ITCHEN STOKE
Ytinstoce (x cent.); Stoche (xi cent.); Ichenstok,
Echenstok (xiii cent.).
The parish of Itchen Stoke lies partly in and along
the valley of the River Itchen, which at Kingsworthy
turns nearly at right angles and runs south after a
westerly course of some 5 miles or more. The parish
also runs in a northerly direction up to Itchen
Common, the ground rising rather sharply. The
whole parish both low and high is well wooded, and
along the river banks is very picturesque. The
village, a small one, lies near the river, which here
widens considerably and is crossed by a ford. It
contains a number of pretty brick and half-timber
cottages, many of which are thatched. None, however, present any special features of interest or are
apparently of an earlier date than the 17th century.
The present church stands on the north side of the
road, and the churchyard is fringed with trees and
contains one or two Scotch firs. The site of the
old church is some 200 yds. south of the present
church on the banks of the river, the old churchyard
remaining.
The hamlet of Abbotstone, which was formerly
an important parish, lies about 1½ miles north-east
of Itchen Stoke, and at a considerably higher level,
the ground rising in some places to a height of
468 ft. above the ordnance datum. The greater
part of Abbotstone is thickly wooded, and there are
several old gravel-pits.
Pavey, writing in 1719, describes (fn. 1) the then existing
house at Abbotstone as 'a large noble brick house
edged with stone built by the Duke of Bolton for a
convenient hawking seat of which spot he was a great
admirer, in allusion whereof he caused two vast large
hawkes to be fix'd on the top of two banquetting
houses just before the entrance into the house.' He
further states that it was 'built after the Italian
manner opening a vista from one end of the house
to the other. The wings are rather of the largest,
darkening the body too much . . . there are above
100 rooms in the house in one of which adorned
with curious fretwork the Duke of Bolton had the
honour to entertain Queen Anne; in the ceilings are
figured several keys in memory of his being Lord
Chamberlain (July 1715–April 1717) when he built
it.' (fn. 1a) This house, however, was left unfinished, and
was finally supplanted by Hackwood as the chief seat
of the family.
A knoll on the south-east of the site of the old
house is shown as the place where the church of
Abbotstone formerly stood. The date at which the
church and house were destroyed seems to be unknown. (fn. 2)
At Ibsden, near a farm-house now just outside the
parish, Oliver Cromwell is said on very questionable
authority to have encamped, and certainly a place
in Abbotstone is now called Oliver's Battery, but
this is no rare thing in Hampshire. (fn. 3)
In Abbotstone there exists at the present time an
oval-shaped earthwork, with the outlines complete,
but the ditches much filled up and the banks levelled. (fn. 4)
It stands on the Downs at a height of 445 ft. above
the ordnance datum. Some tumuli also exist.
Itchen Stoke, including Abbotstone, covers an area
of 2,717 acres, of which about 1,144 acres are arable
land, 475 acres permanent grass and 280 woods and
plantations. (fn. 5) Under Itchen Stoke the place-names
Ryplinges and Southcotes occur in the 16th century. (fn. 6)
Manors
Mention of ITCHEN STOKE occurs
in 960, when King Edgar granted to
his kinsman Brihtelm, Bishop of Winchester, land in 'Ytinstoce' on the River Itchen. (fn. 7)
This land was to be held by Brihtelm for life, and
after his death was to revert to the Old Minster of
St. Peter, (fn. 8) Winchester, afterwards called the Priory of
St. Swithun.
In the Domesday Survey mention of the manor
occurs under the name of 'Stoche,' and it is stated
that ' Stoche' was then held and always had been by
the abbey of Romsey. (fn. 9) It may be inferred from this
that the manor had come into the hands of the latter
abbey before the time of Edward the Confessor. It
was then assessed at 8 hides, and in the time of
William I at 6 hides. (fn. 10) There is ample evidence that
the manor continued in the hands of the abbey of
Romsey until 1539. (fn. 11)
In a report as to the state of the abbey sent to Sir
Thomas Seymour in 1538 the annual value of the
manor of Itchen Stoke is given as £28 9s. 0¾d. (fn. 12) In
1539 the manor was granted to Sir William Paulet
Lord St. John, who was created Marquess of Winchester in 1551. (fn. 13) The manor remained in the hands
of successive Marquesses of Winchester until the Commonwealth. (fn. 14)
In 1650 a large part of the property of the fifth
Marquess of Winchester fell into the hands of the Parliamentarians, and it is recorded that in that year the
manor of Itchen Stoke was bought for Walter
Strickland, afterwards a member of Cromwell's
House of Lords, and four others. (fn. 15)
The fifth marquess lived, however, to receive back
his property at the Restoration, and was succeeded by
his son who was created Duke of Bolton in 1689. (fn. 16)
The manor remained a part of the property of the
Dukes of Bolton and their successors (fn. 17) until about
1818, when it was sold to Alexander Baring, who was
created Lord Ashburton in 1835.
