10 Jan 2008
Transcribed by Stacey Gardner
North Mundham is a pleasant village and parish 2 miles south east from Chichester station on the London Brighton and South Coast railway, 63 from London, in the south western division of the county, Box and Stockbridge hundred, Chichester rape, petty sessional division and county court district, Westhampnett union, rural deanery of Selsey, and archdeaconry and diocese of Chichester. The Arundel and Portsmouth Canal passes through the parish, but this portion is not in use. The church of St Stephen is of stone, chiefly in the Early English style, and has a tower of Perpendicular work, containing a clock and 5 bells; the church was restored in 1883 and a chancel added at a cost of £5,600; there are 250 sittings, 150 being free. The register dates from the year 1558. The living is a discharged vicarage with the rectory of Hunston annexed, joint net yearly value £210, with residence in the gift of W.H.B. Fletcher esq. and held since 1882 by the Rev. John Charles Ballett Fletcher M.A. of St John’s College Cambridge, rural dean of Selsey, and surrogate. Runcton manor is the property of the trustees of the late Rev. Phillip J. T. Blakeway M.A. The principal land proprietors are the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the Dean and Chapter of Chichester, WHB Fletcher, who is lord of the manor, the trustees of the late Rev Phillip J T Blakeway, and P. S. Godman esq. J.P. The soil is rich loam; subsoil, gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and roots. The area is 2,378 acres of land and 7 of water; rateable value, £3,914; population in 1911 was 487 in the civil and 791 in the ecclesiastical (which includes Hunston).
Runcton, probably the “Rochinstone” of Domesday, 1 mile east, formed part of the possessions of Bruton Priory, Somerset. Fisher, 1 mile south, and Brimfast, 2 miles south, are hamlets of this parish.
Sexton - Harry Marklew.
South Mundham a mile and a ¼ south-east, formerly a hamlet of Pagham, was by Local Government Board Order, No.36,551, dated 1/10/1897, transferred to this parish both for ecclesiastical and civil purposes.
Post, M. O. T. Office Charles Binstead, sub-postmaster. Letters through Chichester
Letter Boxes - South Mendham & Runcton.
Public Elementary School (mixed) for the 3 parishes, Mundham, Hunston & Merston was opened in February 1876 & enlarged in 1906, for 180 children; Ernest J Elliot, master
Public Elementary School (infants) opened in 1897 for 65 children; Miss E L Brown mistress
Carriers to Chichester Mrs Sarah Robinson, mon. wed. & sat.;
Private Residents
Bartlett George, Oakleigh
Chitty Ralph, North Mundham
Fletcher Rev. John Charles Ballett M.A. (vicar, rural dean of Selsey & surrogate), Vicarage
Harrison John Redford, The Hermitage, North Mundham
Scot-Elliot Lewis A. Woldhurst, Runcton
Sopper Mrs. Runcton Manor
Stay Walter, South Mundham House
Commercial
Binstead Charles, shopkeeper, Post Office
Blackman Henry, gardener to L. A. Scot-Elliot esq. Runcton
Chitty Arthur, farmer
Etherton Bros. blacksmiths Runcton
Groundsell Frederick Jas. Builder, Runcton
Hoare Frederick, Walnut Tree P.H. Runcton
Horner Alice (Mrs), beer retailer
Mant Joseph, beer retailer
Peters Thomas (Mrs), farmer, South Mundham
Robinson Sarah (Mrs), carrier
Sparshott Ellen (Miss), farmer, South Mundham
Stay Walter, farmer, South Mundham House
Strange Roger, farmer, Peckham’s farm
Wingate George, cow keeper, Runcton
10 Jan 2008 | Transcribed by Stacey Gardner |
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