MORESTEAD
The small parish of Morestead, covering an area
of 1,701 acres, is on high ground south-east of Winchester, the Roman road from Bishop's Waltham to
Winchester forming the northern part of its western
boundary. The village lies on comparatively low
ground in the south-west of the parish at the
junction of the Roman road to Winchester, which
forms the main village street, with a narrow lane
running across the fields from Twyford, which here
crosses the main road and continues a north-westerly
course, as Fawley Lane, over Fawley Down to meet
the main road from Petersfield to Winchester, just
outside the boundaries of Morestead parish. The
few cottages that comprise the village, with Complin's
Farm, Burgers' Farm, and the church and rectory, lie
south of the junction, the church, near which is a
reputed Roman well, lying to the east of the main
road. South-east of the church is the rectory surrounded by a beautiful old-world garden. On either
side the land rises from the village, Morestead Down
sweeping away north-east of the Roman road, which
cuts its way north between the down and a thick belt
of hedgerow. Again to the south-west is Hazely
Down, while north and east are Fawley Down and
Longwood Warren, where there is a rabbit warren of
some local fame. Patches of woodland, St. John's
Copse, Grove Copse, and Old Down Copse, mingle
with the open country to the south between the
village and Old Down Farm, which lies in the furthest
south-west corner of the parish. Immediately south
of the village, on a branch road leading to Owslebury,
is Morestead Farm, south again of which is Morestead House, the property of Mr. R. Eden Richardson,
whose large game farm supplies many of the neighbouring estates with birds. To the south-west is a
fine house 'The Firs,' the residence of Mr. Joseph
Storey Curtis, who owns a large training stable and to
whom the lately-inclosed 'No Man's Land,' consisting of about five acres in the extreme south of the
parish, belongs.
The soil being loam on chalk is very poor, and
although there are 515 acres of arable land as compared with 340 of permanent grass and 35 of woodland, much of the arable land is now being rapidly
converted into pasture. A considerable number of
sheep are reared on the downs, and these with the
game farm and racing stable furnish occupation for
the inhabitants.
The common lands were inclosed on 10 February,
1859. (fn. 1) The tithe map is at the vicarage. Some field
names in the parish were 'Suffle, Barrow Croft, Hern
Croft, Dungerts, and Winderane.'
MANORS
There seems to be little doubt that
MORESTEAD was originally one of
the eight sub-manors in Chilcomb mentioned at the time of the Domesday Survey; and one
of the nine churches included in Chilcomb at this
date probably became the parish church of Morestead. (fn. 2) The bishops of Winchester seem to have
retained possession of Morestead until nearly the end
of the thirteenth century; for Morestead is not
mentioned by name in the charter of 1205, under
which various manors in Hampshire passed into the
hands of the prior and convent of St. Swithun,
Winchester; (fn. 3) but by 1284 the manor was in the
possession of the prior and convent, and owed suit at
the bishop's court. (fn. 4) In 1316 the vill of Morestead
was in the hands of the prior of St. Swithun's, (fn. 5) and
there are a few records of leases by him. In 1338
Philip Marmyon conveyed a messuage, a carucate of
land, 20 acres of wood, and 8s. rent in Morestead to
John Sauncere and his wife Julia, to be held by John
and Julia and the heirs of Julia; (fn. 6) and in 1525 John
Dyker conveyed the manor of Morestead, together
with lands, tenements, and rent in Morestead, to
William Thorpe and others. (fn. 7)
After the dissolution of the monasteries Morestead
with many other lands formerly belonging to St.
Swithun's became part of the endowment of the
dean and chapter of Winchester Cathedral; (fn. 8) they
granted Morestead Manor to Richard Lyster, who
died possessed of it, held of
the dean and chapter, in
1558. (fn. 9)
Richard Lyster had sold a
great deal of his land to Sir
John Leigh in 1556; (fn. 10) and
the Leighs evidently bought
Morestead Manor, for it was
in their possession in 1567. (fn. 11)
In 1612 Sir John Leigh, son
of the Sir John Leigh mentioned in 1556, died seised of
the capital messuage of Morestead, which he held from
the dean and chapter of
Winchester, as of their manor
of Barton formerly Chilcomb. (fn. 12)
Carnegie, Earl of Northesk. Or an eagle sable with a naval crown or on his breast and the word Trafalgar in the chief.
In 1682 Morestead was in the possession of the
cathedral church of Winchester, (fn. 13) which continued
to hold it until the middle of the nineteenth century.
At some date between 1859 and 1866 the earl of
Northesk must have bought the property, his grandson, the present earl, being lord of the manor. (fn. 14)
CHURCH
The church (no dedication known)
is a small building with a twelfthcentury nave 14 ft. 8 in. wide, a modern
chancel of 1873, a modern south porch and western
brick bell-cot, and a brick building dating from 1833
set against the west wall of the nave, which has served
its turn as a school, and is now disused. Its site is
said to have been occupied by the old rectory pulled
down in 1833. The chancel is lighted by modern
round-headed windows, and has a modern chancel
arch springing from corbels, while the nave has one
north and two south windows, likewise modern. Its
walls are 2 ft. 5 in. thick, and the north doorway,
which has a plain round head with a chamfered string
at the springing, is of mid-twelfth-century date,
while the south doorway has a head which may be of
the same period but reworked, its jambs being modern.
At the west end of the nave is a pointed window
blocked up. The nave roof with its tie-beams is old,
but all other fittings in the church are modern except
the font, which stands near the south door, and is
of a common late twelfth-century type, of Purbeck
marble, with an octagonal bowl on a central and
smaller flanking shafts, each face of the bowl being
worked with two pointed arches.
The single bell bears in rough lettering 1 H
1616.
The communion plate is modern, consisting of a
chalice of 1872 with flagon and paten of the preceding
year.
The first book of the registers, a parchment copy
apparently made about 1656, begins in 1549 and
goes to 1811, the marriages not being entered after
1754. The second book is a copy of the baptisms
and burials 1800–11 taken from the first book, and
the third is the marriage register 1760–1811. There
is also a book of the overseers of the poor, 1813–35.
ADVOWSON
Morestead church was probably
among the nine churches mentioned
in Domesday as belonging to the
manor of Chilcomb (fn. 15) (q.v.). The advowson is now,
and always has been, held by the bishop of Winchester. (fn. 16) In 1285 the prior and convent of St.
Swithun received confirmation of a charter by
which they received the Easter offerings and a pension from the church of Morestead. (fn. 17) In 1291 the
church was assessed at £5; (fn. 18) and by 1535 the value
had risen to £6 3s. 8d. (fn. 19) In 1658 Morestead was
temporarily united with Chilcomb parish by order of
the Trustees for the Maintenance of Ministers. (fn. 20)
The living is now a rectory.
Joseph D'Arcy Sirr, D.D., rector of Morestead
1859–68, was the author of A Memoir of Archbishop
Trench and the Life of Archbishop Usher. (fn. 21)