Parishes: Shalden

SHALDEN

Seldene (xi cent.); Schalden, Scaldeden, Scaudedene (xii cent.); Chalden, Scalden (xiii cent.).

The parish of Shalden contains 1,536 acres. Its eastern boundary is formed by the high road from Alton to Odiham, and the village lies about half a mile to the west of this road and is connected with it by Stancombe Lane. The principal road through the village is that from Shalden Green to Alton. The nearest railway station is at Alton, on the Farnham and Winchester Branch of the London and South Western Railway.

The land in the north is high, more than 600 ft. above the ordnance datum, but it falls in the south to some 400 ft. above the same datum. The parish is well wooded, and there is a small park at Shalden Lodge, the residence of Mr. Frank Mangles, J.P. At Shalden Green there is a small common with a few cottages on the western side, and Park Farm on the east.

In 1905 there were in the parish 370 acres of arable land, 877 acres of permanent grass, and 194 acres of woodland. (fn. 1) The soil is clay and chalk, with a subsoil of chalk, and the chief crops produced are cereals. A large number of old chalk-pits indicate that the chalk was once worked in this neighbourhood.

Roman remains were found to the west of the village in 1854.

Place-names occurring in connexion with Shalden in the 17th century are Gregories Farm and Shrubb. (fn. 2)

John Lightfoot the botanist was rector of Shalden from 1765 until 1777. (fn. 3)

Manor

The manor of SHALDEN was held at the time of the Domesday Survey by William Mauduit; formerly it had been held by four freemen of King Edward the Confessor as an alod. (fn. 4) The overlordship of the manor passed to the descendants of William Mauduit in the same way as the manor of Hartley Mauduit (q.v.), of which Shalden was held. (fn. 5)

The manor was apparently held by the Mauduits of Hartley Mauduit in demesne (fn. 6) until near the end of the 12th century, when William Mauduit of Hanslope gave this manor to his brother Robert Mauduit of Warminster to be held of William and his heirs for the service of half a knight's fee. (fn. 7) Robert Mauduit died in 1191, (fn. 8) and his son and successor Thomas was holding the manor in 1235–6. (fn. 9) He died in 1244, and was succeeded by his son William. (fn. 10) Thomas the successor of William left a son and heir Warin, a minor, whose custody was assigned by Henry III to his brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall. (fn. 11) From Warin some interest in the manor seems to have passed on his death in 1299–1300 (fn. 12) to his son Thomas, for he granted a virgate of land at Shalden to Walter Stoner his freeman for his homage and services. (fn. 13) Before this time, however, the manor seems to have passed to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, for he obtained from Henry III a grant of free warren there, and on his death in 1272 the manor descended to his son Edmund, (fn. 14) who was summoned in 1280 to show by what right he claimed free warren and the assize of bread and ale in the manor. (fn. 15) At that time Sir Nicholas de Boys held the manor of the earl as a tenant for life. (fn. 16) In 1297 the earl, in consideration of the good services of Sir Nicholas, granted the manor to him and his heirs for ever. (fn. 17) Sir Nicholas was to pay nothing for the manor, but his heirs were to pay £12 a year to the earl. (fn. 18) This rent was, however, remitted in 1320 by Edward II, (fn. 19) to whom the earl's interest had descended. In 1309 Sir Nicholas de Boys granted the manor to Robert de Kendale and Margaret his wife and the heirs of Margaret. The manor was then held by Ralph le Mareschal for life. (fn. 20) He was still holding it in 1310, (fn. 21) but it had passed to Robert de Kendale before 1316. (fn. 22) Robert died in 1330, and his son Edward succeeded to the manor, (fn. 23) but it was held by Margaret widow of Robert till her death in 1347. (fn. 24) Sir Edward de Kendale died in 1373, leaving a son Edward his heir. (fn. 25) Edward (then Sir Edward) and his brother Thomas both died without issue in 1375. (fn. 26) Sir Robert Turk and Beatrice his wife, sister and heir of Sir Edward and Thomas de Kendale, conveyed the manor in 1376–7 to Sir William Croiser and William Bukbridge, (fn. 27) trustees for Elizabeth widow of Sir Edward de Kendale the younger, to whom they transferred it in the same year. (fn. 28) Elizabeth afterwards married Sir Thomas Barre, and died in 1421. Her heir was her grandson, John son of Thomas Barre, (fn. 29) but the manor of Shalden passed to John de Kendale, who held it in 1428. (fn. 30) From him the manor passed by descent or purchase to Robert Lee and his wife Joan, who conveyed it in 1437–8 to Stephen Dyer and his son William. (fn. 31) William Dyer conveyed the manor in 1444–5 to Richard, Bishop of Chichester and others. (fn. 32) The Dyers seem, however, to have been merely trustees for the Lees, (fn. 33) for in 1485–6 Maud, Anne, Elizabeth, Jane, and Ellen, daughters of John Lee, claimed the issues of the manor during the nonage of their brother John under the will of their father, and complained that they had been prevented from enjoying them by Reginald Sandes and Robert Norton, trustees. (fn. 34) In 1567 William Lee sold the manor to Anne Twynne, (fn. 35) and in 1591 Richard Miller and William Gregory sold it to William, afterwards Sir William, Kingswll. (fn. 36) It was sold in 1628 by Sir William's son and successor Edward Kingswell to Sir Richard Young, bart., of Weybridge, (fn. 37) of whom it was purchased in 1632 by Humphrey Benett. (fn. 38) Humphrey, then Sir Humphrey compounded for his estate in 1649, (fn. 39) and sold the manor of Shalden in 1653 to Anne Mynne, widow of George Mynne of Woodcote, and to John Lewkenor and Anne, daughter of George Mynne, his wife. (fn. 40) John Lewkenor and Anne were succeeded by their son John, and this manor passed in the same way as that of Steventon (q.v.) to the Knights of Chawton, in whose family it remained till 1840, when it was sold by Edward Knight to Mr. John Wood of Thedden Grange. (fn. 41) On his death in 1871 it passed to his son Mr. John Gathorne Wood, the present owner. (fn. 42)

Church

The church of ST. PETER and ST. PAUL is a small structure consisting of a chancel with a north vestry and an aisleless nave with a north porch and a small bell-cot over the west end. It was built in 1863, and is of very plain 13th-century design. The old church stood a few feet to the south of the present one, and has been completely destroyed. The only thing remaining is the font, which is re-used in the new church. It is of 15th-century date and octagonal form, with a moulded octagonal stem and a panelled bowl. The bell-cot contains one modern bell.

The plate consists ot a silver chalice and paten cover of 1628; a paten of Sheffield plate and a glass flagon with plated mount.

The first book of the registers contains baptisms from 1686 and marriages and burials from 1687, baptisms and burials running to 1790, marriages to 1753. This book contains notes of affidavits of burials in woollen. The second book contains baptisms and burials from 1791 to 1812, and the third marriages with banns, the printed form, from 1754 to 1812. There is also a book of churchwardens' accounts from 1754 to the present day.

Advowson

The church of Shalden was given by William Mauduit the chamberlain to the prior and convent of Southwick between 1147 and 1153. (fn. 43) The grant was confirmed by Robert Mauduit, Pope Eugenius III, and by Pope Urban III in 1185. (fn. 44) Thomas Mauduit claimed a presentation in 1223, (fn. 45) but the suit apparently went against him, and the advowson remained in the possession of the priory till the Dissolution (fn. 46); it then passed to the Crown, in which it has since been vested.