ALLINGTON
Allington (fn. 1) lies in the Bourne valley 12 km.
north-east of Salisbury. (fn. 2) Boscombe parish was in
1934 added to Allington, (fn. 3) which until then was a
long and narrow parish of 957 a. (387 ha.) with the
river Bourne flowing across the middle. Few
natural features mark the parish boundary. The
boundary with Boscombe, more than half the total
length, was marked in the extreme north-west by
mounds visible in the later 19th century, (fn. 4) and both
north-west and south-east of Allington village by
a road. Near the Bourne a zigzag on the Boscombe
boundary suggests a late division of pasture,
some of which may have been marshy.
Upper Chalk outcrops over the whole parish.
The Bourne, which meanders across the parish,
flows intermittently in winter and spring and is
dry in summer and autumn: it has deposited
gravel but no alluvium, and there is gravel in a
dry tributary valley north of the church. The
downland, highest at 155 m. in the extreme
south-east, is generally flat although from both
sides the land falls steeply to the river, which is
at c. 75 m. (fn. 5) There were meadows beside the
Bourne, open fields on the chalk higher up on
each side, and rough pasture on the downs at
each end of the parish. (fn. 6) Apart from orchards in
the village there was no woodland in the parish
until, between 1899 and 1923, a small area west
of the church was planted with trees. (fn. 7) The
south-east end of the parish was part of a military
training area from the earlier 20th century. (fn. 8)
Portway, the Roman road from Silchester to
Old Salisbury, crosses the south-east part of the
parish and apparently remained in use as a local
route until the 20th century. (fn. 9) In the 17th century
the main Oxford—Salisbury road via Hungerford
(Berks.) crossed the north-western tip of the
parish. Between 1675 and 1773 a new course
further west was adopted for it; (fn. 10) the road across
Allington parish declined in importance and was
a rough track in 1993. Allington village is on the
road linking the villages of the Bourne valley to
Salisbury. When that road was turnpiked in
1835, to complete a Swindon—Salisbury turnpike
road via Marlborough, a new section was made
south to Allington village from the western edge
of the park of Wilbury House in Newton Tony.
The road, disturnpiked in 1876, (fn. 11) remained the
main Swindon—Salisbury road in 1993, when the
old section between Allington and Newton Tony
villages was a minor road. Two roads, one from
Winterslow along parts of the parish boundary
and one from Newton Tony, crossed the parish,
converged west of it, and led to Amesbury. (fn. 12)
South-east of the village the Winterslow road
was diverted away from the boundary to serve a
new farmstead in the mid 19th century, (fn. 13) was
closed south-east of the farmstead when military
training began, and was not tarmacadamed. The
development of Boscombe Down airfield west of
the parish caused the Amesbury road to be
diverted along a route, called the Allington track,
improved in the 1950s and leading to Amesbury
by the main London—Exeter road. (fn. 14)
The London—Salisbury railway line, built by
the L. & S.W.R. along the south-east side of
Portway, was opened in 1857 (fn. 15) and remained a
main line in 1993. A light railway from Grateley
(Hants) to Amesbury, diverging from the main
line in Newton Tony parish, was opened across
the north-west part of Allington parish in 1902 (fn. 16)
and closed in 1963. (fn. 17)
The parish is not known to be rich in prehistoric
remains. A Bronze-Age brooch was found near
Portway, and Romano-British sherds were found
both near the village and north-west of Portway.
Parts of three ditches, all possibly associated with
animal husbandry, cross the parish, two in the
south-east and one in the north-west. (fn. 18)
Allington may have been a small village in the
14th century (fn. 19) and had only 35 poll-tax payers in
1377. (fn. 20) With only 75 inhabitants in the parish in
1801, 64 in 1821, and never more than 94, the
village was very small in the 19th century and may
have shrunk since the 14th. Between 1891 and
1911, when it was 207, the population trebled, and
there was evidently some new housing: the reasons
for the rapidity of the increase are obscure. There
were 175 inhabitants in 1931. The population of
the enlarged parish increased after the Second
World War mainly because of new housing in
Allington, and of the 469 inhabitants in 1991 (fn. 21)
about three quarters lived at Allington.
