CHERITON
Cherytone (xii cent.); Churton Chyritone (xvi
cent.).
The 3,264 acres of land comprised in the parish
of Cheriton are made up of high down country
sloping in every direction towards the village, which
lies in a river valley almost in the centre of the parish.
Cheriton Wood lies away to the north-west of the
parish, while stretching west of the wood is the wide
plain on which the Battle of Cheriton was fought on
29 March, 1644—the battle which, as Clarendon says,
'broke all the measures and altered the whole scheme
of the king's counsels.' (fn. 1) The Royalists under Hopton
were quartered at New Alresford, whither Waller
was advancing from East Meon. Leaving Alresford,
Hopton marched south and met Waller on the plain
near Lamborough Field. 'The king's horse never
behaved themselves so ill as that day,' writes
Clarendon, and though the foot 'behaved gallantly,'
and withstood not only the attack of Waller's foot
but also 'two or three charges from the horse with
notable courage and without being broken,' yet
as evening drew near Hopton was forced to retire
to Reading.
The village of Cheriton, described by Cobbett in
his Rural Rides as 'a little hard iron village where all
seems to be as old as the hills that surround it,' is
at the present day one of the best cared for and most
progressive villages in the district.
The main road from Winchester to Petersfield
runs through to the south of the parish and a
lane branching off a few yards past Hockley House
leads in a north-easterly direction to the village. As
it approaches down-hill, a small unobtrusive house
lying back on the south side of the road is known as
the Flower Pots Inn. Beyond this are two or three
groups of thatched cottages facing south-west, while
along the north side of the road runs the high wall of
the rectory garden. At the end of this wall at the
bottom of the hill the road turns sharply north past
the gates of the rectory into the middle of the
village. Immediately in the foreground is the village
green, through which flows a tributary of the Itchen,
running a north-westerly course through the parish,
intersecting the village with many branches and
crossed by several light bridges. In the centre of the
green and on either side are several old thatched and
tiled cottages, some half-timbered, for the most part
picturesquely grouped behind narrow well-cultivated
gardens. North-west of the green a narrow wooden
bridge leads over one of the small streams to an open
field, across which a well-trodden pathway runs south
to the low white gate of the churchyard and to the
low square-towered church of St. Michael, which
stands here immediately west of the village. The
rectory, a fine red-brick house dating from the early
years of the eighteenth century, stands close to the
church on the south. On the east side of the village
is a Congregational chapel, built in 1862, near by
which are the Board Schools, built in 1876.
Leaving the green and the river and the cottages
around it, close by the inn which bears the sign of
the Prince of Wales' Feathers, and calls itself the
Hampshire Hunt Inn, the main village street continues in a circuitous north-easterly direction running
east of the river, between picturesque low-thatched
cottages, the Bricklayers' Inn, and two or three obtrusive
modern villas, to that part of the village which is
known as North End, and from here continues north
through Tichborne parish to New Alresford. As the
road leaves the parish Cheriton Mill, with the Mill
Cross, stands away on the river to the east.
South of the green and village, the village street
curves slightly to the south-east to meet the main road
from Winchester to Petersfield on Lane End Down,
over which the main road descends to an outlying
portion of Cheriton known as Lane End hamlet,
which is also approached from Cheriton by a narrow
lane through the water meadows.
Here the watercress industry is in full progress,
since the river with its luxuriously growing watercress beds makes a detour between and behind the
several cottages grouped here on its way north-west
to Cheriton. Immediately beyond Lane End hamlet
the road enters Hinton Ampner parish and so passes
on east towards Petersfield.
The soil of the whole parish is chalk and clay,
with a subsoil of chalk, producing wheat and oats and
green crops. Of the total acreage 1,660 acres are
given up to arable land, 470 are permanent grass, and
370 woodland. (fn. 2) Of the woodland Shorley Copse in
the south-east of the parish covers the widest stretch
of country, and close to the wood are the Shorley
Pottery Works, which afford a special source of employment for some of the villagers.
The following place-names occur in 1605: Shoredrane, Holifield, and Charkers (fn. 3) ; in 1611, 'Torshawe'; (fn. 4) in 1620–24, 'Somerfield'; (fn. 5) in 1648–51,
The Breach, Cowdown Close, Eastwood, Brookfurlong, Burrow Land, and Londonway (fn. 6) ; in 1704–
12, Sheeremead, Kemen Coppice, and Ruffolds. (fn. 7)
Beauworth, now a civil ecclesiastical parish, was
formerly the south-eastern corner of Cheriton parish,
and was separated from Cheriton by Order in Council
of 4 February, 1879. (fn. 8) In 1888 a detached portion
of Kilmeston was added to Beauworth, (fn. 9) the whole area
now being 1,508 acres. It covers a sweep of high
country reaching some 530 ft. above the ordnance
datum near the Fox and Hounds Inn on Millbarrow
Down.
