One place study

Obviously it is not that easy a task to locate things mentioned on an 1841 Census and plot them on a current Google Map. My process varies but the simple version is;-

• Can the place still be found on current mapping? If so use that data to plot on my map.
• Try to locate the place on a Ordnance Survey map of the period, either paper or those digitised maps held my the National Library of Scotland Mapping. There are other sources of OS maps, but this one is free to use.
•  Compare the location of the found place with current maps, there is a slider to change the transparency of the old to new maps on the NLS georeferenced maps, as well as a 'Spy' button. 
• Search the internet for additional data, either prime or as corroboration.
• I use Grid Reference Finder to translate any location data into Latitude Longitude and to check the satellite image to ensure correct positioning.
• I create layers on my map to correspond to the Census Enumerator Districts.
• I use the search by inputting the Lat Lon (cut and paste) to find the position and plot the pin onto the map in the appropriate layer.

All of this is just to get an understating of the Census walk or route, to help provide location information to each of the homes recorded on the Census.

But it is not even that easy as some names are not to be found. For instance Turnpikes turned into their own mini study with it's own article on this site.

The map below is the result of adding Turnpike data of the area to a current Google map, and any information found so far.

The map can be enlarged by the icon top right and a menu shows with the icon on the top left. Layers with information on Turnpike roads and tollhouses, as well as individual Census Districts can be turned on or off.

It is commonly accepted that places and maps change over time. This is further complicated by shorelines changing, mudflats becoming docks and canals becoming railway lines or backfilled. District one has all of these problems. An old 1871 OS map shows all of the old positions. Some of these are approximately replicated on the My Maps.

The canal in question is of the Southampton and Salisbury Canal Company and there are photos of the locations together with the plan, old, and current maps. There is also a map of the area in the British Library.

The above map not only shows the canal but also other places around Millbrook including Whimpston Square, which correlates with Wimpston on later maps and a road called Wimpson Square on a 1911 Census record for a family called Street.

The link to the British Library held maps provided invaluable additional information including additional information about names and locations of Turnpike gates to confirm or correct data sourced elsewhere.

A named boundary of the 1841 Census is Cockerwood Land, in District 6 for instance. However, I have not found that road on any current map. There is some reference to Hill Lane on a paper about Taunton's College and a Cockroads Farm shown on some of the old OS Six inch maps.

'A map of Southampton in 1800, by Doswell shows a building next to Hill Lane and known as Cockerwood House. The first OS map of Hampshire shows an unnamed building within a rectangular enclosure. The details are very similar to those shown on the 1826 map of Hampshire. The enclosure map of Hill and Shirley in 1830 shows two main building complexes, both aligned north–south, one adjacent to Hill Lane and the other, to the north-west of it, set slightly back from Hill Lane. This second building interrupts a rectangular enclosure that otherwise surrounds the building on Hill Lane.'

OS 1866 Map Link There is also a short article on Sotonopedia  There is also relevant information on OS First Series Map showing Whithedswood Common. Even more interesting is the British Library held map. This map appears to predate the OS First Series and includes Shirley Common, Warren, Shirley, Hill, Whiterswood Common, Cock Road, Shirley House, as well as Millbrook and Redbridge. Whilst the map does have the words Shirley House it is not clear exactly where it is. Possibly somewhere close to Foundry Road. Later maps pin point Shirley House, which in turn suggests that what appears to be Shirley Brick, on the 1806 map above is in fact Shirley Park.

Unsurprisingly, research into one area takes you to another. The Parish of Millbrook on British History Online leads to manors of Millbrook, which again leads to the Manor of Shirley, and latterly Shirley and Hill. This article provides some of the names of the Lords of the Manor  in the 13th and 14th Centuries. I will add these names to my One Place Ancestry Tree, The people of Millbrook. Sometimes the entries produce hints and additional information about the person and their family. The most successful of these so far was the Whitehead family who held the the Manor of Shirley and Hill from 1433 until Mary, the daughter of Henry and Mary, married Alexander Thistlethwayte in 1717, and the manor thus passed to the Thistlethwaytes with whom it remained for a further considerable period. Whilst they were holders of the Manor of Shirley and Hill, their main seat appears to have been in Norman Court, West West Tytherley, Hampshire, on the border with Wiltshire. Indeed, Norman Court Park is shown on the OS Map as being the boundary between Hampshire and Wiltshire. Norman Court Park is about 20 miles away from Shirley, so I am unsure if they ever lived in Shirley House. Further investigation quickly reveals  that Shirley House was built in the later part of the 18th century for retired West Indian plantation owner, Richard Wilson. It stood at the junction of modern-day Clarendon and Henty Roads. The site is bisected by modern Shirley Park Road, which was named after the estate. Sales particulars of 1792 show it to be a substantial dwelling, with double coach houses, stabling for eight horses, pleasure gardens, a small farm and a large paddock, the total comprising about 48 acres. In 1802 it was occupied by the Reverend Sir Charles Rich and it remained with that family until 1836, when it was sold to property developer William Henry Roe. Roe eventually sold off the estate for development and the house was demolished in the 1880s. More names to add to the Ancestry Tree.

Information on Manors can also be found at the National Archives. The search for Millbrook manor reveals 34 collections held in 4 archives with a date range of 1189 to 1925. Some of these also refer to Nursling Manor, perhaps as the main manor of the two, with some records held at Winchester. Hampshire County Council in the form of the Hampshire Records Office also has a significant number of records, including for instance;-
Plan of Hill and Shirley manor (Whitheds Wood), Millbrook, property of Robert Thistlethwayte, 1778; plan of Hill and Shirley enclosure, 1830; mortgage of tenement on south side of Winchester, John Osman to Elizabeth Merriweather, 1694.

If Nursling Manor and Millbrook Manor are so linked in court records, should I expand my One Place to be Nursling and Millbrook?

