NEWNHAM
Neweham (xii cent.); Nywenham (xiv cent.);
Newenam (xv cent.).
Newnham is a parish and pleasant village situated
1½ miles west from Hook station on the main line of
the London and South Western Railway. The
western boundary of the parish is formed by the
River Lyde, which flows north from Andwell to join
the Loddon, while part of the eastern boundary is
formed by the River Whitewater, which works Hook
Mill. The parish is on the whole low-lying, the
highest point being occupied by the village in the
south-west at a height of slightly over 300 ft. above
the ordnance datum. The village is prettily situated,
being grouped round a green a short distance north of
the new main road from Basingstoke to London.
The old coaching road ran past Newnham Green and
St. Nicholas Church, which lies west of the green
near the Manor Farm. The schools, built in
1843 and enlarged in 1875 and again in 1896,
are south of the railway line near the Dorchester
Arms, which is situated on the southern borders
of the parish close to Hook Common. (fn. 1) Hook,
of which a writer on Newnham of the early part of
the 18th century says: 'I am informed that the
family of Hooke have been possessors of Hooke in
this parish for many generations,' (fn. 1a) is situated mostly
in this parish, although its station on the main line of
the London and South Western Railway is in Odiham
parish and Hook Common is comprised in Nately
Scures. It mostly lies along the main road from
Basingstoke to London, which is joined near
one of the two White Hart Inns by the main road
from Odiham to Reading. There are many modern
residences, and the place is a growing one owing to
the existence of its railway station. There is a
large agricultural implement manufactory in the
village, and bricks and tiles are also made in the
parish.
The area is 1,401 acres of land and 3 acres of land
covered by water. (fn. 2) The soil is a very fertile loam
producing excellent crops of wheat, beans and oats.
The subsoil is clay and gravel. On 8 December
1879 a detached portion of Nately Scures known as
Holt was transferred to this parish. (fn. 3)
Among place-names in the parish mentioned in the
16th century are the following:—Shirland Crofte,
Nykkes, (fn. 4) Parkers (fn. 5) and Ivetott. (fn. 6)
Manor
NEWNHAM formed part of Maplederwell (q.v.) until 1198, in which year
Alan Basset lord of Maplederwell granted
3 hides of land in Newnham pertaining to his vill
of Maplederwell to Hugh de Arundel to hold to him
and his heirs of Alan and his heirs by the service of
half a knight's fee. (fn. 7) In accordance with the terms of
this grant successive lords of Maplederwell, the
Earl Marshal, Hugh le Despenser the elder, and his
grandson Hugh le Despenser, are returned as overlords of Newnham in 1275, 1316 and 1349 respectively, (fn. 8) and as late as 1464 Richard Nevill Earl of
Warwick, lord of Maplederwell, claimed suit of court
from the lord of Newnham. (fn. 9) Hugh de Arundel,
who obtained Newnham in 1198, also held the manor
of Upton Grey in the hundred of Bermondspit, being
succeeded in possession of that estate by his son
William de Arundel and by his grandson of the same
name, (fn. 10) but how long this manor continued in possession of the Arundel family is unknown. By 1275 it
had passed to Adam de St. Manefeo, who in that year
was stated to be holding the fourth part of a knight's
fee in Newnham of the Earl Marshal. (fn. 11) The St.
