the forest, and the land of
the monks themselves, which
was called Dochenfield. (fn. 37) This
grant was subsequently confirmed by Richard, John, Stephen, Edward II, and
Edward III. (fn. 38)
Holt. Argent a bend engrailed sable with three fleurs-de-lis argent thereon.
In 1290 William de la Charité surrendered his
right in a messuage and 2 carucates of land in Wishanger to Richard atte Rudde of Petersfield, and
Margaret his wife. (fn. 39) A year
later Richard and Margaret
granted a messuage, 160 acres
of land, 22 acres of meadow,
8 acres of wood, 180 acres of
pasture, and rents in Wishanger
to John of Pontoise, bishop of
Winchester, to hold to him
and his heirs. (fn. 40)
Pounde of Drayton. Argent a fesse gules between two dragons' heads sable cut off at the neck in the chief and a cross formy fitchy sable in the foot with three molets argent on the fesse.
In 1346 John de Thudden
was holding in Wishanger the
fourth part of a fee which had
belonged to John de Worstede. (fn. 41) It is probable that
this John de Thudden left
three daughters and heirs, one
of whom married Richard Seman, another John Trop, and
the third Richard Esteney. (fn. 42) In 1389 Richard Seman
acquired one-third of the manor from John Trop and
Joan his wife, (fn. 43) and in 1391 another third from
Richard Esteney and Isabel his wife, (fn. 44) and probably
by the latter date had the whole of the manor in his
possession. From him it passed to Richard Holt,
who was holding it in 1428. (fn. 45)
Richard Holt's heir was his
son Richard, who died seised
of the manor held of William
bishop of Winchester in 1458,
leaving two daughters, Christine aged fourteen, and Elizabeth aged ten. (fn. 46) Wishanger
was assigned to Elizabeth, who
married Sir John Pounde, and
had a son and heir William
Pounde. (fn. 47) On William's death
the manor passed to his son
and heir Anthony Pounde.
Anthony's son and heir Richard died without issue, and
on his death his property was divided between
his two sisters Honora and Mary, (fn. 48) Wishanger
being assigned to the latter. She married her cousin
Edward White, the son of John White and Katharine
Pounde, (fn. 49) who was Anthony Pounde's sister. In 1580
Edward White died seised of the manor
of Wishanger, which he held by courtesy
after the death of his wife Mary. (fn. 50) His
heir was his son John, aged eighteen,
who some time afterwards was described
as holding a capital messuage called 'Wysslehange,' and four tenements with appurtenances in 'Hetheley', abutting on
'Dokenfeld Water.' (fn. 51)
White of Southwick Azure a cross quarterly ermine and or between four falcons close argent with a fret between four lozenges azure on the cross.
In 1593 Jane Lambart acquired the manor
from John White and Frances his wife. (fn. 52) She
seems to have married subsequently Gerard
Fleetwood, for Gerard was seised of it in
right of Jane his wife in 1601, (fn. 53) when he
sold it for £400 to Sir Hercules Paulet, who
was still holding it in 1619. (fn. 54) From him it
seems to have passed to a certain William
Horne of Southampton, merchant, who by
his will, dated 1668, provided for the payment of various annuities out of the proceeds of the sale of the estate. Wishanger
appears to have been sold to or taken over
by John Speed, his brother-in-law, and remained in the Speed family, also of Southampton, till 1797, about which date only it
was released from the payment of the various
annuities by which it was burdened. In
that year John Silvester and Harriet his wife
(née Speed) sold it to Sir Thomas Miller
of Froyle. (fn. 55) The estate remained in the
Miller family till 1868, when the executors
of Sir Charles Hayes Miller sold it to John
Rouse Phillips. On his death sixteen years
later his executors sold it to Joseph Whitaker
of Palermo, Sicily, on whose death a year
later it passed to his son, Mr. A. Ingham
Whitaker, (fn. 56) of Grayshott Hall, Haslemere, its present
owner. Wishanger Manor, as shown in an old map
in the possession of Mr. A. Ingham Whitaker, was
apparently a very small manor, and in the deeds as far
back as 1700, and for some time after, it is spoken of
as 'My farm and manor or reputed manor of Wishanger.' The manorial rights have long since lapsed,
and the manor is now represented by Wishanger
Manor Farm, which stands on the southern boundary
of Wishanger Common.
