Eling Hampshire Family History Guide

Eling is an Ancient Parish in the county of Hampshire.

Other places in the parish include: Wigley, Wade, Testwood, Tatchbury, South Eling, Rumbridge, Ower, Lopperwood, Langley, Lamb’s Corner, Ironshill Walk, Ipley Farm, Durley, Denny Lodge Walk, Colebury, Castle Malwood Walk, Beechwood, Bauldoxfee, Bistern and Bartley, Bartley Regis, Ashurst Walk, and Ashurst Lodge and Grounds, Rumbridge, Totton, parts of Hounsdown and Pooksgreen.

Alternative names:

Parish church:

Parish registers begin:

Parish registers: 1537
Bishop’s Transcripts: 1701

Nonconformists include: Independent/Congregational and Wesleyan Methodist.

Table of Contents

Adjacent Parishes

Parish History

A History of the County of Hampshire 1911

The ancient parish of Eling included the modern parishes of Eling, Netley Marsh, Copythorne, Colbury and Marchwood, the four latter parishes being formed from Eling in 1894. The inclosure award for Eling is dated 30 November 1814.

The modern parish of Eling lies on the western shores of the Southampton Water and includes Rumbridge, Totton and parts of Hounsdown and Pooksgreen. It contains 2,144 acres of land, including 10 acres of inland water, of which 507¼ acres are arable land, 947½ permanent grass and 42¼ woodland. It lies in the valley of the River Test, which meets Bartley Water, as it flows through the parish, in Eling channel. There is a station at Totton on the London and South Western Railway.

Totton is the most populous part of Eling on account of its saw and flour-mills, chemical manure works, brewery, and tar distilling and creosoting works. A bone-mill and soap manufactory formerly existed there, and a considerable trade, much reduced since the opening of the railway, was carried on in coal, timber and corn. There were also magazines of military stores, and a large shipbuilding establishment, now removed to Redbridge. A fair for cattle takes place at Eling on 5 July.

On the banks of the Test are about 50 acres of excellent salt-marsh, over which the inhabitants of Eling enjoy rights of common, except from the second Monday after Easter until 14 August, when only seven persons may feed one horse each. It is then closed for about a month until the grass has been cut and carried. Henry I crossed to Normandy from Eling (Eilling) and King’s pleas were held there in his reign.

The small village of Eling lies on the road from Totton to Pooksgreen. The church stands on high ground not far from the water’s edge, and near it is the vicarage with its extensive garden and fine trees. To the south is Colbury Manor, the residence of the Misses Hony, and to the north is Downs House, standing in grounds of 140 acres, the property of Mr. Archibald C. Saunders, now occupied by the Hon. Mrs. Montgomerie. There are parks at Rushington House, the seat of Mr. Vere Henry Birch Reynardson, and at Testwood House, the residence of Captain A. P. Beaumont, J.P.

Netley Marsh lies to the north-west of Eling, on low ground rising from 50 ft. in the village to 140 ft. above the ordnance datum at Tatchbury Mount in the west. It includes Calmoor, Hillstreet, Woodlands and part of Ower, and contains 3,886 acres of land, of which 7 acres are covered with water, 1,269 acres are arable land, 1,831 permanent grass and 303½ woodland. The village is on the high road from Fordingbridge to Southampton, and to the west of it is the Hampshire Reformatory School, opened in 1855, Woodlands is south of the village, Calmoor, Hillstreet and Ower (chiefly in Copythorne) are to the north. Cadnam River and the River Blackwater pass through the north of the parish.

There are parks at Little Testwood House (Col. the Hon. Edward Arthur Palk), at Loperwood Manor (Mr. R. C. Sutherland Pearce), at Tatchbury Mount, which has been in the possession of the Timson family for several generations and is now in the possession of Mr. H. T. Timson, and at Tatchbury Manor House (Lieut.-Col. W. C. Pollard). The parish is well wooded by small copses. There is some rough common land to the east of Woodlands. The soil is heavy clay and the subsoil clay.

The parish of Colbury, including part of Hounsdown, lies low in the valley between the Beaulieu River and Bartley Water. It contains 5,472 acres of land, of which 4 acres are covered by water, 287¼ acres are arable land and 930½ permanent grass, while the computed 4,763 acres of woods and plantations extend into the surrounding parishes and the New Forest. The New Forest Union Workhouse is at Ashurst, in this parish near the Lyndhurst Road Station, on the London and South Western Railway.

The village lies along Deerleap Lane, which, opposite Langley Manor, branches south from the Lymington and Southampton high road. Hounsdown is about a quarter of a mile north on this high road.

Source: A History of the County of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 1911. The Victoria History of the Counties of England Volume 4, ed. William Page. London Archibald Constable and Company Limited.