Allington village (fn. 22) grew up on the right bank
of the Bourne where the old road to Salisbury
beside the river is crossed by the Winterslow
road, which fords the river. In the 20th century
the old Salisbury road was called Newton Tony
Road, the north-west part of the Winterslow
road Wyndham Lane. South-west of the ford an
open space on low ground formed a green, west
of which stands the church and south stood the
rectory house. There were six farmsteads and
little else in the village in 1840: three farmsteads
stood around the green, two in Wyndham Lane,
and one east of the crossroads in Newton Tony
Road. (fn. 23) A farmhouse and two cottages had been
burned down in 1788. (fn. 24) Of the farmhouses
standing in 1840 Manor Farm, that nearest the
church, was standing in the 17th century and
was destroyed by fire in 1860. (fn. 25) South-east of
it Child's Farm, called Kea Cottage in 1993,
was built in the 17th century as a three-bayed
timber-framed house with a thatched roof. At
the crossroads Wyndham's Farm was also built
in the 17th century as a timber-framed house of
three bays. It was rebuilt in brick and rubble,
and the inside refitted, in the 18th century, and
extended southwards and again refitted in the
19th; a two-storeyed brick bay was built at the
south end c. 1900. In Wyndham Lane on the
north-east side Bishop's Cottage was built, of
flint with brick quoins and a thatched roof, for
Richard Bishop c. 1789. (fn. 26) North-west of it on
the same side Page's Farm was standing in 1795
and was demolished between 1961 and 1977. (fn. 27)
On the north-west side of Newton Tony Road
Charity Farm was built in 1780–1 (fn. 28) and rebuilt
in 1893–4 as a red-brick house. (fn. 29) A pair of
cottages had been built on the east side of the
green by 1840; (fn. 30) adjoining it and later part of a
terrace of three buildings a nonconformist
chapel incorporating a cottage was built c.
1843. (fn. 31) The rectory house was demolished in the
later 19th century. (fn. 32)
Allington 1840
The village was bypassed by the new section
of the Swindon—Salisbury road made in 1835. (fn. 33)
In the 20th century the old section south of the
village and the new section were together called
Tidworth Road, along which several buildings
were erected in the 19th century and early 20th.
On the west side at the junction of the old and
new sections the New Inn, on the site of a
building standing in 1795, was open in 1848. (fn. 34)
Its name was changed to the Old Inn in the later
19th century, it was rebuilt in the earlier 20th, (fn. 35)
and it was open in 1993. A house standing south
of it in 1993 may incorporate parts of one
standing in 1795. (fn. 36) The Flint House was built
on the west side of the road between 1840 and
c. 1875, (fn. 37) and a group of buildings including a
farmstead on the west side and a range of three
cottages on the east side was erected north of the
junction of Tidworth Road and Wyndham Lane
in the later 19th century and earlier 20th. On the
east side three thatched cottages built between
1899 and 1923 were replaced by a commercial
garage in the later 20th century. (fn. 38) South of the
village a new rectory house was built on the east
side in 1877, (fn. 39) and a new farmstead, Cloudlands
Farm, on the west side between 1899 and 1923. (fn. 40)
On rising ground east of the village Allington
House, a large house of stone, was built in
1923; (fn. 41) beside Tidworth Road at the north end
of the village four council houses were built in
1929 (fn. 42) and four private houses in the 1930s; (fn. 43)
south of the village, on what until 1934 was the
boundary with Boscombe, an estate of 20 houses,
4 flats, and 3 bungalows was built as Bourne
View by the local authority from c. 1948. (fn. 44) After
c. 1960 houses and bungalows were also built in
the old part of the village: Wyndham Lane was
built up on both sides, eight red-brick houses,
including two altered 19th-century cottages,
were built on the site of Manor Farm, and there
was some infilling. Also after c. 1960 houses and
bungalows were built round the junction of
Wyndham Lane and Tidworth Road. (fn. 45)
On the South-east downs Allington Farm was
built immediately south-east of the railway c.
