Parishes: North Waltham

NORTH WALTHAM

Wealtham (x cent.); Waltham (xii cent.); Northwautham, Waltham parva (xiii cent.); North Walton (xvii cent.).

North Waltham is a parish situated 3 miles south from Oakley station on the main line of the London and South Western Railway and 6½ miles south-west from Basingstoke. It contains 1,958 acres of downcountry, which reaches its greatest height of 539 ft. above the ordnance datum in the north-east. The southern boundary of the parish is formed by the main road from Stockbridge, which at the Flower Pot Inn is joined by a road from Winchester, and then runs in a north-easterly direction to Basingstoke, forming in its course the eastern boundary of the parish. From the Wheat Sheaf Inn, a short distance north of the 'Flower Pot,' Popham Lane runs north-west towards Overton, and it is at the junction of this lane with other roads sent off west from the main road and a road running south from Steventon that the village is situated. St. Michael's Church and the Manor Farm lie to the south of the road to Overton, and near them is the rectory, standing in extensive grounds. The Primitive Methodist chapel is on the east of the road to Steventon, while a short distance to the west are the schools for 150 children, which were built in 1873 by subscription.

The soil is light, the subsoil chalk and clay in the lower portions of the parish. Crops of wheat, barley, oats and turnips are grown in the 1,222¼ acres of arable land which it contains. (fn. 1) Only 371¼ acres are given up to permanent grass and 182¾ acres to woodland. (fn. 2) Major William Archibald Hicks Beach is the principal landowner in the parish.

The following are place-names occurring in records dealing with the parish:—' Berrydown' (fn. 3) (xvi cent.), Warren Combe Hill, Warren Field, and Waltham Marke (fn. 4) (xvii cent.).

Manor

The manor of NORTH WALTHAM from an early date belonged to the see of Winchester, King Edward the Elder confirming 15 hides at 'Wealtham' to Frithstan, Bishop of Winchester in 909. (fn. 5) There is no separate entry for North Waltham in Domesday Book, and it is probably included under the heading of Overton in the Survey. The manor continued in the hands of successive Bishops of Winchester until 1648, (fn. 6) when, in accordance with the ordinances for the sale of the bishops' lands, it was sold to George Wither the younger of London, and John Yate the younger, a London goldsmith, for a sum of £964 13s. 6d. (fn. 7) At the Restoration the manor was restored to the bishopric, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners as representing the bishop are lords of the manor at the present day.

After the Restoration John Yate still continued to hold the manor-house and demesne lands on lease from the bishop, and they passed from him to George Yate, probably his son. (fn. 8) The leasehold estate passed from George to his daughter and heir Frances (died 1761), who married Sir Francis Mannock, bart. (died 1758) of Gifford's Hall (fn. 9) (co. Suff.), and from them to their son Sir William Mannock, bart., who died in 1764. (fn. 10) After his death his widow Lady Elizabeth Mannock surrendered the estate to the bishop, (fn. 11), by whom it was granted on a lease of three lives at a rent of £9 7s. 11d. to Peter Holford, one of the masters of the High Court of Chancery, (fn. 12) and by the latter conveyed for £4,000 in 1772 to John Bachelor of Potbottom Farm in the parish of Laverstoke. (fn. 13) John Batchelor was apparently succeeded by William Batchelor, who died in 1797. (fn. 14)

Church

The church of ST. MICHAEL consists of a chancel 25 ft. 7 in. by 16 ft. 9 in. with a north vestry, nave 52 ft. 3 in. by 18 ft., and a north aisle 8 ft. 5 in. wide. There are also a south porch and a timber bell-turret over the west end of the nave.

The nave was completely rebuilt and lengthened in 1865, but the chancel was only repaired. Before 1865 there was a 12th-century arcade of two bays. All the windows are of early 14th-century style, of simple but very good detail. The labels are worked in the same stone with the outer order of the arch, and there is a bevelled sinking between the orders which is very effective. The chancel probably dates from c. 1300.

