LITTLE SOMBORNE
Sumburne (xi cent.); Parva Sumburn (xiii cent.);
Parva Sombourne (xiv cent.); Lytell Sumbourne
(xvi cent.).
The parish of Little Somborne, covering an area
of 1,933 acres, lies on the main roads to Stockbridge
from Basingstoke and Winchester. The land slopes
downwards from west to east and north to south.
Woolbury Ring in the north-west reaches a height of
500 ft. above the ordnance datum. Little Somborne
House, occupied by Chevalier Guglielmo Marconi,
is a modern structure surrounded by a park, south of
which is the church of All Saints. The parish contains 1,004 acres of arable land and 266½ acres of
permanent grass, while the woods and plantations
cover 533 acres. (fn. 1) The soil is loam with a subsoil of
chalk, and the chief crops are wheat, barley and oats.
Manors
At the time of the Domesday Survey
there were two estates in LITTLE
SOMBORNE, one formerly held by
Godwin and then in the possession of Bernard
Pauncefoot, (fn. 2) and another, which Ednod had held,
then belonged to Waleran the Huntsman. (fn. 3) In 1166
Humphrey Pauncefoot held a fee and a half of the old
feoffment of Humphrey de Bohun (fn. 3a) and this included
the estate in Little Somborne which had belonged to
Bernard Pauncefoot in 1086. In the 13th century this
estate was held for half a knight's fee by Arnulf de
Mandeville of Lemuel Pauncefoot, who held of the
Earl of Hereford (Bohun). (fn. 4) In 1361 it was said to be
held of the Earl of Hereford for the annual service of
one red rose, (fn. 5) but in 1396, the last year in which
the overlordship is mentioned, Thomas Pauncefoot
is given as the overlord. (fn. 6) This is explained by the
fact that the honour of the Bohuns Earls of Hereford merged in the Crown in 1372–3.
By 1331 Arnulf de Mandeville had been succeeded by John Devenish of Winchester, of whom
the manor was held at a fee-farm rent of £3 10s. (fn. 7)
Who was the immediate tenant is uncertain, but he
may possibly have been Robert Burbache, the predecessor of Henry Bradwey, who in 1346 was
holding half a knight's fee in Somborne. (fn. 8) In 1361
Henry died seised of a messuage, a carucate of land,
16 acres of meadow and 6s. 8d. rent in Little Somborne. His son and heir John (fn. 9) died thirty-five
years later seised of the premises described as a
messuage, a carucate of land, 16½ acres of meadow
and pasture for 700 sheep in Little Somborne. His
only daughter and heir Katherine (fn. 10) possibly married
the John Philip who in 1428 was holding half a
knight's fee in Little Somborne which had belonged
to Robert Burbache. (fn. 11) By the end of the 16th
century the manor was in the possession of the family
of Welles of Brambridge
House, being held by Gilbert
Welles in 1552–3. (fn. 12) This
Thomas, son and heir of
Gilbert, was in 1590–1 holding lands in Little Somborne
which had belonged to John
Philip, and before that to
Robert Burbache. (fn. 13) From
1590 onwards the Welles
family held Little Somborne (fn. 14)
until by the will of Henry
Welles dated 2 August 1762 (fn. 15)
it passed to his cousin Walter
Smythe. (fn. 16) The latter died
in 1788, leaving a son Walter, on whose death
without male issue the estate passed to his brother
Charles. (fn. 17) The latter died in 1832, leaving as heir
his niece Louisa daughter of his brother Walter.
She married in the same year Sir Frederick Hutchinson Hervey-Bathurst, bart., (fn. 18) who died in 1881.
His eldest son and heir Sir Frederick Thomas Arthur
Hervey-Bathurst, bart., died in 1900, leaving a son
and heir Sir Frederick Edward William HerveyBathurst, bart., the present lord of the manor.
Welles of Brambridge. Sable a cheveron ermine between three martlets argent.
The other estate was held by the descendants of
Waleran the Huntsman until the close of the 13th
century. In 1271–2 John Waleran granted one messuage, 2 carucates of land and £2 6s. 8d. rent in
Little Somborne and Wallop to Robert son of John
Waleran, to hold of John and his heirs for a rent
of a pair of white (?silver)
spurs or threepence at the
Feast of the Nativity of St.
