21 Feb 2007
Transcribed by Stacey Gardner
Westdean (near Chichester) with Binderton Chapelry is a large parish in the Western division of the county, Westbourne hundred and union, Chichester rape and county court district, rural deanery of Boxgrove (div 2) and in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chichester. The village is situated at the base of the Downs, about 5 miles north from Chichester, 6 ½ south-west from Midhurst, on the road to Chichester and ½ a mile from Singleton station, on the Midhurst and Chichester branch of the London, Brighton and South-Coast Railway. The church of St. Andrew consists of chancel, nave, transcepts and a western tower containing some monuments to the Lewknor and Selsey families; the interior was completely restored in 1880 (the Chancel by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners) under the direction of Mr Arthur Loader, architect. The register dates from the year 1554. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300, with residence, in the gift of the Dean & Chapter of Chichester, and held sine 1849 by the Rev. Charles Henry Hutchinson M.A. of Exeter College, Oxford. The river Lavant, a small stream intersects the parish, passing close to the village, through West Dean Park. The old manor house was built in the reign of James I. by John Lewknor esq. and was the family seat of his descendants, the present mansion, erected about 1804 by John, Lord Selsey, is built of cut flints and has a frontage of 300 feet; it stands in an extensive and well-wooded park, and is now the residence of Frederick Bower esq. J.P. The manor of West Dean, at the Domesday Survey, formed part of the Silletone, now called Singleton; it became a part of the possessions of the Earl of Montgomery and continued with the Earls of Arundel until the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when it was sold in 1589 by Lord Lumley to John Lewknor, sarjeant-in-law, in whose family it remained until 1706 when it passed to Miss E. W. Knight and thence to Lord Selsey, and is now the property of Frederick Bower Esq. The principal landowners are Frederick Bower esq. J. W. Woods esq. and Sir Robert Fraser Turing bart. The soil is light; subsoil chalk, with flint and marl. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. Area, 2,200 acres of arable, pasture and woodland; rateable value, £3,226 11s. 3d.; the population in 1871 was 683, in 1881 was 732.
Chilgrove is a tithing belonging to this parish, 2 ½ miles north-west.
Binderton, a tithing of West Dean, is a distinct parochial chapelry, separately assessed in all paraochial rates and taxes in the union of Westhampnett; it anciently belonged to the Cistercian nuns of Tarrent, in Dorsetshire, but afterwards became the property of Lord Lumley; the family of Smyth then became seised of it, and subsequently by exchange it became the property of Sir James Peachey bart. and is now owned by Frederick Bower esq. The area is 1,790 acres; rateable value, £1,035 11s. 3d.; and the population in 1881 was 100.
Parish Clerk, Charles Carpenter
Post Office, Chilgrove – Henry Hedgcock, receiver. Letters arrive via Chichester at 8.30am; dispatched at 6pm. Singleton is the nearest money order office, and Singleton Station the nearest telegraph office
Post Office, West Dean – Edward Court, receiver. Letters arrive from Chichester at 7.20am, & 3.20pm; dispatched at 10.50am & 7pm. Singleton is the nearest money order office, and Singleton Station the nearest telegraph office.
National School, erected in 1840, at the sole cost of the Rev. L. V. Harcourt & the Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt, it will hold 134 children, average attendance 100; Harry Deane, master.
Westdean
Anderson Clinton Cortland
Bower Frederick J.P. Westdean House
Hutchinson Rev. Charles Henry M.A. Vicarage
Commercial
Aspell John, clerk of works
Boxall Frederick, beer retailer
Bulbeck George Henry, wheelwright; residence Charlton
Bulbeck John, blacksmith
Duke George Ernest, farmer, Colworth Farm
Humphrey George, brewer
Lamming William D., farmer
Palmer George Merrick, farmer, Warren Farm, Lodge Hill
Pannell Ann (Mrs), farmer
Pannell James, Selsey Arms
Parlett William Ireland, farmer, Westdean Farm
Wordsworth Robert Walter, land steward to Frederick Bower esq.
Court Edward, shopkeeper, & post office
Binderton
Deedes Henry Charles J.P. Binderton House
Stay Sl. & Walter, farmers, Crows Hole
Stride Charles, farmer, Preston Farm
Chilgrove
Turing Sir Robert Fraser, bart.
Woods John William J.P.
Campbell John, farmer, Brooms Farm
Capon William, farmer
Chalmers Thomas, farmer, Monkton
Rasell Richard, shoe maker
Smith William, White Horse & blacksmith
21 Feb 2007 | Transcribed by Stacey Gardner |
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