Parishes: Faccombe

FACCOMBE

Faccan cumbe (x cent.); Faccumbe (xi cent.); Fakcumbe, Facumb, Faucumb (xiii cent.); Fackombe (xiv cent.); Faccum, Facham (xvi cent.).

The parish of Faccombs contains 2,669 acres, and is situated in the extreme north of Hampshire, 7 miles north-west from Hurstbourne station on the London and South Western Railway, and 8½ miles north by east from Andover. Pilot Hill in the north-eastern extremity of the parish reaches a height of 900 ft. above the ordnance datum, and from here the ground sweeps down westwards to the beautiful and picturesque valley in which the hamlet of Netherton is situated. The main manor of Faccombe had its centre at Netherton, and it was here that the parish church of St. Michael originally stood. A meadow, now called Old Orchard, which still shows traces of a large building, marks the site of the old manorhouse called Faccombe Court. (fn. 1) Netherton Hall, now serving as the rectory, is a plain brick house of 18th-century date. The village of Faccombe is situated at a height of about 750 ft. above the ordnance datum, about a mile east of Netherton, at the junction of the road from Netherton with one running north from Hurstbourne Tarrant to Combe. To the west of the road to Combe are the modern church of St. Barnabas, towards the cost of which the late Mr. Allan Borman Heath gave the land and £500, (fn. 2) and the schools which were opened in 1866 for thirty-five children. To the east is Faccombe Manor House, the residence of Mr. Allan Borman Heath, prettily situated in a park of about 50 acres. The house was modernized by the late Mr. Allan Borman Heath, (fn. 3) and represents the old manor-house of Faccombe Upstreet, formerly the property of the Sandys. Faccombe Wood covers the whole of the south-western portion of the parish.

The parish contains 1,024 acres of arable land, 158½ acres of permanent grass and 563 acres of woods and plantations. (fn. 4) The soil is light loam and rubble, the subsoil is chalk. The chief crops are wheat, oats and turnips. Among placenames mentioned in early records are Iwynespuynde, (fn. 5) Pykmerscrofte, (fn. 6) Strodynchesacre, (fn. 7) Haldewey, (fn. 8) Byggesplace, (fn. 9) Corneweyeshame, (fn. 10) Houghesplace, (fn. 11) Symynggesplace (fn. 12) (xiv cent.); Waryneswey, (fn. 13) Bartolettes (surviving in Bartlett's Down), (fn. 14) Gymbiles, (fn. 15) Oldcourt, (fn. 16) Pynkemere, Kymmere (Kimmer Farm in the south of the parish), (fn. 17) Twychyn, (fn. 18) Heryngeslane (fn. 19) (xv cent.); Bucks and Bolts (Bolts Copse adjoining Faccombe Wood, now grubbed) (fn. 20) (xvi cent.); Woodesend Copice, Broadhoked Copice, Duncroft Coppice (the modern Dancroft Row probably partly grubbed), The Two Parting Coppices, Hayneswood Copice, (fn. 21) Bilcroft, Heaven Hill Hedge (Heaven Hill at the back of Netherton Rectory House), Shipmans Bottom (on the Netherton to Combe road close to the parish boundary), Brinsham Stile, Burtmere Pond (at the top of Netherton Hill, now pronounced Burgsmere Pond), Graffthornes, Fyshams Acre, Shortled Furlong and Laylandes Furlong (now Laylands Fields on North Farm) (fn. 22) (xvii cent.).

