ABBOTTS ANN
Anna (x, xi cent.); Anne Abbatis (xiii cent.);
Abbotesanne (xiv cent.); Abbots Aunt, Abbas Aunt
(xviii cent.).
The parish of Abbotts Ann, which is partly in the
hundred of Andover and partly in the hundred of
Wherwell, covers an area of 3,396 acres. It lies 3
miles south-west of Andover in the Anna Valley,
from which it takes the name that, unlike several of
its neighbours, it has kept unchanged. The average
height above the sea-level is about 300 ft., but the
land on either side of Pillhill Brook, a tributary of
the Anton running through the parish, lies low and
is liable to be flooded. The soil is loam, the subsoil
chalk, (fn. 1) and there are several chalk-pits. The chief
crops are wheat, barley, oats and swedes. There are
2,637½ acres of arable land, 211¼ acres of permanent
grass and 288 acres of woods and plantations. (fn. 2) The
principal woodland is the Great Wood in the west of
the parish and Eastover Copse, Cossical Copse and
Stonehanger Copse, which form a continuous strip in
the south. Several woods in Abbotts Ann are specified
in the grant of Henry VIII to Lord St. John in
1542, namely, 'Estover Coppes, Duncross Coppes,
Woodstile Coppes, Handley Coppes and Grovecorris
Coppes.' (fn. 3)
The main road from Andover to Salisbury passes
through the east of the parish. The village is situated
some distance west of the main road along the right
bank of Pillhill Brook. Little Ann lies to the east
and St. John's Cross half a mile south.
In Minster Field, on an elevation about a mile and
a quarter south-west of the village, a villa was discovered and partly explored in 1854. (fn. 4)
In 1775 1,259 acres were inclosed in this parish
by Private Act of Parliament. (fn. 5)
Manors
The manor of ABBOTTS ANN was
among the earliest possessions of Hyde
Abbey, for long known as the New
Minster at Winchester. In 901 Edward the Elder
granted 15 hides of land at Ann to the abbey that
daily prayer and intercession might be made for him
and his ancestors, the land to be held free except for
the trinoda necessitas. (fn. 6) In King Edward's 'golden
charter' of 903 the manor of Ann, containing 15
hidas cassatas and a church, is included. (fn. 7) Less than
half a century later Ælfsige, a bishop, probably to be
identified with Ælfsige, Bishop of Winchester, who
died in 959, bequeathed his land in Ann to his
nephew for life with reversion to New Minster. (fn. 8)
The manor remained in the possession of the abbey
until the Dissolution. At the time of the Domesday
Survey it was paying geld for 8 hides as against 15
in the Confessor's day. (fn. 9) In
1291 it was assessed at
£15 8s. 8d., (fn. 10) and in 1310 it
was one of nine Hampshire
manors out of which the
Abbot and convent of Hyde
granted an annuity of £60 to
Master Jordan Moraunt,
king's clerk. (fn. 11) The abbey had
a grant of free warren over
its demesnes of Abbotts Ann
and elsewhere from Edward
III. (fn. 12) In 1388 Richard II
granted that on all voidances
of the abbey this manor and
other premises should be
exempt from seizure and be enjoyed by the prior and
convent, saving only the advowsons to the Crown, (fn. 13)
since it had been found by inquest that the premises
had from time immemorial belonged to the convent
as distinct from the portion of the abbot. (fn. 14) At the
time of the Dissolution £32 19s. 8d. was yearly paid
for the farm of the manor. (fn. 15)
Hyde Abbey. Argent a lion sable and a chief sable with two keys argent set upright therein having their bows interlaced.
By letters patent (fn. 16) of 3 March 1542 various lands of
the dissolved monastery of Hyde were granted to that
rising statesman William Paulet Lord St. John, afterwards created Earl of Wiltshire and Marquess of
Winchester. These included the manor of Abbotts
Ann and its appurtenances with the advowson and
rectory and certain woods in the parish. (fn. 17) In 1572
John Paulet second Marquess of Winchester mortgaged this manor with a number of others to the
chancellor of the Exchequer, the attorney-general and
the solicitor-general, as security for a debt to the
queen, contracted by his father, the great lord
treasurer. (fn. 18) The third marquess died seised of the
premises in 1598. (fn. 19) By a fine dated 3 February
1610 (fn. 20) the manor and advowson of Abbotts Ann and
other premises were conveyed to the Earls of Salisbury, Northampton and Exeter, Lord Burghley,
Lord Danvers and Sir Thomas Dennys, who covenanted
to stand seised in the same to the use of Lord Edward
Paulet, youngest son of William fourth Marquess of
Winchester, and his heirs male, with remainder to
Lord Charles Paulet, another of the marquess's younger
sons, and his heirs male, with remainder to William
Lord St John, eldest son of the marquess, and his
right heirs for ever. (fn. 21) In 1606 William fourth
Marquess of Winchester had leased the manor to
Walter Neale of Warnford (co. Hants) for thirtyone years, and in 1630 Lord Edward Paulet brought
an action against Sir Francis Neale and others who
had entered the premises, made secret estates and
otherwise violated the agreement. (fn. 22) In 1634 another
bill was filed in Chancery, this time by John fifth
Marquess of Winchester, Lord Henry Paulet his
brother and the tenants of Abbotts Ann, asserting
that one William King had got an unjust lease of the
premises from Lord Edward Paulet, to the complainant's prejudice. (fn. 23) How long the property remained to the Paulets is uncertain. (fn. 24) Nothing is
known of the fate of Lord Edward, that treacherous
brother of the 'loyal marquess,' who would have betrayed Basing House to the Parliamentarians. It is
probable, however, that he died unmarried. Some
time before the end of the 17th century the manor
and advowson of Abbotts Ann came into the hands of
Peter Blake of Andover, who died about the beginning of 1692, leaving his estates to his son and namesake. (fn. 25) Peter Blake the younger only survived his
father a year, and the property, heavily mortgaged, (fn. 26)
passed by bequest (fn. 27) to his sister Sarah, wife of Edmond
Lambert of Boyton (co. Wilts.), with remainder to
her heirs.
