The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
Mansbridge Family
Links to and from
War Memorial WWII - Arthur Kerr Mansbridge, Baverstocks
Houses - Bluebell Cottage, 108 Duke Street.
St Cross Cottage, 110 Duke Street originally, two cottages
The Cottage, 58 Church St, at the corner of Rook Lane.
Cross Thatch, in (B)rook Lane
- [Archive]/History of Micheldever/Micheldever: Its Beauties and Historic Associations By J. C. [??] Photos by A. M. [Alfred Mansbridge]Winchester: Jacob and Johnston, Printers 57 High Street.
Information provided by Jill Whitear from her records including early information from her cousin Jackie Dunn.
Thomas Mansbridge of Micheldever is mentioned as an executor of a Will, and was possibly a descendant of a William Mansbridge of Arnewood. Thomas married Alice Parr, bapt 1596, of West Stratton. Thomas and Alice were around in the late 1640s and 50s at the time of the Civil War.
Their grandchild? Robert Mansbridge born 1654, baptised at Micheldever. ‘Poor of the parish’ 1725. William b. 1680s moved to Old Basing and set up the Mansbridge family there.
1730 William applied to the Manorial Court to transfer the cottage in Southbrook, following the death of his wife Frances, into his name.
Robert b 1685/90 m. Sarah Blunden on 8. 1. 1718 at Brown Candover. He started as a labourer, and then when he inherited some of his father-in-law’s land he became a Yeoman.
Their son Robert b April 1722 d 1771 m. Sarah Merry in Winchester 5. 5. 1750. He or his father lived at Cross Thatch, Micheldever in (B)rook Lane (now 62 Church Street). Various bills were found in the beams in the cottage. Also army belongings of a George Elliott (Napoleonic Wars Army blanket). Lived at Southbrook pre 1730; Northbrook in 1760 (cottage thatched by John Hobbs). Bought ‘botels’ (sic) of wine.
In 1736/7 Robert Mansbridge bound himself and paid £100 for a share in the breaking up of the Micheldever Downs. Described as a Yeoman. In July 1739, there is an Agreement between him and the Duke of Bedford (The Lord of the Micheldever Manor) for a House, Garden containing 15 perches, being near the river….
In 1740 there is an Agreement between him of Weston Farm, Farmer, and the Duke of Bedford to let to him all that land in Micheldever, Southbrook, consisting of a house, barn, stable, orchard meadow and common field, land containing 50 acres and 22 perches for 3 years by 4 equal payments on the 4 feast days, signed with his mark x.
1741 ….. break up and cultivate the Downs, with William Fifield, gentleman:
Northbrook Ancient Plowed Land NO LAND
Tithe of Downs broke up in 1737 (7 acres)
Weston Ancient Plowed Land (71 acres)
Weston Down broke up in1741 (64 acres)
1775 Manorial Records
Robert Mansbridge - cottage and garden near the Brook , can hold this for 1 life Copyhold, shown as Southbrook .22 acre
Widow Mansbridge – Cottage & Garden in Cow Down Lane for 2 lives lease, shown at Southbrook .21 acre
Sons:
1. Thomas Mansbridge - cottage and garden Let at Will,Southbrook .16 acre; and in tenants at will New Down Farm.
2. Robert Mansbridge Jr – House Barn Garden for 1 life leasehold and 7 acres. House and garden at Northbrook freehold 12 acres.
3. Matthew Mansbridge – home let by Robert Bristow who holds the freehold of House in 2 tenements.
4. Richard Mansbridge
- 1762 m. Mary Pink.
- 1775 New Down Farm tenants at will – Richard Mansbridge - .16 acre and William Pink .14 acre.
Their sons may have moved to Itchen Stoke.
1818 Matthew’s son Richard Mansbridge, born in 1800 at Itchen Stoke, Labourer & Thatcher m. Olive, born in 1800 at Medstead 1800-57.
1852 Richard and Olive Mansbridge, back living in Micheldever. Both Richard and son William were agricultural labourers.
Youngest son John born in Micheldever in 1830 died 1891. Siblings, William, Martha and Eliza (m Thomas Ball - see 116 Duke Street for more on Eliza & her family after marriage), all born in Micheldever in 1820, 1825 and 1827 respectively -
1841 census living at Southbrook with his parents, 24 Southbrook/St Cross Cottage
1851 census, Richard, Olive and Eliza (dressmaker) were living at Micheldever.
1852 John m. Henrietta Few 26.6.1852. She was born in 1825 and died in 1883.
1861 census, John & Henrietta lived at Southbrook. He was a labourer.