Whilst some of the previous holders of the Manor of Shirley have also been Mayor of the adjacent town, the list of Mayors of Southampton does not include a Whitehead.

The Ancestry tree now includes many generations of Whitehead due to this. Also, I have created an article about Shirley on this site.

Off I go on another side road. From Shirley House or Park, the trail leads me to THE COUNTRY HOUSES OF SOUTHAMPTON By JESSICA VALE. Another paper by the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society. However, perhaps this is not quite so much of a diversion. Some of the early Census Enumerators record the route taken by reference to the large houses of the time, whilst others just record something like 'Shirley Common' for almost the whole of the census. The latter not entirely helpful in establishing locations of dwellings. Even so, sometimes historical papers of old houses reveal the names of the occupants which can be correlated to the census.

The occupancy of Shirley House by the Rich family led me to another long line in Ancestry, then confirmed by other sources. 

The Rich Baronetcy, of Shirley House in the County of Southampton, was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 28 July 1791 for Reverend Charles Rich. He was the son-in-law of the fifth Baronet of the 1676, and had inherited the estates and assumed the name and arms of Rich. This creation became dormant upon the death of the sixth Baronet in 1983, but heirs are still thought to be living. From Rich baronets.

Another source was the Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22.

The Rich Baronetcy, of London, was created in the Baronetage of England on 24 January 1676 for Charles Rich, of Mulberton, Norfolk, with remainder to his son-in-law and distant cousin Robert Rich, son of Nathaniel Rich, who inherited the baronetcy the following year. He was a successful politician. His younger son, the fourth Baronet, was a distinguished cavalry officer. The title became extinct on the death of the sixth Baronet in 1799.

Looking into a Nathaniel Rich 1585-1701 takes us into the English Civil War and the formation of the New Model Army. Nathaniel became Colonel of a regiment of horse upon the formation of the New Model Army and was therefore among the first of our professional Army. He fought on Cromwell's side against the King.

I wonder, is the fact that the formation of the current professional army traces back to the Parliamentarians, the reason why it is not a Royal Army, it the way that Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are.

I have just found a possible source of tithe maps of the parishes of Hampshire. This has the potential to significantly aid the correlation of places and families in the 1841 census.

 Two interesting metrics I am trying to include into my spreadsheet are voting and adulthood status which requires date thresholds. An interesting summary of the English path to democracy is on the National Archives site.

In my meanderings around the Fifield family and the Standbridge Estate, I found the name Humby, and I have a later relative William Edward Humby 1831-1906; father-in-law of 2nd great-aunt who lived in 1 Rose Hill Cottages, Romsey Road, Old Shirley, Millbrook, Hampshire, England. I have found him  in the 1871 Census which I have plotted the Enumerators route and William's home on the map below.

One of the interesting and challenging aspects of plotting locations found in Census returns is the passage of time has eradicated a large number of the buildings and places mentioned. Therefore they cannot be directly plotted onto a current map. Even some current roads were previously known by another name. Reference to old maps helps to resolve some of the locations. It is a slow process, but a worthwhile investment in time and effort. The map below is a collection of places found and plotted. It is still growing, and becomes the basis of Census Enumeration route plots, which in turn will feed data into an ESRI data map.

Another interesting, albeit sometimes unlikely, source of information,  is Facebook. There is a group called Freemantle Local History Group. It is fascinating. It is a private group so although I have included links to information sources they may not open for you.

A post by Martin Brisland.

Cedar Lodge House, off Oakley Road, was built in the mid nineteenth century. It was originally called Mussoorie Villa (after a place in northern India). Nearby 2.68 acre Cedar Lodge Park named after the house opened in 1967. Oakley Road was originally called Mousehole lane, renamed Oakley Road in 1909 in honour of the then Mayor, Richard Garrett Oakley.

Another link in the group led me to a collection of Old Maps of Hampshire.

Milne's Hampshire 1791 section 43

 The map shows how rural the whole area was in 1791, with the majority either estates or a huge area of common land. The estates appear to have the names of the owners associated with them. J Jarrett Esq was annotated above Freemantle Park. The size of Nutshalling Common, Shirley Common, and Whiteheads Wood is amazing. So much land in Common usage. Just a few years later the impact of the agricultural and industrial revolutions were clear to see. On the one hand, it is a major land grab by the establishment and the wealthy, but on another it is increasing the productivity of the underutilised and uncared for land, to feed an expanding population. Name changes are also an important consideration. Nutshalling has previously been Nhutscelle, Hnutscilling, Nutshullyng and is now known as Nursling. Whiteheads Wood on this map becomes variously Whitheds Wood, Whithed Wood on later maps. Whithedswood Road becomes Shirley Avenue. Wynsor is shown on this map as Wineston and is now Wimpson. Old roads such as Romsey Road are clearly shown and are still evident whilst Millbrook Road, whilst on a similar alignment but considerable developed. Turnpikes have also come and gone. Shirley is recorded as a manor with a mill in the Domesday Book; the mill standing to the west of the present Romsey Road/Winchester Road junction, at the confluence of the Hollybrook and Tanner's Brook streams. Shirley Mill had three large ponds, to the north of Winchester Road. One of the three mill ponds remains today, accessed by following the Lordswood Greenway. The mill can be seen adjacent to Shirley House and both Hollybrook and Tanner's Brook streams can be seen meandering towards the mill through Nutshalling and Shirley Commons.

Another Map, Taylor's Hampshire 1759 section 43

Millbrook is clearly shown on this map, with Freemantle, Vaux Hall, and Four Posts between it and Southampton. Mouse over the image to zoom in to Millbrook. Grove Place and Nursling is at the top the map. Shirley, despite being mentioned in the Domesday Book is not identified on this map.

