Southampton
Southampton (16th century)otherwise: S Hampton
Shown on an old map by Waghenaer 1583
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- settlement, town - Southamtoniae
The place is described in text Leland 1535-43
- S. Maryfeeld
The town of Old-Hampton a celebrate thing for fisschar men, and sum merchauntes, stoode a quarter of a mile or ther abou[t]e from New-Hampton by north est and streachyd to the haven syde. The plotte wheryn it stoode berith now good corn and gresse, and is namyid S. Maryfeld by the chirch of S. Mary stonding hard by it.
Sum men yet alyve have seene dyvers houses (especially up into the lande of Old-Hampton) withyn the feld self now caullyd S. Maryfeeld.
[Some thin]ke that the great suburbe [standing yet with]out the est gate of New-[Hampton and jo]yninge to S. Marie [Chirche is part of Old-]Hamptoun.
Minns says:- Camden, the first edition of whose work appeared in 1586, heard the same account that the town did not originally stand where it does, but in the immediate neighbourhood of St. Mary's Church, and excavations made go to prove the truth of the tradition. Vide - Davies, J S, Rev:: History of Southampton.
Ther is a chapel of S. Nicholas a poore and smaul thing yet stonding at the est end of S. Marie Chirch in the great cemiterie, wher constant fame is that the old paroche chirch of Old-Hampton stoode. One told me there that the litlenes of this chirch was cause of the erection of the great chirch of our Lady ther now stonding by this occasion: one Matilde, Quene of England, askid what it ment, that a great numbre of people walkyd about the chirch of S. Nicholas, and one answeryd; it is for lak of rome in the chirche. She then ex voto promisid to make ther a new; and this was the originale of S. Marie Chirch. Thys Queene Matilde, or sum other good persones folowing, had thought to have made this a collegiate chirch; but this purpose succedid not fully. Yet nevertheless S. Marie Chirch at thys day [in] token of the auncient[nes of Old-Hampton is] mother chirch [to all the chirches in New-Hampton]. And yn testimonie of thys the commune sepulture of New-Hampton ys the cemiterie of S. Marie Chyrche.
And there be many fair tumbes of marble of marchauntes of New-Hampton buryed in the chirch of S. Marie, as yn their mother and principale chirch.
Minns says:- Matilda, the 'Good Queen Molde,' died 1118, so the first building of St. Mary's on a large scale must have taken place in the early part of the 12th century, and the church existing in the first half of the sixteenth century was substantially was the fabric of Queen Matilda. Leland, who presented his report to Henry VIII. in 1546, must have seen nearly the last of the great Church. In 1550, the church had disappeared, for in the Court Leet Book is an order that the rubbish of St. Mary's Church should be carted away to mend the highways. The people of Southampton had pulled down their church in order to remove from French cruisers the direction of its lofty spire. This destruction was perpetrated in 1549 or 1550, and instead was erected a small and unfinished chapel. Subsequent mean and badly constructed fabrics gave place to the present noble church, a memorial to Bishop Wilberforce erected during the incumbancy of his son, the Archdeacon of Westminster, but lacking the spire. The completion of the tower and spire, begun by Canon Durst, has been happily accomplished by the present Rector, the Rev. Neville Lovett, on Monday, January 5th, 1914.
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The old town of Hampton was brent in tyme of warre, spoyled and rasyd by French pyrates.
Minns says:- Early on Sunday morning, October 4th, 1338, a numerous fleet of Normans, Picards, Genoese and Spaniards, landed at the South-Western corner of the town, while the inhabitants were at Mass. The burgesses fled before them, the town was at their mercy. They plundered and burnt at pleasure and hung some of the townspeople, but on the following morning the aliens were driven back to their ships.
This was the cause that the inhabitantes there translatid themself to a more commodious place, and began with the kinges licens and help to builde New-Hampton and to waulle yt yn defence of the enemies.
Minns says:- Leland, although trustworthy in his descriptions of the localities which he visited, appears to have been very credulous, and easily imposed upon, otherwise he would not have adopted the idle tale that Southampton proper was built and fortified after what he calls Old Hampton had been burnt and razed by the French pirates in 1338. There is ample evidence to show that what he calls New-Hampton, existed, and was fortified, centuries before the French paid their hostile visit to the town, and the name of one of its churches, Holy Rood, is proof that it is of Anglo-Saxon foundation, for if subsequent to the Norman Conquest, it name unquestionably would be St. Cross. The castle and town walls were standing in the reign of King John, and in the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, 1292, there is a return of the churches Holy Rood, St. Michael, and All Saints. The facts connected with the French visit appear to be that there was a considerable suburb to the east of the town, perhaps extending beyond St. Mary's Church, which was burnt and destroyed by the French, but there is no evidence to show that they obtained possession of the town.
Ther be yn the fair and right stronge waulle of New-Hampton these gates:
Fyrst Barre gate by north large and welle embatelid. In the upper parte of [this gate] is domus civica: and [underne]the is the toun prison. [There is a gre]ate suburbe with[out this gate, and ther] is a great [double] dike welle waterid on eche hand without it. And so 4. tourres in the waulle, (whereof the 3. as a corner towre is very fair stronge) to the est gate.
The Est gate is strong, but nothing so large as the Barre-gate.
There is a suburbe withoute this gate, and S. Maries the mother chyrch of New-Hampton stondith yn it.
There be vj. fair tourres in the walle betwixt the est gate and the south gate: and loke as the town without the waulle is doble dichid from the castelle to Barre-gate, and so to est gate; so it is from est gate almost even to south gate.
The South Gate stondith not even ful south but south est: and ther is ioinyd to it a castelet welle ordinauncid to bete that quarter of the haven.
Ther is a nother meane gate a litle more south caullid Goddeshouse-Gate, of an hospitale yoinid to it.
And not far beyond it is a fair gate caullid the Water [gat]e: without the wich is [a faire square] key forsid with [piles into the haven water] for ship[pes to resort to].
Then a 3. towrres to the west gate.
The West Gate is strong, and even without it is a large key for shippes, as there is without the water gate.
Ther be 2. gates beside, wherof one is a posterne, and the other is by the castelle.
Minns says:- Of the eight gates enumerated by Leland, four remain: Bar Gate, God's House Gate, West Gate and the Postern (Blue Anchor Gate.) The following have disappeared: East Gate, South or Water Gate, and Biddles Gate at the bottom of Simnel Street, 'The Gate by the Castle,' mentioned by Leland.
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There be 5. paroche chirches withyn the toun of Hampton.
Minns says:- The other [Holy Rood being described] four Churches would be St. Michael, All Saints, St. Lawrence, and St. John. The two latter parishes were united September 3rd, 1708, and the Church of St. John was pulled down. Holy Rood stood originally in the middle of the High Street. The church was removed to its present position in 1320.
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There be 3. [principal strea]tes yn Hampt[on, whereof that that goithe] from the [barre-gate to the water] gate is one the fairest streates that ys yn any town of al England, and it is welle buildid for timbre building.
Minns says:- The streets alluded to were English (now High,) French, and Bugle Streets.
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There cummith fresch water into Hampton by a conduct of leade, and there be certen castelletes onto this conduct withyn the town.
