TUNWORTH
Tunworde (xi cent.); Tunewurda (xii cent.);
Tunnesworth, Toneworthe, Thonewurth (xiii cent.).
Tunworth is a small parish covering an area of
1,105 acres, (fn. 1) and is situated about 4 miles south-east
from Basingstoke. The village lies in the south of
the parish, which here reaches a height of over 400 ft.
above the ordnance datum. All Saints' Church
stands just outside the eastern boundary of Herriard
Park, and a little to the east is the rectory, which is
occupied by Mr. E. Vansittart Frere, since the Rev.
Arthur Kelly, M.A., the rector, resides at Winslade,
to which parish he was presented in 1895 to hold
in conjunction with Tunworth. The schools were
built in 1857. Priest Wood, Gaston Copse and part
of Herriard Park, all in the south, are responsible
for the 97 acres of woods and plantations which the
parish contains. (fn. 2) The soil is light loam and the
subsoil chalk. The chief crops are wheat, barley and
roots.
The following place-names in Tunworth occur in
a document of the early 17th century:—a messuage
called 'Lamboldesholde' and a wood called 'Combe
Wood.' (fn. 3)
Manor
The manor of TUNWORTH, which
Alvred had held of Queen Edith, formed
part of the vast possessions of Hugh de
Port in 1086. (fn. 4) Hugh de Port held it in demesne, but
the actual holder in the middle of the 12th century
was Adam de St. Manuel, (fn. 5) although there is no evidence to show from whom he acquired the demesne
lordship. The overlordship, however, continued with
the de Ports and their descendants, (fn. 6) John Marquess of
Winchester being returned as the overlord as late as
1633. (fn. 7) Reginald de Mohun of Dunster (co. Somers.)
died seised of Tunworth at the beginning of the 13th
century, (fn. 8) and in 1207 his son and heir Reginald
assigned it in dower to his widow Hawise, (fn. 9) who had
married William Paynel as her second husband. (fn. 10) On
her death it reverted to Reginald and was by him
granted in free marriage with his daughter Lucy (fn. 11) to
John de Grey, lord of Codnor (co. Derb.), who died
seised in 1272. (fn. 12) He was succeeded by his son Henry,
who in 1275 was returned as holding one knight's fee
in Tunworth of John de St. John. (fn. 13) On the death of
Henry in 1309 the manor passed to his son Richard, (fn. 14)
who obtained a grant of free warren in his demesne
lands of Tunworth from Edward III in 1335 (fn. 15) —the
year of his death. From him it passed through his
son John Grey (fn. 16) to his great-grandson Richard Grey,
who died in 1418. The manor was held in dower
by Elizabeth widow of Richard until her death in
1451, when it passed to her grandson Henry Grey
son of her son Henry, (fn. 17) who had died in 1441. (fn. 18)
Tunworth passed with the manor of Upton Grey by
sale from Sir Henry and Margaret his wife to Sir
Richard Illingworth, baron of the Exchequer in
1467, (fn. 19) and continued in the
Illingworth family for about a
century and a half. Richard
died in 1476, and Tunworth
then passed in accordance
with a previous settlement to
his younger son Richard, (fn. 20)
who settled at Mitcham (co.
