Kingsclere
county:
coords:
coords:
Hampshire
SU525586
51.20N 1.14W : lat'n'long
Clere
otherwise: clearan, 873-888; Clere, 1086; Clara, 1167
CLERE, three parishes BURGHCLERE, HIGHCLERE, KINGSCLERE
The existence of Anglo Saxon period forms rules out Middle English 'clere'='clearing', from the French. No Old English lexical word is known which could fill the bill. The Old English name appears to be in the plural in at least one of its occurrences (955). Ekwall compares two Hampshire charter boundaries containing a reference to one and the same place: 901 (early 11th century) 'cleara flode' 909 (12th century transcript) 'clearan flode' where Micheldever meets North Waltham. 'Flode' is 'channel, ditch, watercourse'. There is no stream at this point, but Grundy (1927: 285) mentions that there was a 'Cocksford' in Popham which must have been over the same water; perhaps therefore there was once a winterbourne there, which no longer flows because of changes in the water table. If 'cleara(n)' is a lexical word, its sense is unknown (the origin of the place name 'Clearbury Ring' (Wiltshire), not recorded before 1632, is unknown). If it is a name, it perhaps derives from hypothetical Primitive Welsh 'clijar' the source of Welsh 'claer'='bright' ('claear'='lukewarm' hardly makes sense for a bourne flow, though this word seems to have the same etymological source as 'claer'). What such a name could refer to in the case of Kingsclere, Highclere and Burghclere is unknown; they share no single stream, and we cannot assume that the various streams of the area all bore the same name.
KINGSCLERE was a royal demesne manor before and after 1066, though part of it was given to St Peter's, Winchester, by William I, and the rest to St Mary Rouen, by Henry I, though it was again in royal hands in the time of Edward II. It appears in the time of Henry I as 'Kyngesclere' about 1270 'Clara regis'. The name of HIGHCLERE (1208 'alta Clera' but previously 'West Clere' (see above)) ought to be self explanatory, but only the ridgetop site of Highclere Castle is notably high. The village is slightly higher than the other two. This was the Bishop of Winchester's holding at the time of Domesday Book, and the site of a palace of his; but 1241 'Clere le Evesk' 1320 'Bisshopes Clere' are names for BURGHCLERE, once a single episcopal manor with Highclere though having a separate reeve from earliest times (VCH IV, 256f.). The name of Burghclere (1171 'Burclere') at first sight appears to allude to the 'burh' or ancient earthwork on Beacon Hill, mentioned to in 943 (12th century transcript) as 'weard setle'='(to the) watchhouse'. Indeed, Old Burghclere (see below) is close to the foot of the hill on which it stands. But it is possible that we have late Old English/Middle English 'burh' in the sense of 'manor, great house', from the bishop's palace. The absence of this element in Old English forms may suggest the latter interpretation, though there is no firm way of deciding the issue at present. The bishop had a market here and the mention 1218 'novus burgus de Clere' (analogous to 'Newbury' (Berkshire), see NEWTOWN) makes it superficially possible that the name is to be taken as 'borough (market town) Clere'. But the market was established in the second decade of the 13th century, whilst Burghclere's name is on record from the late 12th century. 'Burghclere' may, then, be 'fort Clere' or 'manor Clere'.
The most populous part of modern Burghclere, and the part named as such on the OS 1 to 50000 map, is a relatively modern development; hence 'Old Burghclere' for the ancient settlement.
Morris, in the Hampshire Domesday identifies the holding of William son of Baderon in Kingsclere hundred with 'Earlstone' (1167 'Erlestona' 1233 'Erlestune'='earl's farm'). It was held of the king by Saxi before 1066, who held three other parcels of land in Hampshire from the king and was clearly a man of substance.
John de Clere who took his name from here, lived in Crondall in the early 13th century and his name eventually became attached to 'Clare Park' in that parish, previously 'Badley'='Bad(d)a's wood/clearing'.
Under SHERFIELD-ON-LODDON, the thorny question is examined of whether the 'Sher-' forms descend from Old English words for 'bright' or 'shire'. It is curious to see along the Hampshire/Berkshire boundary a group of parish names in 'Clere' in the west and a group in the east, almost abutting, in 'Sher-'. It gives the impression that the Romano British/Primitive Welsh name of the region involved the British word for 'bright', which the Saxons adopted and incorporated, in translation, in their own place names. More investigation is required; there is a case for assuming that 'Sher-' in these names means 'shire(s)'.
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830
... and, KINGSCLERE was a residence of the Saxon Kings, and continued to be a royal residence long after the Norman Kings came. KING JOHN, when residing at KINGSCLERE, founded one of the charities which still exists in the town of Newbury, which is but a few miles from Kingsclere.
Period - 19th century, early
a town in Hampshire, with a market on Tuesday, and a great trade in malt. It was the residence of some of our Saxon kings. It is 9m SW Basingtoke, and 54 W by S London.
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- settlement, town - Kingsclear Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788 (perhaps)
- settlement, hamlet - Kingsclear Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Badeslade 1742
- settlement, town - Hampshire
Period - 1740s
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- Hampshire
Kingsclear, famous for having been anciently the Seat of the Saxon Kings, as the Name may imply. It is now a well frequented Market-Town, and gives Name to the Hundred in which it is. The Market is on Tuesday weekly, and the Fair on [ ] yearly.
Shown on an old map by Morden 1695
- settlement, town - Kingsclere Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
Shown on an old map by Ogilby 1675
- town - Hampshire
Period - 17th century
Kingsclear, in former time the residence of the Saxon Kings; seated in the Woodlands, a small Market-town on Tuesdays.
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- settlement, town - Kingscler Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Simmons 1643
- Hamshire
Period - 1630s-40s
in the N. sector of the thumbnail map; 84 miles from London
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- settlement, town - Kingscler Hundred - Hantshire
The place is described in text Camden 1610
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
More toward the North, in the verie edge and frontier of this Shire, we saw Kings-Cleare, a market towne in these daies well frequented, the residence in times past of the Saxon Kings, ...
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- settlement, town - Kinges Clere Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
Shown on an old map by Keer 1620
- Southampton
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- settlement, town - Southamtoniae
Listed in Domesday Book
- Clere Hundred - Hantescire - St Peter's Abbey - Winchester parish: - Hampshire
Period - 11th century
SCI~ PETRI DE WINTONIA ... In CLERE h~t abbatia S~ Petri una~ aeccl~am et IIII hid~ et una~ v. trae . H~ ded~ aecclae W rex ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Clere Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA REGIS ... CLERE ten. rex in d~nio . De firma regis E fuit ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Clere Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA TAINORV~ REGIS ... LEWIN ten. in CLERE una~ v. de rege . Ipse tenuit ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Clere Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA TAINORV~ REGIS ... RAVELIN ten. de rege CLERE . Ipsemet tenuit ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Clere Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA HVGONIS DE PORTH ... Ipse H ten. in CLERE ... et Fadrelin de eo . Saulf et Goduin tenuer~ in paragio de rege E ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Clere Hundred - Hantscire
Period - 11th century
