Terwick

TERWICK

Terwick is a small parish of 783 acres, bounded on the west by Rogate and on the other three sides by Trotton. The River Rother forms the southern boundary, and on it is Terwick Mill, the water-mill at Terwick mentioned in 1635 as belonging, with Trotton manor, to Constance Glemham. (fn. 1)

By Local Government Board Order a detached part of Woolavington was annexed to the parish in 1879 and a detached part of the parish was annexed to Chithurst. Under an Act of 1858 (Award, 1861) 107 acres were inclosed. (fn. 2)

The northern part of the parish is well wooded, containing Terwick Common and the park of Dangstein House, the property of Walter Quennell, esq., with fine timber. The present house was built in 1933, and replaced an early-19th-century building, completely gone except for some of the basement, including a circular inclosure west of the house, now used as garden walling. Lady Dorothy Nevill bought the property c. 1850, and made the gardens famous. 'Lady Dorothy's Walk' can be seen, also the aviary and school she built in 1861.

Dangstein Farm has a rough-cast south front and Georgian sashes, probably the period of the north wing dated 1753, with initials C/RA; the main building however, seems to be a house built c. 1600, of four bays with two central stacks and a projection, probably a porch originally. There is a cellar under the easternmost bay, and wide baulks remain in the first floor and attic. Georgian doors lead into the north wing and have slanting heads to fit into disguised timber-framing. The north wall now shows stone with brick dressings, and the present fire-places and chimneys are modern.

The Dower House is on the north side of the Petersfield road, near the entrance to Dangstein Farm. It shows 18th-or early-19th-century features, but the fabric may be older. The cemented south front has a columned veranda, and there is a Georgian door-hood on the north side. The stables are of stone with brick dressings, and are dated 1726, 1839, and 1932.

Mill's Farm, farther east, in a lane off the same side of the road, is an early-17th-century house of three bays with an outshot on the north. Later a bay was added on the west and part of the outshot raised to tile-hung gables. The roofs are tiled, and the central stack has a repaired top. The south front is refaced with sandstone and brick dressings, but the timber-framing is exposed on the north and east with square panels filled with stone or brick. The interior shows timber-framing, stop-chamfered beams, and wide fire-place s having brick jambs and chamfered lintels. West of the house are thatched farm-buildings, weather-boarded on a stone base.

Wakeham Farm lies in a lane off the south side of the main Petersfield road. The house dates from the early 17th century, and has a central stack, wide fire-places, and stop-chamfered beams, and an original door with strap-hinges.

MANOR

TERWICK in early times formed part of the manor of Treyford, (fn. 3) and it was still held of that manor in 1614. (fn. 4) It probably became separated from Treyford in the time of Henry III when Robert de Vilers gave all his possessions in Terwick, together with the advowson of the church, to Robert de Rogate. (fn. 5) In 1271 Robert obtained a grant of free warren at Terwick, (fn. 6) and in 1278 he settled the manor upon himself and his wife Mary and his heirs. (fn. 7) Robert's son Robert, Constable of the Peace in Dumpford Hundred, was killed in 1310 by William de Horneby. (fn. 8) He left no children, and Mary, who is elsewhere called Mary Taylecortays, appears to have outlived Robert her husband, and on her death the manor passed to her son Edmund de Rogate. (fn. 9) In 1311 William de Rogate disputed Edmund's claim, but a jury decided in Edmund's favour. (fn. 10) In the same year Nicholas de Vilers of Treyford unsuccessfully claimed the advowson against Edmund. (fn. 11)

From Edmund the manor descended to his sister Isabel, whose son, William de Brembelschete or Bramshott, was in possession of the manor in 1338. (fn. 12) The Bramshotts were a Hampshire family, and William appears to have been succeeded between 1346 and 1367 by John de Bramshott, and he, before 1428, by another William. (fn. 13) John de Bramshott, who succeeded before 1451, married Katherine daughter of Sir John Pelham about 1444, and Terwick manor formed part of her marriage settlement. (fn. 14) John Bramshott left two daughters, Elizabeth wife of John Dudley and Margaret wife of John Pakenham, and Terwick appears to have passed to Margaret. She died in 1485, (fn. 15) and Terwick passed to her son Edmund. (fn. 16) He was knighted, and died before November 1528, when on a partition of his estate Terwick manor was assigned to his daughter Elizabeth wife of Edmund Mervyn. (fn. 17) Elizabeth and her husband still held the manor in 1550, (fn. 18) but it had passed before 1556 to their son Henry Mervyn. He sold it in that year to Peter Bettesworth of Fyning, (fn. 19) who had married Henry Mervyn's sister Elizabeth. (fn. 20)