 Shirley was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Mansbridge and the county of Hampshire.
It had a recorded population of 12 households in 1086.
Land of Ralph of Mortimer
Households
Households: 4 villagers. 3 smallholders. 5 slaves.
Land and resources
Ploughland: 8 ploughlands. 2 men's plough teams.
Other resources: Meadow 12 acres. Woodland 6 swine render. 1 mill, value 2 shillings and 5 pence. 1 fishery. 1 church.
Valuation
Annual value to lord: 5 pounds in 1086; 5 pounds when acquired by the 1086 owner; 5 pounds in 1066.
Owners
Tenant-in-chief in 1086: Ralph of Mortimer.
Lord in 1086: Ralph of Mortimer.
Overlord in 1066: King Edward.
Lord in 1066: Cypping (of Worthy).

The Domesday Book records a church being present at Shirley in 1085, but on 1 May 1574 the parish of Shirley was amalgamated with that of Millbrook as the small Shirley congregation could not afford the upkeep of the Shirley church building. The Shirley church was demolished in 1609, with stones from the old building used to enlarge St Nicholas' Church building in Millbrook.

By 1836, the population of the combined parish had reached 2,375 inhabitants, and the old Millbrook parish church was too small. Land was donated for a new church building in Shirley by Nathaniel Newman Jefferys, and Church Building Society combined with private funding to pay for the structure itself. The new church, dedicated to St. James, was designed by local architect William Hinves and consecrated on 20 August 1836 by the Bishop of Winchester with a large crowd present despite "unfavourable weather", according to the Hampshire Advertiser newspaper.

Some extracts from a paper presented to Hants Field Club entitled  FIELD SYSTEMS AND ENCLOSURES IN HAMPSHIRE

Hampshire was among the counties reported upon by Wolsey's Commission in 1517.

... 37 Hundreds and eight liberties at which the County (including the Isle of Wight) was divided. The Hundreds for which enclosures are recorded are :
Basingstoke, Crondall, Kingsclere, Mansbridge, Odiham, Redbridge, Shutterley (i.e. • Chuteley) and Somborne, and the places. mentioned are : Al( d)ington recte Aldington, Bewraper (Beaurepaire), Bramsyll " Breche and Sockborowe " (field names only ?),. Dogmersfelde (Dogmersfield), Erleston (Earlston), Ewurst. (Ewehurst), Farley . (Fafleigh Chamberlayne),- Ichill, " Loke Dewer," " Newtosberye," Wynsor (in Millbrook Parish ?), and the total area is some 562 acres.

Hampshire is not included among the 14 counties covered by the Depopulation Act of 1536, though curiously enough the Isle of Wight is.

The County Agricultural Survey was written by the. Drivers, who describe themselves as " of Kent Road, Surrey." They are sorry to observe in the County such immense tracts of open heath and uncultivated land, which tend to remind the travellers of voyages among the barbarians ; they point out, however, that in this respect Hampshire is no worse than Wiltshire and Dorset, perhaps a trifle better. This is no excuse for it. Near Southampton is a great deal of open land which if enclosed and cultivated will give good crops of corn. There are large downs towards Fareham and Warnford,85 and much open land with some good down near Petersfield. As to the forests and wastes, the Drivers are astonished that the Crown Lands in particular should have remained so long in a state of neglect. If properly managed they would pay much of the interest on the National Debt. A general Act should be passed at once, preferably entrusting enclosure to the Commissioners of Crown Lands:
As to other open land, it might well not be worth enclosure for tillage, and still be worth taking in for planting. No " gentleman can sit down easy, and say he has discharged his duty to his family when he is conscious he has neglected to pursue those measures, which, in a few years, would increase his property so amazingly." . Commonable land of every kind can be regarded as little better than waste, since everyone exhausts it, and no one pays the least • attention to. its support and improvement. "All this would be easily remedied by a general inclosure bill, which would reduce the expense. of inclosures, and would be a spur to that improvement." Wool production would certainly not decrease on enclosure, every farmer in his own interest keeps as many sheep as he is able, and he can feed twice as many on land in severalty as on the corresponding area in common.

Note the reference to Depopulation and read more about it here. By 1530 the population of England and Wales had risen to around 3 million. At the end of the 17th century it was estimated the population of England and Wales was about 5 1/2 million. The population of Scotland was about 1 million. The population of London was about 600,000. London went on to become the biggest city in the world for a while. In the 19th century Britain became the world's first industrial society. It also became the first urban society. By 1851 more than half the population lived in towns. As our population approaches 70m it is interesting to think of depopulation efforts at 3 million! The maps of Millbrook clearly show the urbanisation of the countryside.

Following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836 Tithe Maps were produced which recorded both the Landowner and Occupier for most lands. From the Tithe Apportionments records it is apparent that on 4th March 1843 Lady Hewitt 
was both the Landowner and Occupier of Plot 875, Freemantle Estate, described as House Offices and Pleasure Grounds, with an area in statute measure 6,0,2, about 2.4 Hectares. 

Nathaniel Newman Jefferys was both Landowner and Occupier of Plot 825 described as House Offices and Garden, an area of 2,2,24 imperial, on 4th March 1843. However, one plot does not show the full picture.

Using the Tithe Apportionment map of the Parish of Millbrook, Hampshire, as a base, I have colour washed some of the plot landowners. The Freemantle and Banister Estates, pale orange and brown respectively can be clearly seen. The landowners in 1843 where Lady Hewitt and Reverend William Fitzhugh. Shirley Park, owned by William Henry Roe, is in green. Blightmont Lodge, occupied by Lady Lisle, just north of Millbrook Road, and part of the larger Berrywood estate owned by Nathaniel Newman Jefferys is shown in a slightly darker blue than the light blue of the rest of the estate. It appears that Nathaniel Newman Jefferys has bought a large swath of the newly released Shirley Common land in the area of Shirley Warren. Clement Hoare & William Dunn seem to have also taken advantage of the inclosue of Shirley and Nutshalling Commons, as joint owners of plots coloured lime green. Roads such as Warren Avenue, Warren Crescent and Tremona Road have already been laid out for the impending urbanisation. However, the biggest landholding in the Parish, by a long way, is Sir John Barker Mill and various associates who together are landowners of the pink coloured plots, mainly farmland in 1843, but destined to be developed and absorbed as suburbs of Southampton.

