CHARFORD (fn. 1)
Cerdeford (xi cent.); Cherdeford (xii, xiii cent.);
Chartford (xiv cent.); Cherford (xv cent.).
In 1831 the parish of North Charford included
'the tithing of South Charford,' but both were
originally and are now separate, though small and
decayed parishes, South Charford possessing no
village and North Charford only a few scattered
houses and the old manor-house, converted in 1880
by Professor Wrightson into an agricultural college.
North Charford contains 874½ acres, of which about
two-thirds are arable land, and the remainder is
permanent grass and woodland. (fn. 2) South Charford
contains 862½ acres, of which 350 acres are arable,
about 400 permanent grass and 100 woodland. (fn. 3)
The Avon flows through both parishes from north
to south and the land on the banks of the river is
flat, but from the valley there is a gradual rise east
and west respectively to 392 ft. and 383 ft. above
the ordnance datum.
Manors
The overlordship of NORTH
CHARFORD belonged after the Conquest to the Earls of Salisbury (fn. 4) until
1196, when on the death of Edward Earl of Salisbury his only daughter and heir Ela brought the
manor in marriage to William Longespée. (fn. 5) Their
great-granddaughter and heir Margaret married
Henry de Laci Earl of Lincoln, and left an only
child Alice, (fn. 6) who with her second husband Ebulo le
Strange (fn. 7) conveyed nine knights' fees in Charford and
elsewhere to Hugh le Despenser in 1324. (fn. 8) After
the forfeiture of the Despensers John de Warenne
Earl of Surrey and Sussex apparently obtained a life
grant of the Charford fee, (fn. 9) since in 1343 the manor
came into his hands by reason of the minority of
William son and heir of William Gerberd, together
with the marriage of the said heir. (fn. 10) Richard II
was returned as overlord in 1397, (fn. 11) but subsequently the Bulkeleys claimed the overlordship, asserting that the manor was held of them as of their
manor of Nether Burgate and their hundred of
Fordingbridge. (fn. 12) This was denied by Edward
Abarowe, lord of North Charford in 1563, (fn. 13) but
seventy years later Sir William Bulkeley was stated
to be the overlord. (fn. 14)
Before the Conquest a certain Alnod held the
manor of Edward the Confessor as an alod, but by
1086 he had been succeeded by Rannulf. (fn. 15) In the
beginning of the 13th century Hamo de Bachamton
and Geoffrey son of John held the manor conjointly. (fn. 16)
Hamo by an undated charter granted a rent of one
mark from a tenement in Charford to the canons of
Breamore in free alms, (fn. 17) and Geoffrey in 1240–1
granted a life interest in a
carucate of land in Charford
to William Waldrich. (fn. 18) Forty
years later William Gerberd (fn. 19)
held the manor, which passed
to his heir John Gerberd, who
in 1302 settled the reversion
of a messuage and 2 carucates
of land at Charford after his
death on Alice del Escheker,
possibly his wife, for life and
then on her son and heir
John, with contingent remainders, if John died childless,
to his brothers William and
Thomas and finally to Thomas son of a certain
William Gerberd. (fn. 20) Alice 'Gileberd' was holding
in 1316, but in 1344, since William, apparently her
grandson and heir, was a minor, the manor was in
the custody of John de Warenne Earl of Surrey. (fn. 21)
William Gerberd evidently came of age before 1347, (fn. 22)
and sold the manor before 1353 to Walter atte Bergh
or Abarowe, (fn. 23) on whose death
it passed to his widow Isabel.
She subsequently married
Hugh Tyrell, and died in
1370, leaving a son and heir
John Abarowe, (fn. 24) whose widow
Christine, dying in 1397, left
the manor to her son John
Abarowe. (fn. 25) In 1455 Walter
son of John by his father's
death came into possession of
the manor, (fn. 26) already settled
on him and his wife Anne, (fn. 27)
and afterwards settled it on
his second wife Eleanor, who
survived him and married
Charles Bulkeley. On her
death in 1476 her son and heir Maurice Abarowe,
then a minor, succeeded to the manor. (fn. 28) His son
John, (fn. 29) who was imprisoned but pardoned for a
murder committed in self-defence, (fn. 30) settled the manor
in 1540–1 on his wife Elizabeth, who was succeeded
in 1551 by her grandson Edward son of Erasmus
Abarowe. (fn. 31) This Edward being childless settled the
reversion of the manor on his cousin William, son of
Anthony Abarowe, and his wife Andrea, daughter of
Andrew Foster. (fn. 32) William, then a knight, came into
possession in 1603 (fn. 33) and died in 1627, leaving a son
and heir William, (fn. 34) on whom he had settled the
manor two years before. (fn. 35)
Bulkeley. Sable a cheveron between three bulls' heads razed argent.
Abarowe. Sable two crossed swords argent their hilts and pommels downwards or between four fleurs de lis or.
For the next hundred years the history of the
manor is not definitely known, but it was purchased
in the 18th century by Thomas Archer, or his
nephew Henry Archer, who was holding it at the
time of his death in 1768. (fn. 36) It then followed the
same descent as Hale (q.v.) until the 19th century, (fn. 37)
when it was sold to John Coventry of Burgate Manor,
to whose son, Mr. John Coventry, it now belongs.
A mill worth 50s. belonged to the manor at the
time of the Domesday Survey, (fn. 38) but is not mentioned
again.
At the time of the Domesday Survey SOUTH
CHARFORD belonged to Hugh de Port. (fn. 39) On the
death of his descendant Edmund de St. John in 1349
the reversion of two knights' fees in the New Forest,
South Charford, Avon and other places, after the
death of his widow Elizabeth, was assigned to his
elder sister Margaret and her husband, John de St.
