21 Feb 2007
Transcribed by Stacey Gardner
North Mundham is a pleasant village and parish 2 miles south-west from Drayton station, 63 from London, 2 south-east from Chichester, in the Western division of the county, Box and Stockbridge hundred, Chichester rape and county court district, Westhampnett union, diocese and archdeaconry of Chichester, and rural deanery of Arundel (second division). The Arundel and Portsmouth Canal passes through the parish, but this portion is not in use. The church of St Stephen, granted to the priory of Boxgrove by Robert de St John and Cicily (de Haia) his wife, is chiefly in the Early English style, and is supposed to have been built by the Priory, at the latter part of the 13th century; it consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower of Perpendicular work, containing 3 bells; at the end of the north aisle was the Chantry of St Mary Magdalen of Halnaker, founded by one of the St Johns before 1348. The register dates from the year 1553. The living is a discharged vicarage, yearly value £257, with the rectory of Hunston annexed, joint gross yearly value £632 with residence, in the gift of W.H.B.Fletcher esq. and held since 1877 by the Rev. Thomas Joseph Torr M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge. Runcton House, the seat of the Merricks family, in the occupation of Miss Merricks, is in this parish. North Mundham House is the residence of Col. Charles Patton Chambers. The principal landed proprietors are the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the Dean & Chapter of Chichester, W.H.B.Fletcher esq. who is the lord of the manor, Miss Merricks and Mr Godman. The soil is rich loam; subsoil gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats & roots. The area is 1,882 acres; rateable value, £3,682; the population in 1881 was 401.
Runcton, probably the “Rochintone” of Domesday, 1 mile west, formed part of the possessions of Bruton Priory, Somerset.
Fisher, 1 mile south, & Brimfast, 2 miles south are hamlets of this parish.
Post Office - Thomas Piercy, receiver. Letters from Chichester arrive at 7am; dispatched at 6.30pm on week days, and at 11.30am on Sunday. Chichester is the nearest money order and telegraph office.
A School Board of 5 members was formed for Mundham, Hunston & Marston in 1874; clerk to the board, O.Lloyd, Chichester
Board School (mixed) for the united district of Mundham, Hunston & Marston, was opened in February 1876, for 130 children has an average attendance of 80; Samuel Peters, master
Private
Beckett Benjamin Robert, Runcton
Chambers Col. Charles Patton, North Mundham House
Eves Mrs. Runcton
Hammond John, Rose Cottage
Merricks Miss, Runcton House
Torr Rev. Thomas Joseph M.A. Vicarage
Commercial
Baxter Ellen (Mrs), farmer, Runcton
Binstead Charles, builder, Runcton
Chitty Ann (Mrs), farmer
Chitty Arthur, farmer, Saltham Farm
Denyer Stephen, grazier, Leythorn
Downer George, farmer, Runcton Cottage & Drayton Manor Farm, Oving
Etherton Charles, blacksmith, Runcton
French Benjamin, bricklayer
Ide John, Walnut Tree
Hodson Bros. millers (wind), Runcton Mill; & at Hunston
Mayne Thomas, beer retailer & shopkeeper
Mundham Charles James, farmer
Piercey Thomas, carpenter
Pile Emma (Mrs), laundry
Russell William, cow keeper, Fisher
Sparshott Frederick, grocer & farmer, Fisher
21 Feb 2007 | Transcribed by Stacey Gardner |
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