1867. (fn. 46) From 1916 it was within the military
training area and not used much for agriculture;
by the Second World War and in 1993 the site
was used for breeding animals for what is now
the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, based at Porton down in Idmiston, (fn. 47)
and many new buildings have been erected. On
the north-west downs Arundel Farm was evidently built by the state c. 1917 and was used
for several years as an animal farm for the
Experimental Station, Porton. (fn. 48) A new house
was built in the late 20th century, when few, if
any, of the original farm buildings survived.
Manors and other estates.
Before 1066 Amesbury abbey was unlawfully dispossessed of 4 hides at Allington by Earl Harold but
by 1086 had recovered them. Earl Harold held
another 4-hide estate at Allington in 1066; it was
afterwards held and forfeited by Aubrey de
Couci, and in 1086 was held by the king. (fn. 49) The
later descent of each estate is obscure.
In 1285 Ralph de la Stane and his wife Agnes
settled ALLINGTON manor for life on William
of Draycot and his wife Susan. (fn. 50) In 1312 Agnes,
then Agnes de Percy, may have been disputing
the manor, as she was the advowson of the
church, with Sir John Dun. (fn. 51) The manor belonged to William Buckland and his wife Joan
in 1330, (fn. 52) evidently to Buckland in 1348 and to
Sir Thomas Hungerford (d. 1397) in 1379, (fn. 53) and
to John Wallop in 1428. (fn. 54) From John it descended in the direct line to Thomas, John (d. 1486),
and Richard (fn. 55) (d. 1503). It was held by Richard's
relict Elizabeth (d. 1505), reverted to his brother
Robert (fn. 56) (d. 1535), and was apparently held by
Robert's relict Rose. (fn. 57) On Rose's death the
manor passed to Robert's nephew (Sir) John
Wallop (d. 1551), who was succeeded by his
brother Sir Oliver (fn. 58) (d. 1566). It descended,
again in the direct line, to Sir Henry (fn. 59) (d. 1599),
Henry (fn. 60) (d. 1642), (fn. 61) and Robert (d. 1667), a
regicide. Robert's estates were confiscated at the
Restoration, and in 1661 granted to his brotherin-law Thomas Wriothesley, earl of
Southampton, (fn. 62) who in 1666 sold Allington
manor to William Craven, earl of Craven. In
1680 Craven sold it in portions. (fn. 63)
The demesne, MANOR farm, was bought by
Edward Miller (d. 1712), who in 1685 gave a
third of it to his son Nicholas (d. 1711) and
Nicholas's wife Denise (d. 1717). (fn. 64) Edward sold
his two thirds in 1708 to his grandson William
Carpenter, (fn. 65) who sold them in 1722 to Henry
Hyde. (fn. 66) In 1724 Hyde sold them to John Baker, (fn. 67)
to whom Nicholas's son John sold his third in
1727. (fn. 68) Baker sold the whole estate in 1737 to
Joseph Earle's trustees. (fn. 69) In 1762 the trustees
sold it to Edward Hearst (fn. 70) (d. 1767), (fn. 71) who
already owned land in the parish. (fn. 72)
Hearst's composite estate, reputed ALLINGTON manor, (fn. 73) descended to his daughter
Caroline, wife of H. P. Wyndham (fn. 74) (d. 1819),
and to her son Wadham Wyndham (d. 1843),
who owned 546 a. in the parish in 1840. (fn. 75)
Wadham was succeeded by his sister Caroline
(d. 1845), wife of John Campbell, from 1844
John Campbell-Wyndham. Under the terms of
Wadham's will the manor passed from Caroline to
her son J. H. Campbell-Wyndham (d. 1868) and
successively to her daughters Julia (d. 1869), wife of
Edward Thornton (later Thornton-Wyndham), and
Ellen (d. 1890), wife of Richard King (later King-Wyndham). Ellen's successor was her niece Caroline
