The hundred of Odiham

THE HUNDRED OF ODIHAM

containing the parishes of; Bentworth; Dogmersfield; Elvetham; Greywell; Hartley Wintney; Lasham; Liss; Odiham; Rotherwick; Shalden; Sherfield-Upon-Loddon; Weston Patrick; and Winchfield (fn. 1)

At the time of the Domesday Survey the parishes contained in the modern hundred of Odiham were included in the two hundreds of Odiham and Hefedele (Edefele, Efedele). The former comprised Lasham and Shalden and half a hide which had been taken from Preston Candover, (fn. 2) and the latter included Odiham, Winchfield, Elvetham, Dogmersfield, and ' Berchelei.' (fn. 3) For the manors of Bentworth, Greywell, Hartley Wintney, Liss Turney, Rotherwick, Sherfield-upon-Loddon, and Weston Patrick, there are no entries in the Survey, but they were all probably included in the large manor of Odiham. (fn. 4) The manor of Liss Abbas was and remained until 1831 in Meonstoke Hundred. (fn. 5)

The hamlet of Southrope in the parish of Herriard was in the hundred of Odiham, (fn. 6) and so remained till 1831. (fn. 7) Before 1841, however, it was transferred to the hundred of Bermondspit, in which Herriard lies. (fn. 8) Bramshill, a tithing of Eversley, was also in the hundred of Odiham in the 13th century, (fn. 9) but it seems afterwards to have been transferred to Holdshot Hundred, in which Eversley lies. Between 1831 and 1841 it was again transferred to Odiham Hundred, (fn. 10) in which it still remains.

The hundred of Hefedele seems to have become merged in that of Odiham at an early date, and in 1316 Odiham Hundred was apparently of the same extent as in 1831. (fn. 11) Liss Turney in 1831 formed the so-called Out Hundred of Odiham, (fn. 12) and some arrangement of the same nature seems to have prevailed in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, for the hundred of Liss is frequently mentioned, the term being in some cases used to indicate the manor. (fn. 13) It would therefore seem that, owing to the distance of Liss from Odiham, separate hundred courts were held in the tithing of Liss Turney.

Between 1831 and 1841 various changes were made in the hundred of Odiham. Bentworth, Lasham, and Weston Patrick were transferred to Bermondspit Hundred; Liss Turney, including Liss Abbas, became part of Finchdean Hundred; and Shalden and Sherfield-upon-Loddon were transferred to the hundreds of Alton (Upper Half) and Basingstoke respectively. (fn. 14) Odiham Hundred itself was divided into three parts: the Middle Half, containing Dogmersfield, Greywell, part of Odiham, the tithing of North Warnborough, South Warnborough, (fn. 15) and Winchfield; the Lower Half, containing Elvetham, Bramshill in Eversley, Hartley Wintney, and Rotherwick; and Odiham Town, containing part of Odiham with the tithings of Hillside, Stapely, and Murrell. (fn. 16) The extent of the hundred is the same at the present day as in 1841.

Odiham was a royal hundred, but was granted at various times with the manor. John Fitz Hugh held it by grant of the king in 1217, (fn. 17) and in 1299 it was assigned as dower to Margaret, queen of Edward I. (fn. 18) It was granted in 1440 to John Basket for life, and to Margaret, consort of Henry VI, (fn. 19) in 1454, and in 1466 it formed part of the dower of Elizabeth, consort of Edward IV. (fn. 20) It was leased for fifty years to Chideock Paulet in 1558, and was granted in 1603 to John, Earl of Mar. (fn. 21) From that time its descent is the same as that of the manor of Odiham.