EAST MEON
Menes (xi cent.); Meonis (xii cent.); East Menes
(xiii cent.); Estmune, Estmunes, Moene and Estmeone (xiv cent.); Estmene (xv cent.); and
Estmeane (xvi cent.).
Until 1894 the parish of East Meon included the
tithings of Oxenbourn, Coomb, Riplington, Peak,
Langrish, and Ramsdean, and contained 11,370
acres of land and 7 acres of land covered by water.
In that year the tithings of Langrish, Ramsdean (including part of Stroud Common), and Bordean were
formed into a separate parish of Langrish, and the
area of East Meon was thus reduced to 8,818 acres
of land and 5 acres of land covered by water. The
parish falls naturally into two parts, namely, the rich
pasture-land lying along the banks of the River Meon,
and the lofty downs which hem the valley in on
every side. The village is almost in the centre of
the parish, and lies for the most part to the south of
the road from Petersfield to West Meon, which here
makes a sharp descent from Barrow Hill. Park Down,
which rises to the north of the road and seems to
dominate the whole village, has the schools, a row of
cottages, the church, and vicarage standing on its lower
slopes. On the south side of the road nearly opposite the
church is Court Farm. Directly opposite the church
Church Street runs southward to join the main
village street, which follows the line of the Meon,
here a small and shallow stream running westwards
and spanned by several bridges. The almshouses,
erected in 1863 by Mrs. Forbes of Bereleigh, in
memory of her husband Mr. George Forbes, are at
the corner of Church Street opposite the church, and
at the other end is the George Inn. The main street,
which runs on the south bank of the stream, is picturesque with its timber and plaster houses, and here
and there a red brick building of more pretensions.
Especially notable is a fine house on the north side,
with heavy cornice and moulded brick door and
window-heads, which dates from the beginning of
the eighteenth century. In contrast to this comes a
series of quaint thatched cottages, one of the prettiest
of which, with a rose-covered porch and deep-eaved
roof, serves as the butcher's shop. From the east end
of the village a road runs south towards Clanfield,
passing the smithy at the corner of a narrow lane
which leads to Leythe House, the residence of
Mr. Gerald Kingsbury. For about a mile the road
passes through the low-lying fertile pasture-land bordering the stream, but after passing the source of the
river it begins to ascend steadily, being confronted
by the steep grassy slopes of Chidden Down, Hyden
Hill, and Tegdown Hill, which separate the parish of
East Meon from the parishes of Hambledon, Clanfield, and Catherington. As the road ascends the
grass-grown banks, older disused tracks are seen on
either side, and from the top of the ridge, where
the way leads down to Clanfield through the copses
which cover the southern slopes of the hills, a good
view can be obtained of the village of East Meon,
now more than two miles distant, with the church
standing at the foot of Park Down, while the spire of
Privett Church can be seen away in the distance.
Westbury House, the property of Colonel Le RoyLewis, stands in a park of 100 acres two miles west
of the village on the borders of West Meon parish.
A fine avenue of trees leads past the house, in front
of which the River Meon is artificially widened into
a lake. Bereleigh House, the seat of Mr. H. Curtis
Gallup, stands in a park of 50 acres, about a mile
and a half from the village to the east of a shady lane
which leaves the main West Meon road near the
vicarage, and joins the main road from Petersfield
to Winchester. The following are tithings in the
parish: Oxenbourn (fn. 1) on Oxenbourn Down about
2 miles south-east, Coomb about 2 miles south-west
past Hockham and facing Teglease Down, which
separates the parishes of East Meon and Meon
Stoke, Riplington on the West Meon road near
Westbury Park, and Peak about 3½ miles north-west.
The soil varies; the sub-soil is clay and chalk. The
chief crops are wheat, barley, and beans. The parish
contains 3,832¼ acres of arable land, 2,646¾ acres
of permanent grass, and 764 acres of woods and
plantations. (fn. 2) The common lands were inclosed in
1860. (fn. 3) The following place-names are found in
East Meon in the sixteenth century: Selscombe, a
grove called Estney, and Barnyparke in the tithing of
Coomb, land called Maldles, a toft and land called
Gentlemans, Fisherman's Mead, Bunny Bridge, Lake
Bridge, Quarrey Lane, Peke Lane, Scutt's Close, an
inn called the 'Angel' and the Litten in the tithing of
East Meon; Uscombes Dean, Glaselane, and Frexden
in the tithing of Oxenbourn; Bleyse Garden and
Rookcomblane in the tithing of Ramsdean; and a
toft called Peppercombe and lands called Bevermon,
Fernhills, and Shillingworth or Shillingore in the
tithing of Bordean. The following place-names
occur in a survey of the manor taken in the middle
of the seventeenth century: Hyde Lane, (fn. 4) The Berry
Garden, (fn. 5) Dove Garden, a meadow called Nuttsbury, (fn. 6)
Gasson (fn. 7) Mead, two corn mills under one roof commonly called Shutt Mills, and Puddle Acre; Killborow, Hackwermead, Mustardcomes, and Merrywethergate in the tithing of Ramsdean; Fish Acres
in Oxenbourn; and Frogland, Abbeyland, and Cawseymead in the tithing of Meonchurch; inclosed ground
called Thisly Field and Partridge Furlong, and a
lake called Weary Lake.
The modern parish of Langrish, covering an area
of 2,552 acres of land and 2 acres of land covered by
water, falls into two main portions—the comparatively low-lying land of Stroud Common, and the
downs and hangers which form its northern, southern,
and western boundaries. The village with its modern
church, vicarage, and schools, is 2 miles north-east of
the village of East Meon at the point where the
road to Droxford breaks off south from the main road
from Petersfield to Winchester. Langrish House, the
seat of Mr. Charles William Talbot-Ponsonby, J.P.,
is about half a mile south from the village. At the
base of Barrow Hill is the tithing of Ramsdean, a
collection of farm-buildings and cottages with a small
Congregational chapel, rebuilt and enlarged in 1887
by voluntary contributions at a cost of £200. In
the tithing of Bordean, which is two miles north-west
of Langrish, is a picturesque early seventeenth century
thatched farm-house. Bordean House is on high
ground about half a mile from Bordean and just to
the south of the Petersfield road, which forms the
north boundary of its grounds. This is the highest
point on this section of the road (507 ft.), which runs
eastward by a steep winding descent through the
midst of the hangers to the village of Langrish and
westward to Lower Bordean.
Hops are grown in this district. At Bordean there
are lime-works which have existed at least from the
seventeenth century. (fn. 8) At Stroud there is a brick, tile,
and pipe manufactory, the latter industry dating from
about the 16th century. (fn. 9) The parish of Langrish
contains approximately 1,687 acres of arable land,
1,434¼ acres of permanent grass, and 431 acres of
woods and plantations. (fn. 10)
MANORS
EAST MEON.
Since in early
times no distinction was drawn between East and West Meon it is difficult to know whether the numerous pre-Conquest grants
of land on and near the River Meon (fn. 11) refer at all to
East Meon. (fn. 12) The first distinctive mention of East
Meon comes in the middle of the eleventh century,
when Alwin, bishop of Winchester, who died in 1047, (fn. 13)
granted both the Meons (fn. 14) to the monks of Winchester, (fn. 15)
retaining, however, the management of the lands.