Manors

FACCOMBE was part of the ancient demesne of the Crown, and at the time of the Domesday Survey was held at farm of the king by Roger of Poitou, younger son of Earl Roger de Montgomery, for £16 a year, although it was only worth £13 a year. (fn. 23) In 1167 a certain Alan rendered account of I mark for Faccombe. (fn. 24) From him it seems to have passed to Richard de Solers, lord of the manor of Shipton Solers (co. Glouc.), (fn. 25) who was holding it in John's reign by the service of one knight's fee. (fn. 26) It fell to King John as escheat of the Normans, and was divided into three parts. From it in 1207 he granted land worth 100s. to Thomas Peverel to hold during his good pleasure, (fn. 27) while the rest of the manor he divided between William Cosyn and Oliver de Punchardon, although there seems to be no record of this grant preserved. (fn. 28) William Briwere, as sheriff of the county, disseised Oliver of his land 'for an ancient debt owed by his ancestors to the ancestors of King John,' but in 1216 was ordered to restore it to Oliver, who was then in the king's service at Nottingham. (fn. 29) Oliver's property in Faccombe was augmented in 1221 by the grant of the land formerly held by Thomas Peverel. (fn. 30) This grant was during the king's pleasure only, however, and was not made permanent until 1231, in which year Henry III granted to Oliver and his heirs that half of the manor which he had previously held of the king's bailiwick, until the king should restore it to the right heirs. (fn. 31)

As to the part of the manor granted to William Cosyn by King John, an entry occurs in the Red Book of the Exchequer to the effect that William Cosyn, Thomas Peverel and Oliver de Punchardon were then (1211) holding the knight's fee formerly belonging to Richard de Solers. (fn. 32) In the Testa de Nevill William Cosyn is returned as holding two parts of Faccombe and Tangley in conjunction with Oliver de Punchardon by the service of two parts of one knight's fee, (fn. 33) while there is a further entry to the effect that Nicholas son of William Cosyn was holding land in the manor worth £2 18s. by the service of the third part of one knight's fee, and was in the wardship of his father, who had lately married another wife, whereas he ought to have been in the wardship of the king. (fn. 34) A later return which shows that Richard de Punchardon, who in 1231 had given the king 20 marks to have the custody of the lands and heirs of his brother Oliver, (fn. 35) was holding the whole manor of the king in chief by the service of one knight's fee, (fn. 36) seems to point to the fact that by this time the Cosyns had given up their portion of the manor to the Punchardons, and they appear in the reign of Edward III as villeins in the manor. From this time until the reign of Henry VI, (fn. 37) when the Cosyns rebelled against their lord, the names of Cosyn and of Cosynstreet frequently occur on the Faccombe court-rolls. At a court held in 1426 it was presented that Richard and Hugh Cosyn and John Paulet, junior, on Michaelmas Day, 1425, had lain in ambush at Cosynstreet in Faccombe, and had so beaten, wounded and maltreated John Punchardon that his life was despaired of. (fn. 38) Another attack on his life was described by his son Richard Punchardon. John Punchardon was lying in bed on the night of the Sunday before St. John at the Latin Gate (16 May 1426), when Hugh, Giles, Peter, Thomas and Richard Cosyn (all described as 'laborers') of Faccombe, Richard Badderley, yeoman, and Robert Anglote 'Frensheman' and Robert Frytt, of Newbury, hosier, and others, came and dragged him out of his bed into a field called Fyfeacres and there struck him a number of blows, from any one of which he would have died. (fn. 39) In the same year Richard Cosyn 'with others of his affinity and following marched to the lord's court at Faccombe with bows, arrows, swords and shields, and so terrified the seneschals sitting in court that the law-day was not held.' (fn. 40) Swift vengeance, however, overtook the insurgents. Peter Cosyn, Giles Cosyn and Thomas Cosyn and many of their followers were hanged. (fn. 41) Richard Cosyn left his tenement never to return, (fn. 42) and after the manumission of one John Cosyn in 1433 (fn. 43) the name of these early lords of the manor disappears from the court rolls, although it is still preserved in Curzon Street Farm, a short distance to the east of the village.

