The hundred of Meonstoke: Introduction

THE HUNDRED OF MEONSTOKE

CONTAINING THE PARISHES OF

The above list represents the extent of the hundred at the time of the Population Returns of 1831. The parishes of West Meon, Exton, and Bramdean, and part of the parish of Upham, were added to the hundred before 1841, and probably at the same time the tithing of Burwell in Hambledon parish was transferred to the hundred of Hambledon, and the tithing of Liss Abbas in the parish of Liss to the hundred of Finchdean. (fn. 1) The tithing of Westbury and Peak in the parish of East Meon was removed to the hundred of East Meon at some later date.

At the time of the Domesday Survey the hundred included the parishes of Abbott's Worthy, (fn. 2) Alverstoke, (fn. 3) Corhampton, (fn. 4) Exton, (fn. 5) Hambledon, (fn. 6) Liss, (fn. 7) Meonstoke, (fn. 8) Soberton, (fn. 9) Warnford, (fn. 10) and West Meon (fn. 11) and the tithing of Westbury, (fn. 12) in the parish of East Meon.

The land comprising the hundred was assessed in the reign of Edward the Confessor at 89 hides, and at the time of the survey at about 56 hides. By the beginning of the fourteenth century the area of the hundred had much decreased. West Meon, Exton, Alverstoke, Abbott's Worthy, a large part of the parish of Hambledon, and the tithing of Liss Turney in the parish of Liss had been removed, and in 1316 the hundred comprised the parishes of Meonstoke, Soberton, Warnford, and Corhampton, the tithing of Liss Abbas in the parish of Liss, the tithing of Westbury in the parish of East Meon, and the tithing of Burwell in the parish of Hambledon. (fn. 13) From this date the extent of the hundred remained practically unchanged until after 1831. (fn. 14)

This hundred has always belonged to the crown. In a survey of the hundred taken in the Commonwealth period it was stated that the courts-leet and law-days of the hundred were still then held at Easter and Michaelmas and that the three-weeks' courts or sheriff's tourns were also regularly held. (fn. 15)