Pitt. Sable a fesse checky argent and azure between three bezants.
Early in the 18th century Abbotts Ann was the
property of Thomas Pitt, governor of Madras, who
purchased Little Ann in
1710, (fn. 28) and probably acquired
the neighbouring manor about
the same date. (fn. 29) Governor
Pitt died in 1726, having by
his will, dated 18 July 1721, (fn. 30)
confirmed an entail of the
manor previously made. In
1763 Sir Brian Broughton
Delves of Broughton (co.
Staffs.), bart., acquired various
estates in Hampshire, including the Abbotts Ann property, which he contracted to
purchase from 'the Honourable Thomas Pitt,
esquire,' great-grandson of Governor Pitt and afterwards first Lord Camelford. Dying in 1766 he left
all his real estate in Hampshire to his wife Mary
daughter of Thomas Hill of Tern (co. Salop) and
sister of the first Lord Berwick. (fn. 31) The result of this
disposition was a suit in Chancery. Sir Thomas
Broughton, Sir Brian's brother and heir-at-law,
thought that this substantial legacy should make void
an annuity of £1,000 settled on Lady Delves at her
marriage; so he ceased paying the annuity. Lady
Delves, who had meanwhile become the wife of
Henry Errington, of the Northumbrian Erringtons,
claimed both legacy and jointure and commenced
equity proceedings against her brother-in-law. A
verdict was given in her favour 28 January 1772 and
the decree was affirmed by the House of Lords
8 March 1773. (fn. 32) Henry Errington died in 1819,
having survived his wife nearly seven years, (fn. 33) and the
property came to her nephews, the Hon. William
and the Rev. the Hon. Richard Hill, (fn. 34) afterwards
Noel-Hill, who succeeded in turn as third and fourth
Lords Berwick. (fn. 35) Thence the manor passed by sale
in 1841 to the Rev. Thomas Best of Redrice
House. He was succeeded by his son Thomas Best,
whose son Captain Thomas George Best is the
present owner. (fn. 36)
At the time of the Domesday Survey there were
three mills, worth 37s. 6d., in Abbotts Ann. (fn. 37) At
the beginning of the 13th century Geoffrey de Ford
was holding half a hide of land and a mill in Abbotts
Ann from Hyde Abbey, (fn. 38) and in 1272 a messuage, a
mill and other premises there were settled upon
John de Ford and his heirs. (fn. 39)
In 1692, and again in 1760, 1762 and 1823, two
mills went with the manor and advowson. (fn. 40) At the
present day there are two mills on Pillhill Brook, the
Upper Mill and the Lower.
The tithing of LITTLE ANN (Anna, xi cent.;
Anne, xiii cent.) lies within the hundred of Wherwell,
and comprises a separate manor. At the time of
the Domesday Survey and before (fn. 41) it was held by
the abbey of Wherwell, in whose possession it remained till the Dissolution. In 1245 Henry III
granted to the Abbess Eufemia and her nuns that
their assarts and purprestures in 'Everhanger,
Uppinne and Ann' should remain arable land,
saving to the king his regards in the eyre of his
regarders. (fn. 42) In 1291 the manor was valued at
£9 3s. 4d. (fn. 43)
In November 1539 Wherwell Abbey surrendered
its possessions, (fn. 44) and on 24 March following Little
Ann, with the site of the monastery and several
neighbouring manors, was granted to Thomas West
ninth Lord De La Warr, (fn. 45) who had already written
urgent letters to Cromwell to that end. (fn. 46) For more
than a century and a half the manor was held by the
Lords De La Warr, (fn. 47) although in 1605, with the
other Wherwell estates, it was seized into the king's
hands by reason of the non-payment of a bond given
thereon (fn. 48) ; and in 1615 a licence to sell was granted
to Thomas third baron of the new creation. (fn. 49) John
sixth Lord De La Warr sold the manor in 1695 to
Edmond Boulter of London, (fn. 50) who in 1698 sold
it to Cornelius Cornwallis of Earlstone (co. Hants). (fn. 51)
In 1710 (fn. 52) it was purchased by Thomas Pitt (from
whom does not appear), and
has since descended with the
manor of Abbotts Ann.