Hetley (d. 1908), wife of Philip Pleydell-Bouverie
(from 1868 Pleydell-Bouverie-Campbell, from
1890 Pleydell-Bouverie-Campbell-Wyndham).
Caroline was succeeded by her son Richard
Campbell-Wyndham (d. 1909), whose heir was
his sister Mary, wife of Walter Long (from 1909
Walter Campbell-Wyndham). (fn. 76) Between 1840 and
1910 Page's farm (fn. 77) was added to the manor,
presumably by purchase. (fn. 78) From 1916 the War
Department occupied the land south-east of the
London—Salisbury railway line, 173 a., and in
1925 bought it; the Ministry of Defence owned
it in 1993. (fn. 79) The Campbell-Wyndhams sold the
remainder of the manor in portions in 1923. (fn. 80)
The largest farm, Wyndham's, 242 a., was
bought by A. A. Curtis (d. 1952), (fn. 81) and in 1993,
then 161 a. between the village and the London—Salisbury railway, belonged to Mr. and Mrs. M.
Snell. (fn. 82) In 1993 Mr. M. Rowland owned c. 300
a. north-west of the village. (fn. 83)
William, earl of Craven, sold what was later
called CHILD'S farm in 1680 to William Child (fn. 84)
(d. 1688), and the land descended in turn to Child's
son William (fn. 85) (d. 1728) and grandson William
Child. (fn. 86) In 1795 it belonged to W. B. Child (d.
1798), whose son W. B. Child (fn. 87) sold it c. 1806 to
a Mr. Horne, presumably Roger Horne (d. 1845),
the owner in 1832. (fn. 88) James Horne owned the farm,
172 a. north-west of the village, in 1840 and 1865. (fn. 89)
It was sold c. 1895 in portions. (fn. 90)
Richard Scotney in 1388 (fn. 91) and Isabel Scotney
in 1401–2 (fn. 92) were overlords of THORP'S estate.
Catherine, relict of Sir John Thorp (d. 1386),
held the estate until her death in 1388. It passed
to Sir John's son Edward, to Henry Thorp (d.
1416) and his wife Cicely (fl. 1419), (fn. 93) and to
Henry's son Ralph. It evidently descended in
the Thorp and Clifford families with East Boscombe manor, (fn. 94) and in 1598 Henry Clifford sold
it to John Hatchman. (fn. 95) In 1618 Hatchman sold
the estate, then 3 yardlands, to John Poncherdon, (fn. 96) the owner in 1630. (fn. 97) It belonged to
William Hearst in 1705 and passed to his sons
William (d. 1724 or 1725) and Edward in turn. (fn. 98)
From 1762 it was part of Edward's reputed
manor of Allington. (fn. 99)
Stephen Cox (d. 1608) devised 1½ yardland
to his kinsman John Goodall, (fn. 100) possibly him who
died c. 1621. (fn. 101) John Goodall (d. 1639) devised
GOODALL'S to his son John, (fn. 102) and the estate
descended to John Goodall (d. 1719), whose son
John (fn. 103) sold it in 1721 to William Hearst, probably
the younger. (fn. 104) It passed with Thorp's and in 1762
became part of the reputed manor of Allington. (fn. 105)
Thomas Mackerell (d. 1627) owned 2 yardlands, most of what was later called PAGE'S
farm. His daughter Anne and her husband John
Swayne (fn. 106) sold the estate in 1655 to James Barbon, (fn. 107) and in 1668 Henry Edmonds sold it to
Samuel Heskins (fn. 108) (d. 1709), rector of Cholderton. (fn. 109) It passed to Heskins's son the Revd.