Greenwood's Hampshire 1826 section 53

Moving into the current, the Church of England has a database of interesting statistics about all the Parishes in the country. Below is the Map which covers the original Millbrook Parish and shows the current Parishes of;  

Millbrook: Holy Trinity
Freemantle: Christ Church (1851)
Shirley: St James (1836)
Maybush.

Click on the parish to bring up the statistics.

 The Parish of Millbrook Tithe Map 1843 including Shirley, Freemantle and Four Posts, layered onto Google Earth Pro and Geolocated. Same base map as the coloured ownership map. Over 20 separate tiles or files to fit spherical base globe of Google Earth. All adjusted to best fit the projection, and align roads and as many details as possible. Below is just an image of the result. Google Earth Pro is desktop based so does not lend itself to sharing. However, using transparency of the layers I can locate buildings on the tithe map and see what is there now. I can also use the Lat and Lon and show on Google Maps to georeferenced individual buildings or plots.

The interactive version is created using a Project in Google Earth and can be seen here, The Parish of Millbrook Tithe Apportionment. Using the Tithe Map plotted on Google Earth Pro above and other maps, I have placed some of the Property names onto a Google Earth Project with an up to date backdrop. History mapped to now.

A screenshot as at March 2020. Work ongoing.

Freemantle

Freemantle Estate

Tithe Apportionment and Map

Tithe Apportionment - Parish of Millbrook, Hampshire

Note the reference to Depopulation and read more about it here. By 1530 the population of England and Wales had risen to around 3 million. At the end of the 17th century it was estimated the population of England and Wales was about 5 1/2 million. The population of Scotland was about 1 million. The population of London was about 600,000. London went on to become the biggest city in the world for a while. In the 19th century Britain became the world's first industrial society. It also became the first urban society. By 1851 more than half the population lived in towns. As our population approaches 70m it is interesting to think of depopulation efforts at 3 million! The maps of Millbrook clearly show the urbanisation of the countryside.

Following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836 Tithe Maps were produced which recorded both the Landowner and Occupier for most lands. From the Tithe Apportionments records it is apparent that on 4th March 1843 Lady Hewitt was both the Landowner and Occupier of Plot 875, Freemantle Estate, described as House Offices and Pleasure Grounds, with an area in statute measure 6,0,2, about 2.4 Hectares. 

Nathaniel Newman Jefferys was both Landowner and Occupier of Plot 825 described as House Offices and Garden, an area of 2,2,24 imperial, on 4th March 1843. However, one plot does not show the full picture.

Using the Tithe Apportionment map of the Parish of Millbrook, Hampshire, as a base, I have colour washed some of the plot landowners. The Freemantle and Banister Estates, pale orange and brown respectively can be clearly seen. The landowners in 1843 where Lady Hewitt and Reverend William Fitzhugh. Shirley Park, owned by William Henry Roe, is in green. Blightmont Lodge, occupied by Lady Lisle, just north of Millbrook Road, and part of the larger Berrywood estate owned by Nathaniel Newman Jefferys is shown in a slightly darker blue than the light blue of the rest of the estate. It appears that Nathaniel Newman Jefferys has bought a large swath of the newly released Shirley Common land in the area of Shirley Warren. Clement Hoare & William Dunn seem to have also taken advantage of the inclosue of Shirley and Nutshalling Commons, as joint owners of plots coloured lime green. Roads such as Warren Avenue, Warren Crescent and Tremona Road have already been laid out for the impending urbanisation. However, the biggest landholding in the Parish, by a long way, is Sir John Barker Mill and various associates who together are landowners of the pink coloured plots, mainly farmland in 1843, but destined to be developed and absorbed as suburbs of Southampton.

more later

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People

People of note in the parish of Nursling, through time.

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Relatives

Some of my relatives with an association to the parish of Nursling.

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People

People of note in the parish of Whiteparish, through time.

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Relatives

Some of my relatives with an association to the parish of Whiteparish.

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Overview

The Parish of Nursling

A Study of the Parish of Nursling in the County of Hampshire, or sometime known as the County of Southamptonshire.

I refer you to the Millbrook One Place Study in the first instance. That has a lot of the background information which would be repetitive if just repeated here. 

For an extensive description of the parish follow the link to British History Online.

Nursling has also been called Nutshalling as can be seen in the Ordnance Survey drawing held at the British Library. Nutshalling is circled in blue. The nearby Grove Place is circled in green, the seat of Sir Charles Mills. Shirley, in the adjacent parish of Millbrook is circled in orange.

Before delving deeper, some information about the Ordnance Survey drawing held at the British Library. The British Library has also made the drawing available on Wikimedia  The surveyor was: Crocker, Edmund - Medium: Pen and ink on paper - Date: 1806.

British Library notes;

This drawing was completed in 1806. The detail with which it records the road network is greater than in previous maps - testimony to the Ordnance Survey's urgency and military intent. The Roman road from Winchester to Old Sarum is marked running from the top left of the map, with smaller sections of the road shown in the Chilworth area. The origin and terminus of these roads are also noted. A line with a circle at each end leads from the margins of the map to Morstead. This line was used to plot locations and landmarks. Several "Ancient Entrenchments" are marked, notably an iron-age hillfort near Winchester called St. Catherine's Hill. The fort is indicated by concentric rings of dark, cross-hatched strokes ('hachures'). Week Turnpike Gate is marked on the road between Week and Winchester.

