Footsteps from the Past

Originally published in five instalments in Compton & Shawford Parish Magazine, February-June 2016

 

In this series of articles, we are looking at the historical events around the times of All Saints (formerly All Hallowes) Church and its named priests in Compton.

Part 1 (February 2016) concerns the beginnings of Christianity in the area and the building of the churches, through turbulent times, including the Black Death until the death of Henry IV in 1413.  Then Part 2 (March 2016) deals with the period of the Tudor Reformation; Part 3 covers the Civil War and the Restoration; Part 4 Georgian expansion, Victorian Empire, agricultural & industrial revolutions; and Part 5 from Edward VII to Elizabeth II.

We have shown the “footsteps” in a table, to help match the parish priests (names listed in church) against the ruling monarch at the time and some significant events both locally and nationally.

Part 1  Beginnings. 600-1400

This “beginning” shows when Christianity first came to the area. The original Saxon church was probably built around the time of King Alfred. The stone church dates from around 1160.

Compton was a farming hamlet with the old Roman road (The King’s Highway) running by it. The fields were in the valleys, with common land at Church Fields, Mead Furlong & Hurdle Way. The “Closes” were rented out by the Prior (Cathedral) but much of the Downland was still covered in forests, with some emerging clearings. Generally, Compton was fairly well insulated from national events, but was occasionally affected by marauding gangs, crop failures, famine and by plague. Church services would have been in Latin; very few people would have been literate and villagers would not have travelled far from home.

Part 2  Tudors – the Reformation

This period of the Tudors and the Reformation was a turbulent time nationally. But in many ways,  the Compton community was able to stay relatively stable, despite the shifts between Catholicism and Protestantism, and the dissolution of monasteries. However, one significant event was the martyrdom of Revd  John Philpott from Compton Place.  Austin Whitaker writes:

The village must have been shaken by the martydom of the Revd. John Philpott, the archdeacon of Winchester, in 1555; he was the son of the squire Sir John Philpott, and broke away from the traditional Catholic faith of his family. He was a man of uncompromising views, always ready to defend them, and his courage in facing death at the stake is dramatically honoured by a golden circle of flame around his name in a fine family-tree of 1620.

[editor’s note: Whitaker is probably mistaken – most sources state that Archdeacon Philpott was the son of Sir Peter Philpott]

Locally, the community had problems with the “Kings Highway” between Compton and Otterbourne. It was often impassable and villagers were often forced to make repairs. Also, the Parish Priest was often absent, and curates would run the church.

Part 3 Civil War and the Restoration. 1603 to 1714

The 17th C can be described as “stirring times” with much political agitation. The parish saw clashes between the opposing forces of the King and Parliament and penal measures directed spasmodically against a Roman Catholic minority. They were often called “recusants” and were given fines for not attending  church. Priest Thomas Hackett appears to have steered a “steady ship” during this period with Priest John Webb steadying it until the next period of change.

1651: A Royal visitor. Drew records that

There seems to be little doubt that on Sunday, October 12th there passed through the parish a tall dark young man ’over two yards high’, and on whose head there was a price of £1000.
This was King Charles II fleeing from the debacle of Worcester and seeking a port where a ship might be found to carry him back to France.
He had discarded the ‘old sweaty leather doublet, green threadbare coat and greasy steeple hat without band or lining’ which had formed his first disguise, and was now dressed more decently in ‘a suit and cloak of country grey and a high black hat’.
Attended by one companion only he had left Heale House, near Old Sarum, at 3 a.m. that morning and he arrived near Hursley about noon.
He is known to have crossed the Itchen near Twyford and his route must have been either by Shawford or by the old ford at the Malm.

Part 4. Georgian expansion, Victorian Empire,  agricultural & industrial revolutions

The 18/19th Centuries were times of significant changes in the role of monarchy, parliament, an expanding world and European rivalry. They saw improved communication with roads, carriages, post, canals and eventually railways, matching the march of agricultural and industrial revolution. Compton and Shawford was not immune from these changes.

Part 5. Edward VII to Elizabeth II

The 20th century and into the 21st century has been a time of significantly accelerating change and a fair degree of turmoil, with two World Wars, industrial expansion, space exploration and rampant communication in an ever shrinking world. These are times of significant challenges, social, political and spiritual.

Timeline

Usage Notes:

  • You can scroll through the table, or search for people and events by name.
  • To search the table for any mention of the Philpotts, enter Philpott in the search box. To look for a specific phrase such as John Philpott, enter “John Philpott” (with quotes) in the search box.
  • A search on John Philpott (without quotes) will retrieve entries containing the words John and Philpott not necessarily next to each other.
  • If you are using a smartphone, the table is probably easier to read in landscape mode.

References

  1. “The Speaker’s Chaplain & The Master’s Daughter” Barry Shurlock. See winchestercollege.org/the-williams-letters-
  2. Whitaker, Austin. “Compton & Shawford” 1985 Large & Whitaker. Boyatt Wood Press, Southampton.
  3. Drew J S. “Compton Near Winchester” Warren & Son Ltd., 1939
  4. Course E. “The Itchen Navigational” Southampton University 1983
  5. Corcoran C & Matthews M. “The Five Mills of Twyford” 2014. https://comptonshawford-pc.gov.uk/about/parish-history/five-mills-twyford-1300/
  6. The Trial of Sir Walter Ralegh: a transcript https://mathewlyons.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/the-trial-of-sir-walter-ralegh-a-transcript/
  7. The Shawford Serendipity Trail,“a historical treasure-hunt in Compton and Shawford”, Tom Threlfall, 1997. https://comptonshawford-pc.gov.uk/sport-and-leisure/walking/the-shawford-serendipity-trail/
  8. EE Project: Digital correspondence of Philip Williams, 2012
    http://www.e-enlightenment.com/coffeehouse/project/williams2012/doc01_preface.html
  9. John Harmar (Harmer) http://kingjamesbibletranslators.org/bios/John_Harmar/
  10. James Wedderburn (Bishop) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wedderburn_(bishop)
  11. Kelly’s Directory of Hampshire (1898) http://forebears.co.uk/england/hampshire/compton#sid13736

John Wilkinson
Compton & Shawford Local History Group

editor: Adrian Walmsley