SOUTH TIDWORTH
Tedorde, Todeorde (xi cent.); Thodeworth,
Thudeworth (xiii cent., &c.); Suthtudeword, Suthtudeworthe, &c. (xiv cent.); South Tedeworth (xv
cent.).
The parish of South Tidworth (sometimes spelt
Tedworth) lies in a corner of the county having the
Wiltshire border for its northern and western boundaries. To the east lies Kimpton and to the south
Shipton Bellinger. The total area of the parish is
2,303 acres, nearly the whole of which is pasture land,
about a tenth only being arable. The Bourne River
runs through the centre of the parish from north to
south, but is usually dry. The soil is light loam and
the subsoil chalk. (fn. 1) The principal crops are wheat,
barley, oats and turnips.
Tidworth House stands in a well-wooded park of
500 acres. It was built by Mr. Thomas Assheton
Smith, but has been much enlarged and is now the
official residence of the General in Command of the
Salisbury Plain Military District. Near the house
stand both the new church and the site of the old
church, while the rectory is a little to the north-east.
Adjoining the park on the east is Ashdown Copse,
which continues northward to the woody western
slope of Furze Hill. The summit of this hill—596 ft.
above the ordnance datum—is the highest point in
the parish, which in no place descends to a lower
level than 360 ft. Further to the east is Warren
Hill, on which are targets for rifle practice, the longer
ranges, however, being in the neighbouring shire.
Military barracks have recently been built here.
The kennels of the Tidworth Hunt are in the
parish.
Hampshire Cross is a hamlet on the Wiltshire
border. Half a mile to the west of it are seven tumuli.
Manors
There were three separate estates in
SOUTH TIDWORTH at the time of
the Domesday Survey. The largest,
which paid geld for 7 hides, was held by a certain
Hugh of Robert son of Gerold. It had formerly
been held of Earl Harold as an alod by Codolf. (fn. 2) The
second had been held as two manors by two freemen
in the time of the Confessor, but was held by Robert
son of Gerold as one manor at the time of the Survey. (fn. 3)
The third holding was that of Croc the Huntsman,
consisting of 2 hides which Alwin had held as a
manor of the Confessor. (fn. 4) From the time of the
survey until the 16th century only one manor proper
of Tidworth seems to have been recognized, but at
the later date there appear in the parish three manors,
known respectively as the North, Middle and South
Manors of South Tidworth, and there is a likelihood
that these may be roughly equated with the Domesday entries. The manor proper was identical with
the later 'Middle' Manor.
The Middle Manor, the 7-hide Domesday holding
of Robert son of Gerold, was held of the manor of
Queen's Camel (co. Somers. (fn. 5) ), which was granted to
Hubert de Burgh Earl of Kent by King John, (fn. 6) exchanged by him with the king in 1228 for other
estates, (fn. 7) and granted in 1318 to Edmund of Woodstock, (fn. 8) afterwards Earl of Kent. In 1353 fees in
Tidworth were assigned in dower to Elizabeth widow
of John Plantagenet Earl of Kent, (fn. 9) and she died so
seised in 1411. (fn. 10) The honour of Camel eventually
reverted to the Crown.
In 1202 Baldwin de Combe granted Sarah, late
the wife of Robert le Dun, half a hide of land in
Tidworth as dower, which she claimed from the
freehold there, which had once belonged to Robert. (fn. 11)
In the Testa de Nevill Simon le Dun is found holding
Tidworth by one knight's fee of the old enfeoffment
of Hubert de Burgh. (fn. 12) In October 1270 William le
Dun was granted free warren on his demesne there, (fn. 13)
and a month later a weekly market at his manor
every Monday and a yearly fair on the vigil, feast and
morrow of Holy Trinity. (fn. 14) This William died seised
of the manor about 1286. (fn. 15) Two years later John le
Dun was seeking to replevy his land in West Tidworth, which had been taken into the king's hands
for his default against William de Nevill (fn. 16) ; and in
1309 he was seeking to replevy his lands in South
Tidworth, confiscated this time for his default against
Alice late the wife of Roger Cleyne. (fn. 17) In 1309 he
obtained licence to settle the manor on himself for
life, with remainder to Stephen de Brightmerston and
Joan his wife in tail, with contingent remainder to
George de Brightmerston and Agnes his wife, Robert
de Harnhill and Henry de Harnhill. This he did
by means of a fine with William de Sherborne. (fn. 18)
John le Dun died in 1332, and Stephen de Brightmerston being dead the manor descended to Nicholas
de Wyly, who had married Stephen's daughter
Isabel. (fn. 19) In 1333 licence was granted to Nicholas
and Isabel de Wyly to enfeoff John de Sewale and
Isabel his wife of the manor and advowson of Tidworth, and for them to regrant the premises to
Nicholas and Isabel in fee-tail. (fn. 20) In the following
year Henry Burry of New Sarum and Agnes his
wife, John de Sewale and Isabel his wife, and Nicholas
de Wyly and Isabel his wife quitclaimed the same
premises from themselves and the heirs of Agnes,
Isabel and Isabel to Roger Norman and his heirs. (fn. 21)
In 1337 Roger Norman was granted free warren in
South Tidworth. (fn. 22) He died in 1349, leaving as his
heir his grandson Giles, (fn. 23) who died while still under
age in 1362. (fn. 24) Giles' heir was his cousin Margaret,
daughter of Agnes Norman, sister of his father Roger
Norman and wife of John Chamberlayne, but she
died almost immediately afterwards, leaving as her
heirs Julia, who married first Richard Cavendish and
secondly John Shonne, Beatrice wife of John de
Glemsford, and Christine wife of William Chamberlayne. (fn. 25) South Tidworth Manor was apparently
assigned eventually to Julia, Richard Cavendish, her
first husband, presenting a rector in 1373. (fn. 26) In 1375
the manor was settled upon her and her second
husband, John Shonne, in fee-tail. (fn. 27) However, in
spite of this settlement, it passed after Julia's death (fn. 28) to
her daughter and heir by her first husband—Alice
the wife of Richard Becket. (fn. 29) In 1391 Richard
Becket and Alice his wife obtained an inspeximus
and confirmation of Roger Norman's charter of free
warren, (fn. 30) and in 1411 Richard Becket died seised of
the 'manor of South Tidworth, called the Middle
Manor,' and the advowson in right of his wife Alice.