The recording of a dog kennel above Little Sombourne and bathing houses on the coast between Southampton and Redbridge reveal the meticulousness of the Survey, and perhaps too the interests of the draughtsman.

The map below is an extract of the map referred to in the British Library notes.

 Not circled, but the following can also be seen on this map extract. Lordswood, Roundhams {Rownhams}, and Toothill, with the Telegraph. Together with a few named houses, Springford Cottage, Aldermore Lodge, Roundham House, Upton House, and Chilworth House,

This is the same Drawing referred to above but zooming to Grove Place and Nutshalling. 

We are getting ahead of ourselves. Below we jump further back in time, to maps between 1575 and 1788. Nursling, or a variation of spelling of same, is shown on all the maps, despite how very small the village was.

Old Hampshire Mapped website - Snippets of Maps for the OS area reference SU31

Saxton 1575	Norden 1595
Norden 1607	Speed 1611
Morden 1695	Kitchen 1751
Harrison 1788
The names and dates refer to the originator of the map and date.
Click the link to go to the Old Hampshire Mapped website for more information.
See how much the skill of mapping has changed over time.

 We also need to look at some old large scale maps, also from the Old Hampshire Mapped website.

 An extract of Taylor's Hampshire 1759. At 1759 this is not dissimilar to the period of interest of the article about John and Mary Mabey of Nursling. Grove Place is annotated 322.

 The Mill family were prominent in the area for a long time.

 An extract from Milne's Hampshire 1791. This map has names of prominent people added as well as places

Nutshalling / Nursling Common and Shirley Common is shown on this map. On later maps Shirley Common is much smaller, and in the area of Whiteheads Wood. 

 An extract of Greenwood's Hampshire 1826 with Nutshalling and Grove Place clearly shown.

The Parish

The maps so far show the village of Nursling or Nutshalling but not the extent of the parish.

NURSLING, or Nutshalling, a parish, in the union of Romsey, hundred of Buddlesgate, Romsey and S. divisions of the county of Southampton, 5 miles (N. W.) from Southampton. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

County map of Parishes - Hampshire

Extract from Great Britain, Atlas and Index of Parish Registers, from Ancestry

 Same map but in more detail

The same map but zoomed in and split into four parts for ease of use.

There is a vertical overlap on each segment to try to avoid the difficulty of interpreting the information, reading at the joints.

 At one time this was done with mouse rollover, but that no longer consistently works on all browsers, so back to static.

The County of Hampshire Parishes.

 Zooming into the parish of Eling for this map, with a wash of light blue. Adjacent parishes to the North include Millbrook and Nursling. The dates indicate the early parish records.

 An extract of Family Search English Jurisdictions 1851. Search for Nursling, to get the map below. 

 A similar map but for the parish of North Baddesley, which includes Rownhams.

Rownhams was formerly a chapelry in the parishes of Nursling, Romsey and North Baddesley, on 1 October 1897 became a separate civil parish, on 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished to form "Nursling and Rownhams". In 1931 the parish had a population of 540.

St John’s Church in Rownhams was constructed in the 1850’s having been financed by Oliver Colt who lived in Rownhams House.

From Kelly's "Directory of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (1911)"

ROWNHAMS is an ecclesiastical parish formed in 1856 from the parishes of Romsey Extra, Nursling and North Baddesley, and into a civil parish by Local Government Board Order No 36648, dated Oct 1st, 1897; it is 1½ miles north from Nursling station on the Southampton and Salisbury line of the London and South Western railway, 4 west-by-north-west from Southampton and 3½ south-east from Romsey, in the New Forest division of the county, hundred of Buddlesgate, union of Romsey, county court district of Romsey, rural deanery of Romsey and archdeaconry and diocese of Winchester, overlooking the valley of the Test, and bounded on the side by the road from Southampton to Romsey. The church of St. John the Evangelist is an edifice of stone in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, transepts, vestry, south porch and a tower with spire containing one bell and tubular chimes, hung in 1889 to the memory of the Rev. Robert Francis Wilson M.A. vicar here 1863-1888: in the chancel is a brass to William Oliver Colt, founder of this church, died April 9th. 1853, and Jane, his widow, by whom the work was completed about 1856, who died September 5th. 1875: the church was consecrated October 25th. 1856: all the windows are stained: the reredos is of alabaster, gilt and colored (sic): there are 220 sittings. The register dates from the year 1856. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £190, with residence and 3 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Bishop of Winchester, and held since 1891 by the Rev. George Mead M.A. of St. John's College, Oxford. The vicarage house is of red brick in the Elizabethan still, and was erected by the late Mrs. Colt, of Rownhams Park. Rownhams House, the property and residence of Lord Abinger J.P. is a mansion of brick, situated in a park of 40 acres. The chief landowners are Wilfred W. Ashley esq. M.P., J.P. of Broadlands, Romsey, Mrs Vaudry-Barker-Mill, of Langley Manor, Tankerville Chamberlayne esq. of Cranbury Park, who is lord of the manor, and John E.A. Willis Fleming esq. of Chilworth Manor. The chief crops are barley, wheat and oats. The soil is clay, sand and gravel; subsoil, clay. The area is 1985 acres of land and 4 of water; rateable value , £3428; the population in 1901 was 498 in the civil and 481 in the ecclesiastical parish"

 An Ordnance Survey, OS 6" Old Map from the National Library Of Scotland. The link will take you to a similar map, with the marker at St Boniface Church Nursling. The Map is made up from the following sheets;-

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Sheet LVII.SW
Revised: 1895, Published: 1897
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Sheet LVI.SE
Revised: 1895, Published: 1897
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Sheet LXV.NW
Revised: 1895 to 1896, Published: 1898
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Sheet LXIV.NE
Revised: 1895 to 1896, Published: 1897

 Unfortunately, if you follow the link, the yellow line will not be there. I drew that onto the digital map using one of the tools. Zooming in a long way I followed the boundary markers, hoping they were the parish boundary.