Thus Bishop Stigand held East Meon to the use of
the monks (fn. 16) not only after he became primate but
even after his deposition and to the day of his death,
when it was seized by William I, who was holding it
in 1086. (fn. 17) At the same time Walkelin, bishop of
Winchester, was holding in East Meon 6 hides and
1 virgate with the church and a mill (fn. 18) probably the later
tithing of Meonchurch. (fn. 19) The manor continued the
property of the crown till some time between 1154
and 1161, (fn. 20) when Henry II granted it, together with
all churches belonging to it, to the church of Winchester, (fn. 21) and this grant was confirmed by King John
soon after his accession. (fn. 22) From this date the manor
remained with the bishop (fn. 23) until it was sold with his
other lands in 1648 and 1649 as a result of the Root
and Branch Bill. (fn. 24) With the general restoration of
bishops' lands in 1660 the manor once more came to
the bishop, and is at present held by the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners as his representatives. In the reign of
Edward III there seems to have been a dispute between the bishop and the men of his manor of East
Meon, for exemplifications of entries in Domesday
Book relating to 'Menes' were made in 1342 and
1343 at the request of the men of the manor and of
Adam Orlton, bishop of Winchester, respectively. (fn. 25)
Again, in August, 1461, when Edward IV went on
progress to Hampshire, the tenants of the manor of
East Meon and elsewhere, 'in grete multitude and
nombre,' petitioned the king for relief from certain
services, customs, and dues which the bishop and
his agents were attempting to exact. (fn. 26) According to
one account the tenants had seized Bishop Waynflete.
Edward, however, not only rescued him from the
hands of those seeking his life, but arrested the ringleaders, (fn. 27) whose case was tried in the House of Lords
on 14 December, 1461, when judgement was given
for the bishop. (fn. 28) On 14 December, 1581, John
Watson, bishop of Winchester, leased the manor to
Queen Elizabeth for eighty-one years. (fn. 29)
There is an interesting survey of the manor taken
on 31 July, 1647, (fn. 30) giving the name of every farm,
field, tenant, and tenement, with the rent paid in
each case.
'The manor-house called the Court House,' in
which the courts-leet and the courts-baron of the
manor were held, remains practically unchanged
from that day. It was described then as 'being
strongly built with stone, having a large hall, a large
parlour, a dining-room, a kitchen, a buttery, a larder,
a day-house, a kill, three lodging-chambers, a corn
chamber, a cheese-chamber, with some other little
rooms. Before the entrance of the house is a gatehouse with three rooms thereunto belonging. The
roof of the house is much out of repair. The site
consisting of two little gardens, and a hopyard and
two little courts west before the house, lying all together, between the street of East Meon on the west,
and a field called the Berry Garden on the east. Near
unto the same on the north-west is the church, and
on the north is the highway called Hyde Lane, and
on the south is a piece of ground called Dovegarden
containing together one acre. This farm hath always
been let tithe free.' (fn. 31)
The gate-house and the two little courts before the
house have given way to a yard with farm-buildings
of no architectural interest, but the 'large hall,
strongly built with stone,' still stands, with a block
of contemporary buildings on the north, and traces of
a ruined south wing. Now, as in 1647, 'the roof
of the house is much out of repair,' but unfortunately
the lack of repair is not confined to the roof, and the
house probably owes its survival to its massive flint
and stone walls, 4 ft. thick. All the old work
seems to be of one date, and that probably the early
part of the fifteenth century. The hall, which stands
north and south, is lighted by two large two-light
windows on the west, with cinquefoiled lights and
transoms rebated for wooden shutters, and the passage
through the screens is at the north, with arched doorways at either end, the framework of the screen, with
a central and two side openings, being still in position.
The south or upper end of the hall is partitioned off
from the rest of the block, and in the west wall, south
of the partition, is a blocked doorway leading to the
first-floor rooms of the destroyed southern wing, the
bonding of whose walls is still to be seen. The east
and south sides of the hall have been more altered and
pulled about than the north side, but an original twolight window remains in the southern part of the east
wall, and this end of the block is divided into two
stories and still used as living rooms, while the rest
of the hall is gutted and serves for the storage of all
manner of lumber. Its old roof has given place to
rough timbers, though the original stone corbels remain, carved with heads of bishops and kings.
The Court House, East Meon
The northern block is of two stories, the upper
being reached by a wooden stair, dilapidated but still
practicable, in the south-west angle, opening to the
courtyard close to the west entrance to the hall
screens. The ground story is very scantily lighted by
narrow single square-headed lights, and contains three
rooms, two with doorways side by side opening from
the screens, and a third to the north-west, reached
only from the western of the other two rooms.
These two occupy the normal position of pantry and
buttery, and probably served as such; they are
separated by a wooden partition, instead of being set,
after the usual plan, on either side of a passage leading
to the kitchen. The third room may have been a
larder or dairy, (fn. 32) and the kitchen can have formed no
part of the existing block, but probably stood to the
east, where modern buildings now are, and in that
case must have been approached through the eastern
doorway of the hall passage. It may have been a
wooden building, as in other instances, which would
account for its disappearance. On the west side of
the north-west room (the suggested larder or dairy) is a large
block of masonry containing a
shaft 10 ft. long by 3 ft. 2 in.
wide, an opening into which
has been broken from the north
end at the ground level. It is
probably the shoot of a latrine,
but has been boarded over in
the room above, and shows no
evidence of this. The first-floor
rooms of this block have been
living-rooms or bedrooms, and
in the south wall of that over
the buttery (?) is a wide fireplace.
Nothing can be said of the
arrangement of the south wing
of the house, which must have
contained the best living-rooms,
the parlour and dining room
of the Survey. The south-east
angle of the central block seems to have stood clear of
any buildings to the south, and has a diagonal angle
buttress, which, however, is not part of the original
work. The return of a plinth on the south wall
4 ft. to the west of the buttress gives the line of
abutment of a wall running southwards from this
point, forming the eastern limit of the south wing.
The hopyard of the Survey, with the two little
gardens, seems to have been to the south-west of the
house, and the 'kill' for drying the hops may have
been near by, though the Survey reads as if it were
part of the main buildings, and in the northern
block.
Under the heading Hyden Woods there is a
note to the effect that 'the "bacon" (beacons) on
Butser Hill have usually been supplied out of their
coppices both with timber and fuel.' Stroud Common belonged to the manor, and it is stated that
'this common is overgrown with bushes which the
tenants claim a right unto for making and mend
ing their fences, but the great wood belonging to the
lord was of late destroyed except some very little and
young oaks all at present not worth above 30s.' (fn. 33)
The boundaries of the manor are given in great
detail and show well what a large area it covered (fn. 34) :
'This manor lieth part in Hampshire and part in
Sussex and is bounded as follows, viz.: By a bound
post standing in Basing Dean parting this manor and
the manor of West Meon west … and by
the parish of West Tisted upon the north-west to
Hoar Thorns, and so by the manor of Colemeare and
a wood called Colemearewood on the north …
and from thence upon the manor of Prior's Dean
upon the north-east to the rising of a little brook in
Brooker's mead, and so by that little brook to the
parish of Liss, and thence to Wheatham dell and the
yew-tree at Wheatham Green, and by a little lake to
the Prince's Bridge, and so by the river to Lord's
mill and from thence by a little stream unto Kettler's
brook and so by the highway to Polehill, then by a
footpath to Tilmer gate … from thence to Beerland boundring upon the manor of Berriton, from
thence to a great oak standing in the midst of Chescombe and so abutting upon the manor of Berriton
and Mapledurham upon the south-east unto a great
ash standing on the side of Butser Hill … and
so to the lower gate of Hiden abutting upon the
parish of Clanfield, on the south from the aforesaid
gate to Broad Halfpenny abutting upon the parish of
Katherington, thence to Pye Lane abutting upon the
parish of Hambledon … from thence abutting
upon the parish of West Meon, upon the south-west
as far as Westbury, from thence towards the west upon
certain lands belonging to Westbury, and so upon
the land of Peak farm towards the north-west upon
the parish of Privett … and so to Basing
Post standing in Basing Dean aforesaid.' Certain
payments were made from the manor to various
officials of the bishopric—the measurer of the tithecorn and wheat of the rectory, the surveyor and
steward of the lordships belonging to the bishopric,
the treasurer of 'Wolvesey,' the bailiff of the bailiwick
of East Meon, the clerk of the bailiwick of East Meon
and Meonchurch, and two reeves and a beadle, and
the net annual value of the manor was estimated at
£281 5s. 1½d.