From here can be seen fine views of the surrounding district, and it is not surprising that the land
is being developed for building purposes. Several new
houses have already been built and many plots of
ground have been marked out for sale.
A narrow road leads down from Millbarrow
Down towards the village, which lies in the north of
the parish, shut off from Cheriton by thick woodland
country. At the entrance to the village is the smithy,
beyond which is the white manor-house, now untenanted, standing in fine grounds. The manor
farm with its scattered outbuildings, several very
picturesque half-timbered cottages grouped round the
village green with its tall pine trees, and the modern
church of St. James with the village school lying immediately west, make up the rest of the village. Behind
the manor-house is a field called the 'Church Lytton',
the site of a former church or chapel and graveyard.
It was here that the great hoard of silver pennies of
William the Conqueror, known as the Beaworth
Hoard, was discovered.
The soil of the parish is chalk and clay with
subsoil chalk, producing the ordinary green crops, and
wheat and oats on the 443¼ acres of arable land.
Dur Wood in the south of the parish is the largest
stretch of woodland, of which there are altogether
292½ acres, while 467¼ acres are permanent grass.
The following place-names occur: Hillonds and
Hooke Close, (fn. 10) Hornswood Coppice, St. Cross Mill,
Brown Down, Milbarrowe Down, Weely, Nibden
Bottom, Rackdowne, the Rakes, the Parke Reade,
Homedown, Northall, and Cowleys. (fn. 11)
MANORS
From a charter of Ethelred about
984 it is found that amongst the lands
given to Winchester Cathedral there
were at Easton four hides, at Avington five hides, at
Ovington five hides, at Kilmeston five hides, and at
'Tichebourne' twenty-five hides. (fn. 12) It is noticeable
that the lands at Tichborne are of far greater extent
than those elsewhere; and it is quite possible that
CHERITON, which is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, was included in these twenty-five hides.
Probably a new church was built, within the bounds
of Tichborne, and the inclosure in which it stood
acquired the name of Cheriton, which has since
distinguished the whole district. In 1284 the king
surrendered any rights which he had in Cheriton to
the bishop of Winchester, (fn. 13) who was holding the
vill in 1316; (fn. 14) and from this time the lordship of
the manor remained vested in the bishop. (fn. 15)
At various dates from 1280 to the middle of the
seventeenth century lands in Cheriton were leased to
different tenants, the most important being the
Inkepennes, who held estates here from 1353 to
1597. (fn. 16)
Philip le Wayte (fn. 17) and his wife Isabel conveyed two
messuages and lands in Cheriton to John Inkepenne
in 1353, (fn. 18) who died possessed of land in Cheriton
in 1361, (fn. 19) leaving a son John, who at the time of
his death in 1374 held nine virgates of land there,
his heir being his brother Robert, then aged fortyone, (fn. 20) who died in 1405 seised of land in Cheriton,
which he left to his wife Margery and his son Richard.
The former survived him, and married John Beneyt
as her second husband; (fn. 21) three years later John
Beneyt and Margery gave up their land in Cheriton
to Margery's son, Richard Inkepenne. (fn. 22) In 1441
Robert Inkepenne (probably son of this Richard).
who came of age in 1410, (fn. 23) and his wife Elizabeth
held land in Cheriton, which was granted to them by
Richard Umfray and John Bukke, probably trustee for a
settlement, (fn. 24) and this Robert, together with John Tichborne, represented the tithing of Cheriton at the
bishop's manor court in 1465. (fn. 25) He was followed
by his son John Inkepenne,
who died in 1514, leaving
as his heir his son Richard,
then aged three weeks, (fn. 26) who
was a free suitor at the bishop's
court in 1574. (fn. 27) In 1597
Adrian, William, and Francis
Inkepenne, Richard's sons, conveyed their lands in Cheriton,
described for the first time as
the manor of Cheriton, to
Edmund Anderson, Chief Justice of the Bench. (fn. 28) In 1651
Robert Reynold was holding
the manor on a lease from the bishop, (fn. 29) but this is
the last record of land in Cheriton being held by
under-tenants of the see of Winchester.
Inkepenne. Gules two gimel bars or and a chief indented ermine.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners took over Cheriton in 1869 from the bishop, and they are lords of
the manor at the present day.