You could also follow the doted line on the map at the link, for the detailed position. It may not be exactly the same boundary as shown on the English Jurisdictions 1851 map, above. Not only is there a time difference but the may be a difference between civil and ecclesiastical boundaries.

To get you a little closer, I have made copies of the above, zoomed in and split North and South.

I have not tried to align the two sheets. There are some vary torturous routes for the boundary, especially near the river.

All of the above maps of the Parish are before the separation and creation of a separate Rownhams Parish from lands of Nursling, Romsey, and North Baddesley Parishes, on 1 October 1897.

However, Rownhams House and the village of Rownhams do appear to be outside of the boundary shown. It is possible that the imminent boundary change was know and incorporated onto the maps as part of the revision.

Some of the dotted lines I have followed are Poor Law Union boundaries and others are Civil Parishes. Looking further at the key, I don't think the maps show ecclesiastical boundaries, so at least that is one potential variation resolved.

 The above is a copy of a Google Earth image created by overlaying tiles of Nursling Parish Tithe Apportionment Map and the Boundary line created on the OS 6" maps above. Also shown is some of Millbrook Parish Tithe Apportionment Map. Although the lines and the edge of the Tithe Map do not align everywhere, there is a reasonable correlation. Apart for part of Lordswood, which appears to be missing. Although, on the original image it does go further into Lordswood, closer to the shape of the boundary. Something to rectify at a later date. The Tithe Apportionment is dated 19^th Sept 1846. My conclusion therefore is that the orange line above is before the separation of part of the Parish for the creation of the Parish of Rownhams.

 The above ESRI Church of England Parish map brings us up to date. Click on the map in the area of Nursling to bring up the boundary and information about the Parish. It does work here but it is easier to see if you first click on 'View larger map', which opens a new page. The statistics are fascinating. You can also click on one of the dots to bring up information about that. Click in different places to see different parts of the boundary, or adjacent parishes.

The Nursling One Place Study StoryMap below can also be seen in a new tab, full size, by following this link.

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Nursling in the Domesday Book of 1086

Nursling has also been called Nutshalling

Nursling was mentioned it the Domesday Book of 1086

Nursling was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Buddlesgate and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 30 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 40% of settlements recorded in Domesday.

Land of Bishop of Winchester (St Peter & St Swithin)

Households

Households: 21 villagers. 8 smallholders. 1 slave.

Land and resources

Ploughland: 6 ploughlands. 1 lord's plough teams. 10 men's plough teams.
Other resources: Meadow 140 acres. Woodland 5 swine render. 1 mill, value 1 pound 2 shillings and 7 pence. 1 church.

Valuation

Annual value to lord: 9 pounds in 1086; 5 pounds when acquired by the 1086 owner; 8 pounds in 1066.

Owners

Tenant-in-chief in 1086: Winchester (St Peter & St Swithin), bishop of.
Lord in 1086: Winchester (St Peter & St Swithin), bishop of.
Lord in 1066: Winchester (St Peter & St Swithin), bishop of.

Other information

Phillimore reference: Hampshire 3,2

Comparison to other nearby settlements.

By comparison, nearby settlements of Millbrook and Shirley. Which later became parishes, which subsequently merged, and then again separated.

Millbrook was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Mansbridge and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 28 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 40% of settlements recorded in Domesday.

Land of Bishop of Winchester (St Peter & St Swithin)

 Interestingly, for Millbrook, the lord in both 1066 and 1086 is stated as being 'villagers'

Shirley was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Mansbridge and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 12 households in 1086.

Land of Ralph of Mortimer

Mortimer is a surname in my Family Tree. I wonder if there is a connection?

Nearby towns were Southampton, Romsey and Eling, 4.2 miles / 1hr 25 mins walk, 3.7 miles / 1hr 14 mins walk, and 3.6 miles / 1hr 13 mins walk respectively, according to Google Maps

Southampton was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Mansbridge and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 185.5 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday, and is listed under 4 owners in Domesday Book.

Land of Bishop of Winchester (St Peter & St Swithin)

Romsey was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Somborne and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 127 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday.

Land of Romsey (St Mary & St Elfleda), abbey of

Eling was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Redbridge and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 69 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday.

Land of King William

Between Nursling and Eling is Totton.

Totton was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Redbridge and the county of Hampshire.

It had a recorded population of 20 households in 1086, and is listed under 2 owners in Domesday Book.

Land of Romsey (St Mary & St Elfleda), abbey of

and

Land of Aghmund, of Wellow

Tithe Apportionment and Map

The Tithe Commutation Act 1836

An Act for the Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales. - 6 & 7 Will 4 c 71.  Royal assent; 13 August 1836

Together with several amendments;

Act amended by Tithe Act 1839 (c. 62), Tithe Act 1842 (c. 54), Tithe Act 1860 (c. 93), Tithe Act 1878 (c. 42), Tithe Act 1891 (c. 8) and Tithe Act 1918 (c. 54)

The Tithe Act, 1936 (26 Geo. V and 1 Edw. VIII. C.43) abolished all tithe rent charges. Responsibility for tithe documents created under the tithe acts (1836, 1837, 1839, 1860, 1891) were placed under the charge of the Master of the Rolls, who has the authority to transfer them to an approved place of deposit. This responsibility is exercised by The National Archives: Historical Manuscripts Commission. The Master of the Rolls has issued Tithe (Copies of Instruments of apportionment) Rules 1960 (SI 1960/2440), as amended by the Tithe (Copies of Instruments of Apportionment) (Amendment) Rules 1963 (SI 1963/977)] concerning the care, custody, access to, and definition of tithe documents.