Surr.), his residence, which
was pulled down about forty
years ago, being situated to
the south of the Cricket
Green. (fn. 21) Richard died in
1511 and was succeeded by
his son William, (fn. 22) whose will
was proved in the archdeaconry of Surrey 27 May and 22 July 1538. (fn. 23) Ralph
Illingworth, son of the latter, (fn. 24) as lord of Tunworth
paid 2s. in 1561 for exemption from attendance at
the manor and hundred courts of Basingstoke for
that year. (fn. 25) He was buried at Mitcham on 3 July
1572, and was followed by
Michael Illingworth, possibly
his son, but more probably
his brother, (fn. 26) who conveyed
it to his son John in 1601
and died in 1618. (fn. 27) John
Illingworth as lord of the
manor presented to the church
in 1611, (fn. 28) but soon afterwards
parted with the estate, the
purchaser most probably being
John Hall of Basingstoke,
who was the owner of the
manor and advowson in
1630 (fn. 29) and died in 1633. (fn. 30)
Thomas Hall, twice Mayor
of Basingstoke, the third and
youngest son of John, apparently succeeded to the
manor, for he resided at his seat in Tunworth after
his retirement from the corporation of Basingstoke in
the middle of the 17 th century until his death in
1669. (fn. 31) Joan Hall widow presented to the living
in 1699, (fn. 32) and 'Mrs. Hall of Maplederwell widow'
is described as 'lady of the manor and patroness of
the rectory' by a writer in 1703. (fn. 33) Joan Hall
widow and William Hall dealt with the manor and
advowson by fine and recovery in 1705, (fn. 34) and
William Hall presented to
the church in 1713 and again
in 1728. (fn. 35) He apparently
died soon afterwards, however, for Thomas Hall was
the patron in 1732. (fn. 36) The
manor and advowson continued in possession of Thomas
Hall until 1760, in which
year he sold them to Samuel
Prince, clerk. (fn. 37) From the
latter the estate passed by
purchase three years later to
Tristram Huddlestone Jervoise
of Herriard. (fn. 38) The manor has from this date followed
the same descent as the manor of Herriard (q.v.), the
present owner being Mr. Francis Henry Tristram
Jervoise of Herriard Park.
Mohun of Dunster. Or a cross engrailed sable.
Grey of Codnor. Barry argent and azure with three roundels gules in the chief.
Illingworth of Mitcham. Argent a fesse sable flowered on both sides between three scallops sable.
Hall of Basingstoke. Argent a cheveron engrailed gules between three talbots' heads razed sable with a star or upon the cheveron.
Jervoise of Herriard. Sable a cheveron between three eagles close argent.
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS consists
of a chancel 15 ft. by 13 ft., nave 32 ft.
5 in. by 15 ft. 6 in. (inside measurements) and a south porch. The nave walls date from
the 12th century and one original window still
remains; the chancel and chancel arch are perhaps
c. 1200, and appear to have been partly rebuilt at a
later period, and the south porch, which is of no
great age, was restored in 1908.
The chancel has a modern east window of three
lights with geometrical tracery, and in the north
wall is a very small pointed light rebated and
chamfered outside and splayed inside, apparently of
13th-century date. The south wall is unpierced, and
the chancel arch has square jambs with small
angle chamfers stopped out above the floor and
below the abaci.
The abaci are square chamfered beneath, the arch
is two-centred and chamfered, the chamfers being
stopped above the abaci. At the north-east of the
nave is a small round-headed light of the 12th century
with splayed inner jambs and arch set high in the
wall, with chalk head and jambs and a modern Bath
stone sill. Further west, on the site of the old north
door, is a modern window of two trefoiled lights with
tracery in a pointed head.
The south window is also modern, of four trefoiled
lights under a square traceried head, and the south
doorway dates from c. 1300 and has jambs and
pointed head of two chamfered orders with a moulded
label. The west window is a modern cinquefoiled
light, and over the west end of the nave is a small
modern wood bell-turret with boarded sides, capped
by a lead roof and an octagonal shingled spirelet. It
contains one bell.
The roofs are open, the timbers are plain and
some of them appear to be old. The altar, font and
other furniture are modern.
The plate consists of a chalice of pre-Reformation
pattern, a paten and a silver-mounted glass flagon, all
of 1853.
The registers date from 1749, the first book
containing baptisms and burials from that date to
1812 and the second marriages from 1754 to 1812.
Advowson
The first recorded mention of a
church in the parish is in 1291,
when it was assessed at £4. 6s. 8d. (fn. 39)
Joan Du Bois widow of Sir John Du Bois presented
a rector between 1290 and 1295, (fn. 40) but after that
date the lords of the manor have presented to the
church till the present day with but few exceptions. (fn. 41)
In 1388 Stephen Shirfelde engaged in a dispute with
Sir John Grey as to his right to present, but in June
of that year the king ordered the latter's presentee to
be instituted, as he had been successful in establishing his claim to the advowson by process of law. (fn. 42)
The living is at the present day a rectory of the
net yearly value of £120, including 44 acres of
glebe and residence, in the gift of Mr. F. H. T.
Jervoise.
Joseph Warton the critic, the elder brother of the
historian of English poetry, was formerly rector here,
being instituted in 1754. (fn. 43)