To return to the Punchardons, who in 1232 held the whole manor of Faccombe, which consequently was sometimes called PUNCHARDONS or FACCOMBE PUNCHARDON. In 1280 Oliver de Punchardon, probably grandson of the original grantee, had come of age and succeeded to the manor, for in that year he proved his right to it and claimed the assize of bread and ale there. (fn. 44) Fifteen years later it was ascertained by inquisition ad quod damnum that it would be no damage if Oliver cut down 50 acres of wood in his wood of Faccombe within the royal forest of Chute, since only his tenants lived there and they desired it. (fn. 45) Hence two years later licence to that effect was granted to him on condition that for five years he inclosed the 50 acres with a small dyke and low hedge so that the deer could get in and out. (fn. 46) He died seised of the manor in 1323, leaving a son and heir Robert, aged forty, (fn. 47) on whom the manor was settled in fee-tail in 1324. (fn. 48) However, since Robert died without issue in the following year, the manor passed to his brother and heir Oliver, parson of the church of Faccombe (fn. 49), who granted the reversion to Bartholomew de Punchardon in 1346. (fn. 50) Bartholomew, however, predeceased Oliver, who died seised of the manor in 1356. He was succeeded by Oliver son of Bartholomew, aged sixteen, (fn. 51) who died in 1417, leaving a son and heir John, aged forty. (fn. 52) On the death of John in 1427 (fn. 53) Faccombe passed to his son and heir Richard, (fn. 54) who died forty years later, leaving a son and heir Walter. (fn. 55) Walter died while under age in 1479, his heirs being his three sisters, Maud, who married first William Okeden and secondly William Cooke, Philippa wife of Thomas or William Lewston of Lewston (co. Dors.) (fn. 56) and Anne wife of Thomas Sendy. (fn. 57) Hence the partition of the manor into three parts, and the formation in the 16th century of the so-called manors of FACCOMBE KNIGHTS and FACCOMBE SENDY.