Samuel Heskins (d. 1733), (fn. 110) and later belonged
to Robert Bunny (will proved 1771). It passed
to Bunny's brother Thomas (fn. 111) (will proved
1785) and to Thomas's son Robert (fn. 112) (will
proved 1799). (fn. 113) In 1840 the farm, 144 a. northwest of the village, belonged to Jane Mayhew, (fn. 114)
and by 1910 had been added to Allington
manor. (fn. 115)
John Miles sold a small farm in 1780—1 to
Richard Harrison's charity for Amesbury. (fn. 116)
CHARITY farm, 21 a. in 1840, (fn. 117) was sold by
the charity between 1910 and 1925. (fn. 118) .
In 1179 Henry II confirmed to Amesbury
priory 4 a. of wheat in Allington, possibly representing an estate of tithes held until 1177 by
Amesbury abbey. (fn. 119) A small portion of tithes
from Allington evidently became part of West
Boscombe manor, which the priory held until
the Dissolution. (fn. 120) The tithes of oats from 4
yardlands belonged to Robert Waters with West
Boscombe manor (fn. 121) in 1839, when they were
valued at £2 5s. and commuted. (fn. 122)
Economic history.
There was land at
Allington for 4 ploughteams in 1086. Of the 8
hides 5¼ were demesne on which there were 2
teams and 6 servi. On the other land 4 villani, 9
coscets, and 1 cottar had 2 teams. There were
13 a. of meadow; the pasture measured 1 league
by 1 furlong and 3 square furlongs. The lands
were in two estates (fn. 123) but there is no evidence
that each was restricted to either the south-east
or north-west side of the Bourne.
There were open fields in each half of the
parish, common pasture for sheep on the downland at each end, and meadow land on both sides
of the river, but there is evidence of only one
common pasture for cattle. In the 18th century
there were c. 410 a. of arable and upland pasture
in the south-east halfc. 435 a. in the north-west:
in each c. 150 a. were pasture. There were three
open fields in each half, the meadows included
a commonable one in which shares were assigned
by lot, and there was a cow down of 60 a. west
of the river south of the village. Land in each
set of open fields carried with it the right to feed
sheep only on the adjoining down. In the 17th
century sheep were stinted at 50 to 1 yardland. (fn. 124)
By 1674 part of the north-west down had been
burnbaked, (fn. 125) and in 1731 a tenant was permitted
to plough 20 a. of old lains or downland provided
that after three years the land was reseeded with
rye grass or sainfoin. (fn. 126) In the later 18th century
the stints were 60 sheep to 1 yardland in the
south-east, 50 to 1 yardland in the north-west. (fn. 127)
Apart from the home closes all the land remained
commonable. (fn. 128)
In the Middle Ages each demesne or customary holding may have been restricted to one half
of the parish, as some later holdings were. In
1661 the demesne of Allington manor, nominally
c. 237 a., was in the south-east; three other
holdings of the manor, nominally of c. 58 a., c.
