Elvetham
ELVETHAM, a parish, in the union of Hartley-Wintney, hundred of Odiham, Odiham and N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 1¼ mile (S. S. E.) from Hartford-Bridge; containing 552 inhabitants. The parish comprises 3194 acres, of which 1182 are common land or waste. The surface is intersected from north to south by a range of gently rising hills, on the flat summit of one of which is Hartford-Bridge, and the vale beneath is watered by a small brook that frequently overflows its banks; the soil in the higher grounds is mostly gravel, and in the lower a rich loam, alternated with sand, and in some parts peat. Elvetham Park, the seat of Lord Calthorpe, was the residence of Lord Hartford, who in 1591 sumptuously entertained Queen Elizabeth for four days in his splendid mansion. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £9, and in the gift of Lord Calthorpe: the tithes have been commuted for £300, and the glebe comprises 13a. 3r. 35p. The church is an ancient structure. Schools are chiefly supported by his lordship; and a fund arising from bequests made by the family, is applied in the distribution of bread, clothing, and blankets, among the poorer inhabitants of the parish.
Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.