West, Lord de la Warr. Argent a fesse dancetty sable.
In 1086 there were in
Little Ann two mills worth
30s., (fn. 53) and later John the
miller of Ann quitclaimed to
the monastery and nuns of
Wherwell his lands and mill
there. (fn. 54)
Church
The church of
ST. MARY
THE VIRGIN
consists of a chancel 25 ft. by
16 ft., nave 49 ft. 6 in. by 24 ft., and a west tower
12 ft. square. It was rebuilt in 1716 by 'Governor'
Pitt, and nothing of the earlier building appears to
have been preserved except the bells and a small
brass. It is of plain style, in red brick with stone
cornices and angle pilasters and low-pitched roofs,
and is lighted by large round-headed windows, some
of which are now filled with modern tracery.
The chancel has three round-headed windows, one
in each wall, each now divided into two lights with
quatrefoils over. Each side wall has a doorway,
that on the south opening into a small vestry. The
chancel arch is round-headed. The nave has four
windows a side, the eastern pair in each wall being
treated like those of the chancel, and the others being
left in their original condition with iron frames. A
gallery runs across the west end, the front being
carried on oak posts. Round-headed doorways open
into the tower above and below the gallery. The
tower is in three stages with a projecting stair turret
on the south side up to the second stage. The
bottom stage serves as a porch, and the belfry stage
is lighted by segmental-headed windows. The
parapet is embattled, and at the corners are
crocketed pinnacles of Gothic character.
The altar table, pulpit, font—a small one of
oak—and the seats are all contemporary with the
building. The only old monument is a small brass
inscription in the chancel floor to Elizabeth wife of
John Johnson, doctor of divinity, rector of this
church, archdeacon of Worcester and treasurer of
St. David's; she died in 1613. She was the only
child of Richard Monday of Derbyshire, and by
her mother descended from the family of Stewkeley
of Huntingdonshire.
The ancient custom of hanging funeral chaplets
in the church in memory of maids and unmarried
men is still practised here, and the parish is probably
unique in this matter. The chaplets are made of
card, more or less like a crown with arches, and
covered with paper rosettes. From this are suspended
imitation gloves cut out of a special paper on which
are inscribed the names of the deceased, or verses
from a hymn, texts, &c. These are carried at the
funeral, afterwards remain a week suspended from the
gallery, and then are hung from iron stays projecting
from the cornice of the nave, with a small shield
behind bearing the name and date of each person.
There are now some thirty-nine in position, some in a
ruinous condition, whilst in five places they have
gone altogether; the earliest remaining is one dated
1740 to John Morrant.
The tower contains five bells: the treble inscribed
'Fear God, honour the King 1729,' by John Corr
of Aldbourne; the second inscribed 'Hope well'; the
third 'Love God'; and the tenor 'Feare the Lord';
all by John Wallis of Salisbury, 1607. The fourth
is by Robert Wells of Aldbourne, 1764.
The plate consists of a cup, paten and alms dish of
1801 and a flagon of 1793, all of silver.
The first book of the registers contains baptisms,
marriages and burials from 1561 to 1739, the
second marriages 1740 to 1754 and baptisms and
burials 1740 to 1812, and the third marriages from
1754 to 1812.
Advowson
In King Edward's charter of 903
a church is mentioned with the 15
hides in Ann granted to the New
Minster. (fn. 55) The advowson belonged to the monastery
until the Dissolution, though in 1386 there was a
dispute between the king and the abbot as to the
right of presentation, and Wykeham was forbidden to
institute until it was settled. (fn. 56) John (Morton), Bishop of
Ely (1479–86), presented once during the episcopacy of
William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester (1446–87). (fn. 57)
At the Dissolution the advowson was granted to
William Paulet Lord St. John (fn. 58) and continued to
descend with the manor until the close of the 18th
century. On 25 August 1716 Governor Pitt wrote
to his son Robert, 'I would have the work required
in the chancel of Abbots Anne done with all the good
husbandry imaginable' (fn. 59) ; and a fortnight later he
wrote, inclosing an estimate of the cost of rebuilding
the chancel, 'I return Grist's paper, of which I can
form no judgment; but desire that all may be done with
good husbandry, and no more of the usual profuseness
and carelessness. Grist must be well looked after.' (fn. 60)
In the early 19th century the advowson belonged
to John Burrough, (fn. 61) and successively to his sons Thomas
and Sir James Burrough, passing to the heirs of the
last named; it is now in the hands of the trustees of
his grandson, the Rev. James Burrough Fenwick,
sometime rector of the parish. (fn. 62)
A mandate was given at Marwell 11 September
1395, and sealed 27 January 1403, which changed the
feast of the dedication from the Sunday after the Assumption of the Virgin (15 August) to the Sunday after
the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September), with
forty days' indulgence to all who should attend the feast. (fn. 63)
The schools were built in 1831, destroyed by fire
in 1899, and rebuilt in 1900 for 140 children.
Charities
Thomas Criswick, as appeared on
a monument in the church, gave £3
yearly in 1727 for educating poor
children. The annuity is paid by Captain Thomas Best,
thelord of the manor,and carried to the school account.