47 a., and c. 28 a., were wholly in the north-west;
of two other 28-a. holdings one was in the
south-east and one included land in both
halves. (fn. 129) The rector had land in both halves,
most in the north-west. (fn. 130) In 1774 the estate later
called Page's farm, 79 a., included 3 yardlands,
c. 57 a., in the north-west and ½ yardland, c. 15
a., in the south-east; the farm included 3 a. of
inclosed pasture and 1 a. of common meadow. (fn. 131)
All the commonable land of Allington was
inclosed in 1795 by Act. Thereafter there were
apparently seven farms. All the south-east half
of the parish, c. 410 a., was evidently in Manor
farm. In the north-west half there were farms of
171 a. and 136 a., four, including the glebe as
one, of less than 35 a., and possibly one of c. 110
a. (fn. 132) Between 1795 and 1840 all the north-west
down except 20 a. was converted to arable, as
were 23 a. of the cow down. In 1840 there were
c. 668 a. of arable and 181 a. of downland
pasture. The arable in the south-east was in a
single field of 220 a., and there were fields of 142
a. and 102 a. in the north-west. Manor farm was
546 a. including c. 140 a. in the north-west half;
Child's, 172 a., and Page's, 144 a., were the other
principal farms. (fn. 133)
Sheep-and-corn husbandry continued on the
large farms in the parish until c. 1900; dairying
increased in the earlier 20th century. (fn. 134) Manor,
679 a. in 1910 when it included Page's, (fn. 135) remained the principal farm until it was broken
up 1916 x 1923. In 1916 the 173 a. south-east of
the railway line, and Allington Farm, erected
there c. 1867, largely went out of agricultural
use; some land on that side of the railway in
Allington, Boscombe, and Newton Tony parishes was cultivated from Allington Farm for the
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment
in 1993, but most of the 173 a. was then rough
grass. (fn. 136) From 1923 the rest of the land in the
south-east half of the parish was in Wyndham's
farm, c. 242 a. in 1925, (fn. 137) and in the 1930s it was
about half arable and half pasture. (fn. 138) in 1993
Wyndham's farm, 161 a., included c. 129 a. of
arable and, near the Bourne, c. 32 a. of pasture;
the remaining land in the south-east was worked
as part of Manor farm, Newton Tony, and was
mainly arable. (fn. 139) In the north-west half of the
parish much arable was laid to pasture between
1840 and the early 20th century. (fn. 140) In the late
19th century Child's farm was fragmented, as
the north-west part of Manor farm was in 1923, (fn. 141)
and from then there were several small farms (fn. 142)
probably devoted to dairying. In the 1930s only
about a third of the north-west was arable. (fn. 143)
Arundel Farm was in the 1930s the base of a
small dairy farm. (fn. 144) Cloudlands farm, c. 56 a. in
1993, was a small farm consisting of most of the
former cow down. (fn. 145) Charity farm, 21 a. in 1910,
had been increased to 107 a. by 1925 (fn. 146) and was
all permanent pasture in 1993. (fn. 147) In the north-west part of the parish in 1993 c. 300 a. of arable
were worked from Ratfyn Farm, Amesbury. (fn. 148)
There was a mill at Allington in 1086 (fn. 149) but no
evidence of one later.
Local government.
About £20 a year
was spent on poor relief in the 1770s and 1780s.
In 1802–3 £73 was spent on regular relief for 5
adults and 11 children and on occasional relief
for 5 people, in all nearly a third of the inhabitants. (fn. 150) An average of £95 was spent 1812–15 on
12 adults, of whom about half were relieved
regularly 1812–14, about a quarter in 1814–15. (fn. 151)
The amounts spent 1816–34, highest at £110 in
1830 and lowest at £45 in 1833, were among the
smallest in Amesbury hundred. (fn. 152) The parish
became part of Amesbury poor-law union in
1835. (fn. 153) It was included in Salisbury district in
1974. (fn. 154)
Church.
Allington church was evidently
standing in the 12th century. (fn. 155) In 1650 it was
proposed to add the parish to Boscombe, but the
proposal was not implemented then. (fn. 156) The rectory was united with that of Boscombe in 1924, (fn. 157)
and in 1970 the parishes were united. (fn. 158) The
united benefice became part of Bourne Valley
benefice in 1973. (fn. 159)
Ralph de la Stane and his wife Agnes, lords
of Allington manor, held the advowson of the
rectory in 1285. (fn. 160) The right to present was
disputed in 1312 between Agnes, then Agnes de
Percy, and Sir John Dun, who each presented:
neither candidate was admitted and the bishop
collated by lapse. (fn. 161) John Etton presented in
1338, possibly by grant of a turn; William
Buckland, lord of the manor, presented in 1348,
Sir Thomas Hungerford, probably lord of the
manor, presented in 1379, and for a reason which
is obscure the bishop collated in 1381. From
then until the mid 17th century the lord of the
manor presented, (fn. 162) except in 1577 when, again
for a reason now unknown, the king presented. (fn. 163)
The advowson was retained by William, earl of
Craven (d. 1697), when he sold the manor in
1680. It passed to his cousin William Craven,
Lord Craven (d. 1711), and in turn to that
William's sons William, Lord Craven (d. 1739),
and Fulwar, Lord Craven (d. 1764). Fulwar was
succeeded by his cousin William Craven, Lord
Craven (d. 1769), he by his nephew William,
Lord Craven (d. 1791), and he by his son
William, Lord Craven (cr. earl of Craven 1801,
d. 1825). (fn. 164) The advowson descended in the
direct line to William (d. 1866), George (d.