He left a daughter Joan, wife of Robert Peny, as his
heir. (fn. 31) At the assessment for an Aid in 1428 William
Langbrook, John Peny, Richard Mayn, Thomas
Mayn and William Gerard, who were apparently
trustees, held Roger Norman's fee in Tidworth, (fn. 32) and
three years afterwards Robert Peny of Tidworth held
the fourth part of a fee there. (fn. 33)
The precise date at which the Dales acquired the
manor is uncertain, but William Dale purchased Fyfield (q.v.) in 1484, and his son John Dale died in
1514 seised of the Middle, North and South Manors
of South Tidworth. (fn. 34) John Dale grandson of John
Dale died so seised in 1522, leaving a daughter and
heir Alice Dale, aged nine months, (fn. 35) who married and
carried the manors to John Cooke. (fn. 36) In 1552 John
Cooke and Alice his wife were parties to a fine for
altering the entail from her heirs to his, (fn. 37) and four
years later he entailed the manors and advowson on
his youngest son, George Cooke. (fn. 38) In 1564, however, William Dale, (fn. 39) brother of John Dale, father of
Alice Cooke, brought an action in Chancery against
John Cooke to recover the manors as uncle and heir
of Alice, who had died without issue. On Cooke's
quoting the above-mentioned fine for altering the
entail, the plaintiff responded 'that the said defendant
did beat and very cruelly and unkyndly handell and
use his saide wiffe untill wth very extreme practizes
wherewth she was daylie by a great space as it were
tormented she forceably yelded to levye suche fyne.' (fn. 40)
In spite of these charges Cooke remained in peaceable
possession and died seised in 1568. (fn. 41) Seven years
later his son George Cooke quitclaimed the North
and South Manors to William Paulet Lord St. John
(afterwards third Marquess of Winchester) and Agnes
his wife. (fn. 42) This cannot have been a sale, for only the
small sum of £200 passed between the parties, and
two years later George Cooke dealt with the premises
by recovery. (fn. 43) Nevertheless, the estate very shortly
came, possibly by a foreclosure, to the Marquess of
Winchester; for in 1594 he and his wife Agnes
conveyed it in trust to William Wallop and Richard
Lee, (fn. 44) and the marchioness dying in 1601 left the
manor of South Tidworth to her daughter Katherine, (fn. 45)
who married Sir Giles Wroughton. In 1622 Sir
Giles and his wife quitclaimed from themselves and the
heirs of Lady Wroughton the three manors and the
advowson to Sir James Ley, bart., chief justice of England, (fn. 46) who was four years later created Earl of
Marlborough. (fn. 47) The earl settled this property on
Jane, his third wife, (fn. 48) who survived him, and in
1650, with her husband, William Ashburnham, and
others, sold it to Thomas Smith. (fn. 49) The manor remained with his descendants (fn. 50) until 1859, when, on
the death of Matilda (Webber) widow of Thomas
Assheton Smith, it passed by will to her nephew
Francis Sloane-Stanley of Leesthorpe Hall, Melton
Mowbray, son of the Rev. George Sloane-Stanley and
Laura Maria Webber. Mr. Sloane-Stanley sold it
in 1877 to Sir John Kelk of Bentley Priory, first bart.,
and in 1897 Sir John William Kelk, second bart., sold
it to the War Department. (fn. 51)
The 4 hides which Robert
son of Gerold held in Thorngate Hundred, (fn. 52) joined with
the 1½ hides which he held
in Shipton Bellinger (fn. 53) in the
same hundred, formed a holding which though not called
a manor in mediaeval records
is equivalent to the South
Manor of the 16th century.
