Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for MOTTISFONT

MOTTISFONT, a village and a parish in Romsey district, Hants. The village stands adjacent to the river Test or Anton, near the Andover and Southampton railway, 4½ miles NW of Romsey; and has a station on the railway, and a post office under Romsey. Acres, 2,739. Real property, £3,543. Pop., 496. Houses, 110. The property is divided among a few. The manor belonged to an ancient local priory; was given by Henry VIII. to Lord Sandys, in exchange for the manor of Chelsea; passed by marriage, in the beginning of last century, to the family of Mill; and belongs now to lady Mill. The priory probably originated in the Saxon times; is usually said to have been founded by Ralph Flambord, Prior of Christ Church, and afterwards Bishop of Durham; was made Augustinian by William de Briwere, in the time of King John; and received large benefactions from Eleanor, queen of Edward I. Mottisfont House, the seat of Lady Mill, stands on the site of the priory; retains cellars and some part of the cloisters of the priory; and contains an ancient painting representing two events in the life of Thomas Aquinas. The living is a rectory, united with the p. curacies of Lockerley and East-Dean, in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £900.* Patron, the Rev. Paulet St. John. The church is ancient, with wooden belfry; and was reported in 1859 as not good.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Mottisfont AP/CP       Romsey RegD/PLU       Hampshire AncC
Place: Mottisfont

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