PARK
The park of East Meon belonged to the
bishops, who were careful to maintain their
right of free warren and free chase. (fn. 35) The
following description is given of the park in the Survey of 1647: 'There is also belonging to this manor
a park, situate and lying near the town of East Meon,
known by the name of East Meon Park, lying between
the way that leadeth from East Meon church and
Petersfield called Hide Lane on the south, and
another highway that leadeth from East Meon to
Alton on the north-west; on the east are the grounds
belonging to Magdalen College Oxford and the lands
of Sir William Lewis kt. with the lands of other
tenants; on the south-west is the church and churchyard of East Meon; on the north the grounds belonging to the manor of "Bearly." (fn. 36) The park has a lodge
with five rooms, two little out-barns, a garden, a hopyard all paled about and contains 1½ acres. This
park is paled about, but hath not any deer therein.
It is now stored with conies. It containeth by
estimation 500 acres, and is worth per annum by improvement £70, and is now in possession of Sir
William Lewis, bart. He claimeth to hold the office
of keeper and the keeping of the park aforesaid and of
the deer in the same park and all the herbage, pannage
and agistment of it (competent and sufficient herbage
and feeding for eight score deer in the same park
always excepted), and also the office of measuring the
tithe-corn and wheat of the rectory of East Meon
with all the profits to the said offices belonging. There
is not any tithe to be paid for this park. (fn. 37) … The
grant was made to Queen Elizabeth by John Watson,
bishop of Winchester, amongst other things, by indenture 14 December 24 Elizabeth. By her majesty
assigned over to John Stockman by indenture 28
March 24 Elizabeth, (fn. 38) which said John assigned the
same to William Neale … The right of this lease
descended to his son Sir Thomas Neale, (fn. 39) and from him
to his son Thomas Neale, who by indenture 13 Feb.
10 Charles granted the same to Sir William Lewis, for
which he is to pay per annum two hundred conies
worth per annum £5, as also herbage in the park
for a hundred and sixty deer worth £40. The
present profits of the park which may be made of
beechen timber and firewood, now worth £900, all
"bots" (fn. 40) being allowed.'
There is no longer a park in East Meon, although
the name is preserved in the modern Park Farm and
Park Down.
An annual fair held near South Farm in a field
called Fair Field or Chapel Close (fn. 41) originally belonged
to the lords of the manor of East Meon. It was
kept on the Lady Day in harvest, and the annual
profits therefrom were assessed at £1 10s. (fn. 42) in 1647.
It existed until about ten years ago, by which time it
had come to be a horse-fair held in the village itself.
At the time of the Domesday Survey there were
six mills worth forty shillings in 'Menes,' (fn. 43) which was
practically identical with the modern hundred of East
Meon. The following mills are mentioned in a rentroll of the manor of East Meon for 1567 (fn. 44) : a mill
called South Mill in the tithing of East Meon held
by Nicholas Write by the rent of 1s. 3d., two mills in
the tithing of Oakshott (which is now in the parish of
Froxfield), viz. a fulling-mill held by John Pagelham
by the annual rent of 10s., and a water-mill called
Sheet Mill held by Edward Roche by the annual rent
of 10s. 4d.; and a water-mill in Ramsdean held by
John Tribe by the annual rent of 15s. In the Survey
of the manor taken in 1647 the following mills are
mentioned: 'Two corn-mills under one roof commonly called or known by the name of Shutt Mill,
which mills lie west from East Meon,' a mill called
South Mill held by Thomas Searle, a mill held by
William Heycroft in the tithing of Meonchurch, a
water-mill held by John Tribe in the tithing of Ramsdean, and two fulling-mills in Foxcombe (now forming part of the parish of Steep) held respectively by
Elizabeth Colebrooke and Jane the relict of Joseph
Feilder. (fn. 45) In the measurement and valuation of the
parish of East Meon made in May, 1820, by Mr. Vinn
of Drayton (fn. 46) two mills are mentioned: Drayton Mill
and Frogmore Mill, and they are still in existence.
WESTBURY
WESTBURY (Wesberie xi cent.; Westburia xii
cent.; Westbyrie xiii cent.) was held by Ulnod of
King Edward the Confessor. At the time of the
Domesday Survey it was held by Gozelin, not
directly of the king, but of Hugh de Port as part of
his barony which he held of the king. (fn. 47) It was assessed
at 3 hides both in Edward the Confessor's reign and
at the time of the Survey. Like the rest of the Port
barony Westbury passed to the St. Johns, (fn. 48) from the
St. Johns to the Poynings, (fn. 49) and possibly from the
Poynings to the Paulets, although there is no mention of
overlordship after the fourteenth century. There is no
evidence to show to whom the manor descended after
the death of Gozelin the son of Azor, who held it at
the time of the Domesday Survey. In the reign of
Henry II or even earlier it seems to have been granted
to a family who took the surname of Westbury. (fn. 50) In
the reign of Henry III John de Westbury held in
Westbury one knight's fee of the ancient enfeoffment
of Robert de St. John, and the same Robert of the
king. (fn. 51) John de Westbury seems to have been succeeded by a certain William de Campania, who
demised it for a term of five years to a certain Peter
de Campania and Margery his wife. (fn. 52) Some time
afterwards the same William quitclaimed for himself
and his heirs all the right and claim which he had in
the manor to the said Peter and Margery and their
heirs. (fn. 53) In 1294 this Peter was in custody in Westminster gaol for the death of Adam Houel, but his
lord, John de St. John, interceded for him, and obtained
his pardon. (fn. 54) After the death of Peter his widow
Margery married Robert le Ewer the king's yeoman, (fn. 55)
evidently before 1316, since in that year he was holding the manor in right of his wife. (fn. 56)
In 1322 Robert obtained the king's permission to
fortify his house at Westbury, (fn. 57) and about the same
time the king granted to him and his heirs for ever
free warren in all their demesne lands of Westbury. (fn. 58)
Many details concerning the life of this Robert le Ewer
can be gathered from a careful examination of the
close and patent rolls of the reign of Edward II. The
earliest mention of him is in 1306, in which year the
king granted safe conduct to him and to certain others
of his clerks and serjeants-at-arms while taking money
to Scotland for the maintenance of the king's subjects
on his service there. (fn. 59) For some time he rose steadily
into favour with King Edward II. In 1308 he was
farmer of the gaol of Somerton, and of the hundreds
of Cattesashe and Stone. (fn. 60) In 1309 the reversion of
the manor of Warblington was granted to him for
his life, (fn. 61) and in 1311 Odiham Castle was committed
