A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



Bitterne village and tithing, formed into a separate 

 parish out of South Stoneham in 1894., is situated on 

 the east bank of the estuary of the Itchen, and com- 

 municates with Southampton by means of Northam 

 Bridge, near the Roman station, Clausentum. 



The High Street, part of the main road from 

 Southampton to Botley, passes through the village 

 from east to west. North of this road the land is 

 high, and owing to its healthy situation the place has 

 become a suburb of Southampton. 



There are several large houses facing the West End 

 Road including Heathfield, belonging to Mrs. Ray- 

 mond ; Bitterne Lodge, the residence of Mrs. Martin 

 and Mersham, the property of Mr. C. Noke. Lady 

 Macnaghten lives at Bitterne Manor House but the 

 estate itself has been largely cut up into building 

 plots Freemantle Common was awarded to the 

 parish in 1812, but is now in St. Mary Extra 



Parts of the tithings of Shamblehurst and Aldington 

 in South Stoneham were made into the civil parish of 

 West End in 1 894. Allington Farm, the old manor- 

 house is m the extreme north, while in the east is 

 1 ownhill House, formerly the manor-house and now 

 the residence of Miss Cooper. The village of West 

 End is entirely residential owing to its splendid situ- 

 ation on a high ridge, whence 

 fine views of the Itchen valley 

 may be obtained, and it con- 

 tains many good houses. The 

 main road from Romsey to 

 Botley divides the parish into 

 the northern and southern por- 

 tions. 



The parish church of St. 

 James, an edifice of red brick 

 and Weldon stone, erected in 

 1838, is situated in the south 

 of the village at the top of 

 Church Hill. 



The elementary schools are 

 situated on the north side of 

 the Botley road, and were built 



in 1838 for 192 children. A few yards farther on 

 are the library and reading room, and nearly opposite 

 is the cemetery, on the south side. In the extreme 

 east of the village is the South Stoneham Union, in 

 Shamblehurst tithing, a large red-brick building 

 erected in 1848, enlarged in 1887, and again, by 

 the addition of an isolation hospital, in 1894. The 

 principal houses in the neighbourhood are Harefield, 

 the residence of Mrs. Edward Jones ; Hatch Grange, 

 the property of Mr. R. Warnford Fletcher ; Thorn- 

 fcll Park, belonging to Colonel Willan, J.P. ; and 

 Townhill Park, owned by Mr. Henry Bessemer. 

 The total area of West End is nearly 3,000 acres, 

 and it has a population of 1,778, including the 

 officers and inmates of the workhouse. 



The most northerly portion of South Stoneham 

 including the tithings of Barton Peverel, Eastleigh, 

 and part of Boyatt, was separated in 1 894, and formed 

 into the civil parish of Eastleigh. 



Its growth to a town within recent years is due to 

 the extensive works of the London and Southwestern 

 Railway, m which nearly all the inhabitants are em- 

 ployed. All kinds of machinery are made here, be- 

 sides coaches, wagons, and other railroad fittings 



The town itself consists of several long straight 

 streets, uniformly laid out, a crescent, and a few 

 blocks of houses. The church of the Resurrection 

 erected in 1868, stands in the crescent at the north 

 end of the town, next to the elementary schools, built 

 m 1870, and enlarged in 1882 and 1889, to accom- 

 modate 478 children girls and infants. The boys' 

 school ism Chamberlayne Road and will accommo- 

 date 580 boys. 



The Institute, erected by the company for the use of 

 those employed on the railway, contains a reading room 

 an extensive library, a large hall, and a billiard room' 



In the extreme north is the recreation ground 

 facing Withymead Lock. On the River Itchen, a 

 little farther down, is a mill, near Barton Farm, both 

 of which are part of the ancient manor of Barton 

 r-everel. There is excellent trout and salmon fishing 

 in this reach. 



Eastleigh Station, on the London and South- 

 western Railway, is an important junction, where 



WEST END MILL, SOUTH STONEHAM 



several branches leave the main line. One called 

 the Eastleigh and Salisbury line runs due west, while 

 the Gosport and Stokes Bay line passes to Portsmouth 

 in a south-easterly direction. 



SOUTH STONEHAM, occasionally 

 MANORS called Bishop's Stoneham, at the time 

 of Domesday was held by the bishop 

 F Winchester, and its revenues were appropriated 

 to the clothing of the monks of St. Swithun's. It 

 possessed two fisheries, and was then valued at /8 

 as against its value of 7 in the time of King Ed- 

 ward^ In 1 167 the manor was still in the hands of 

 the bishop, 4 whose overlordship is mentioned at in- 

 tervals 5 until 1478," after which date it has been 

 found twice only, in 1636 and 1741.' 



The tenants who held of the bishop appear to have 

 taken their name from the lands, for in 1236, and 

 later in 1 249, Gregory de Stoneham or South Stone- 

 ham had possessions there. 8 



. Hants, i, 4.67,,. 



1 Pipe R. 1 3 Hen. II. 



5 In 1284 the king transferred his rights 

 in the manor of South Stoneham (prob- 

 ably claims to services) to the bishop of 

 Winchester, and in the same year the 

 men of Stoneham manor were exempted 

 by royal charter from attendance at the 



hundred court of Sweynston, and were 

 allowed instead to answer at the bishop's 

 court with his hundred at Waltham 

 (Chart. R. iz Edw. I, m. 77 and Cal. of 

 Pat. 1281-92, p. 122). In i 3I 6 the 

 Feudal Aids, ii, 318, give the abbey of 

 Hyde as owner of the vill of South Stone- 



482 



ham. They may have been overlords 

 under a lease from the bishop. 



6 Chan. Inq. p.m. 17 Edw. IV, No. 7. 



' Ibid. 1 1 Chas. I, pt. 3, No. 51 ; Close 

 14 Geo. II, pt. 7, No. ii. 



8 Feet of F.Hants,Hil.20 Hcn.III.; ibid. 

 Hil. 33 Hen. III. His property is described 

 a i hide of land except 4 acres of land. 



