Selborne
county:
coords:
Hampshire
SU7433
otherwise: seleborne, 903-16; Selesburna, 1086; Seleburne, 1201
SELBORNE
Clearly named from what is now called 'Oakhanger Stream'; disregarding the form in Domesday Book it appears to been have hypothetical Old English 'seala burna'='stream of sallows'.
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830
... These hangers [Hawkley Hanger] are woods on the sides of very steep hills. The trees and underwood hang, in some sort, to the ground, instead of standing on it. Hence these places are called Hangers. From the summit of that which I had now to descend, I looked down upon the villages of Hawkley, Greatham, Selborne and some others.
...
At Tisted I crossed the turnpike-road before mentioned, and entered a lane which, at the end of about four miles brought me to this village of SELBORNE. My readers will recollect, that I mentioned this Selborne when I was giving an account of Hawkley Hanger, last fall. I was desirous of seeing this village, about which I have read in the book of Mr. White, and which a reader has been so good as to send me. From Tisted I came generally up hill till I got within half a mile of this village, when, all of a sudden, I came to the edge of a hill, looked down over all the larger vale of which the little vale of this village makes a part. ... The village of Selborne is precisely what it is described by Mr. White. A straggling irregular street, bearing all the marks of great antiquity, and shewing, from its lanes and its vicinage generally, that it was once a very considerable place. ... Here are several hop-plantations in and about this village; but, for this once, the prayers of the over-production men will be granted, and the devil of any hops there will be. The bines are scarcely got up the poles; the bines and the leaves are black, nearly, as soot; full as black as a sooty bag or dingy coal-sack, and covered with lice. It is a pity that these hop-planters could not have a parcel of Spaniards and Portuguese to louse their hops for them. Pretty devils to have liberty, when a favourite recreation of the Donna is the crack the lice in the head of the Don! I really shrug up my shoulders thinking of the beasts. Very different from such is my landlady here at Selborne, who, while I am writing my notes, is getting me a rasher of bacon, and has already covered the table with a nice clean cloth. I have never seen such quantities of grapes upon any vines as I see upon the vines in this village, badly pruned as all the vines have been. To be sure, this is a year for grapes, such, I believe, as has been seldom known in England, and the cause is, the perfect ripening of the wood by the last beautiful summer. I am afraid, however, that the grapes come in vain; for this summer has been so cold, and is now so wet, that we can hardly expect grapes, which are not under glass, to ripen. ... The hops are of considerable importance to this village, and their failure must necessarily be attended with consequences very inconvenient to the whole of a population so small as this. Upon enquiry I find that the hops are equally bad at Alton, Froyle, Crondall, and even at Farnham. ...
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- settlement, town - Shelborn Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- Hampshire
Selburn, a little Market-Town. The Market is on [ ] weekly, and the Fair on [ ] yearly. Here Peter de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, founded a Monastery of Canons Regular of St. Augustine in King Henry III.'s Reign.
Shown on an old map by Morden 1695
- settlement, village - Selborn Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- settlement, village - Selburn Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- settlement, village - Selburn Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- settlement, village - Selbourne Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- settlement, village - Southamtoniae
Listed in Domesday Book
- Neteham Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA REGIS ... Ipse rex ten. SELESBVRNE . Eddid regina tenuit ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Neteham Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
IN NETEHA~ HD~ Walteri fili Rog. ten. LESBORNE et Hunger de eo . Aluuard tenuit de rege E in alodiu~ ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Neteham Hundred - Hantscire
Period - 11th century