to him to hold during the king's pleasure. (fn. 62) However, in 1320 he fell into disfavour with the king,
and John de Felton and the king's serjeants-at-arms
were commissioned to arrest him for certain trespasses,
contempts, and disobediences. (fn. 63) He was arrested by
them, but broke the attachment by armed force, publicly
defied the serjeants, and in addition threatened some of
the king's subjects with loss of life and limb, asserting
that he would slay them and cut them up limb by
limb, wherever he should find them, either in the
presence or absence of the king, in contempt of the
king's order and in rebellion. (fn. 64) By some means, however, he succeeded in making his peace with the king,
and in 1321 the custody of Odiham Castle was
re tored to him. (fn. 65) In 1322 the king summoned him
to join the English army in Scotland. (fn. 66) Robert disregarded the summons, however, and was accordingly
deprived of the custody of Odiham Castle, John de
St. John being appointed keeper in his stead. (fn. 67)
Thereupon Robert rebelled. He placed himself at
the head of an armed force, attempted to seize the
castle, and entered the royal manor of Itchel and
carried away the king's goods. (fn. 68) Edmund de Kendale, keeper of the peace in Hampshire, arrested him,
and as a reward received a horse, a 'haketon,' and a
dagger which were found with Robert when he was
taken. (fn. 69) Robert, when charged with divers felonies
before the king, refused to submit to the law of the
realm, and being put to peine forte et dure, died in
prison. (fn. 70) When her husband was taken, Margery
fled, taking with her two coffers with jewels and
other goods and chattels to the value of £200. She
took sanctuary in the abbey of St. Mary's, Winchester,
where two of her sisters were nuns, (fn. 71) but she was soon
dragged from her hiding place and thrown into
prison. In the summer of 1324, however, she was
released and delivered to Ralph Camois, (fn. 72) who in
1325 was appointed with others to inquire the names
of those who had taken and concealed goods and
chattels belonging to Robert. (fn. 73) In 1327 it was
ascertained that Ralph Camois and Elizabeth his wife
and Hugh their son had disseised Margery of the
manor of Westbury long before the making of the
charter whereby Edward II had granted it to them. (fn. 74)
The king accordingly laid the matter before Ralph de
Bereford, John de Scures, and John de Tichborne,
when it was decided that Robert le Ewer having
only held the manor in right of his wife Margery, it
should be restored to her, and in addition she should
be awarded £160 damages. (fn. 75) It seems probable that
shortly after this Margery married, as her third husband, a certain Nicholas de Overton, for in 1328
Nicholas de Overton and Margery his wife, and John
de Thyngdene, chaplain, were parties to a fine whereby the manor of Westbury was settled upon Nicholas
and Margery and the heirs of Margery. (fn. 76) Margery
died before 1342, leaving as her heir a certain Margaret, described as 'Margaret who was the wife of
James de Molyns,' who in 1342, in conjunction with
Sir Aumary de Wykfort, granted the reversion
of the manor after the death of Nicholas de Overton
to Nicholas le Devenish of Winchester and his heirs
male. (fn. 77) The latter died seised of the manor in 1350,
leaving a son and heir Thomas, aged 17, (fn. 78) on whose
death in 1373 it passed to his son and heir John,
aged 10, (fn. 79) who died soon afterwards, and was succeeded
by his brother Thomas. In 1382 Thomas died while
still under age, and the manor passed to his sister and
heir Nichola. (fn. 80) It is probable that Nichola married
first Sir John Englefield of Warwickshire, and secondly
John Golafre of Blakesley (Northants). (fn. 81) Certainly
Sir John, who lived about the reigns of Richard II
and Henry IV, married a certain Nichola, (fn. 82) and John
Golafre married as his second wife a Lady Englefield. (fn. 83)
Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Devenish, held the
manor in dower and married a certain William
Marshal before 1386, at which date the manor was
dealt with by a fine, to which John Englefield and
Nichola his wife were parties. (fn. 84) Nichola died before
1428, for in that year her second husband John
Golafre was holding in Westbury half a fee which
Nicholas Devenish formerly held. (fn. 85) Westbury passed
with Greatham to the recusant
family of Fawconer, (fn. 86) who held
it for about two centuries, (fn. 87)
Katherine Fawconer at length
conveying it to John Holt and
Katherine his wife, of Portsmouth. (fn. 88) In 1694 Richard Holt
of Nursted (Hants), son and heir
of John and Katherine, sold the
manor for £4,000 to Richard
Markes of Petersfield. (fn. 89) After
the latter's death his widow
Mary and his son and heir
Richard became involved in
financial difficulties, and in 1722 were forced to
sell the manor to their tenant Philip Cavendish,
obtaining a sum of £7,400 for it. (fn. 90) Philip dealt
with the manor by fine in 1737, (fn. 91) no doubt on
the occasion of his marriage with Anna Isabella
Carteret, the daughter of Edward Carteret and Bridget
his wife. (fn. 92)
Fawconer. Sable three falcons argent with bells and jesses or.
Within the next ten years Westbury had been purchased by Admiral Sir Peter Warren, K.B., (fn. 93) an
Irishman by birth. He obtained his commission as a
lieutenant in 1722, and from that time his promotion
was rapid. He aided the New England colonies in
the war with France, and in 1745, with General
Pepperell, captured Louisbourg, as a reward for which
he was made rear-admiral of the Blue. After the
capitulation of Louisbourg Warren captured three
French ships valued at £1,000,000, and from his
share of the spoils of war realized a large fortune. In
1747 he won a great naval victory off Cape Finisterre,
and for his gallantry on this occasion was made Knight
of the Bath. On his retirement from active service
in 1748 he received many civic honours, being elected
M.P. for Westminster in 1750. He died of a violent
fever in 1752 while at Dublin, whither he had gone
to purchase estates. In 1735 he had married Susanna
daughter of Stephen de Lancey, a wealthy citizen of
New York, and by her he left three daughters and
co-heirs—Anne, who married Lieut.-General Hon.
Charles Fitzroy, first Lord Southampton, in 1758;
Susanna, who married in 1767 Lieut.-General
William Skinner; and Charlotte, who married
Willoughby Bertie, fourth earl of Abingdon, in 1768. (fn. 94)
The manor was at first divided among the three
sisters, but in 1772 Charles Fitzroy and Anne and
Willoughby, Earl of Abingdon, and Charlotte gave up
their moieties to Lieut.-General Skinner and Susanna, (fn. 95)
whose daughter and heir Susanna Maria married her
first cousin Major-General Henry, third Viscount
Gage, in 1789. Their son Henry, fourth Viscount
Gage (1808–77), sold the manor to Mr. John
Delawar Lewis, from whom it has descended to
Colonel Le Roy-Lewis, the present owner.
