A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



which the fair (formerly held in the town) is annu- 

 ally kept in July. 



4LTON appears in Domesday Book 

 MANORS as Aultone. It has been claimed as 

 the Aweltun of King Alfred's will, 

 but, although this is probable, it is impossible to be 

 certain as to the identification. Some writers have 

 connected it with the Aweltun granted by king 

 Egbert to the Old Minster, Winchester, in 825, 

 but that is clearly Alton Priors, co. Wilts, as appears 

 by the boundaries. In like manner the sale by 

 Coelwen, widow of Osmod, of land at Aweltun 

 refers to the Wiltshire Alton. The Hampshire 

 Alton has also been identified with ^Ethelinga- 

 dene, the site of a battle with the Danes in 1001. 

 But here again the identification is unsupported 

 by any evidence, and the names themselves have 

 nothing in common. 



Alton was a royal manor before the conquest, 

 having been held by Queen Edith. 6 In 1070 

 William the Conqueror gave a portion of it to 

 Hyde Abbey in exchange for a house in Winchester 

 given by the abbot to the king. 6 



The Survey states that Alton contained 10 

 hides, and that the abbot had five of these in 

 demesne. This land, the abbot's manor, came to 

 be known as 4LTON E4STBROOK whilst the 

 remaining 5 hides became known as the manor of 

 Alton Westbrook. 



In 1087 Rewalan, abbot of Hyde, allocated to 

 the poor and to pilgrims for ever 'the land which 

 is called Aweltona which King William gave in 

 exchange.' 7 



At the dissolution of the monasteries the manor 

 of Alton Eastbrook came to the Crown. The site 

 of the manor subsequently 

 called Amery farm, 8 had 

 been leased by the abbot of 

 Hyde to John Hockley and 

 his wife in 1538. After the 

 fee had remained in the 

 Crown for five years it was 

 granted to Sir Richard Pex- 

 sall, knight, of Beaurepaire, 9 

 who three years later ex- 

 changed it with the king for P*ALL. Silver a 

 .1 i J 10 TI. flowered cross entrrailea 



other lands. 10 The manor J ,, , A i- j 



. sable between four birds 



then remained in the Crown s axur , t having beak, and 

 hands for a considerable time, Itgi gules and collars of 

 being leased out to various "'*"> ' witb "" " callo f 



i 11 silver on the cross. 



persons successively. 11 



On 1 1 June, 1 6 1 1 , James I. granted it in fee to 

 John Eldred and William Whitmore, 12 who, eight 

 days later, sold it to John Knight of Chawton, 13 



with whose descendants it has since remained u 

 (vide descent of Chawton). 



It was found in 12801 that the abbot as lord 

 of the manor of Alton Eastbrook had the right of 

 gallows and the amendment of the assize of bread 

 and ale. 15 In 1283 the lord had there a mill called 

 ' Johnesmulle,' but the stream on which it stood 

 was held of the king in chief. 1 * In 1602 this mill 

 seems to have been known as Spittal Mill. 17 At 

 the dissolution of the monasteries the perquisites of 

 the manorial court yielded 21. a year. 18 The court 

 rolls now in the possession of the lord of the 

 manor begin in 1611. They show that the ale 

 conners and sealers of leather were appointed by 

 the lord, and refer to the cage, stocks, and whip- 

 ping-post ; the last-named stood on Normandy 

 Hill, on the site now occupied by the board room 

 of the Urban District Council. 



The manor house of Alton Eastbrook is tradi- 

 tionally connected with a house on the north side 

 of Normandy Hill, known as ' Eastbrook House.' 

 The present building is of the date and style of 

 town houses in the reign of Queen Anne. 



At the dissolution of the monasteries the site of 

 the manor, which would include the manor house, 

 was let for 6 a year, the lessee being bound to 

 repair the roof with slate and tile, and also the 

 high stone wall. 19 



That portion of Alton which became known as 

 JLTON IfESTBROOKvns at the time of Domes- 

 day held of the king by Herding 20 ; to this be- 

 longed the hundred court and town of Alton. 



It is mentioned as being in the hands of the 

 Crown in 1167 and 1187 on the Pipe Rolls for 

 those years, and in 1 1 90 the sheriff answered for 

 I5/. of increase in the profits of Alton. 41 In 1200 

 King John granted a portion of it to Peter De 

 Preaux, (de Pratellis) 22 and in 1 208 gave him the re- 

 mainder (residuum) to hold during pleasure. 23 In 

 1216 the same king granted the manor of Alton 

 to William De Preaux (his relationship to Peter is 

 not mentioned) and his heirs for ever. 24 The 

 widows of both Peter and William are referred to 

 as receiving dower from the years 1222 to 

 I224. 26 There is evidence that Alton was in 

 the king's hands at various later periods during the 

 reign of Henry III. 20 



In 1273 Edward I. granted the manor to his 

 mother, Queen Eleanor, 27 who died in 1291, when 

 it reverted to the Crown and was granted in 1 299 

 as dower to his second wife, Margaret of France. 28 

 On the death of Queen Margaret in 1 3 1 7, it again 

 came to the Crown, and Edward II. gave it in 

 1319 to his brother Edmund of Woodstock, Earl 



* V.C.H. Hants, i. 470. 

 8 New Minster, Hants Rec. Soc. 

 p. ill. 



7 Hyde Abbey, Hants Rec. Soc. p. 

 163. 



8 Com. Pleas, Deeds enrolled East. 

 8 Jas. I. m. 2;. 



8 Pat. 35 Hen. VIII. pt. i, m. 37. 



10 Pat. 38 Hen. VIII. pt. I, m. 38 

 and Deeds of Purchase and Exchange, 

 E, 79- 



11 Pat. 4 & 5 Phil. & Mary, pt. 2 ; 

 13 Eliz. pt. 10, etc. etc. 

 2 Pat. 9 James I. pt. 6, m. I. 



13 Exemp. Letters Pat. in possession 

 of lord of the manor. 



" Feet of F. Div. Co. East. 30 Geo. II. 



LS Assize R. No. 783. 



18 Inq. p.m. 1 1 Edw. I. No. 60. 



" Exch. Dep. 44 & 45 Eliz. Mich. 37. 



I 8 Min. Accts. 30-31 Hen. VIII. 

 No. 135, m. 38d-39d. 



1 Ibid. 



30 Domesday, V.C.H. Hants, i. 470. 



21 Pipe R. 



22 Chart. R. 2 John, m. 29. 



23 Close, 9 John, m. 9. 



24 Chart. R. 17 John, m. 2. 



28 Close, 6 Hen. III. pt. 2, m. n 5 

 8 Hen. III. p. 2, m. 17 ; p. 3, m. I. 

 28 Cal. Close and Pat. R. passim. 



27 Pat. I Edw. I. m. 5. 



28 Ibid. 27 Edw. I. m. 4. 



474 