John Lewston, grandson of Philippa, sold his portion of the manor to John Okeden, grandson of Maud, (fn. 58) who had already succeeded to one-third of the manor on the death of his father William in 1517. (fn. 59) In 1544 John Okeden sold two-thirds of the manor by the name of 6 messuages, 6 gardens, 6 orchards, 150 acres of land, 12 acres of meadow, 150 acres of pasture, 180 acres of wood, 50 acres of furze and heath and 10s. rent in Faccombe and half of the manor of Faccombe to Michael Kydwelly with remainder to Peter Kydwelly and Joan his wife and their heirs. (fn. 60) Michael held a court in Faccombe in 1546, (fn. 61) but by 1574 the property had passed to William Kydwelly, probably a son of Peter Kydwelly, (fn. 62) who by will dated 20 December 1574 bequeathed it to his widow Jane. (fn. 63) Jane did not long survive her husband, but died on 13 March 1575, when the property passed to her brother Robert Knight, aged twenty-nine. (fn. 64) Hence it was sometimes called the manor of FACCOMBE KNIGHTS. Four years later Robert Knight sold his inheritance to Andrew Reade, (fn. 65) who in 1583 bought up the remaining third part of the manor, (fn. 66) which by this time was known as the manor of FACCOMBE SENDY, the previous history of which is as follows. It passed, as has been seen above, on the death of Walter Punchardon in 1457 to Anne wife of Thomas Sendy. She predeceased her husband, who was still living in 1518 and was then holding it as a free tenement. (fn. 67) He, however, died before 27 January 1536, on which day his son and heir Arthur held a court in conjunction with John Okeden. (fn. 68) About this time Arthur Sendy came to an agreement with John Okeden, the holder of the other two-thirds, by which farms and copyholds were exchanged and each had a compact property, although the woods, copses, wastes and royalties of the manor as also rents called ' Martyn Rent' and 'Stick Eggs' were left in common to be divided equally between them in the proportion of one to two. (fn. 69) Arthur Sendy died seised of the third part of the manor of Faccombe in 1557, leaving a son and heir William, (fn. 70) on whose death in 1575 (fn. 71) it passed in dower to his widow Agnes, (fn. 72) who held a court in conjunction with Andrew, Henry, Richard and Robert Reade on 13 April 1579. (fn. 73) She died four months later, and the property then passed by the name of two-thirds (though properly one-third) of the manor of Faccombe to her son Arthur. (fn. 74) Arthur held a court baron of his so-called manor of Faccombe Sendy on 22 October 1582. (fn. 75) A year later, as he was then living in 'Gosheies' (co. Essex), he made arrangements with his agent to dispose of his property, and the latter managed so well, alleging that he had often been offered £1,200 for the premises, that he secured £1,100 from Andrew Reade, whereas he had never been offered even £1,000 from the other bidders, Thomas Webb of Salisbury, Robert Oxenbridge and John Gunter. (fn. 76) Andrew, subsequently discovering how he had been duped, tried to get some of his money back, (fn. 77) but whether successfully or not is unknown. Thus by 1583 the three original shares had become re-united and in the possession of Andrew Reade. He died seised of the manor of Faccombe in 1623, leaving a son and heir Henry, (fn. 78) who died in 1647, when the manor passed to his son Francis, (fn. 79) who in 1655 sold it to Sir Richard Lucy. (fn. 80) From the latter it descended to Sir Berkeley Lucy, bart., who dealt with it by recovery in 1693 (fn. 81) and by fine in 1727. (fn. 82) Sir Berkeley died without male issue in 1759 and was buried in the old church of St. Michael Faccombe. (fn. 83) He left an only daughter and heiress Mary Lucy, wife of the Hon. Charles Compton, youngest son of George fourth Earl of Northampton. (fn. 84) The manor was probably sold soon after the death of Sir Berkeley, but its subsequent history is somewhat uncertain. However, it ultimately passed to the Everett family, Joseph Everett being the lord of the manor in the beginning of the 19th century. (fn. 85) In 1858, some time after his death, his representatives sold the manor to Mr. William Hawkins Heath, from whom it descended some ten years afterwards to his son and heir, Mr. Allan Borman Heath, of East Woodhay. (fn. 86) The latter converted an old farm-house into the present manor-house in 1878–80, and owned the manor till his death on 10 November 1893. His second son, Mr. Allan Borman Heath, of Faccombe Manor, carried on the estate until October 1902, when, in accordance with the terms of his father's will, he sold it to Mr. W. P. Taylor of Colthorpe Park (co. Oxon.). (fn. 87) The present lord of the manor is Mr. E. Fisher Kelly of Northerwood House, Lyndhurst, who purchased the estate from Mr. W. P. Taylor in 1907. (fn. 88)

The manor of FACCOMBE FIFHYDE, FIFHYDES, FACCOMBE SANDYS or FACCOMBE UPSTREET probably originated in the 6 messuages, 5 virgates of land, 100 acres of wood, 200 acres of pasture and £2 3s. 1d. rent in Faccombe and 'La Strete' which Peter de Punchardon acquired in fee from Oliver de Punchardon in 1325, and sold shortly afterwards to Florence, Henry and Giles de Pun chardon. (fn. 89) From the latter the tenements evidently passed to Roger de Fif hyde, who as early as 1331 was seised of land and rent in Faccombe worth £10 held of Oliver de Punchardon for 1d. rent and suit of court every three weeks. (fn. 90) By 1360 Roger had been succeeded in the premises by William de Fifhyde, who in that year acquired the reversion of an additional messuage, 60 acres of land and 10s. rent in Faccombe from Nicholas Gibb and Alice his wife. (fn. 91) In the following year he died seised of 6 messuages, 1 dovecote, a wood, lands and £2 3s. 1d. rents in Faccombe, leaving a son and heir William, aged eighteen. (fn. 92) The latter seems to have acquired still more neighbouring property, and at his death in 1386 was seised of 11 messuages, 1 dovecote, 2 carucates of land, 200 acres of wood and £3 8s. 8d. rents of assize in Faccombe. (fn. 93)