The manor of LANGRISH (Langerisse xiii cent.;
Langryshe, Langrissh, and Langeryssh xiv cent.;
Langrishe xvii cent.) was a sub-manor dependent
upon the manor of East Meon. (fn. 96) John Langrish, son
of John, who had probably held the manor before
him, was holding the manor in the early fifteenth
century, and held his first court in 1419. At a
court held in May, 1424, John granted certain premises in Langrish to his brother Thomas to hold for
the term of his life. The first court of Thomas
Langrish was held on 21 December, 1466, and in
1473 Robert the son of Thomas, probably on his
marriage, received a messuage and other premises in
Langrish to hold to him and his wife and their male
issue. In 1489 Nicholas Langrish, aged sixteen, described as kinsman and heir of John Langrish priest,
held his first court. He had five sons, the eldest of
whom, Edward by name, died without issue. (fn. 97) The
manor accordingly passed to his brother William, (fn. 98)
whose son and heir Nicholas was described as lord of
Langrish in the visitation of 1634. (fn. 99) William son
and heir of Nicholas sold the manor to Nathaniel
Long and Mary his wife, upon whom it was settled in
1663 with remainder to Hugh Webb and Abigail
Long, elder daughter of Nathaniel and Mary, and
their issue. (fn. 100) In 1664 Nathaniel Long had a dispute
with Edmund Bruning, lord of the neighbouring
manor of Rothercombe, about his right of way
through certain lands, parcel of the manor of Rothercombe, to certain woods called Beechenleith or
Beechencliffe Woods, as also his right to timber in
the woods. The matter was referred to the Court of
Chancery, which gave its judgement in favour of
Nathaniel, awarding him in addition £250 damages. (fn. 101)
On the death of Nathaniel the manor descended to
Hugh and Abigail Webb, in accordance with the
settlement of 1663, and on their deaths to their son
and heir Nathaniel, whose widow Lucy and son and
heir Nathaniel sold it in 1719 to Thomas Ridge of
Portsmouth for £2,850. (fn. 102) Thomas was succeeded by
his son and heir Humphrey, who died without issue
about 1730, when the manor passed to his brother
Thomas, described as a brewer, distiller, and wine
merchant of Portsmouth. Thomas, who was afterwards knighted, soon became involved in financial
difficulties, and owed his mother Elizabeth £8,215
at the time of her death in 1750. He borrowed
further sums from his younger brothers George and
Richard after her death, and in 1764 was declared a
bankrupt, John Ridge and Thomas Hampton being
chosen assignees of his estate and effects. (fn. 103) The estate
was put up for auction (fn. 104) and was sold in 1771 for
£4,400 to William Jolliffe of Petersfield. It continued in the Jolliffe family till a few years ago, when
it was sold by Lord Hylton to Mr. William Nicholson,
D.L., J.P., of Basing Park, the present owner.
In the Langrish court-rolls from 1419 to 1523
there occur the following place-names: a wood
called Musilcombe; crofts called Topelayns, Benepierks, and Yaldepierks; a common field called the
Hampme, lanes called Bawfyshlane and Mustardcombeslane, (fn. 105) and crofts called Pycedcrofte and
Thevelerscroft. From the court-rolls it is seen that
most of the tenants held lands of the lord of Langrish
by the service of finding men for the fishery in the
River Meon. There is an interesting entry in the
court-roll for 1479. (fn. 106) A certain John Baker received
from the lord of Langrish a messuage and lands in
Langrish to hold for the term of his life by the
services of paying an annual rent of 13s., of finding
two men for the great fishery of East Meon, and of
paying 6d. per annum tithing-silver. John Baker and
his successors were also to find two bushels of corn
every Easter at their own expense. They were to
make bread therefrom, and deliver over the loaves
every year to Thomas Langrish and his heirs in the
parish church of East Meon for distribution among
the poor of the parish. In return for these bushels
of corn Thomas reduced the rent of the premises
from 16s. to 13s. a year.
In the East Meon court-rolls ROTHERCOMBE
(Redecumbe xii cent.) is frequently mentioned as one
of the tithings of East Meon, and now exists as a
farm in the parish of Langrish. In the twelfth century
Godfrey de Lucy, bishop of Winchester, granted in
free alms to John, prior of Aldebiri in Sandes, afterwards known as the Priory of Newark, all the land of
Rothercombe which appertained to his manor of
East Meon, and which was worth 100s. a year. (fn. 107) On
the dissolution of Newark Priory the king granted the
manor of Rothercombe and woods called Cherry
Copse, Beching Cliff, and Brokewode, situated in
Rothercombe, to Thomas Knight, (fn. 108) who shortly
afterwards sold the manor together with lands and
rents in East Meon and Rothercombe to Thomas
Uvedale for £126. (fn. 109) Anthony Uvedale, son and heir
of Thomas, married Ursula Norton, and had an only
daughter and heir, Ellen, by whose marriage to
Richard Bruning the manor passed into the Bruning
family. (fn. 110) In 1608 an inquiry was ordered to be
held into the goods, chattels, lands, and tenements of
Richard Bruning and Ursula Uvedale, since various
sums of money were due to the crown on account of
their recusancy. It was ascertained that Richard
was seised of the manor of Rothercombe and of
30 acres of arable land and 20 acres of meadow and
pasture in the parish of East Meon of the yearly value
of £6 10s. (fn. 111) The manor, however, was evidently
not sequestered, as Richard died seised of it in 1612,
leaving a son and heir, Anthony, aged twenty-three. (fn. 112)
The manor remained in the Bruning family until
1715, (fn. 113) in which year Richard Bruning sold it
together with a messuage and lands in Steep and
East Meon to John Clement of Steep for £1,730. (fn. 114)
On the death of John Clement the manor passed
to his son William, whose only son and heir sold the
manor or reputed manor of Rothercombe, the
messuage or dwelling-house called Rothercombe Farm,
and 169 acres of land for £2,000 to George Clark,
described sometimes as a carrier and sometimes as an
inn-keeper of Petersfield, in 1763. (fn. 115) Whatever his
profession he was a prosperous man, and during the
fifteen years preceding his death bought up much
landed property in the neighbourhood of Petersfield.
Thus in 1755 he purchased Tilmore Farm from
Richard Baker, (fn. 116) in 1763 he bought Bell Farm from
John Rogers and Mary his wife, (fn. 117) while in 1764
Henry Smith conveyed to him the messuage or
tenement and farm-house on a moor called Buckmoor. (fn. 118)
On his death in 1768 it was found that by a will
dated two years earlier he had left all his property
to be divided equally among his three young grandsons, William, Richard, and George Clark Rout, the
sons of Mary and James Rout, and had completely
passed over the claims of his wife Elizabeth, his sons
Richard, Thomas, and George, and his daughters
Anne, Rose, and Elizabeth. (fn. 119) They appealed against
it, but all to no purpose, for by a decree in the Court
of Chancery it was ordered that the will should be
established, and the trusts performed and carried into
execution. The three grandchildren described as
William Rout of Romsey, maltster, Richard Rout of
East Wellow, yeoman, and George Clark Rout of
Romsey, brewer, came of age in 1774, 1776, and
1777 respectively. Even while minors they had
borrowed largely, and in 1778 were very deeply in
debt. All the property which they had inherited
from their grandfather—the manor of Rothercombe,
the farms called Tankerdells, Tilmore and Buckmoor,
Causeway Meads and Bell Farm—was put up for sale
by public auction and was sold in 1778 to the highest
bidder, William Jolliffe of Petersfield, (fn. 120) since which
time it has followed the descent of the manor of
Langrish (q.v.).