The east window of the chancel is entirely modern and has three trefoiled lights and a traceried head. The north window is of old stonework, and has two plain lights under a two-centred head with a pierced spandrel, the internal as well as the external stonework being old. To the west of this window is the modern doorway to the vestry, which has a small twolight north window and an outside doorway in the north wall.

The south-east window of the chancel has two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoiled circle over, with old stones in the jambs, and next to it is a single trefoiled light, half of the head and parts of the jambs being old. Between the two windows is a modern doorway. The piscina is a very pretty early 14th-century example with crocketed ogee head and a stone shelf.

The chancel arch is all modern, and has shafted jambs with moulded bases and foliated capitals and a two-centred arch of two orders encircled with cheverons and a diapered label.

The north arcade of the nave is of three bays with narrow arches at either end cut through the responds: the east respond is old with a double roll base and scalloped capital, while in the west respond only the base and a few other stones are old. The two columns are circular, the easternmost being old, with moulded base and scalloped capital, and a grooved and hollow-chamfered abacus, but the other column is entirely modern. All the arches are two-centred.

The two north windows of the aisle have each two trefoiled lights with quatrefoils over, all modern, and in the west wall is a small modern lancet.

The two south windows of the nave have two plain lights like the north window of the chancel, the easternmost being modern and the other old with restored internal splays. To the west of these windows is the modern south doorway, which has plain chamfered jambs and pointed arch. The porch has small trefoiled windows in the side walls.

In the west wall of the nave are two modern trefoiled lancets and a sixfoiled circular light over.

All the walls are of flint and stone and the roofs tiled. The bell-turret is shingled and is finished with an octagonal spire. It contains three bells, two recast in 1866 and the tenor of 1573.

The font has a 15th-century octagonal bowl; it came from the old church of Popham. Each side has a quatrefoiled panel with a square flower in the centre and is moulded beneath. The pedestal and base are modern.

On the north wall of the chancel is a brass plate bearing a Latin inscription to two brothers of the Pincke family; the elder, William, was a Master of Arts, fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, &c., and died in 1628, aged 27. The younger, John, died in 1629, aged 23. (fn. 15)

The plate consists of a silver-gilt chalice and paten cover of secular pattern inscribed 'Ecclesiae Parochiali de North Waltham Sacrum d.d.d. G. Yate 1599,' with a coat of arms, and a silver-gilt paten of 1681 inscribed as the chalice.

The registers are contained in three books, the first having baptisms, marriages and burials from 1654 to 1794, the marriages stopping at 1765. The second book contains baptisms and burials from 1794 to 1812. The third book is of the usual printed form for marriages from 1765 to 1811.

There is also an interesting account book which begins in 1596 and ends in 1708; amongst other entries are mentioned the casting of the church bell, 1657, and the carriage of the same bell from Reading and the hanging of the bell. There is also an item for repairing the three bells in 1674.

Advowson

The advowson of the church of North Waltham was confirmed to the Hospital of St. Cross near Winchester by Richard I in 1189, (fn. 16) having probably been granted by its founder Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester. The advowson was however subsequently resumed by the bishopric, being included in the episcopal possessions quitclaimed by Edward I to John of Pontoise, Bishop of Winchester in 1284, (fn. 17) and the rectors have ever since been presented by the Bishops of Winchester. (fn. 18)

Charities

The charity of Walter Pincke for apprenticing, founded prior to 1707–8, consists of £200 consols with the official trustees, the dividends of which, amounting to £5 a year, are, in accordance with a scheme of 15 August 1899, applicable primarily in apprenticing or in providing outfits for children entering on a trade or occupation or into service. In 1906 five children received 30s. each.

In 1797 William Batchelor by will left £50 on trust that the interest thereof should be distributed among the poor. The trust fund now consists of £100 consols with the official trustees. In 1906 45½ cwt. of coal were distributed among fifteen poor persons.