From that time Terwick manor followed the same descent as Fyning manor in Rogate. (fn. 21) It was sold with Fyning in 1757 to John Unwin. (fn. 22) Richard Ridge purchased the manor in 1776 (fn. 23) and Thomas Ridge held it in 1815 and 1834. (fn. 24) In 1875 the parish was owned jointly by Thomas Ridge and Reginald Henry Nevill. (fn. 25) At the present day the principal landowners are Walter Quennell and Thomas Hodge.

CHURCH

The church of ST. PETER (fn. 26) stands by itself south of the Midhurst-Rogate road; it consists of a chancel and nave, both originally 12th-century, if not 11th, and a modern annexe to the west, consisting of a porch flanked by a vestry and a sexton's store. It is built of rubble with ashlar dressings and roofed with tile.

The chancel has a modern east window of three lancets under a common rear-arch; in the south wall is a 13th-century lancet window with a modern or retooled segmental rear-arch. Next is a priest's door (blocked) with plain jambs and lintel, either a modern reproduction or old work retooled. The drawing in the Sharpe collection faintly suggests herring-bone masonry in this wall, and this is more distinctly marked in Grimm's. (fn. 27) In the north wall is a modern lancet window under which is a wall locker, or credence. The chancel arch is semicircular, of one order, resting on plain imposts and square jambs, and is modern, the thinness of the wall suggesting that the whole has been rebuilt. The roof is modern.

In the south wall of the nave are two lancets, the eastern, which has interior rebates, is 13th-century, but much restored, the western is modern; between them is a square-headed window with two cinquefoil-headed lights and segmental rear-arch, about 15th-century. In the north wall is a modern lancet and a window of three cinquefoil-headed lights under a four-centred arch, coeval with the two-light window opposite. In the west wall is a doorway, either modern or very much restored, with semicircular arch resting on moulded imposts and plain jambs; over this is a round-headed single-light window with concentric splay, of the 12th century. There is a stone bell-cote on the west wall. The roof has a single plain tie-beam and is ceiled with plaster under the rafters.

The font is tub-shaped, perhaps 12th-century, resting on a later polygonal base. The altar and rails are perhaps 17th-century, the other fittings are modern.

The two bells are uninscribed. (fn. 28)

The communion plate includes a chalice of 1568 of rather unusual design, and a paten-cover engraved with the date 1569; also another silver paten of 1712 on a tall foot. (fn. 29)

The registers of baptisms begin in 1571, marriages 1576, burials 1589.

West of the church is the plain head of an ancient churchyard cross and a small yew tree.

ADVOWSON

The advowson of Terwick passed with the manor until 1757 when it was sold to John Unwin, (fn. 30) who presented in 1759. (fn. 31) The next presentation was made in 1763 by Ralph Hilditch, (fn. 32) and Richard Smith was patron in 1795. (fn. 33) Alexander Kilgour, D.D., the incumbent in 1815, acquired the advowson by purchase; (fn. 34) and in 1816 he resigned and sold the advowson to Elizabeth Rebecca Sclater. (fn. 35) Cornelius Green presented in 1826 and 1837. (fn. 36) He sold in 1842 to T. A. Richards, surgeon, who in 1884 sold the advowson to John Archer, (fn. 37) who was still patron in 1900. From 1915 to 1934 Mrs. Lane was patron, (fn. 38) but the advowson now belongs to the Bishop of Chichester.

The benefice was omitted from the Taxation of 1291 because of its poverty; (fn. 39) in 1340 the great tithes were only worth 13s. 4d., but the rector had 12 acres of arable worth 12s. (fn. 40) In 1535 the clear value of the rectory was only £5 0s. 4d. (fn. 41)

In 1646 the parishes of Rogate and Terwick were united, as there were only 5 houses in Terwick, and the combined benefices were worth only £80. (fn. 42) They were separated again at the Restoration, but since 1946 the vicar of Rogate has been sequestrator of Terwick.