PEAK or PEAK TYGALL
PEAK or PEAK TYGALL (Peek xiv cent.; Peke,
Peake Tygoll, and Peeke Tigoll xvi cent.; Peake
Tigall and Peake Farme xvii cent.). Three and a half
miles north-west of the village of East Meon lies the
tithing of Peak, and a little to the south of the tithing
lies Tigwell Farm. The tithing and farm probably
represent the site of the manor of Peak or Peak
Tygall. It was in the possession of the family of
Tygehall or Tygall for generations, (fn. 121) and was hence
called the manor of Peak Tygall. In 1505 William
Tygall and Joan his wife sold the manor and
3 messuages, 10 tofts, 400 acres of land, 20 acres of
meadow, 120 acres of pasture, 60 acres of wood, and
20s. rent and the rent of a pound of pepper in Peak,
East Meon, and Meonstoke to Sir William Warham,
archbishop of Canterbury, for £200, (fn. 122) on whose death
in 1532 the manor passed to his nephew William,
being settled on him and his wife Elizabeth in tailmale in 1552. (fn. 123) In 1560 the manor was settled on
William to hold for the term
of his life, with remainder to
Francis Morres and Anne his
wife and their issue, with contingent remainder to the right
heirs of William. (fn. 124) William
had died before 1588, for in
that year William Wright was
seised of the reversion of the
manor of Peak Tygall, immediately expectant and depending upon the estate for life
of Dame Elizabeth Warham,
widow, late the wife of Sir
William Warham, knt. deceased, and sold it to
William Neale of Warnford for £630. (fn. 125) For about a
century the manor remained in the family of Neale, (fn. 126)
passing from them in 1676, when it was purchased by
Thomas Bonham, William Morgan, and Lawrence
Cooke. (fn. 127) Three years afterwards it was settled upon
Lawrence and his heirs. It descended to his grandson
and heir Lawrence Cooke of Steep, yeoman, on whose
bankruptcy in 1735 it was sold to John Bouverie the
lord of the manor of Warnford. (fn. 128) Peak followed the
descent of Warnford (fn. 129) until about the middle of the
eighteenth century, when it seems to have again fallen
into yeomen's hands. (fn. 130) It has changed hands at
various times since then, (fn. 131) and is now owned by
Colonel Le Roy-Lewis, forming part of the Westbury
estate.
Tygall. Ermine a cheveron sable with three horse-shoes or thereon.
BERELEIGH
BERELEIGH (Burley xiv cent.; Bereley xvi and
xvii cent). The manor of Bereleigh was a sub-manor
dependent upon the manor of East Meon, and in
early times was held by a family called 'de Burlee.'
In 1369 John de Burlee and Agatha his wife quitclaimed to William de Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, his heirs and assigns, the following tenements
which they held of him as of his bishopric: 1 messuage, 1 mill, 205 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow,
60 acres of pasture, 50 acres of wood, and 40s. 6d.
rent in East Meon and Drayton and the rents and
services of Richard Tygenore, Richard Hethere,
Reginald Tygall, John Southonore, and John
Knollere for the tenements which they held of them. (fn. 133)
The right of the bishop to these tenements was confirmed in 1382 when Clarice wife of William Fisher
and sister of Agatha gave up all her claims to them. (fn. 133)
There seems to be no record of the history of this
estate until 1569, in which year the manor of
'Burley' with appurtenances in East Meon and
Burley was settled by fine upon Sir Thomas Sackville
Lord Buckhurst and Cecilia his wife in fee-tail. (fn. 134)
In 1582 Sir Thomas sold the manor for £200 to John
Baker, (fn. 135) who died seised of it in 1606, leaving a son
and heir, Sir Richard Baker, aged thirty and more. (fn. 136)
Fourteen years later Sir Richard obtained a grant of
free warren in his manor or lordship of Burley alias
Beerley, as also licence to stock it with stags, does,
hares, rabbits, pheasants, and partridges. (fn. 137) The manor
passed by sale in 1631 from Sir Richard Baker and
Margaret his wife to William Coldham of Stedham
(co. Sussex). (fn. 138) It seems impossible to discover how
long the manor remained in the Coldham family, but
it was probably sold about the middle of the seventeenth century to Bartholomew Smith of Winchester,
who left two sons James and Bartholomew. The
former in 1685 joined a religious order, and all the
property passed to Bartholomew, who left three sons
and four daughters. (fn. 139) The three sons died unmarried
in the same year of small-pox, and one of the
daughters became a nun. Consequently the manor
was divided among the other three daughters,
Elizabeth, Anastasia who married William Sheldon (fn. 140)
of Winchester in 1728, and Frances who married
Alexander Wells of Brambridge in 1733. (fn. 141) Elizabeth
and Frances both died without issue, and consequently
the whole manor became vested in Edward Sheldon (fn. 142)
grandson of William and Anastasia, who mortgaged it
in 1775 to Nicholas Baconneau. (fn. 143) The further history
of the manor is uncertain, but it seems probable that
Mr. R. Eyles of East Meon, who built the modern
Bereleigh House at the beginning of the nineteenth
century, bought up the whole estate, including the
old manor-house, which by this time had probably
fallen into decay. (fn. 144) The estate has been gradually
added to during the last century, and has changed
hands several times, the present owner being Mr.
H. Curtis Gallup, who has recently purchased it
from Col. Hudson.
East Meon Church
CHURCHES
The church of ALL SAINTS, EAST
MEON, consists of chancel with south
chapel, central tower, north and south
transepts, and nave with south aisle and south porch.
The south chapel and aisle are thirteenth-century
additions, and the north and east walls of the chancel
have been rebuilt, but with these exceptions the
church has preserved its twelfth-century plan and
much contemporary detail. It seems to have been
begun about 1130–40, and shows no evidence of
any earlier work on the site, unless the excess of
width of the nave over the chancel and transepts,
unusual in a cruciform building, points to the former
existence of a nave and chancel church, which was
enlarged at the date above given by building a tower
on the site of the chancel and adding transepts and
a chancel on the north, south, and east. Even if
this be so, the plan only of the former nave can be
said to survive, as there seems no difference between
the masonry here and in the other twelfth-century
parts of the building.
The details are exceptionally good, both in design
and workmanship; the walls are of a uniform thickness of 4 ft., built in flint rubble with ashlar dressings,
while the central tower is ashlar-faced. The stone is
of admirable quality, and has preserved its original
surface to a remarkable degree, the upper stage of the
tower showing hardly a trace of decay. The work
was probably carried on slowly, after the usual
fashion, and the details of the west doorway of the
nave are more advanced than those of the tower, suggesting a date of 1150–60. The south chapel seems
to have been added at much the same time as the south
aisle, and their details point to the beginning of the
thirteenth century, though the windows of the south
aisle are of somewhat later date. There are noticeable irregularities in the setting out of the east walls
of the chancel and south chapel, and the north wall of
the chancel seems to have been rebuilt at a different
angle, the base of an older wall with a more northerly
inclination showing on the outside, and ending
3 ft. 6 in. from the north-east angle of the present
chancel. Modern alterations have made it difficult
to assign a date to this work, but the arms of Prior
Hinton and the monastery of St. Swithun of Winchester, on the east wall of the chancel, point to the fact
of a repair or rebuilding of this part of the church
between 1470 and 1498. The chancel has a modern
east window of five lights with geometrical tracery,
and there are no openings in the north wall. In the
remains of the former north wall may be seen the
lower stones of what are probably the jambs of a
doorway. On the south side of the chancel is an
arcade of two bays, with circular central column and
half-round responds, and circular moulded bases and
capitals. The arches are pointed, of two moulded
orders with labels, all the detail being very good.