1833), and William (d. 1921), whose relict Cornelia (d. 1961) had the right to present for the
united benefice alternately from 1924. (fn. 165) The
bishop collected by lapse in 1933. In 1964 William, earl of Craven, the grandson of William
(d. 1921), transferred the right to the bishop of
Salisbury, who in 1973 became chairman of the
Bourne Valley patronage board. (fn. 166)
The rectory was not taxed in the Middle Ages,
presumably because it was too poor. (fn. 167) It was
worth £14 13s. 4d. in 1535, (fn. 168) £60 in 1650. (fn. 169) With
an average yearly value of £236 c. 1830 it was
one of the poorer livings in Amesbury deanery. (fn. 170)
The rector took all tithes from the parish except
the small portion taken by the successors of
Amesbury abbey. The rector's were valued at
£230 in 1839 and commuted. (fn. 171) The glebe consisted of nominally c. 44 a. with pasture rights, (fn. 172)
35 a. from inclosure in 1795. (fn. 173) In 1929 the rector
sold 30 a.; (fn. 174) c. 4 a. remained in 1993. (fn. 175) The
rectory house may have been rebuilt or altered
by Stephen Templer, rector from 1536 to c.
1559. (fn. 176) It needed repair in the later 16th century
and in the 1660s, (fn. 177) was in poor condition in the
earlier 19th century, (fn. 178) and was demolished between 1877 and 1899. (fn. 179) A large new rectory
house of read brick built in 1877 (fn. 180) was sold in
1974. (fn. 181) A new house in the village was built c.
1974 for a team vicar.
In the Middle Ages a cow and a few sheep
were given to pay for a candle in the church. (fn. 182)
Robert Thatcham, rector 1474–81, Stephen
Templer, rector from 1536 to c. 1559 and vicar
of Idmiston from 1542, and Nicholas Fuller,
rector 1590–1623 and rector of Bishop's
Waltham (Hants) from 1620, was each a canon
of Salisbury. (fn. 183) Templer may have lived sometimes at Allington and preached there
regularly. (fn. 184) In 1577 services were infrequent and
held by a curate. (fn. 185) Fuller sometimes resided, and
completed his Theological Miscellanies at Allington in 1616. (fn. 186) John South, rector 1623–4, was
regius professor of Greek at Oxford. (fn. 187) Nathaniel
Forster, rector from c. 1642 to 1698, had been
sequestered by 1650 when the intruder, Peter
Titley, preached twice each Sunday. (fn. 188) Forster
administered the sacrament quarterly in 1662. (fn. 189)
Henry Lewis, curate of Allington and assistant
curate of Amesbury in 1783, held a service at
Allington every Sunday, alternately morning
and afternoon. He held services on Christmas
day and Good Friday and on fasts and festivals,
and administered the sacrament at Christmas,
Easter, and Whitsun to 4–5 communicants. (fn. 190)
F. W. Fowle, rector 1816–76, was also perpetual
curate of Amesbury, where he lived, and from
1841 a canon of Salisbury. (fn. 191) He usually employed a curate to serve Allington. (fn. 192) A service
each Sunday was still held alternately morning
and afternoon in 1832 (fn. 193) and 1850–1, when c. 20
attended in the morning and c. 35 in the afternoon. (fn. 194) In 1863 the curate, A. Child, instituted
a harvest festival. In 1864 he held and preached
at two services each Sunday, held services on
Christmas day, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday,
and Wednesdays in Lent, and administered the
sacrament at Christmas and Easter and on either
Whit Sunday or Trinity Sunday to c. 9 communicants. (fn. 195) H. W. Barclay, rector of Boscombe from
1891 and of Allington from 1895, was the first
resident incumbent for many years and became