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

ELING, a village, a parish, and a sub-district in New Forest district, Hants. The village stands on the north-west horn of Southampton-water, near the mouth of the river Anton, and near Totton r. station, 4 miles W of Southampton; was known at Domesday as Edlinges; is said to have then had a church, two mills, a fishery, and a saltern; has now a fair on 5 July; has also granaries, storehouses, and several docks; and carries on a considerable trade in corn, timber, and coal.

The parish includes South Eling, North Eling, Bartley-Regis, Bauld-oxfee, Bistern and Bartley, Colebury, Durley, Langley, Lopperwood, Marchwood, Rumbridge, Tatchbury, Testwood, Wade, Ower, and Wigley; and has post offices of Bartley, Marchwood, and Totton under Southampton, and Ower under Romsey. Acres, 18, 459; of which 730 are water.

Real property, of South Eling, £1, 899; of North Eling, £3, 984; of Bartley-Regis, £1, 725; of Bauldoxfee, £2, 610; of Bistern and Bartley, £719; of Colebury, £1, 847; of Durley, £1, 217; of Langley, £1, 045; of Lopperwood, £545; of Marchwood, £497; of Rumbridge, £1, 358; of Tatchbury, £550; of Testwood, £2, 364; of Wade and Ower, £2, 413; of Wigley, £507. Pop. of the parish, 5, 947. Houses, 1, 179. The limits include 740 acres of New Forest. The property is much sub-divided.

The manor, in the time of Edward the Confessor, was under obligation to give half-a-day’s entertainment to the king whenever he should pass it; and it belongs now to the Rev. Sir J. B. Mill, Bart.

The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £630. Patrons, the Trustees of the Rev. W. J. G. Phillips. The church is of various dates, from the 11th century; and contains many interesting monuments.

The vicarages of North Eling., Marchwood, and Netley, are separate benefices. Value of North Eling, £260. Patrons, the Trustees of the Rev. W. J. G. Phillips.

A new church, in the early decorated style, and a new school, were founded in 1869.

The charities include an alms-house for four persons, and a share in Nowes’ school.

The parish contains the New Forest workhouse.

The sub-district includes 7, 920 acres of the New Forest. Pop., 5, 952. Houses, 1, 180.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848

ELING (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of New Forest, hundred of Redbridge, Romsey and S. divisions of the county of Southampton, 5 miles (W. by N.) from Southampton; containing, with the tythings of Bartley-Regis, Bauldoxfee, Bistern with Bartley, Colebury, Durley, Langley, Lopperwood, Marchwood, Rumbridge, Tatchbury, Testwood, Wade with Over, and Wigley, 5410 inhabitants, of whom 1052 are in North, and 343 in South, Eling.

This place, which is noticed in the Norman survey as having a church, two mills, a fishery, and a saltern, comprises the manor of Bury Farm, held of the crown by the tenure of presenting to the king a brace of white greyhounds in silver couples, whenever His Majesty may visit the New Forest; which presentation was last made in 1789, to George III., immediately on stepping out of his carriage at Lyndhurst, by the Rev. Sir Charles Mill, Bart.

The village stands at the upper end of the Southampton Water, and has a good trade in corn, timber, and coal; spacious granaries and warehouses have been erected on the quay, which is accessible to vessels of 200 tons’ burthen, and provided with every facility for loading and discharging cargoes.

Its proximity to the New Forest, which affords a plentiful supply of timber at a moderate expense, is favourable for ship-building, which has been carried on to a considerable extent; several West Indiamen have been launched within the last few years, and numerous vessels repaired. The establishment has, however, been removed to the opposite side of the water, at Redbridge.

A fair for cattle is held on July 5th.

The living is a vicarage, valued in the king’s books at £11. 18. 1½.; net income, £904; patron, the Rev. W. I. G. Phillips; impropriators, several proprietors of land. The church is an ancient edifice, enlarged at different periods, and exhibiting various styles.

A chapel has been erected near Cadnam, containing 535 sittings, 418 of which are free; and at Marchwood is a district church.

At Totton, separated from Redbridge by the river, is a place of worship for Independents.

In this parish is the union workhouse; the union comprises 9 parishes, 8 in the county of Southampton, and one in Wilts, the population of the whole amounting to 13,224.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848

Parish Registers

Eling Marriages 1539 to 1812

Free Download
Hampshire Parish Registers Marriages Vol. 7

Read more

Parish Records

FamilySearch

Hampshire Historical Directories

Administration

County: Hampshire
Civil Registration District: New Forest
Probate Court: Courts of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) and Archdeaconry of Winchester
Diocese: Winchester
Rural Deanery: Southampton
Poor Law Union: New Forest
Hundred: Redbridge; Thorngate
Province: Canterbury