The south or Lady chapel has an east window of late
fifteenth-century style, of four lights, and a south
window of three lights of similar character but rather
better design, and to the west of the latter a south
doorway with modern stonework. These windows
are probably part of the work done by Prior Hinton,
and at the south-east is a modern piscina with a shelf.
Part of a thirteenth-century piscina, with a projecting
moulded bowl, has lately been found, and may have
belonged to this chapel.
The transepts were originally lighted by single
round-headed windows, one in the east wall and
one in the west, and probably a third of the same
kind in the gable walls. The east and west windows
in the south transept survive, having escaped alteration
because they are covered by the roofs of the south
chapel and aisle, but the south window in the south
transept and all three windows in the north transept
have given place to later two-light insertions. The
north window of the north transept is of two trefoiled
lights with a quatrefoil in the head, and dates from
the second quarter of the fourteenth century, as does
the rear arch of the east window. The tracery of
this window is modern, as is all the stonework of the
west window, below which a doorway has just been
inserted (1906). In the course of this work a carefully-plastered cavity was found in the wall containing
a human bone, apparently placed there at the time
of the building of the transept, and probably a relic.
There was nothing to show that its position had been
marked on the wall-face.
The south window of the south transept, c. 1320,
has two trefoiled lights with tracery under a triangular
head, with a moulded rear arch and label. Above it,
in the gable, are three modern lancet windows. In
the east wall of this transept, adjoining the south-east
pier of the tower, is an early thirteenth-century
pointed arch of two chamfered orders, with squareedged chamfered strings at the springing, opening to
the south chapel, and contemporary with it, while
further to the south is a fourteenth-century opening
cut straight through the wall, 6 ft. 8 in. wide, with
an arched head, the wall being solid from the springing of the arch downwards. It marks the site of the
altar in the transept.
The central tower is of three stages, the ground
stage open on all four sides, with slightly stilted
round-headed arches, each of three slightly recessed
square orders, with a deep string at the springing.
The jambs of the north and south arches are simply
recessed, the member which takes the inner order of
the arches being corbelled off a little below the
springing, while the east and west arches are emphasized by half-round shafts to the inner order and
nook-shafts to the outer, with scalloped capitals and
moulded bases. The walls are ashlar-faced below the
string and plastered above, with wrought quoins to
the internal angles, up to the under side of the roofs.
The second stage of the tower has plain roundheaded openings on all four faces, and is reached by a
wooden stair from the north-west angle of the south
chapel, which leads to an opening in the east wall of
the south transept, and thence by a landing to a
narrow fifteenth-century doorway in the south-east of
the tower.
Above the roofs the tower is faced with ashlar of
excellent quality, and has bowtels at the angles.
The third stage has a group of three windows in each
face with round-headed arches of two orders, the
outer plain and the inner with zigzag ornament.
All have labels with billet ornament and jamb-shafts
with scalloped capitals, and at their base a string with
billet ornament runs round the tower. Above them
is a second string with zigzag, and over that three
circular openings on each face, with borders of
zigzag, close to the eaves of the spire, which is a
leaded octagonal broach of moderate height.
The nave had at first two north and two south
windows, and probably one in the west wall, with
west and south doorways, the steep rise of the ground
to the north accounting for the absence of a north
doorway. The west doorway remains in position,
and the south doorway still exists, though reset in the
wall of the south aisle, while the north-west window
remains perfect, and traces of those on the north-east
and south-east survive. The present north-east
window is of the same type and date as that in the
south wall of the south transept, while the west
window is of three lights with modern tracery of
fifteenth-century style, but early fourteenth-century
window and rear arches of good detail. The original
north-west window is a plain round-headed light, like
those in the south transept.
The west doorway is of four orders, with a roundheaded arch, and nook-shafts to the second and third
orders. The outer order is shallow and of square
section, while the second order has an edge-roll
between square fillets, the third a double line of
horizontal zigzag, and the inner order is plain, as is
also the rear arch. Of the nook-shafts, those to the
second order have leaf-capitals, and those to the third
order scallops. The abacus, which has a square upper
edge and a hollow chamfer below, does not project
beyond the outer wall face. The south doorway is
of similar character, but has only one pair of shafts,
and being set in a wall thinner than that in which it
originally stood, its rear arch projects from the inner
face. Even so it must have lost some of its masonry,
as it is now only 3 ft. 4 in. deep, and must have been
4 ft. deep at the first.
The south arcade is of three bays, with octagonal
columns, moulded capitals and bases, and pointed
arches of three orders, the inner and outer orders
chamfered, while the second order has an edge-roll.
The western respond of the arcade has a semioctagonal shaft, and the eastern respond is plain and
square. At the east end of the south aisle is a halfarch of the same detail and date as the south arcade,
and close to its south respond a plastered recess with
a low arched head of sixteenth-century date. In the
south wall, east of the south porch, are two windows,
each of two lancet lights, the eastern of the two
having a quatrefoil above the lights and a flatter rear
arch than the other. The masonry of the rear arch
is also in larger stones, and it is possible that the
quatrefoil is an addition, the arch being rebuilt when
it was made. The west window of the aisle is of
modern stonework, with a quatrefoil over a pair of
lancets. The external south-west corner of the aisle
is ashlar-faced, and has a bowtel on the angle.
The woodwork of the church is not ancient, and a
great deal of new work has just been set up (1906),
including new quire seats, and screens in the arcade
between the chancel and south chapel. The altar
has been brought forward from its former position
against the east wall of the chancel, and a second
altar fitted up in the south chapel.
A painting of the Doom over the west arch of the
tower, discovered at a former repair of the church,
has now entirely disappeared, and the only traces of
ancient wall-decoration now existing, beyond remains
of red colour in several places, are on the faces of the
east responds of the north and south tower arches.
They seem to be of thirteenth-century date, that on
the north being a Crucifixion, while the other, which
is very faint, shows nothing clearly except a crowned
head.
The font, at the west end of the south aisle, is
one of the best examples of a class of black marble
fonts, almost certainly of foreign origin, which occur
in three other Hampshire churches, Winchester
Cathedral, St. Michael's Southampton, and St. Mary,
Bourne. It is fully described in V.C.H. Hants, ii,
244. There are no monuments of importance
in the church, but two wall tablets of rather
unusual character are to be seen in the south wall of
the chancel and the west wall of the south transept.
Both are framed in a moulding of late Gothic section,
and have inscriptions in somewhat heavy Roman
lettering—the former in Latin to the wife of Richard
Downes, 1659, and the latter in English:—
Here lyeth the body of Richard Smyther,
Who departed this life in hope of a better.
March 16, 1633.
In the pavement of the south transept is set a small
piece of stone, inscribed in eighteenth-century lettering
'Amens Plenty,' to explain which a local legend has
arisen that it commemorates some soldiers killed in
the Civil Wars, and buried here hurriedly, with no
more funeral rites than the repetition of many Amens.
There is a ring of eight bells, the treble, second,
seventh, and tenor, by Taylor of Loughborough,
1890, the third by Chapman & Mears, 1782, the
fourth and fifth by Thomas Mears, 1834 and 1819,
and the sixth by William Tosier, 1722.