His heir was his cousin Joan, who married first Sir John Sandys and secondly Sir Thomas Skelton, and died seised of the so-called manor of Faccombe in 1415. (fn. 94) From this time the manor remained in the Sandys family until 1668, (fn. 95) when William Lord Sandys released all right in it to Sir Richard Lucy, to whom Frances Reade, widow of Francis Reade, Edward Reade and George Reade eight years before had made over the remainder of a ninety-nine years' lease originally granted by William Lord Sandys in 1573 to Hercules Ameredeth at a rent of £13 14s. and transferred by him to Andrew Reade in 1577. At the same time Sir William Lucy acquired the remainder of a further lease of seventy years (fn. 96) granted to Thomas Bilson, Bishop of Winchester, by William Lord Sandys in 1600 at a rent of £14 and made over by him to Andrew Reade in 1610. (fn. 97) As early as 1633 the right of the Sandys to the manor seems to have been merely nominal, for in that year Henry Reade held a court at Faccombe Upstreet described as 'of late Lord Sandys,' (fn. 98) whereas earlier courts held in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I are described as held by Andrew Reade and others, farmers of the manor by virtue of an unexpired lease of the manor made by William Lord Sandys in 1573. (fn. 99) The two manors of Faccombe naturally merged when they fell into the hands of Sir Richard Lucy, and from that date their history is identical.

A fairly complete and interesting series of court rolls of the manors from 1371 to 1633 (fn. 100) exists at the British Museum. The boundaries of the chief manor as they existed in 1530 were quoted by a husbandman named Ambrose Brooker at a court held by Arthur Sendy on 22 October 1582 as extending 'from Butbancke shooting north and southt from the southt end of Butbancke, keeping Tangley church way which lyeth on the southt syde of Rymer's pond until you come to Turnynge Thome keeping the waye to Road Gate, from Road Gate keeping Grymes Ditch untill you come to Westwoode end which is Punkerton's Woode.' (fn. 101) From the court-rolls it also appears that the chief manor was often called Faccombe Netherton from its position, while Faccombe Upstreet is the name usually given to the second "manor. (fn. 102) There was a good deal of jealousy between the farmers of these two manors, (fn. 103) and it was repeatedly laid down that the lords of both had exactly equal rights to pasture for their animals on Chaldon or Challdown. (fn. 104)

The miller of Faccombe was frequently presented at court for taking excessive toll, (fn. 105) from the 14th to the 16th century. Possibly the mill which had existed since the time of the Domesday Survey (fn. 106) had fallen into disuse in the later century. Careful watch was kept on the morals of the villagers, and at courts held in 1449 and 1450 an attempt was made to check excessive gambling among the villagers by forbidding them to play at 'treygobet,' cards or pat-ball for money. (fn. 107) However, the gambling continued, and heavy fines were inflicted frequently on those who played cards, skittles, and bowls contrary to the form of the statute (fn. 108); moreover, on one occasion at least the tithingman was fined for failing to present those inhabitants whose custom it was to play at bowls every Sunday in the churchyard. (fn. 109)

In 1514 Henry VIII by letters patent exempted the men of the manor of Faccombe from contributing towards the cost of knights of the shire representing them in Parliament. (fn. 110)

Church

The church of ST. BARNABAS was erected of stone and flint in 1866; the former parish church was a very small building at Netherton, but it was entirely demolished when the Faccombe church was finished, only the font being retained. The present building has a chancel 17 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft. 6 in. with a north vestry, nave 52 ft. by 21 ft. 2 in., south porch and a more recently completed tower 9 ft. square inside. The style is that of the 14th century. The tower is of two stages; the bell-chamber is lighted to the south by a two-light traceried window and on the other three sides by quatrefoils. In it hang two modern bells.

The font bowl is of 12th-century workmanship; it is round with sloping sides carved with zigzag and two twisted roll moulds; the iron staples which formerly held the cover project from the sides.