CHURCH
The church of ALL SAINTS, HEADLEY, is situated on the west side of the
heath, the ground falling away to the east
and west. The walls are of rubble composed of local
sandstone and ironstone with ashlar dressings of sandstone, and the roofs are covered with red tiles. The
church consists of a chancel with a north vestry, a nave
with a south porch, and a north-west tower. The
chancel and nave were rebuilt in 1859, and retain no
ancient fittings. The west window of the nave is a
three-light fifteenth-century window, reset, and in the
south porch, which is of wood on a stone base, some of
the old timbers remain. The nave roof is of the sixteenth
century, of a wide span, 27 ft., with moulded wall
plates, tie beams, king posts and struts, the rafters
having collars and braces. The tower (fn. 57) is of the fifteenth century, of three stages, with modern pinnacles
and battlements. Its internal measurements at the
ground level are 9 ft. by 9½ ft., with walls 3 ft. 10 in.
thick. There are no angle buttresses. In the ground
stage is a two-light west window, and in the second
stage a single-light window with trefoiled head in the
same position; the belfry windows are of two lights
with a quatrefoil in the head. The arch from the
tower to the nave is of two orders with large hollow
chamfers and semi-octagonal capitals, responds, and
bases, of a local fifteenth-century type, which looks
earlier than it really is. The font is modern. There
are two bells by Thomas Mears of (Whitechapel)
London, 1838. In the vestry are two large eighteenth-century paintings of Moses and Aaron, of more
than the average merit of their class.
Headley Church
The plate consists of a silver communion cup and
cover paten of 1567, a silver flagon given in 1734,
and two pewter alms dishes.
The parish registers date from 1537.
ADVOWSON
The rectory of Headley was appropriated to Merton Priory subsequent to 1317, when Walter de
Brokesbourne, rector of the parish, was ordained priest
by Bishop Sendale of Winchester. (fn. 58) The prior and
convent presented to the vicarage until the dissolution
of the priory, (fn. 59) when the advowson passed into the
hands of the bishop of Winchester. It was included
in the possessions of the bishop granted to Sir John
Gate in 1551, (fn. 60) but remained the property of the
crown after he was forced to surrender them until
1626, when at the intercession of the queen Charles I
granted it to Queen's College, Oxford, (fn. 61) with whom
the right of presentation has remained to the present
day. There is a rectory house and 50 acres of glebe.
The question of tithes was dealt with by the Court of
Exchequer in 1749. (fn. 62)
The church at Grayshott, dedicated to the honour
of St. Luke, was consecrated in 1900. This consolidated chapelry was formed, partly from Headley, and
partly from adjoining Surrey parishes, by Order of
Council of 30 January, 1901. (fn. 63)
There was in 1549 an obit kept in 'Hedleigh'
church, supported by lands called 'Bedvelles,' then
occupied by William Atmore, which yielded 36s. 6d.
a year; 18s. 2d. of this sum was distributed to the
poor. (fn. 64)
There are Congregational and Bible Christian
chapels in the parish, and the Plymouth Brethren
have an iron chapel at Standford.
CHARITY
In 1755 a free school for twelve poor
children was founded at Headley by the
Rev. George Holme, D.D., who gave a
master's residence and endowed the school with a
house and 2½ acres of land in Whitmore Valley, and
an annuity of £6 charged on an estate at Ash near
Aldershot. The whole now yields about £13 a year.
In 1872 the school-building was enlarged, and is now
used as the National Schools for all the children of the
parish. These schools were again enlarged in 1893–4,
and now accommodate 300 children. There is a
National School (mixed) at Grayshott, the property of
Miss I'Anson.