The plate consists of a silver-gilt communion cup
of 1747, with a paten of the same date, both given
by Ambrose Dickins; a silver paten of 1751, and a
plated flagon and spoon, the latter having a bowl
embossed and gilt.
The first book of the registers runs from 1560 to
1676, the second from 1677 to 1742, and the third
from 1743 to 1812.
THE CHAPEL OF ST. NICHOLAS, WESTBURY
THE CHAPEL OF ST. NICHOLAS, WESTBURY, was annexed to the parish church of East
Meon. In an account of the parish written in 1703
there is the following description of the chapel:—
'There is also another chapel at Westbury, but there
is no service in it. Upon a loose gravestone in this
chapel, narrower at the feet than at the head, is an
ancient portraiture of a priest or a woman deeply
carved but much defaced, which if taken up shows it to
have anciently been a place of sepulture.' (fn. 145) The ruined
chapel still stands in the grounds of Westbury House,
and can be seen from the road leading to West
Meon.
It is in plan a simple rectangle, (fn. 146) 35 ft. by 16 ft.
within, and appears to belong to the end of the
thirteenth century. A curious variation in the thickness of the walls is noticeable, the north wall being
thicker than the rest, and the east wall markedly
thinner. The entrance is by a doorway in the south
wall of which the outer arch is destroyed, but the
semicircular rear-arch remains. East and west of it
are two-light windows, uncusped, with an uncusped
opening in the head, that to the east being well preserved, (fn. 147) while the other is blocked. In the east wall
are the jambs of a wider window, said to have been
formerly of three trefoiled lights, and in the north
wall the lower part of a two-light window corresponding to the eastern of the two windows in the south
wall. Near the west end of this wall is a squareheaded opening low in the wall, with a wooden
lintel, and evidently not in its original condition.
The chapel is roofless and encumbered with destructive ivy, and preserves nothing of its ancient contents
except a plain circular font at the west end, and near
it part of a coffin slab, on which is the upper half of
a figure in low relief under a gabled and crocketed
canopy flanked by pinnacles, of early fourteenthcentury date. This would seem to have been complete at the time of writing of the Stowe MS. above
quoted.
THE CHAPEL OF ST. MARY'S-IN-THE-FIELDS
THE CHAPEL OF ST. MARY'S-IN-THE-FIELDS in the tithing of East Meon was annexed to
the parish church of East Meon. It was described in
1703 as 'quite down.' (fn. 148) The field called Fair Field
or Chapel Close still marks its site.
In the various documents relating to Bereleigh there
is usually mention of the advowson of the church of
Bereleigh (fn. 149) which went with the manor. There is
no church there now, nor was there one in early
times. Possibly there was at one time a chapel here.
During the seventeenth century and later, Bereleigh
was the centre of a Jesuit community.
The modern church of ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, LANGRISH, a building of flint with stone
dressings, in the Early English style, was erected in
1871, and a parish was assigned to it, as already
mentioned, in 1894. The registers date from 1871.
There is a Congregational chapel at Ramsdean,
which was rebuilt and enlarged in 1887.
ADVOWSONS
At the time of the Domesday
Survey there was a church in East
Meon which was held by the bishop
of Winchester together with six hides and one virgate. (fn. 150) All churches which appertained to the manor
of East Meon were included in the grant of the
manor made by Henry II to the church of Winchester, (fn. 151) and this grant was confirmed by King John in
1200. (fn. 152) In 1331, on the petition of John Stratford,
bishop of Winchester, it was decreed that, on any future
voidance of the see, the custody of the parish church
of East Meon should be held by the prior and convent of the church of St. Swithun, Winchester, as
belonging to the spiritualities of the see, and that the
keepers of the temporalities should not intermeddle
with the same as Robert de Welle and his fellows had
done during the voidance of the see in the reign of
Edward II. (fn. 153) The bishop of Winchester was patron
of the living until 1852, (fn. 154) in which year it was decreed
by Order in Council that on the next voidance of the
see of Winchester the patronage of East Meon
vicarage, with the chapelry of Froxfield and Steep,
should be transferred to the bishop of Lichfield. (fn. 155)
The bishop of Lichfield, however, finding it better to
have patronage in his own diocese, exchanged East
Meon with the Lord Chancellor, who gave up certain
advowsons in Lichfield. The living is still in the
gift of the Lord Chancellor.
In the thirteenth century the vicarage of East
Meon was endowed with:—Tithes great and small
from the four tenements of the hamlet of Froxfield,
tithes great and small from the chapelry of Westbury
annexed to the church of East Meon, all offerings
belonging to the church of East Meon with the
chapels annexed to it, viz. Froxfield, Steep, and St.
Mary's-in-the-Field, five eggs payable at Easter from
every man holding land in the parish of the motherchurch of East Meon and the hamlet and chapelry of
Froxfield, all profits and fees arising from the punishment of offenders in the peculiar and exempt jurisdiction within the parish of East Meon and the chapelries
adjacent to it, five quarters of corn from the granges
of the bishop of Winchester, and ten acres of arable
land. Henry de Woodlock, bishop of Winchester,
had intended to augment the vicarage, but was prevented by death from doing so. Finally, in 1318,
on the petition of Richard de Wardyngtone, perpetual
vicar of the church of East Meon, it was augmented
by John de Sendale, bishop of Winchester, who
granted to the vicar and his successors for the bettering
of the vicarage all small tithes of the parish of East
Meon and chapelries annexed, viz. lambs, milk,
cheese, calves, chickens, piglets, geese, eggs, mills,
honey, hay, apples, pigeons, flax, and hemp. All
other tithes he reserved to himself and his successors
except tithes of wool from the chapelry of Westbury. (fn. 156)
The living of ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST,
LANGRISH, is a vicarage, value £256, with residence, in the gift of the bishop of Winchester.
CHARITIES
In 1851 a piece of land containing 6 acres on Oxenbourn Down
was awarded under 2 and 3 Vic.
cap. 1 (Private Act) as to 5 acres for the growth of
furze and fuel to be cut and used by the occupiers of
small cottages not exceeding the annual value of £4 in
the tithing of Oxenbourn, and as to 1 acre for a recreation ground. These allotments being at a distance
from the village were in 1894 under an order of the
Charity Commissioners exchanged for 3 acres 3 roods
37 poles in East Meon, known as Pill Meadow, of
the annual value of £7, to be used as a recreation
ground. Under the scheme the managers let the
grazing, and apply the annual sum of £5 in the distribution of fuel among the poor of the tithing, and the
surplus in maintaining the recreation ground.
Under the same award 5 acres for the right of
cutting furze was allotted to the poor of the tithing
of Ramsdean and 1 acre for a recreation ground. The
tithing of Ramsdean now forms part of the parish of
Langrish. (fn. 157)
In 1863 Mrs. Joanna Agnes Forbes by deed
conveyed to trustees a piece of land containing
19 perches with almshouse buildings thereon upon
trust to be occupied by poor persons of good character
of upwards of sixty-five years of age. In 1904 an
additional site having a frontage to Church Street
was purchased, upon which it is proposed to erect
new almshouses. The endowment funds consist of
certain securities held by the Official Trustees of
Charitable Funds producing £197 a year, who also
hold £1,979 18s. 7d. consols, which is being
accumulated. (fn. 158)