the first incumbent of the united benefice in
1924. (fn. 196)
The Church was rebuilt 1848–51 and dedicated
in 1851 to ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. (fn. 197) The
old church, of unknown invocation, (fn. 198) was standing, to judge from the incorporation of parts of
a 12th-century chancel arch in the new, in the
12th century. It comprised a chancel and a nave
with south porch surmounted by a low tower of
which the upper stage was weatherboarded. The
chancel was altered or rebuilt in the 13th century; the porch and the tower were built then or
in the early 14th century. The east window and
a south window in the nave were enlarged in the
15th century or early 16th. (fn. 199) Inside the church
there was a painting of St. Christopher on the
north wall of the nave. (fn. 200) The new church was
built of flint with freestone dressings. The plans,
inspired by the curate William Grey and drawn
by F. R. Fisher, reproduced the design of the
old church except for the upper stage of its
tower, and provided for several old features
besides the chancel arch to be incorporated. (fn. 201)
The upper stage of the tower was given an
embattled parapet and a pyramidal roof. The
12th-century font was buried beneath a replica. (fn. 202)
The chancel was painted and its floor tiled c.
1877 to commemorate F. W. Fowle. (fn. 203)
The king's commissioners took 2½ oz. of plate
in 1553 and left a chalice of 9½ oz. A chalice
hallmarked for 1576, a paten hallmarked for
1848, and a flagon given in 1851 were held in
1891 and 1993. (fn. 204) There were three bells in 1553
and 1993. The present tenor was cast c. 1350,
probably at Salisbury; the present second was
cast by John Wallis in 1613, the treble by C. &
G. Mears in 1849. (fn. 205) Births were registered 1655–
9. Registrations of baptisms from 1660 and of
marriages from 1664 are complete. Those of
burials, which begin in 1656, are lacking for
1678–94. (fn. 206)
Nonconformity.
Several people from
Allington attended a Presbyterian conventicle at
Newton Tony. (fn. 207) There were 4 nonconformists at
Allington in 1668, 11 in 1674, (fn. 208) and 17 in 1676. (fn. 209)
In 1669 four houses at Allington were used for
meetings. (fn. 210) One of the preachers was John
Crofts, ejected rector of Mottisfont (Hants), who
was buried at Allington in 1695. (fn. 211)
A house at Allington was certified for Primitive Methodists in 1833 and 1838, and a chapel
certified for the same congregation in 1843 (fn. 212) was
possibly built to adjoin it. (fn. 213) In 1850–1 congregations in the chapel were much larger than in
the church: in 1851 on Census Sunday 41 attended morning service, 46 the afternoon one. (fn. 214)
Although they occasionally attended church,
half of the inhabitants of Allington were Primitive Methodists in 1864. (fn. 215) The chapel remained
open in 1993.
Dissenters held open-air meetings on the
south-east downs of Allington each year in the
1860s. (fn. 216)
Education.
The c. 12 children at Allington
in 1858 attended schools at Cholderton, Newton
Tony, and Idmiston. (fn. 217) From 1902 they went to
school at Boscombe and from 1972 at Idmiston. (fn. 218)
Charities for the poor.
From c. 1793
or earlier to 1876 the rectors gave bread, cheese,
and beer to paupers on Christmas day. By will
proved 1899 Ellen Meyrick gave the income
from £200 for old paupers at Christmas. Two
received £1 each in 1900. (fn. 219) In 1949–50 the
income, £5, was shared by 5–6 old people, (fn. 220) and
from 1973 was allowed to accumulate. (fn. 221)