There was a water-mill at Cheriton first mentioned
in 1408, when it was conveyed by fine from John
Beneyt and Margery his wife to Richard Inkepenne, (fn. 30)
and William Inkepenne was in possession in 1518. (fn. 31)
At a court held at Cheriton in 1606 an order was
issued for the water stream 'from John Hobbsmead'
until the mill to be cleansed every man against his
land' under penalty of 3s. 4d., while an entry at the
same court records that 'Thomas Hart is a common
miller and took toll to excess. Fined 8d.' (fn. 32) In
1631 Benjamin Tichborne died possessed of a watermill at Cheriton, but after this date no further record
of it can be found. (fn. 33)
The following entries in the ministers' accounts
for the year 1323 give some idea of the annual working expenses of the manor. Iron and steel bought for
four ploughs, 3s.; in payment of smith nothing, because he gives iron as his customary service; two
horse-shoes bought, 10d.; two ploughs, 12d.; binding same with iron, 4d.; mending ploughs, 3d.;
wages of herdsman, 4s.; tyres for cart, 4d.; wages of
carter, 18d.; fan for dairy, 2d.; wages of dairymaid,
12d. (fn. 34) Other entries in the court rolls for the reign
of Elizabeth are:—'No tenants to permit their horses
or sheep to pasture in the low down called "le
Marsh" for the winter under penalty of 20d. each.
All the tenants of Cheriton to make palings for the
park of Waltham as tenants, this side of Pentecost
under penalty of 40d. each. Tenants to make sufficient hedges round their cornfields before the Feast of
St. Andrew next under the same penalty. Edmund
Newbury is to forfeit one messuage and one virgate of
land to the lord because he cut down without licence
20 oaks value 6s.' (fn. 35)
BEAUWORTH
BEAUWORTH (Beworth, Buworth xiv cent.) was
originally a tithing in the parish of Cheriton. The
earliest mention of it seems to be in the year 1265,
when the men of Beauworth paid 26s. 8d. at the
bishop's court. (fn. 36) In 1316 Beauworth was held by
the bishop. (fn. 37) In 1635 it was leased to Richard
Bassett, his son Richard, and his daughter Elizabeth
for the term of their lives for a yearly rent of
£5 19s. 8d. (fn. 38) At the sale of the bishops' lands in
1648 the manor and the site of the manor was sold
to Christopher Mercer for £6181; (fn. 39) but it was
restored to the bishopric at the Restoration, and after
this there seems to be no further record concerning
Beauworth manor, the manorial rights of which
probably lapsed. Mr. Walter Long is the principal
landowner in the parish at the present day.
John Gater and his wife Sarah sold the site of the
manor to Richard Eyre in 1767, (fn. 40) in whose family it
remained until 1816, when Henry Eyre and Edward
Foyle conveyed it to Thomas Westcombe. (fn. 41)
CHURCHES
The church of ST. MICHAEL,
CHERITON, built on a mound to
the west of the village, is in the main
a thirteenth-century building. It has a nave and
chancel of equal width, 19 ft. 6 in., the chancel being
39 ft. 6 in. long and the nave 47 ft. 3 in., but the
former has been lengthened in the fifteenth century. The nave has arcades of three bays, and aisles
8 ft. wide, with a south porch and west tower, all
originally of thirteenth-century date, but the tower
and aisles have been repaired and partly rebuilt in the
eighteenth century and later.
The chancel, the added eastern bay of which is
built on the east slope of the mound, has a four-light
east window with fifteenth-century tracery, and at
north-east and south-east two-light transomed windows of the same date, with the difference that in the
north window the lights below the transom are cinquefoiled, and in the south they are shouldered and have
rebates for wooden frames. The western part of the
chancel is lighted by a pair of thirteenth-century
lancets on each side, and there is a small priest's door
of the same date to the east of those on the south side.
The external masonry of all the thirteenth-century
work has been renewed. At the south-east is a trefoiled piscina with a shelf and two brackets, but no
drain; it is of thirteenth-century work probably
moved eastward to its present position.
The chancel has a decided lean to the north from
the axis of the nave, probably due to an error in
setting out when building round an older chancel.
The nave preserves the width of the older and
probably aisleless nave to which the former chancel
belonged, the arcades of three bays dating from c. 1220
(the date at which, it may be presumed, the aisles were
added). They have pointed arches of two chamfered
orders, and round columns with moulded capitals and
bases with spurs, the latter all modern except part of that
of the first column from the east in the north arcade.
Both aisles have square-headed two-light east windows of the fifteenth century, but all the others are of
modern date with wooden frames.
The south porch has a thirteenth-century outer arch
with moulded capitals, the inner doorway having a
modern wood frame, and the north door of the nave
being of like character, but blocked with masonry.
On the east jamb of the outer arch of the south aisle
is an incised sundial, and on either side of the opening
are pieces of elaborately traceried fourteenth-century
stonework, built into the walls.