For the most part it followed
the descent of the Middle
Manor, to which it was probably considered to appertain. In 1270 William le
Dun had a grant of free warren in his demesne lands
of Tidworth and Shipton (Bellinger), (fn. 54) and in 1316
John le Dun held the hamlet of Tidworth in
Thorngate Hundred. (fn. 55) This holding did not, however, pass with the Middle Manor from the heirs
of John le Dun to Roger Norman (vide supra),
and in 1346 it was the possession of Robert Lock
and assessed at half a fee. (fn. 56) In 1428 it belonged
to William Alexander and Robert Peny, of whom
it may be noted that the first held the North
and the second the Middle Manor. (fn. 57) At some
date not long subsequent to this the holding
passed to the Dales, became known as the South
Manor, and henceforth followed the same descent as
the two others. From the inquisition taken on the
death of John Dale in 1514 it appears that the
South Manor was held of the heirs of Avice de
Columbers. (fn. 58)
Smith. Azure two bars between three pbeons or.
The third Domesday holding in the parish was that
of Croc the Huntsman, consisting of 2 hides which
Alwin had held as a manor of the Confessor. (fn. 59) The
evidence seems to show that Croc the Huntsman's
Domesday holding was identical with what was afterwards known as the North Manor. That manor,
like the South Manor, was held as of the heirs of
Avice de Columbers, (fn. 60) for in 1208 Michael de
Columbers gave 200 marks to marry Avice daughter
of Ellis Croc, and to have the office of forester of
Chute which Ellis held in fee. (fn. 61) This Ellis was of the
family that gave its name to Crux Easton, which the
Huntsman held in 1086. (fn. 62) In the Testa de Nevill
Philip Croc is entered as holding four parts of a
knight's fee in Tidworth (Toneworth) of the old
enfeoffment of Avice de Columbers, (fn. 63) and in 1291
Thomas son of Philip Croc conveyed 2 carucates
there to John de Drokensford, (fn. 64) who in his turn
made a fine three years later with Philip de
Drokensford concerning a messuage, a carucate of
land and 40s. rent in Tidworth, which he was to
hold for life at the rent of a rose with reversion to
Philip and his heirs. (fn. 65) It is probable that the first
as well as the second of these conveyances was a family
matter; for, according to a pedigree in Glover's
Collections (fn. 66) John Drokensford, Bishop of Bath and
Wells (1309–29), had a sister Joan, who married
Philip Crook (sic). He also had a brother, Philip
Drokensford, and it is possible these brothers were
the parties to the second fine. In 1346 Roger
Norman and Philip Drokensford held the fourth part
of a fee which had belonged to John de Drokensford, (fn. 67)
and in 1428 William Alexander and Edith his wife
held the quarter fee which had belonged to Philip de
Drokensford. (fn. 68) Towards the end of this century or
the beginning of the next the manor passed to the
Dales, and thereafter followed the same descent as the
Middle Manor. In the inquisition taken on the
death of John Dale in 1514 it was said to be held of
the heirs of Avice de Columbers. (fn. 69)
Church
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN is an entirely modern building erected in 1880. It is a copy of
elaborate 13th-century work of stone with polished
marble shafts in the columns of the arcade piers.
The chancel floor is laid with Italian mosaic. The
measurements are as follows:—Chancel 28 ft. 6 in.
by 17 ft. 6 in., north and south transepts 14 ft. by
13 ft. 8 in., nave 42 ft. 10 in. by 17 ft. 6 in., with
north and south aisles 10 ft. wide. There are also
a north vestry and a south porch.
The plate consists of a silver chalice and paten of
1837 given by F. Dyson, rector, in 1838, a silver gilt chalice and paten of 1877 and a silver-gilt flagon
of 1869.
The registers are contained in five books. The
first has baptisms from 1627 to 1643, burials from
1599 to 1644, and marriages 1600 to 1635. In
this book there are also a few irregular entries of all
three from 1655 to 1670, baptisms from 1684 to
1688 and from 1703 to 1712, also one marriage of
1703. The second book contains baptisms 1684
to 1783, burials 1681 to 1782, and marriages
1718 to 1752, with a gap in the burials from 1684
to 1690. Both of these books were repaired in
1908. The third book contains marriages only from
1761 to 1782, the fourth book baptisms and burials
from 1783 to 1812, and the fifth book marriages
only from 1788 to 1812.
In the burial-ground of this parish is a small
mortuary chapel about 22 ft. long by 18 ft. wide,
built of stones from the old parish church. In the
east wall is a 14th-century window of three trefoiled
lights with two quatrefoils over and a moulded label.
The small windows in the north and south walls and
the west doorway and porch are modern.
Advowson
The church of SOUTH TIDWORTH is mentioned in Domesday
Book with the larger holding of
Robert son of Gerold, (fn. 70) and the advowson followed
the descent of the Middle Manor, (fn. 71) the lords or their
feoffees presenting until 1897, when Sir John William
Kelk sold the manor to the War Department but
retained the advowson.
The prebendary of Chute had a portion in this
parish which in 1291 was assessed at 15s., the church
itself being assessed at £10. (fn. 72)
The school was enlarged in 1903 for 110
children.
There are apparently no endowed charities in the
parish.