Kings Worthy
county:
coords:
Hampshire
SU4833
Worthy, King's
otherwise: worthigum?, 955-958; Ordie, 1086
WORTHY, three (originally four) parishes
These four adjacent villages Headbourne, King's (including Abbot(t)'s) and Martyr Worthy stand in a block on the right bank of the Itchen. They may have formed a single estate at some early period; they are all undifferentiatedly called 'Ordie' in Domesday Book, though the Anglo Saxon document of 955x958 refers to 'the two Worthys', so there must have been at least two recognisably distinct manors/settlements both called hypothetical 'Worthig' by the mid 10th century. Much of the area was donated by king Eadgar to Brihthelm bishop of Winchester in 961 as if part of an area called 'Eastune' (see EASTON, and below). The identifications in the form-list above are those of Gover, supported, in the cases which both authors mention, by Grundy, whose topographical work is valuable even though his philology should be viewed with caution.
The collective name derives from Old English 'worthig'='curtilage', though it is not clear why a word for a small enclosed unit should form the name for such a large one. Nor is it clear why this name should occur so much further east than all the other instances of the element in major names (except in one 12th century spelling only of BLENDWORTH). It is a characteristically south-western element, the furthest instance east otherwise being in 'Hamworthy' in Dorset. Maybe there is something in Grundy's speculation (1926: 127) that the name is really hypothetical 'Worth-ig'='curtilage island'; there are several sizeable islands in the multiply dividing river Itchen hereabouts. But much more information would be required before one could pursue this idea with confidence. It might be better to treat the SW distribution as a matter of time rather than geography. If the element 'worthig' was current as (especially) Devon was being anglicized, perhaps this was the period at which the Worthys were being established. It would then be an interpolation into a landscape already full of English names. It seems that the area must have been a (largely) royal estate of the highest importance.
Abbot's Worthy (1248 'Abboteswrth') was held by Hyde Abbey from 909 A.D., though prior to that date, and in the grant document, it was called 'Easton Worthy' ('easton worthige)' from being across the river Itchen from EASTON. Abbot's Worthy may have been or have included, the 5 hides granted in 1026 (12th century transcript) by Canute to bishop Lufinc of Winchester, which therefore would have been detached from the royal domain of King's Worthy. Because the topographical interpretation of the several Anglo Saxon charters of this area is difficult, and the size of the manors therefore hard to determine, it is not clear whether these last two statements about the holding of the land contradict one another.
The inhabitants of Headbourne Worthy were referred to in the charter of 909 A.D. (?11th or 12th century) in the phrase 'hide burninga (gemaere)'='by the boundary of those of Headbourne', and the stream entering the Itchen here was 854 (12th century transcript) 'hydiburnan' apparently 'stream of the hides'. (The hide was a land area unit of about 100-120 acres, considered capable of supporting one family and household. Cf HYDE ABBEY.) The precise import of this name is unknown. Headbourne Worthy is also known from the 13th century as 'Count's Worthy' (1291 'Wordy Comitis') or 'Worthy Mortimer' (1303 'Wordy Mortimer') from being held (in 1212) by Roger Mortimer, the bearer of a family name probably reflecting activity in the Crusades, 'Dead Sea'.
King's Worthy was held by the king before and at the time of Domesday Book (and see the comment on Abbot's Worthy above).
Martyr Worthy (1243 'Wordi Lamartre') was held in 1201 by Henry la Martre, whose surname is of French origin, 'the marten'.
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830
... In down-countries, the direction of shepherds and pig and bird boys is always in precisely the same words; namely, 'right hover the down,' laying great stress upon the word right. 'But,' said I, to a boy, at the edge of the down at KING'S WORTHY (near Winchester), who gave me this direction to STOKE CHARITY; 'but, what do you mean by right over the down?' 'Why,' said he, 'right on to Stoke, to be sure, Zur.' 'Aye,' said I, 'but how am I, who was never here before, to know what is right, my boy?' That posed him. It set him to thinking: and, after a bit he proceeded to tell me, that, when I got up the hill, I should see some trees; that I should go along by them; that I should then see a barn right before me; that I should go down to that barn; and that I should then see a wagon track that would lead me all down to Stoke. 'Aye!' said I, 'now indeed you are a real clever fellow.' And I gave him a shilling, being part of my savings of the morning. Whoever tries it will find, that the less they eat and drink, when travelling, the better they will be. I act accordingly. ...
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- settlement, town - Barton Stacy Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Morden 1695
- settlement, village - Fawley Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- settlement, village - Barton Stacye Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- settlement, village - Barton Stacye Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- settlement, village - Bartonstacie Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- settlement, village - Southamtoniae
Listed in Domesday Book
- Bertun Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
Huic dajacet ORDEI ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Bertun Hundred - Hantscire
Period - 11th century