The start and end of Tithes.

Religion, of many faiths, the Established Church, the Pope, the Governments, and Kings of the time shaped the idea and practice of  collecting tithes.

From a simple pious concept of the donation one tenth of your crop to the church, for charity, changed over time and created some very rich churches and some very poor people, and a degree of discontent.

Tithes lasted in England for over a thousand years, partly in goods and latterly as money.

All intertwined with a Norman, with Viking Blood, thinking he was the rightful successor to the English Throne, a Pope who wanted to bring Ireland into the European sphere, or should that read his sphere, and Henry VIII wanting to have a male heir to prolong the Tudor epoch. Little did he know Elizabeth I would be so good at being monarch. Power and politics, over centuries of time.

Splits in the Christian Church 

There were three major schisms:

• 1) the one in the 5th century that split eastern Christendom in two;
• 2) the one the 11th century that divided the Latin church and the Byzantine church;
• and 3) the Reformation in the 16th century in which Protestantism arose and split from the Roman Catholic church.

2) On July 16, 1054, Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cerularius was excommunicated, starting the “Great Schism” that created the two largest denominations in Christianity—the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faiths.

3) The Reformation — more properly called the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation — was a 16th-century religious and political uprising against the authority of the Pope that led to was a schism in Western Christianity. It was initiated by Martin Luther with the publication of the “Ninety-five Theses” in 1517 and continued by Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin and other Protestant Reformers. The Reformation triggered the bloody the Counter-Reformation, which sucked in much of Europe, and lasted until the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648. The Reformation led to the division of Western Christianity into different denominations such Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist and Unitarian. The Eastern Orthodox Christian church had split off in 1054.

The Reformation began as theological debate over real and perceived Church corruption. Early dissenters included John Wycliffe (1320-84) in England, and john Huss (burned as a heretic in 1415) in Bohemia. Martin Luther was from Germany. Other major players in the Reformation were Huldrych Zwingli of Zurich, John Calvin of Geneva and King Henry VIII of England

The Reformation was aided by the invigorated intellectual freedom of the Renaissance and spirit of nationalism in England, France, Germany and Bohemia. In the 16th century the church was corrupt and blemished by greedy clergy and decadent monks, extracting financial burdens from the laity to pay for their indulgences and ambitions. The General Councils of 15th century failed to reform he church. After the Reformation the power of the Catholic Church was greatly weakened

What is the relevance of these splits? The divisions within the Christian Church have in part contributed to the discontent leading to the Tithe Wars and the subsequent Tithe Commutation Act. The Act led to the creation of very useful set of documents for Family Historians, with information about people, places, and land usage.

The Award of Rent-charge in lieu of Tithes in the Parish of Nursling in the County of Southampton. Hampshire variously known as the County of Southampton, Southamptonshire, and abbreviated to Hants.

From the 'Know all Men' paragraph, the Assistant Tithe Commissioner responsible for Nursling was William Wakeford Attree of the Middle Temple Barrister at Law. He was also responsible for the Tithe Commutation for the Parish of Freefolk in the County of Southampton, and possibly others. 

I found an article in The National Archives which has some information about William Wakeford Attree and his family, extract below. The Atrree family do not live in Nursling but have an involvement by virtue of the Tithe Award.

THE HISTORY OF HOWLETT & CLARKE by Antony Dale

Howlett & Clarke is not only the oldest firm of Solicitors in Brighton but the only one that can be traced back to the eighteenth century. Its first known principal or partner was William Attree. He came of an old established Ditchling family. His grand-father, William Attree, was a brick-layer there. The latter died in 1767 but left a Will, so he must have been a man of some education. This William Attree's son, John Attree, was a prosperous malster. In 1745 John Attree married at Newtimber Susannah, daughter of Henry Scrase of Withdean, Patcham. He died on the 9th June 1772 and is buried in a table-tomb in Ditchling church-yard to the north of the church

John and Susannah Attree had one daughter and four sons

William Attree was the second of these sons and was born in 1749. In 1765 he was articled for 5 years to an attorney in Lewes named Henry Burtenshaw. He was admitted to the roll of solicitors before 1775. But this must have been at least two years earlier, as in 1773, when the Brighton Town Commissioners were first set up to pave and light the streets and to erect groynes in front of the town, he became their first Clerk and also Treasurer. The Commissioners' minutes have not survived from before 1789, but Bishops' "Brighton in the Olden Time" quotes an advertisement by William Attree as Clerk to the Commissioners of 1st August 1773, so he must have held this office since the initiation of the Commission. His salary as such in 1789 was £4-10-0 a year

He was also Clerk to the Brighton Vestry. The date when he was appointed to that office is unknown because again the minutes of the Vestry have not survived from before 1790. He may well have been in office for some time before that date and perhaps was even appointed Clerk to the Commissioners in 1773 because he was already Clerk to the Vestry. His salary as Clerk to the Vestry was £10-10-0 a year in 1790 and £30-0-0 a year in 1804

It is just possible that William Attree's legal connection may extend further back than this. His mother's first cousin, Charles Scrase, was also an attorney. He was born in 1709 and was Town Clerk of Seaford in 1733. In 1771 Scrase purchased a moiety of the manor of Brighton and lived in the Manor House there which was on the site of Royal York Buildings in Old Steine. Scrase was also the solicitor of Dr Johnson's friend, Hester Thrale, later Mrs Piozzi. She stayed with him at the Manor House and subsequently bought a house of her own in Brighton in West Street. William Attree acted as steward of the Manor for Scrase from 1778 onwards. So it is possible that he had been articled to Scrase. The latter died in 1791