1871 census, they lived at Southbrook. John was now a gamekeeper. Their sons, Charles, Arthur and Alfred were ploughboys.
1881 census, the family lived at St Cross Cottage, Duck Street. John was now a woodman, Arthur was a bricklayer and Alfred was a bootmaker.
John and Henrietta Mansbridge had 6 children -
1. Mary Ann - bapt 1 9 1852, m. aged 18 - 17 9 1870 to William Baverstock of West
Stratton.
2. Susan - bapt 23 4 1853; m. aged 17 John Baverstock 1847- 87.
(Baverstock - see War Memorial WWI – Walter, Herbert, Percy, Ernest). Then 1888 Susan m Arthur Charles Clarke 1864 - ?
3. Charles bapt 1885 and his family lived at Crown Terrace, Twyford. 1877 m Priscilla 1856-1932, died 1926.
6 children: Ada 1880, William John 1891, Daisy May 1892, Alfred 1893 Anne 1898, and Maud 1900
4. Arthur bapt 1855 died aged 8 months.
5. Arthur bapt 1859 Methodist Chapel Micheldever. 1887 m. Mary Haynes born in Brown Candover 1887 -1911. Arthur died 1940.
1891 and 1911 census, Arthur, still a bricklayer, owned and lived in 108 Duke Street – now Bluebell Cottage; and still there in 1911 census, (now a general builder). Buried 3. 4. 1940 aged 80. Master Mason. Mary died. 3. 10. 1911 aged 47 -
Arthur & Mary Mansbridge had 3 children.
1. Elsie, born in Micheldever in 1890.
2. Hilda Winifred, born 1892 and known as Lizzie
3. Margaret Ellen (an Elementary school monitor) born in 1901
Arthur then m. on 4.12. 1912 Agnes Mary Smith widow, a Nurse and midwife, age 33. They lived at Bluebell Cottage 108 Duke St. 2 children:
1. Arthur Kerr bapt Micheldever 13. 12. 1913
(father Arthur listed as Painter) - see War Memorial Link.
2. Betty Irene born 2. 12. 1916, baptised 18. 03. 1917.
They adopted twins Will E Trickey 1923- 1997 and
George Trickey 1923 m 1950 Elsie A L Newman
6. Alfred (son of John & Henrietta Mansbridge) - bapt 1863 (Jill Whitear's grandfather and brother of Arthur). died 1943.
1891 census, Alfred, now a photographer as well as a bootmaker, also brought up in St Cross, Duke Street.
1885 m. Alice Mundy 1864-1935, born at Stoke Charity. Lived according to the 1901 and 1911 census in The Cottage, Church St.
2 children:
1. Herbert John - born 1887 - accounts clerk with Hampshire County Council.
2. Stella Irene Alice – b Micheldever 1903; m. 1928 Arthur Victor Viney - and lived in her home The Cottage, Church Street looking after her parents. Both were Methodists and met when he visited the village. Her father had been an overseer for Lord Northbrook: they had bought The Cottage in the 1930s for £130. Stella bought out her brother. She died in 1960; and the Cottage was sold in 1963 for £2,000. Her husband owned the original shop on the present site in Church St, built in 1961 and demolished in 2016 – see Photo of shop ‘A V Viney’ and house. He sold it when he retired in 1967. He retired with his second wife to Devon (near Paignton) then went to New Zealand where he died in 1980.
Stella & Arthur Viney had 3 children:
1. John Viney b.1930; d 1980.
2. Jill Viney born 1936 in the front upstairs room on school side, of no 63-67 Church Street [midwife’s premises next to Old Post Office].
m. Geoffrey Whitear, (nephew of Arthur Clarence Whitear, War Memorial WWII). They had a daughter Laura.
3. Graham Viney b. 1944, lives in France.https://www.micheldevervillages.org/buildings/62-church-street
1912-Probably posed and taken by Alfred Mansbridge who was a photographer and took many of the existing early photographs of Micheldever. Top of haycart - L – R. Possibly Evelyn later Mrs Hitchings, Herbert M, Stella M later Viney- Jill’s mother Sitting on ground - Jack Brazier lived 69 Church Street. Railway signalman. Church bellringer,
Alice 1927
Village Shop 1961
1912-Probably posed and taken by Alfred Mansbridge who was a photographer and took many of the existing early photographs of Micheldever. Top of haycart - L – R. Possibly Evelyn later Mrs Hitchings, Herbert M, Stella M later Viney- Jill’s mother Sitting on ground - Jack Brazier lived 69 Church Street. Railway signalman. Church bellringer,