THE HUNDRED OF FORDINGBRIDGE
containing the parishes of; North Charford; South Charford Tithing; Ellingham; Fordingbridge; Godshill Tithing; Broomy Lodge; Linford, Picked; Post & Shobley extra-parochial. (fn. 1) ; Hale; Ibsley; Rockbourne; South Damerham (fn. 2) ; Martin; Whitsbury
A little before 1841 Ellingham and Broomy, the latter being constituted
a township in 1868, were transferred to Ringwood Hundred. Fordingbridge
now comprises Ashley Walk (a township formed in 1868 from part of Godshill
and several extra-parochial places), North and South Charford, which are now
separate civil parishes, Fordingbridge,
Hale, Ibsley, Rockbourne and Woodgreen, which was formerly an
extra-parochial district in the tithing
of Godshill, and is now a separate
civil parish. In 1086 the hundred
contained Breamore, (fn. 3) North Charford, South Charford, (fn. 4) Ellingham, (fn. 5)
Fordingbridge, (fn. 6) Hale, (fn. 7) Ibsley (fn. 8) and
Rockbourne, (fn. 9) the manor of Canterton in Minstead, (fn. 10) and in addition
'Clatinges,' (fn. 11) 'Slacham,' ' Ivare' and
'Bedecotes.' (fn. 12) Clatinges was held
together with South Charford by
William de Chernet of Hugh de
Port, and was probably situated near
that place. Slacham, Ivare and
Bedcote were all in the New Forest.
The modern Eyeworth in Ashley Walk preserves the 11th-century ' Ivare.'
Canterton in Minstead was annexed to the New Forest Hundred before
1316, (fn. 13) and Breamore became a separate liberty at the end of the 16th or
beginning of the 17th century. (fn. 14)
Index Map to the Hundred of Foringbridge
In the time of Edward the Confessor there were 36½ hides 12½ virgates in the
hundred; in 1086 there were 24 hides 7¼ virgates. In 1280 John de Rivers was
holding the hundred of Fordingbridge, which was worth 40s. yearly, and
claimed there gallows, pillory, tumbril, view of frankpledge and assize of bread
and ale. (fn. 15)
The hundred of Fordingbridge was apparently granted with the manors of
Nether Burgate and Rockbourne to Manser Bisset. (fn. 16) It was assigned with
the manor of Nether Burgate to Margery Rivers, daughter and co-heir of
John Rivers, and has since followed the descent of that manor, (fn. 17) the present
owner being Mr. John Coventry.
In 1651, although it must have belonged to the Bulkeleys, a survey of the
hundred was taken as parcel of the possessions of Charles I. (fn. 18) It included the
nine tithings of Rockford Moyles, Ibsley, Bickton, North Charford, Hale,
Over Burgate, Difford, South Charford and Ellingham. The tithing silver
amounted to £1 13s. 9d. and the profits of the courts to 15s. The court leet
and 'lawdaye' was held at Michaelmas every year, but the sheriff's tourn had
long been discontinued. Mr. Coventry still has the right of appointing the
coroner for the hundred. (fn. 19)