When William Attree established his practice in Brighton, he built himself an office and a house where he also lived. In 1775 he bought a site in Ship Street for £50. On this he built No. 8 Ship Street and probably the adjoining house, No. 9. No. 8 was his residence and office combined until his death and after that the residence and office of his son until 1830. William Attree mortgaged the building for £2,000 in 1803, and this loan was not finally paid off by his son until 1824. The house was rebuilt in its present form, but still with a facade of Georgian character, at some time between 1830 and 1863. But continuity has been preserved as the building is still the office of Howlett & Clarke today

In or before 1800 there were few attorneys in Brighton, so William Attree easily acquired a near monopoly of the best legal work in the town. Amongst his fashionable clients was the Prince of Wales. When the Prince was acquiring land to enlarge the grounds of his Brighton house, he employed Attree in the various purchases which this involved. Attree's position will have been of benefit to both parties when, in 1803, the Prince sought the agreement of the Town Commisioners to divert the north end of Great East Street, as East Street was then called, which ran almost directly under his windows, and to give the town instead a piece of land further west which, in 1806, became New Road

The above is not really relevant to the Parish of Nursling but does give some background to the next extract where William Wakeford Attree, the Assistant Tithe Commissioner for Nursling and a number of other Hampshire Parishes.

Thomas Attree married about 1805. His wife's Christian names were Elizabeth Austin. They had a son and a daughter. The son, William Wakeford Attree, was born in 1806. He followed his father into the legal profession, but became a barrister in the Middle Temple. He was Recorder of Rye, Hastings and Seaford. He died in his father's life-time and at his father's Brighton house on the 28th January 1862 aged 56. He was buried in Ditchling church-yard

In his memory his father endowed a scholarship at Brighton College. To provide the money for this he conveyed to the Trustees of the College No 9 Ship Street adjoining his office and, if this Trust was invalidated by his death within 6 months of the date of gift, he substituted in his Will a bequest to the College of £1,000. Thomas Attree's daughter, Elizabeth Wakeford Attree, died when quite young. Stained glass windows in memory of both the son and daughter were inserted in the north wall of the nave of Ditchling Church in 1863.

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People

People of note in the parish of Nursling, through time.

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Relatives

Some of my relatives with an association to the parish of Nursling.

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Overview

There are a few go to websites when researching a parish, some of which are listed below.

British History Online

A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 4. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1911.

Parishes: Eling

GENUKI

"ELING, a parish in the hundred of Redbridge, Romsey division of county Hants, 3 miles N.W. of Southampton, its post town. The Totton station, on the London and South-Western railway, is about 1; mile to the N.W. of the village. It is situated at the upper end of the Southampton Water, near the river:Test, and is of great extent, including several townships and hamlets, the principal of which are North and South Eling, Marchwood, Netley, and Totton, and the manor of Bury Farm, which last is held of the crown by the tenure of presenting to the king, on his visiting the New Forest, a brace of white greyhounds in silver couples, which ceremony was last performed in 1789, on the event of George III.'s visit to Lindhurst. "

[From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

A Vision of Britain through Time

Eling, Hampshire

Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for ELING

(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

 An extract of ArcGIS Church of England Parishes Map focused on the parish of Eling

The Eling One Place Study StoryMap below can also be seen in a new tab, full size, by following this link.

Eling Hampshire

Eling a small village and town, as well as a large parish on the banks of the River Test opposite Southampton, and adjacent to the New Forest, in the county of Hampshire, sometimes known as Southamptonshire, or County of Southampton. 

Prehistoric

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Tithe Apportionment and Map

UK Census dates

 UK Census dates from 1911Census.org.

The Census Act 1800 – also known as the Population Act 1800 – (41 Geo. 3. (G.B.) c. 15)

• 1801 First Census Tuesday 10^th March 1801
• 1811 Second Census Monday 27th May 1811
• 1821 Third Census Monday 28th May 1821
• 1831 Fourth Census Sunday 29th May 1831

Population Act 1840

• 1841 Fifth Census Sunday 6^th June 1841
• 1851 Sixth Census Sunday 30^th March 1851
• 1861 Seventh Census Sunday 7th April 1861
• 1871 Eighth Census Sunday 2^nd April 1871
• 1881 Ninth Census Sunday 3^rd April 1881
• 1891 Tenth Census Sunday 5^th April 1891
• 1901 Eleventh Census Sunday 31^st March 1901
• 1911 Twelfth Census Sunday 2^nd April 1911
• 1921 Thirteenth Census Sunday 19^th June 1921
• 1931 Census Sunday 26^th April 1931
• 1941 Census -- Not held - WWII --
• 1951 Census Sunday 8^th April 1951
• 1961 Census Sunday 23^rd April 1961
• 1971 Census Sunday 25^th April 1971
• 1981 Census Sunday 5^th April 1981
• 1991 Census Sunday 21^st April 1991
• 2001 Census Sunday 29^th April 2001
• 2011 Census Sunday 27^th March 2011
• 2021 Census Sunday 21^st March 2021

Distribution of Census months. In March, 5; April, 12; May, 3; and in June, 2.

• <1939 Register Friday 29^th September 1939>

Below, a short history of the Census from The National Archhives

UK Census data

Early Census data was very rudimentary.

An example above from the Register of Prior's Dean, Hampshire. For the 1811 census, 17 Uninhabited Houses, 23 Families, 78 Males, 56 Females, 134 Total Persons.

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People

People of note in the parish of Nursling, through time.

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Relatives

Some of my relatives with an association to the parish of Nursling.

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This is the clever part. There is no easy way to explain this or to show it.

The first is the 1841 Census and Baptisms conducted at St Mary's Chapel / Church, Copythorne, aka Copped Thorn.

The part with the green title row is data from the 1841 Census and blue titles are from Baptisms conducted at St Mary's Chapel / Church, Copythorne. Both datasets are merged where the data appears to relate to the same person, with the same parents. There is a lot more information from both datasets not sown in this view, but hopefully sufficient to give enough to be able to look for the rest.