Old Hampshire Mapped
Cox's Hampshire
Transcription (24)Popham
Popham Family
Popham Lane
road
highway robbery
Popham, a Place which gave Name to the knightly Family of the Pophams, who spreading from this Root into Wiltshire and Somersetshire, have propagated good Families of that Name in those Counties; but their chief Seat was for a long Time here, and many famous Men were of it; for Robert de Popham was Sheriff of this County the 14th of King Edward III. Philip de Popham, 12 Rich. II. and Stephen de Popham, 6 Henry VI. after which they removed into Somersetshire; and this Place is become the Manor and Residence of Mr. Hunt.
Yet here is a small Memorial of their Name in a Lane, called Popham Lane, famous at this Time for the badness of the Roads, and anciently frequent Robberies committed there. Tradition says, That Sir John Popham, afterward Lord Chief Justice of England, used to act the Bandits there in his youthful Days, and therefore it was called after his Name, but that's a notorious Slander upon that good Man; for the Family was removed into Somersetshire before he was born, and there was his Nativity.
The Pophams had Possessions also in Bedforshire and Buckinghamshire, in which two Counties, we find that John de Popham was Sheriff, 18 Edward I. 1290.
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