BROWN CANDOVER
Candefer (ix cent.); Candevre (xi cent.); Brunkardoure, Candevre Abbatis (xiii cent.); Candovere,
Brunecandevere (xiv cent.).
Brown Candover parish lies 5 miles north from
Alresford and contains 2,810 acres. The village
lies along the main road from Winchester to Basingstoke in the valley of the Itchen, which intersects the
parish from east to west. From the river-valley the
ground rises steeply towards both the north and south,
a height of 539 ft. above the ordnance datum being
reached in the north. The modern church of St.
Peter, standing on the right bank of the Itchen, was
built in 1845, chiefly at the expense of the first Lord
Ashburton, replacing a church destroyed by fire which
hadstood about half a mile distant on the left bank of the
river. Candover House is situated nearly opposite
the site of the old church in large grounds sloping
down towards the river, and is now the residence of the
Hon. Frederick Arthur Baring, the younger brother
of the present Lord Ashburton. The Rectory House
was on the opposite side of the stream and road and
was entered through a small garden. The National
school was built in 1850 and enlarged in 1854. The
soil is chalky loam and gravel, the subsoil chalk and
gravel. The chief crops are wheat, turnips and oats.
The parish contains 1,226 acres of arable land, 734½
acres of permanent grass and 363 acres of woods and
plantations. (fn. 1) Part of Northington parish, with a
population of 27, was transferred to this parish for
civil purposes only in 1888. (fn. 2)
Manor
The manor of BROWN CANDOVER
belonged to the Crown till the beginning
of the 10th century, (fn. 3) when it was granted
by Edward the Elder to the New Minster afterwards
known as Hyde Abbey. (fn. 4) In 1086 it was farmed
out at £10, although only worth £8. (fn. 5) The manor
continued in possession of the abbey till the Dissolution, (fn. 6) when it came into the hands of Henry VIII,
who granted it in 1539 to Sir William Paulet Lord
St. John. (fn. 7) Sir William Paulet was created Marquess
of Winchester in 1551, and twenty years later sold
the property to Roger Corham and Mabel his wife. (fn. 8)
This Corham leased the farm of Brown Candover to
various tenants for an annual rent, and in 1587 an
interesting case was heard concerning an annuity of
£20 granted by the late Marquess of Winchester out
of this estate, the claimant Robert Halliwall bringing
an action for arrears of annuity against the then
tenants (Knight, Fisher and Woodward), and they
in turn demanding payment on the part of their
landlord Roger Corham, (fn. 9) on
the plea that 'he had got a
good bargain of the property
from the late Marquis.' (fn. 10)
Roger Corham died in 1600
and was succeeded by his son
William, (fn. 11) who forty years
later, in conjunction with his
son Roger, dealt with it by
fine with Francis Fortescue
and Thomas Travers. (fn. 12) Roger
was in possession of the manor
in 1641, conveying it in that
year to Henry Sandys and
others, probably in trust for John fifth Marquess of
Winchester. (fn. 13) The marquess was a zealous loyalist
and forfeited all his lands, the manor of Brown
Candover being purchased from the Treason Trustees
for Walter Strickland and four others. (fn. 14) However,
on the accession of Charles II he was restored in
his possessions, (fn. 15) and died seised of Brown Candover
in 1675. (fn. 16) The manor then
passed to his third, but
second surviving son, Francis
Paulet. Francis dealt with it
by recovery in 1676 and
1685 (fn. 17) and died in 1696. (fn. 18)
By the beginning of the 18th
century Brown Candover had
passed into the possession of
the Worsleys of Appuldurcombe and Chilton Candover.
Sir Robert Worsley, bart.,
presented to the church as
lord of the manor in 1709, (fn. 19)
and from this date the
descent of Brown Candover
follows that of Chilton Candover (q.v. infra), the
present owner being Francis Denzil fifth Lord
Ashburton.
Corham. Argent a cross sable between four eagles gules.
Worsley, baronet. Argent a cheveron between three falcons sable having their beaks, legs and bells or.
The Brunes of Rowner held land in the parish of
Hyde Abbey during the 15th and 16th (fn. 20) and probably the two preceding centuries, (fn. 21) and the name
'Brown' Candover possibly still marks their connexion with the place.
In 1086 Hugh de Port was holding 2½ hides in
Brown Candover of Hyde Abbey as of its manor of
Brown Candover. (fn. 22) This estate had been in the possession of Airaf in the time of Edward the Confessor. (fn. 23)
In 1207 Henry de Brayboef gave King John 1 mark
to recover possession of half a knight's fee with appurtenances in Brown Candover which he claimed to
hold from Adam de Port (great-grandson of the
Domesday holder) but of which Ruald de Woodcott
had deprived him. (fn. 24) The entry in the Testa de Nevill
to the effect that Robert de Tregos was holding half
a knight's fee in Brown Candover 'of the old feoffment of Henry de Brayboef and the same Henry of
Robert de St. John, and the same Robert of the
king,' (fn. 25) apparently refers to this holding. It further
appears in a list of the St. John knights' fees
in 1329, (fn. 26) but is omitted in a list of 1349, (fn. 27) and
nothing further can be definitely ascertained concerning the history of the tenement, although the probability is that it ultimately came into the possession of
Hyde Abbey. (fn. 28)
Church
The church of ST. PETER, BROWNCUM - CHILTON CANDOVER, is
modern and consists of chancel
19 ft. 10 in. by 17 ft. 10 in., nave 75 ft. 7 in. by
27 ft. 10 in., and a south tower 7 ft. 10 in. square,
these dimensions being taken internally. The church
is faced with squared flint with limestone dressings
and the roofs covered with tiles, with a tower at the
south-west, the lower stage of which serves as a porch,
surmounted by an octagonal lead spire.
There is a curious brass on the north chancel wall
of the figures of a civilian (c. 1520) and his wife with
their arms locked in each other's, and their hands
raised in prayer; it was restored to the church in
1889.
The panels below the oak altar rail are filled with
elaborate carving of 18th-century date with cherubs,
flowers and fruit. (fn. 28a) There are also three 17th-century
oak chairs, one of which has a carving of Adam and
Eve at the back. They came from the old Worsley
mansion at Chilton Candover.
There are five bells, by G. Mears of London, 1844.
The plate consists of a pair of silver-gilt chalices
and a silver-gilt flagon, said to have been given by
Miss Mary Cholmondeley in 1854, and two silvergilt patens and a silver-gilt alms dish, said to have
been made at the same date out of the silver of a
service given by Sir R. Worsley in 1675.
There are five register books. The first contains
entries of baptisms, marriages and burials from 1695
to 1765, and also entries for the parish of Woodmancott from 1698 to 1708. The second, which
also includes Woodmancott, contains mixed entries
from 1612 to 1742. In the other three the entries
are separated: baptisms, 1766 to 1812; marriages,
1768 to 1812; burials, 1706 to 1812.
Advowson
A church in Candover is mentioned in the Golden Charter (903)
to Hyde Abbey, (fn. 29) but there is no
reference to one in Domesday Book. (fn. 30) In 1302 Edward I claimed the advowson from the Abbot and
convent of Hyde on the ground that Henry III had
presented a certain Philip Paytevyn to the church. (fn. 31)
The abbot and convent proved that they had been
the patrons of the living from time immemorial, (fn. 32) and
recovered the advowson from the Crown in 1305 by
payment of a fine of 40 marks. (fn. 33) Henceforward the
advowson has followed the descent of the manor, (fn. 34) the
living at the present time being a rectory with that of
Chilton Candover annexed, of the net annual value of
£330 with residence and 61 acres of glebe in the gift
of Lord Ashburton.