The later history of Itchen Stoke is given under
Northington, (fn. 18) the present owner being Francis
Denzil Edward Baring fifth Lord Ashburton. At
the time of the Domesday Survey there was a mill
within the manor worth 22s. 6d. and a mill still
exists.
At the time of the Domesday Survey Hugh de Port
held ABBOTSTONE (fn. 19) (Abedestune, xi cent.; Abbotson, Abbodeston, xiii cent.; Abbodestone, xiv
cent.; Alberston, Abbotston, xvi cent.). It was then
assessed at 9 hides. It is remarkable that for over 700
years, dating from the Domesday Survey, Abbotstone
remained in the hands of a descendant of the same
Hugh de Port, not passing from that family until
about 1818, in which year it was sold by William
second Lord Bolton. (fn. 20)
In 1240 it was held by Robert St. John, (fn. 21) and
passed from him to his son John, who in 1285 granted
it, probably in settlement on mortgage, to Thomas
Paynel and his issue at a rent of a sparrow hawk. (fn. 22)
This grant was confirmed to Thomas in 1311. (fn. 23) John
de St. John is returned in 1316 as the owner of
Abbotstone. (fn. 24) In 1317 John obtained licence to lease
the manor for twelve years to John Beauchamp of
Somerset, (fn. 25) but six years later John granted it to
William de St. John and Eleanor his wife in fee-tail,
with contingent remainder to himself and his heirs. (fn. 26)
William and Eleanor apparently died without issue, or
the grant may have been for the purpose of a mortgage, for the manor was among the possessions of
which Edmund de St. John, grandson of John, died
seised in 1347. (fn. 27)
In 1361, on the death of Edmund's widow Elizabeth, to whom the manor had been assigned in dower,
Abbotstone fell to Isabel wife of Sir Luke de Poynings,
sole surviving sister of Edmund de St. John. (fn. 28) On her
death in 1393 (fn. 29) the manor passed to her son Sir
Thomas de Poynings, who died seised of it in 1429,
when it was divided among his three granddaughters,
Joan, Alice and Constance, the last named of whom
married Sir John Paulet. (fn. 30) John Paulet the son and
heir of Sir John Paulet and Constance bought the
other two-thirds of the manor from the descendants of
Joan and Alice, (fn. 31) and died seised of the whole in
1492, (fn. 32) leaving a son John.
On the death of this John Abbotstone passed to his
son, created Marquess of Winchester in 1551, and
from this date followed the same descent as the manor
of Itchen Stoke (q.v.).
There was a mill in Abbotstone at the time of the
Domesday Survey, (fn. 33) and one still exists there on the
Candover stream. Mention of a fishery occurs in
several records. (fn. 34)
The first mention of BROME Manor (Brome,
xv cent.; Brome Court, Brome Place, xvii cent.)
occurs in 1457, when it is included among the possessions of Richard Holt, who died in that year. (fn. 35) It
was then said to be held of the Prior of Southwick,
for services not known, but this seems to be an error,
for in 1495 (fn. 36) the overlord is given as the Prior of
St. Swithun, Winchester. (fn. 37)
Richard Holt left the manor to his wife Joan for
life, and after her death to his daughters Christine
and Elizabeth. (fn. 38) Christine died before her mother,
leaving a daughter Lora, and on the death of Joan
in 1495 the manor was divided between Elizabeth
the wife of John Pound and Lora who had married
the seventh Earl of Ormonde. (fn. 39)
In 1547 William Unwyn
died seised of the manor of
Brome, and a house and two
water-mills in the parish of
Itchen Stoke, the reversion of
which had been settled on
him after the death of his
maternal uncle William Frost
and Juliana his wife. (fn. 40)
William Unwyn was succeeded by his nephew John,
who died in 1619, (fn. 41) leaving
Brome Manor to his son and
heir Simon Unwyn, (fn. 42) who
died in 1625. In 1640 John Unwyn dealt by
recovery with a messuage called Bromehouse and a
mill called Brome Place Mill in Itchen Stoke, (fn. 43) but
some time afterwards, being a Royalist, his lands
were forfeited to the Commonwealth, (fn. 44) and in 1654
were sold to Edward Keats of Horton (co. Wilts.) (fn. 45)
by the description of 'a Close of pasture ground
called Broomes, containing 30 acres; a Close called
Broomefield, and a water corn mill in the parish of
Itchenstoke.' (fn. 46) The later descent of the manor
cannot at present be traced.
