THE HUNDRED OF CHRISTCHURCH
CONTAINING THE PARISHES OF
|
| CHRISTCHURCH |
MILFORD |
SOPLEY |
| HORDLE |
MILTON | |
The district now known as Christchurch Hundred (fn. 1) was in 1086
comprised within the four hundreds of Shirley or Sirlei, Rodedic, Egheiete (fn. 2)
and Bovre or the New Forest. Shirley Hundred, consisting of Sopley,
Ripley, Avon and Winkton, corresponded fairly closely to the modern
parish of Sopley. Rodedic Hundred contained Milford with Efford, Milton
with Wootton and
part of Ashley, Hordle
with Arnewood, as
well as Pilley and part
of Sway in Boldre,
Fritham in Bramshaw
and another manor
assessed at 5 virgates.
Egheiete Hundred (fn. 3)
contained Twyneham,
Holdenhurst, Hurn,
Knapp, Stanpit, Hubborn, Bashley and
Bortel (fn. 4) ; while in the
New Forest Hundred
were Highcliff, Beckley, Hinton, Yaldhurst, Fernhill, Ossemsley and
part of Ashley in Milton, together with Walhampton and the greater
part of Sway in Boldre. (fn. 5) The separate hundreds of Egheiete (Eggieath),
Shirley (Schirlega) and Rodedic (Ruggedich) still existed in 1176,
when there was also a hundred of Holdenhurst. (fn. 6) The last-named had no
doubt been formed from Egheiete Hundred, in which the large estate of
Holdenhurst had lain, and was probably co-extensive with what was afterwards known as the hundred or liberty of Westover (q.v.). By 1263,
however, the other three hundreds had been all absorbed into that of
Holdenhurst, which at this date embraced the whole of the modern hundred
of Christchurch with Westover Liberty. (fn. 7) In 1280 Isabel de Fortibus owned
'the free hundred annexed to the manor' of Christchurch, with 'the liberties
pertaining thereto,' (fn. 8) and by 1316 the whole district was known as the
hundred of Christchurch, which comprised the tithings of Boldre, Sway,
Arnewood, Efford, Keyhaven, Milford, Hordle, Ashley, Chewton, Hinton,
Avon, Sopley, Winkton, Burton, Bure, Street and Hurn, (fn. 9) together also with
Westover (i.e. that part of the hundred lying west of the Stour) and the town
of Lymington. (fn. 10) The latter continued to be reckoned within the hundred
down to 1593. (fn. 11) As regards Westover, at least as early as 1500 separate
hundred courts were held for the three districts of the borough, Christchurch
Foreign (fn. 12) (i.e. that part of the hundred, exclusive of the borough, which lay
east of the Stour) and Westover Liberty. (fn. 13) The last-named has since then
been for all practical purposes a separate hundred, although for a long time
it continued to be included in that of Christchurch, (fn. 14) this leading sometimes
to a change of name, such as 'the hundred of Christchurch Westover' in
1571 (fn. 15) and in later records 'the hundred of Christchurch and Westover.' (fn. 16)
The out hundred of Christchurch or Christchurch Foreign comprised the
tithings of Boldre, Chewton, Avon, Sway, Milford, Sopley, Arnewood,
Hordle, Winkton, Efford, Ashley, Burton, Bure, Keyhaven, Hinton, Street
and Hurn. The liberty of Westover includes the tithings west of the
Stour, North Ashley, Muscliff, Muccleshell, Throop, Holdenhurst, Iver
or Iford and Tuckton. (fn. 17)
INDEX MAP TO THE HUNDRED OF CHRISTCHURCH
The tithing of Boldre comprised Walhampton and Sharprix, of which
the latter continued in the hundred down to 1642, (fn. 18) while the former,
together with Sway, was included in it until after 1841 (fn. 19) ; the hundred still
comprises a small part of Boldre parish. The hamlet of Pennington in
Milford parish is a detached portion of Ringwood Hundred, to which it
belonged as early as 1316. (fn. 20) Efford tithing was in 1831 a detached portion
of Harbridge, the remainder of the parish being in Ringwood Hundred. (fn. 21)
The hundred has always belonged to the lord of the honour of Christchurch
(vide infra).