Manefeos were also owners of Heckfield in the
hundred of Holdshot, and from this date Newnham
followed the descent of that manor (q.v.) for nearly a
century and a half. In 1346 Robert de St. Manefeo
was holding the fourth part of a fee in Newnham
formerly belonging to John de St. Manefeo, (fn. 12) and his
descendant John de St. Manefeo, son and heir of
Thomas de St. Manefeo, gave up all his right in the
manor to Robert Fulmere and others in 1381. (fn. 13) In
1395 this manor together with Heckfield was settled on
Edward Bokeland and Amice his wife and the issue
of Amice, with contingent remainder to Sir Philip la
Vache and his issue, with contingent remainder to the
right heir; of Amice. (fn. 14) Amice leaving no children, (fn. 15)
Sir Philip la Vache succeeded to Newnham in 1405, (fn. 16)
but died without issue about three years later. (fn. 17) The
history of the manor for a
short time after this is obscure,
but by 1428 it had passed
into the possession of Thomas
Stukeley, who in that year
was stated to be holding the
fourth part of a fee in Newnham, formerly belonging to
Robert de St. Manefeo. (fn. 18)
Thomas was succeeded by
John Stukeley, who at the
view of frankpledge held at
Basingstoke on 14 November 1461 was fined 12d. because he had made the ford badly which was on the
common road at Newnham in Wildmore, and another
12d. because the gate at the end of the lane leading
from Newnham to Wildmore was broken and badly
fastened. (fn. 19) At the view of frankpledge held at
Basingstoke on 17 November 1464 the tithingman
of Newnham presented that John Stukeley, the lord
of Newnham, made his pound in an unknown place
and impounded there pigs of William Dene, to the
great damage of William and contrary to the custom
of the manor of Basingstoke. (fn. 20) In the same year
John Stukeley complained that John atte Field, the
bailiff of Richard Nevill Earl of Warwick, unjustly
detained seventeen of his cattle in the pound at
Maplederwell. (fn. 21) John atte Field maintained that
he impounded them in lieu of a sum of 6s. 8d.
which John Stukeley owed the Earl of Warwick as
his superior lord for issues and amercements of his
court of Maplederwell, but the case was finally decided
on 22 December 1464 in the plaintiff's favour and the
defendant fined 12d. (fn. 22) In 1502 the same John
Stukeley or his son and namesake was fined 8d. for
failing to attend two of the Basingstoke hundred
courts, (fn. 23) and further details about the Stukeley family
can be learned from an undated petition—probably of the reign of Elizabeth—in which John
Stukeley complained that 'whereas he was seised of a
parcel of ground called Shirland Crofte, in the parish
of Newnham, one Richard Rythe entered by force
and drove away five kine belonging to suppliant's
father. Action was brought against Rythe, and the
court awarded that the complainant's father should
have deliverance of his cattle and 5s. damages. Notwithstanding this, Rythe has grievously maimed and
wounded complainant's brother in an ale-house, and
also put complainant's father in jeopardy of his life in
the churchyard.' (fn. 24) The exact date at which Newnham
passed from the Stukeleys is uncertain, but William
Paulet third Marquess of Winchester was seised of
three-quarters of the manor at his death in 1598, (fn. 25)
and his son and successor William the fourth marquess
dealt with the whole manor by fine in 1609. (fn. 26) From
this date Newnham continued with the Marquesses of
Winchester and their descendants for over two
centuries. (fn. 27) William Powlett Lord Bolton was the
owner in 1816, (fn. 28) but soon afterwards parted with the
manor, the purchaser, however, being unknown. In
1829 James Warne, three times Mayor of Basingstoke, (fn. 29)
sold a quarter of the manor to Timothy Luff Mullens, (fn. 30)
who was Mayor of Basingstoke 1808–9 and died in
1833. (fn. 31) Shortly afterwards Guy Carleton third Lord
Dorchester purchased the whole manor, and it is now
in the possession of his eldest daughter Henrietta
Anne, who was created Baroness Dorchester in
1899. (fn. 32)
Stukeley. Checky argent and sable a fesse and a border gules.
Lyde Mill, worked by the River Lyde, probably
marks the site of one of the two mills comprised in
Maplederwell in 1086. (fn. 33) In the 17th century there
were no fewer than five mills here; Henry Deane, at
his death in 1610, being in possession of two water
corn-mills and three water fulling mills in Newnham
called Lyde Mills, which he held of the Marquess of
Winchester as of his manor of Newnham. (fn. 34)
Church
The church of ST. NICHOLAS consists of a chancel 22 ft. by 15 ft. 10 in.,
nave 41 ft. 7 in. by 20 ft. 8 in. and a
north-western tower.