Unwyn. Azure three fleurs de lis or with three heads of bills issuing from the chief argent.
Church
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of an apsidal chancel
with a small north vestry, a moderatesized nave and a west porch extending across the
whole width of the church. The whole structure
was built in 1864 and is of mid-13th-century French
design. The apse is semi-octagonal in form and lit
by five two-light lancets with circular tracery. The
roof is vaulted in stone with moulded ribs and wall
columns. Over the chancel arch externally is a bellgable containing two modern bells. The nave is
divided into four bays by wall columns with foliated
capitals which carry the trussed rafters of the
elaborately painted open timber roof. In each bay
are three tall lancets on each side with moulded
jambs and rear arches. Below these the wall is
ornamented with a diaper in plaster. The west
wall contains the only entrance, and on each side
of it is wall arcading in two stages. Above this is a
large traceried rose window. The west porch is a
lean-to structure with a vaulted roof and extends
completely across the west end of the church. The
entrance to it and the west door are shafted.
The seating, fittings, pulpit, font, &c, are all quite
modern. Though the materials used are not in all
cases of the best, the general effect is extremely good,
and an appearance of richness has been obtained with
considerable skill. Though of course somewhat out
of place in an English country parish the church is
very well designed, especially when the date of its
erection is considered.
The old church was situated a short distance to the
south of the present one on the banks of the River
Itchen, but was completely destroyed when the new
church was built. The only thing remaining is a
brass, now on the west wall of the new church, with
the figure of a woman in a long simple robe with
moderately full sleeves, tight at the wrist, and with
turned-back linen or lawn cuffs. The dress is cut
square at the throat and is caught in by a girdle with
a long hanging end. A rather ample head veil is
worn. Beneath is an inscription running: 'Of yo'
charite pray for the soule of Johan | Batmanson late
wife of master John | Batmanson Docto' of Sevell
which Johan /|| decessed the xiij day of may the
yer' of o' Lord || m'vcxviij on whose soule Ihu have
mercy. ||'
The plate consists of a silver chalice and paten of
1849, a plated chalice and flagon and two alms
plates of old Sheffield plate.
The first book of the registers contains baptisms
from 1719 to 1737, marriages from 1721 to 1732,
and burials from 1721 to 1731. The second
baptisms from 1736 to 1747, marriages from 1743
to 1758, and burials from 1736 to 1752. The third
contains baptisms and burials from 1750 to 1780
and marriages from 1788 to 1805, all entered with a
good deal of irregularity, and possibly not quite complete. A fourth book contains duplicate entries of
marriages from 1764 to 1780. The fifth contains
baptisms and burials from 1783 to 1792 and 1793
respectively. The sixth contains baptisms from 1806,
marriages from 1807 and burials from 1808, all
running to 1812.
Advowsons
There is no mention of a church
in Itchen Stoke earlier than the end
of the 13 th century, at which time
the advowson was stated to be in the hands of the
Abbess and convent of Romsey. (fn. 47) In 1291 (fn. 48) the
church was assessed at 15 marks and in 1318 (fn. 49) at the
same amount. In 1317 the Abbess and nuns of
Romsey obtained licence to appropriate the rectory
of Itchen Stoke, (fn. 50) and from that date until the
Dissolution the advowson was held by the abbey, as
a vicarage. (fn. 51)
The advowson was granted with the manor
after the Dissolution to Sir William Paulet Lord
St. John, (fn. 52) and has followed the descent of the
manor up to the present time, (fn. 53) the patron being
now Lord Ashburton. The living is still a vicarage,
forming a benefice with the rectory of Abbotstone
annexed.
The church at Abbotstone was dedicated to tne
honour of St. Peter. It is stated at the end of the
15th century that it was valued at 10 marks. (fn. 54) The
advowson followed the descent of the manor (fn. 55) (q.v.).
The living is now annexed to that of Itchen Stoke,
and there is no church at Abbotstone.
Charities
Poor's Money—The principal
sum of £10 given by a donor
unknown is stated to have been distributed amongst the poor many years ago.