John the Baptist. (fn. 19) Robert
afterwards granted the premises
to Oliver de Ingham, who in
1282 died seised of the same,
held of Robert Waleran. (fn. 20)
Oliver's son and heir John (fn. 21)
was seised of the manor in
1294, (fn. 22) but he subsequently
granted it to Robert Burbache
for life. (fn. 23) He died c. 1308–9,
leaving a son and heir Oliver, (fn. 24)
who in 1318 granted the
reversion of the manor after
the death of Robert Burbache to Thomas de Byvedon
and Joan his wife and the heirs of Thomas. (fn. 25) From
this time the history of the manor is at present indefinite until 1533, when it belonged to Robert
Gilbert, (fn. 26) whose son George died seised of the same
in 1541, leaving a son and heir John. (fn. 27) From the
latter it passed, probably by purchase, to William
Waller, who died in 1616, leaving two daughters and
heirs: Charity wife of Sir Thomas Phelipps, and
Susan wife of Sir Richard Tichborne. (fn. 28) The manor
for a time followed the same descent as Leckford
Abbess and Abbotts (fn. 29) (q.v.), but its subsequent history
is obscure. It is now probably merged in the manor
of Little Somborne as owned by Sir Frederick
Edward William Hervey-Bathurst, bart.
Hervey-Bathurst, baronet. Sable two bars ermine with three corsses forming or in the chief—quartered with Hervey.
There was a mill appurtenant to the manor in
1318. (fn. 30)
Other lands in LITTLE SOMBORNE were held
by Arnulf de Mandeville for half a knight's fee of
William Briwere as of his manor of Ashley (fn. 31) (q.v.).
They were assigned at William Briwere's death in
1233 to William Percy, who had married Joan, one
of the sisters and co-heirs of William Briwere. (fn. 32)
From him they passed to his daughter Joan wife of
John Farlington, (fn. 33) who granted them to Mary de
Hoyville for life. (fn. 34) Mary continued to hold them
until 1326, (fn. 35) when they escheated to the Crown as
parcel of the manor of Ashley (fn. 36) (q.v.). Edward III
granted them with the manor of Ashley to Hugh le
Despenser, the elder son of Hugh le Despenser the
younger, in 1334. (fn. 37) From this date they descended
with the manor of Ashley until 1571, (fn. 38) when they
were alienated by Edward Bellingham, lord of,
Ashley, to William Waller, (fn. 39) and were probably
merged in the manor of Little Somborne.
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS consists
of a chancel and nave in one range
44 ft. 8 in. long and 14 ft. wide with a
wooden bell-cot over the west end. The west end
and part at least of the side walls are of pre-Conquest
date, with long and short quoins at the western
angles and a pilaster strip on the north wall. The
other architectural features point to a late 12th-century date, and the blocked arch at the east of the
building, formerly opening to a chancel which is now
destroyed, suggests that the chancel was of that date.
Little Somborne Church: Interior Looking East
The east window, set in the blocking of the chancel
arch, is of three square-headed lights with hollowchamfered jambs, mullions and head, and is of late
date. The old chancel arch is pointed and was
probably of two square orders; the outer has circular
jamb-shafts with slender scalloped capitals of a late
type. Above are two lancets very much restored,
the head of one being modern; they were doubtless
originally in the chancel. A little to the south of
the chancel arch is a small round-headed image niche
probably of the same date as the arch. In the north
wall is a single light of 12 th-century date. The splay
is fairly wide, and has a round head, while the outer
opening is square-headed and has a well-cut external
rebate; it seems to be of late 12th-century date.
West of this is the north door, now blocked, with a
square head and chamfered jambs; the door is of the
same date as the window, but the chamfer may have
been cut later. About 11½ ft. from the north-west
angle of the church, on the outside of the north wall,
is the pre-Conquest pilaster strip already referred to.
The projecting portion is 6¾ in. wide
and projects about 2½ in. from the face
of the plaster of the wall. The joints are
rather close and the alternate stones are
bonded to the wall. The material is
Binstead stone from the Isle of Wight, as
usual in early work in the county, and
the western angles are in the same stone,
as is most of the 12th-century work.
At the south-east of the church is a
13th-century lancet of some size and
with a wide splay; externally it is chamfered and rebated for a wooden frame.
West of this is a 12th-century window
nearly opposite, and exactly similar to
that in the north wall. The south
door is placed about 3 ft. west of the
centre of the wall. It is of late 12th-century date with a round head of one
slightly chamfered order with a chamfered label and abaci. In the western
half of the south wall is a modern squareheaded single light.
The west window is of two trefoiled
lights with a quatrefoil over and is a late
14th-century insertion.
The bell-cot is a small weatherboarded and tiled structure partly supported by a roof principal and partly by
modern posts. It is quite plain and
devoid of detail from which its date
might be deduced. The same may be
said of the roof, of which the bell-cot
really forms a part, and which, though
a good deal restored, has old tie-beams
and strutted purlins with wind braces.
It is ceiled with modern match-boarding.
The fittings are all modern, including
the font, which is circular and quite
plain, and there are no monuments of
any interest.
The bell-cot contains one bell dated 1604.
The plate and registers are included with those of
King's Somborne.
Advowson
The advowson of the church of
LITTLE SOMBORNE was granted
by John Briwere brother of William
Briwere the elder to the Prior and convent of
Mottisfont, and the grant was confirmed by
King John in 1204. (fn. 40) Little Somborne at the
present day is a chapelry annexed to the church of
King's Somborne.