Bedhampton, Hampshire
Historical Description
Bedhampton, a village and a parish in Hants. The village stands on Langston Harbour, 1 mile W of Havant station on the L. & S.W.R. and L.B. & S.C.R., and it has a post, money order, and telegraph office. It commands a charming sea-view, and is noted for its fine springs. The parish comprises 2422 acres of land and 1398 of foreshore and water: population, 700. The manor once belonged to a Dowager-Countess of Kent, who took a nun's vow in grief for the death of her husband, afterwards married Sir Eustace Da-brieschescourt, founded a chantry in penance for her marriage, and died here in 1411. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Winchester; net value, £300 with residence. The church is a small, old, substantial edifice, with pointed steeple. It was restored in 1869, an organ was erected in 1873, and in 1878 the north aisle was added.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Hampshire | |
| Hundred | Portsdown | |
| Poor Law union | Havant |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The register dates from the year 1688.
Churches
Church of England
St. Thomas (parish church)
The church of St. Thomas is an ancient structure of flint, with stone dressings in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, north aisle, south porch, vestry and a western turret containing one bell: the nave is separated from the chancel by a fine old Norman arch, and has tablets to the Lee-Warner family: the organ was provided in 1873: in the chancel is a stained window, presented by Frederick Lightfoot and Richard Hewett esqrs.: the church was restored and a vestry and porch added, and the churchyard enlarged, at a total cost of £1,000, and in 1878 a north aisle was erected at a cost of £800: there are 290 sittings.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Bedhampton from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Bedhampton)
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Hampshire (County Southampton) is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Bedhampton are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Hampshire newspapers online:
- Portsmouth Evening News
- Hampshire Telegraph
- Hampshire Advertiser
- Hampshire Chronicle
- Aldershot Military Gazette
Visitations Heraldic
The Visitations of Hampshire, 1530, 1575, & 1622-34 is available to view on the Heraldry page.