Philibert. (fn. 40) After that date there is no further
mention of the overlordship until 1513, when it
belonged to the Prior of Breamore. (fn. 41) In 1639 the
manor was said to be held of the king as of the late
priory of Breamore, (fn. 42) but from that date the overlordship seems to have lapsed.
The manor was held of Hugh de Port by William
de Chernet, who had succeeded the two free men
holding it of Edward the Confessor. (fn. 43) It remained
in his family for over 200 years, belonging to Hugh
de Chernet in 1166, (fn. 44) and later to John de
Chernet, (fn. 45) who before 1271 was succeeded by
Geoffrey de Chernet, probably his son, (fn. 46) who was
holding in 1280. (fn. 47) In 1293 Iseult de Chernet was
dealing with the manor, (fn. 48) which passed by inheritance
or purchase to Oliver de la Zouche, who in 1305
received a grant of free warren in South Charford
and ' la Hyde.' (fn. 49) John de la Zouche, probably his
son, (fn. 50) was holding in 1316 and in 1326 settled the
manor on himself and Eleanor his wife with reversion
to their son Oliver and Isabel his wife. (fn. 51) Oliver
succeeded to the manor after 1349, (fn. 52) but before 1428
had evidently sold it to Sir John Popham. (fn. 53) The
latter, who served in France under Henry V and the
Duke of Bedford, (fn. 54) settled the manor in 1459 on
Alice wife of William Herteshorn and daughter of
John Malyns, with reversion to her daughter Elizabeth wife of Charles Bulkeley. (fn. 55) It thus came into
the possession of the Bulkeleys and followed the
descent of Burgate in Fordingbridge (q.v.) until
1600, (fn. 56) when John Bulkeley conveyed it to Hugh
Grove. (fn. 57) However, Sir William Dodington was
holding in 1624, (fn. 58) and five years later settled it on
his son Herbert on his marriage with Elizabeth
daughter of John Colles. (fn. 59) Herbert Dodington
died childless in 1633, (fn. 60) and his father, who survived,
held the manor until his death in 1638, when it
passed to his younger son John. (fn. 61) The latter left
two daughters: Margaret, who married Sir Thomas
Hannan but died childless, and Anne, (fn. 62) who married
firstly Robert Greville fourth Lord Brooke of Beauchamp, by whom she had
two daughters, (fn. 63) and secondly
Thomas Hoby. (fn. 64) South Charford passed by sale or settlement to Fulke Greville fifth
Lord Brooke, brother of Anne's
first husband, and remained
in his family until 1747–8, (fn. 65)
when Francis Lord Brooke
sold his Hampshire estates
under a Private Act of Parliament. (fn. 66) South Charford passed
to Henry Archer and has since
followed the descent of North
Charford (fn. 67) (q.v.), the present
owner being Mr. John
Coventry.
Greville, Lord Brooke. Sable a cross engrailed in a border engrailed or with five roundels sable in the cross.
According to an entry in the Testa de Nevill
Nicholas de Moels held one knight's fee in Charford
of the old enfeoffment of Robert de St. John. (fn. 68)
However, since the Moels family do not seem to
have held land in Charford, it is probable that
the entry concerns Rockford (in the parish of
Ellingham).
The manor of SEARCHFIELD (Sercheville, xiii
cent.; Sechevyle, xiv cent.; Seccheford, xv cent.;
Sechefilde, xvi cent.) now survives as a farm in
North Charford. In 1280 it belonged, with North
Charford, to William Gerberd, (fn. 69) who apparently
sold it to a certain Thomas Tassam. (fn. 70) Isabel wife of
John Sewale, possibly daughter of Thomas, next held
the manor, which she sold in 1346 to Walter
Abarowe. (fn. 71) It then descended with North Charford
until it was sold by William Abarowe in 1634 (fn. 72)
to Sir George Howe of
Cold Barwick (co. Wilts.), (fn. 73)
whose son and heir Sir George
Grubham Howe was created
a baronet 20 June 1660. (fn. 74)
Although it does not appear
in the will of the latter, who
died in 1676, (fn. 75) the manor
probably passed to his son Sir
James Howe, but before 1713
was sold to Thomas Gage (fn. 76)
and followed the descent of
Hale (fn. 77) (q.v.). Later it was
merged in the manor of North
Charford and belongs at the
present day to Mr. John
Coventry.
Priory of St. John of Jerusalem. Gules a cross argent.
Advowsons
North Charford Chapel was built
by the beginning of the 14th century, (fn. 78) and was in the gift of the
Prior of St. John of Jerusalem in England. It is said
to have been founded for one priest 'to syng in the
same chapell fo' the ease of th enhabytauntes of
the manor of Northchartforde.' His salary was the
tithe of the manor, (fn. 79) which amounted at the time of
the Dissolution to £5 13s. 4d. (fn. 80) The chapel with
its tithes is mentioned in 1628, (fn. 81) but before 1727 it
was in ruins, (fn. 82) and there is no trace of it at the
present day.
The chapel of South Charford is said to have
been built by Sir John Popham with the consent ot
the Prior of Breamore, and it was dedicated in 1404
by Nicholas, Suffragan Bishop of Wells, during a
vacancy in the See of Winchester. (fn. 83) The advowson (fn. 84)
descended like that of Breamore (q.v.) until 1777, (fn. 85)
when George Duke of Manchester sold it to Lady
Elizabeth Archer. (fn. 86)
Already the chapel was in ruins and the Duke
and Duchess of Manchester had granted the 'old
material' to Thomas Archer for the enlarging and
rebuilding of the church of Hale. (fn. 87) The site is still
to be seen in a field near South Charford Farm.
For ecclesiastical purposes the part of North and
South Charford which lies on the east bank of the
Avon is annexed to Hale and that on the west to
Breamore. There are no endowed charities in
Charford.