The tower has a thirteenth-century eastern arch of
two square orders with a string at the springing, but
externally shows no mediaeval work, being faced with
eighteenth-century brick and flint work. It has a
south door of this date. The roofs of the church are
modern and red-tiled, that of the nave being carried
in one span over nave and aisles.
The font, near the south door of the nave, is
modern, as are all the internal fittings, including a
stone pulpit.
There are six bells by Warren recast from the old
ring of five, four of which were by John Stares, 1746.
The church of ST. JAMES, BEAUWORTH,
built in 1838, is a rectangular room with lancet windows, a south porch and bell turret on the west gable,
containing two bells by Mears, of the date of the
church. The fittings are of the same period, with a
west gallery, and a small marble bowl on a wooden
pedestal, doing duty as a font.
The plate of Cheriton church consists of a silver
communion cup of 1621, a paten of 1698, and a
modern paten. At Beauworth there is a modern set
of electro-plate.
The first two books of the Cheriton registers, including Beauworth, contain all entries from 1577 to
1740, and 1656 to 1779, respectively. The third book
is the marriage register 1754–1812, and the fourth
that of baptisms and burials 1742–1822.
A book of accounts of the overseers of the poor for
Beauworth, beginning in 1732, is kept at Kilmeston.
ADVOWSONS
The church of Cheriton, one of
the most valuable livings in the
diocese of Winchester, has always
belonged to the bishops. In 1284 the king gave up
to John bishop of Winchester and his successors all his
right in the advowson of Cheriton. (fn. 42) As early as
1291 Cheriton rectory was taxed at £40, (fn. 43) and in
1535 the value had increased, and it was assessed in
the Valor at £66 13s. 4d. (fn. 44) Such a living was of
course one of the prizes of the diocese, and was usually
held by men of local if not of wider celebrity; it is
not surprising, therefore, that Bishop William of
Edendon was rector of Cheriton at one time. (fn. 45)
From 1606 to 1618 the rectory was held by John
bishop of Oxford, who in the former year was fined
4d. for neglecting to pay suit at the bishop's court of
Cheriton. (fn. 46) On his death in 1618 the king claimed
the next presentation by promise of the late rector,
and 'jure prerogative nostre regie seu alio quocumque
legali modo pro hac vice spectandum.' (fn. 47)
The king then granted the rectory and church of
Cheriton together with the chapels of Tichborne and
Kilmeston to Richard Meredith.
From 1644 to 1646 the curious situation is presented
of the rectory being held by two incumbents, the appointments having been made by the bishop and
Parliament respectively. In 1646 a petition was presented by Heritage Harford asking Parliament 'to
confirm him in the rectory of Cheriton, to which he
had been appointed by the Committee for Sequestration in 1644, but which had been granted by the
bishop of Winchester, a delinquent, to Hugh Haswell,
prebend of Winchester, also a delinquent.' The latter
presented a counter petition stating that he was of an
ancient family, that he had been brought up to learning in the university of Oxford, that he was Fellow of
All Souls and had been Proctor of the University,
that he had been presented to the parsonage of Codford, Wilts. which he enjoyed till the trouble of these
times and the reducing of that part of Wilts. under the
king's power, that the living of Cheriton which lay
more under the authority of Parliament being vacant
he resigned his university appointments and was
appointed thereto in 1644 by the bishop, who he conceived had full power to make the appointment, and
that he had never been guilty of delinquency. He
appealed to Parliament to oust the respondent. (fn. 48) A
day was appointed for hearing the case, but Parliament being 'too much occupied' to consider the
matter in question, and there being no further record
of the dispute, it may be assumed that it was settled
privately in favour of the bishop, who certainly continued to present.
Except for this short period the advowson, until the
last few years, has always belonged to the bishopric of
Winchester. At the present day the living is a rectory
with the chapelry of Tichborne annexed in the gift of
the crown; the chapels of Kilmeston and Beauworth
were also annexed to Cheriton until 1879, when they
were separated by an Order in Council dated 4 February, 1879, and they now form a distinct ecclesiastical parish, and the patronage of the joint living
belongs to the crown.
CHARITIES
In 1718 the Rev. Morgan Jones,
rector, by a codicil to his will, left
£100 to be laid out in land, the
annual rent to be for ever paid towards the schooling
of the children of the poor of the parish. A piece of
land called Northpits in the parish of Chawton was
purchased containing about four acres, producing £10
a year or thereabouts.
In 1828 Elizabeth Goodrich, by will proved this
date, directed her trustees to purchase sufficient stock
to produce £20 a year, interest to be applied for the
benefit of the poor of the parish. The legacy (after
payment of duty) is represented by £600 consols
with the official trustees.