HAMP-SHIRE

HAMSHIRE

HAMPSHIRE sends XXVI Members to Parliament has XVI Market Towns and 253 Parishes is divided into 37 Hundreds containing 1312500 Acres 26851 Houses and about 160000 Inhabitants in Compass 100 Miles

Andover

Christchurch

Lymington

Newton

Newport

Petersfield

Portsmouth

Southampton

Stockbridge

Whitchurch

Yarmouth

Distance from London

Fareham SE ... 63

Portsmouth SE ... 66

Location of Places

Stoke bridge NW

Whitchurch N

What Miles?

Hampshire Towns

Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Bishops Waltham, Christchurch, Fareham, Fordingbridge, Havant, Kingsclere, Lymington, New Alresford, Odiham, Petersfield, Portsmouth, Ringwood, Romsey, Southampton, Stockbridge, Whitchurch, and Winchester

Overton, Wickham, Titchfield, Beaulieu, Micheldever, Hartfordbridge, and Bramshott.

Magna Britannia et Hibernia, Antiqua et Nova, A Survey of England, wherein to Camden's Topographical Account is added a more large History of Cities, Towns, Boroughs, Parishes and Places, (By Thomas Cox).

HAMPSHIRE, or the County of Southampton, is a maritime County, bordering on the South upon the British Chanel, on the East upon Surrey and Sussex, upon the West on Wiltshire and Dorsetshire, and on the North on Berkshire. It is in the Diocese of Winchester, and being about 50 Miles in length, 30 in breadth, and about 170 Miles in Compass, contains in it one City, 20 Market-Towns, 253 Parishes, 39 Hundreds, 1312500 Acres of Land, 9 Forests, 29 Parks, and 162350 Inhabitants. It sends 20 Members to Parliament, for the County and 9 Corporations.

In the Time of the Britains this County was part of the Country inhabited by the Belgae, a People of Germany, who having passed over the Rhine, and possessed themselves of part of Gaul, sailed over into Britain to plunder and ravage the Inhabitants there; but finding their Lands pleasant and fruitful, expelled the Britains, and settled themselves there. It is not certain when these People came into this Island, but 'tis most probable it was, when Divitiacus, King of the Suessones, who flourished before Caesar made any attempt upon it, reigned; for he had the Government not only of great part of Gaul, but Britain. These People, possessed not only this County, but Somersetshire and Wiltshire, or at least the greatest Part of them.

Under the Romans this County is thought to be the first that submitted to them, for our Histories relate, thnt (sic) it was conquered by Vespasian; for Dio tells us, that Plautius and Vespasian were sent by the Emperor Claudius against the Britains; and Suetonius adds, that Vespasian in that Expedition engaged the Enemy thirty Times, and was in one of them so closely besieged by the Britains, that had not his Son Titus rescued him from eminent Danger, he had been lost; but at length he brought under the Roman Yoke, the Isle of Wight, and two other valiant People, of which the Belgae are most likely to be one, because their Country lies nearest and just opposite to it.

When the Saxons began to invade this Isle in the Declension of the Roman Empire, and had settled themselves in some Parts of it, the Britains kept this County subject to them for sixty Years after Hengist's first Landing; but Cerdick, the Founder of the West-Saxon Monarchy landing in these Parts, and at a Place still bearing the marks of his Name, viz. Chardford, which our Antiquaries will have contracted from Cerdicksford, in the beginning of the sixth Century, and having defeated Natanleod, the potent King of the Britains, who governed in this part of the Isle, reduced all the Southern Shore, as far as the Danmonii, to his Authority and Dominion.

The Posterity of Cordick ruled this whole Country of the Belgae for several Generations, but at length this County was taken from it for a while, and made a petty Kingdom it self on this Occasion. Sigibert, King of the West-Saxons, being a cruel and vicious Prince, was reproved for his faults lovingly, by his faithful Councellor Cumbra; but he was so far from accepting his good Advice, that he caused him to be slain, whereupon his Peers rose up in Arms against him and deposed him; but not being willing that he should live so ingloriously as to have no Authority at all, they assigned him the Government of this County; but he still continuing in his former Crimes, they expelled him out of these Parts too, and he fled into a Wood, called Andreads Would in Sussex, where he remained some Time; but at length one of Cumbra's shepherds finding him, and knowing who he was, slew him to revenge his Master's Blood.

In the Reign of King Ethelbert, Anno 860, the bloody Danes again entered the Land, ruinating all before them as far as the City of Winchester, which they sacked, pillaged, and destroyed; but as they were returning, Osric, Earl of Hampton, asisted with the Berkshire Men, encountred them, and having conquered them, recovered the Spoils of his Country, and slew a great Number of those barbarous Infidels.

After the Saxons had been settled some Time in these Parts, they divided the Country of the Belgae into three Shires, viz. That of Somerset, Wilts, and Hampton, and so called this County Hamptunscyre, i. e. Hamptonshire; and later Writers have melted it into Hamteschire, Hamteshire, and Hampshire: Mr. Camden says, the Saxons called it Hantescyr, but without Ground, and Florence of Worcester , terms it Hantunscyre, but by some Mistake, for the Saxon Annals call it Hamtunshire, and he transcribed from them.

Having thus given an Account of the County in general, under the several Changes of the Inhabitants, we shall now come to take a particular Survey of it, and beginning with the West Side, shall keep to the Sea Coasts, taking Notice of the more inland Parts, which stand upon the Rivers that fall there, viz.
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