Several monuments have been transferred from the old church; on the west wall of the nave is a brass set in a marble frame to Anne wife of Henry Reade and daughter of Sir Thomas Windebanke, kt.'Clerk of the Signet to Queen Elizabeth and to King James that now is.' Her mother was Frances Dymmocke, daughter of Sir Edward Dymmocke, of 'Skeerlsby,' Lincs., the queen's champion. She died in 1624. Over the inscription are the kneeling figures of the lady, her two sons and three daughters. On the south wall adjacent is a marble tablet with an inscription to Henry Reade, 1647. Further east is an inscription on a brass plate to Mrs. Alice Reade, wife of Robert Reade of Linkenholt, daughter and sole heir of Francis Pooley, who died in 1598. A large monument on the west wall has a pompous inscription to Sir Berkeley Lucy, bart., who died in 1759. There are other later monuments.

The plate consists of a silver chalice, undated, and a silver paten of 1720.

The first book of the registers contains baptisms, marriages and burials mixed from 1585 to 1690; the second has baptisms from 1693 to 1795, marriages 1708 to 1754, and burials 1678 to 1794. It will be seen that there is a hiatus in the marriages from 1690 to 1708. The third book has marriages from 1755 to 1812, and the fourth baptisms and burials 1795 to 1812.

Advowson

The advowson of the church of Faccombe followed the same descent as the manor of Faccombe until the reign of King John, who, as has been shown, divided the manor into three parts. From King John it passed to Henry III, who on 14 March 1266–7 (fn. 111) granted it to Oliver de Punchardon in reward for his faithful service to himself and his eldest son Prince Edward. (fn. 112) It remained in the Punchardon family until 1348, (fn. 113) in which year Oliver de Punchardon granted it to William de Fifhyde. Bartholomew de Punchardon, brother and next heir of Oliver, confirmed the grant, and the whole transaction was ratified by Edward III. (fn. 114) William de Fifhyde presented the rectors until his death in 1360, (fn. 115) when the advowson reverted to the Crown during the minority of his son and heir William. (fn. 116) Oliver de Punchardon, nephew of the original grantor, thinking this was a good opportunity of recovering the advowson, attempted, but without success, to make good his claim to present. (fn. 117) However, some ten years later, when William de Fifhyde, then of age, presented John de Podenhale to the church of Faccombe, Oliver de Punchardon claimed the advowson anew and presented Robert de Cadeham. (fn. 118) The bishop, on 13 October 1375, issued a prohibition to proceed further pending a trial of right. The verdict was evidently given in favour of William de Fifhyde, for on 29 October 1375 the prohibition was discharged, and on the following 29 November William presented a certain Thomas Tozande, (fn. 119) whose title was finally confirmed in 1398. (fn. 120) From this time the advowson followed the same descent as the manor of Faccombe Fifhyde or Faccombe Sandys until 1858. (fn. 121) In that year, as has been shown, the Faccombe estate was sold to Mr. William Hawkins Heath. The advowson was not included in this sale, and still belongs to the Everett family. (fn. 122)

In 1603 Andrew Reade petitioned the king for pardon for a supposed simony in presenting to the living. (fn. 123)

There are several interesting entries on the episcopal registers relating to the church of Faccombe. Thus it appears that during Henry Woodlock's episcopacy (1305–16) the fruits of the church were sequestered for some time in order that certain necessary repairs might be done to the chancel. (fn. 124) An edict of 1396 shows that the health of Thomas Tozande, rector of Faccombe, was so bad that he was forced to procure a chaplain to officiate during Lent. (fn. 125)

A survey of the rectory and parsonage of Faccombe was made in 1618 previous to the exchange of glebeland called Parsonage Croft with Andrew Reade for other land of the same extent. (fn. 126) The parsonagehouse is thus described, 'One fayre parsonage howse much thereof new builded and a seller made by Mr. Andrew Reade esquire with dyverse outhowses called the upper kitchen and brewhowse, also new builded with a stable, two parsonage barnes and a pigeon howse and certaine backsides with stone walles about them made by the said Andrew Reade, and an orcharde and medow grounde thereunto adjoyninge on the south side thereof.' (fn. 127)

There are no endowed charities in this parish.