The earliest work in the church dates from the first
quarter of the 12th century, and the existing nave and
chancel are upon the original foundations and contain
much of the walling of that time; but an extensive
restoration of the church in 1847–8 by the then
Lord Dorchester has destroyed all further evidence
of the history of the building. The 12th-century
work is found in the chancel arch, the west doorway
of the nave, and the south and east doorways of the
tower. The structure, except for some roof timbers
and part of a mediaeval gravestone, is modern.
The chancel has an east window of three roundheaded lights, and a single similar light in either side
wall. The chancel arch has jambs of two square
orders on the west face, with detached shafts in the
outer order, and all its details have an early look; the
bases of the shafts are of two rolls of almost equal
diameter, and the capitals are simple cushions, the
southern one ornamented with a pair of volutes springing from a banded stem at the angle of the capital.
The arch is semicircular, of two orders, the inner
square, the outer moulded with an edge roll and
filleted hollow; with an outer ring of a small
triangular ornament.
The nave has three modern round-headed windows
a side of very poor design, but the west doorway has
old shafts and capitals. The north capital is carved
with three early volutes, and the other has a small
human head with long ears at the angle, from which
issue two knotted and twisted tails; the abaci and
arch are modern.
The doorway from the nave into the tower is also
old work, entirely plain with a round head, and the
south doorway of the tower has old jambs of two
square orders with detached angle shafts and early
cushion capitals; the arch is round and moulded
with an edge-Foil between two shallow hollows. The
tower is modern, of very poor 12th-century style, its
walls ending in gables and a pyramidal leaded roof set
diagonally.
The roof of the chancel is gabled, with arched
braces under the collars and purlins with carved
wind-braces; the nave is similar, but has plain tiebeams; both have been covered with a dark stain, which
makes it difficult to distinguish new work from old.
All the fittings, including the plain octagonal font,
are modern. In the tower is a panel with the arms
of George I. In the north wall of the chancel is part
of an early 14th-century gravestone. It is incised
with the head and shoulders of a tonsured and bearded
priest, apparelled in alb and chasuble, under a trefoiled
canopy; the only part of the marginal inscription
remaining is + 'Hic jacet.'
There are three bells: the first has the initials
W. H. in Gothic capitals and a plain cross; the
second is by Henry Knight, 1602, and the tenor by
the second Henry Knight, 1662.
The plate consists of a silver chalice, paten cover,
paten and flagon of 1725 (see Maplederwell), a silvergilt chalice, paten cover, paten and flagon of 1730,
and a silver alms dish of 1840 given in memory of
George Wylie, for thirty-four years rector of the
parish.
The registers begin in 1725, the first book containing baptisms from 1725 to 1812, and burials
1755 to 1812. The second book is a duplicate of
part of the first, containing baptisms 1725 to 1798
and burials 1754 to 1788. The third book has
marriages from 1754 to 1812.
An iron mission church was built at Hook in 1886
at the sole expense of the Rev. Andrew Wallace
Milroy, M.A., late rector of Newnham. The
church possesses a plated flagon, chalice and paten
given by Dr. Harold Browne, Bishop of Winchester.
Advowson
Adam de Port on the day of the
dedication of Newnham Chapel
granted it together with the tithes
of Newnham and Maplederwell to the abbey of St.
Vigor of Cerisy, of which Monk Sherborne was a
cell. (fn. 35) The Prior and convent of Monk Sherborne
acted as patrons of the church, (fn. 36) receiving a pension
of £2 from the rector (fn. 37) until the general suppression
of the alien houses. The advowson was transferred
with the other possessions of Monk Sherborne to the
hospital of St. Julian or God's House, Southampton,
by Edward IV, (fn. 38) and from this time the rectors have
been presented by the Provost and fellows of Queen's
College, Oxford, as guardians of that hospital. (fn. 39)
The Hook Congregational Chapel was built in
1816.
Charities
This parish participates in the
Duke of Bolton's Charity founded by
will of 9 April 1694 (see Basingstoke
Municipal Charities). The sum of £6 per annum
is distributed in small sums amongst the poor, preference being given to poor widows.