There was a Church at FROLI (mentioned in the Domesday Book) in 1086. The present Church was built between 1300 and 1350, consisting of a chancel, nave and steeple. It was held by the nuns of St.Mary’s Abbey, Winchester, until 1540. They also held Liss, Leckford, Timsbury and Ovington. This probably accounts for “St.Mary’s Church” which was built about 1340, and must have been built on the site of an even earlier Church, for there was a Vicar at Froyle in 1274. In 1340 FROILLE formed part of the Deanery of Alton. Vicars
From 1400 - 1500 no Vicars can be traced, and it is generally accepted that the Church was served by the monks of Neatham Abbey as at this time Froyle came under the ’Neatham Hundred’.
From 1719 to 1722 there seems to have been some connection with Kingsley, as the Rev. John Greenway was very careful to state whether marriages took place at Froyle or Kingsley. He may have been Vicar of both places. The Rev. Richard Follen, and Sir Thomas Combe Miller, Bt., had various curates - the chief being the Rev. B. Childs, and Rev. P. Aubutin (1842 - 1862). It was the Rev. P. Aubutin who did much to preserve the ancient coloured glass in the Church. Rev. Ashley Cooper died in 1876, and his name is on the Pulpit. Glebe Land at Kingsley, belonging to Froyle, at a rent of £20 per year in 1800, was sold during the time that Castle Floud was Vicar, in 1876. The present Chancel is definitely 14th Century. On the North side of the Chancel there is an Easter Sepulchre. This was definitely there in 1377, for we know that John Mott, of Froyle, died in this year, and left among other things in his Will discovered at Lambeth Palace in 1929 :“Money for candles to burn before the image of the Virgin in the Church”, and “Money for candles to burn in the Easter Sepulchre”. This Sepulchre has a very fine stone moulding. The stone of which the chancel is built came from Quarry Bottom, or similar quarries in this district. There is a lot of this stone in the Old Keep at Farnham Castle (1140). The oldest tomb in the Church is that of John Lige - 1575 - a brass on the Sanctuary floor, on the south side. John Leigh (or Lighe) is supposed to have built the original Coldrey House with material brought from the ruins of Waverley Abbey. The fact that Coldrey was described as “an extra parochial place”, and also that the brass on his tomb shows him in clerical attire, gives rise to the possibility that John Lighe was, at one time, Vicar of Froyle. The oldest stone (with distinct date) in the Churchyard is that of William Blanchard - 1749 - aged 63. There is a verse on the stone as follows:-
A husband kind a father dear In love he lived in peace he died His life was craved but was denied” The Blanchards lived in Froyle from 1668 - 1780. There is some very valuable old stained glass in the Church, especially in the East Window. It contains 10 lights of coats of arms.
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1722 | The Church steeple was demolished, and replaced by a tower and clock. The stone above the clock still shows - John Baldwin, 1722. The stone below the clock probably gave the names of the Churchwardens, as the word ’Churchwardens’ can distinctly be seen. “H.B.” over the tower door no doubt stands for Henry Burningham who died in 1735. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1724 | Five of the bells were hung. Four of them bear the inscription “R. Phelps 1724 Fecit”. The fifth on bears the inscription “Messrs. Henry Burningham, Richard Marshall, R. Phelps FECIT, Rev. Mr. John Greenway, Vic 1724”. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1757 | The sixth bell was hung, and bears the inscription “Thomas Tower and Thomas Hall, Churchwardens. Thomas Swain
made me, 1757”.
Notes on names in connection with the Tower and Bells Burningham The first Burningham entry in the Registers is in 1670 when Henry, son of Henry Burningham was born. This Henry Burningham, born in 1670 is the one whose name is on the bell. He married Ann Baldwin in 1698, and he died in 1716. The original home of the Burninghams was Hussey’s Farm. (Froyle House was built about 1820 on the original site of Cattleys. There is a date on the garden wall at Froyle House - 1820 - with initials GNB and KLB. There was a George Burningham, a lad of 16, in 1820). This Henry Burningham (born 1670), had a son Henry who died in 1736, and a grandson who died in 1740. The 1740 stone is in the Nave of the Church and this is the earliest Burningham memorial. There are at least eight Henry Burninghams buried either in the Church or Churchyard, the last one in 1905. The name is spelt in the Register as Burmigan, Burnigham, and Burningham. Baldwin The first Baldwin entry is in 1656. Baldwin’s Farm, at Lower Froyle, is now part of Hussey’s Farm. Thomas Hall (see Bells) was at Baldwin’s Farm in 1750, and the Baldwins seem to have moved to Coldrey. Robert Baldwin died at Coldrey in 1729. Christopher Baldwin died in 1806, aged 82, probably at Bentley. He was buried at Froyle, and his tomb is on the North side of the Church. Marshall Towers |
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1812 | The Nave was rebuilt. The minute book says
“it was cheaper to pull down the old Nave and rebuild rather
than repair the old one”. George Parfect of Headley was the Bricklayer and Plasterer. John Dyer of Alton was the Carpenter. George Beagley of Bentley, a bricklayer. James Harding, Surveyor of Farnham, was the Architect.
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1864 | The Font, restored. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1866 | The Pulpit, inscribed “Ashley Cooper”. Ashley Cooper died in 1876. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1896 | The Jesses window, below the East window, was built. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1906 | The Chancel floor was lowered to its original level. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1933 |
Window of old fragments of glass on the North
side, in memory of the Centenary of the Oxford Movement, was installed.
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Church Registers |
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1653 | Buried Ann Dawson aged 103 years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1669 | Buried Roger Sutwade aged 100 years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1673 | Buried John Wakeford aged 100 years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 1677 and 1679 Acts were passed for “Burying in Woollen”. This was done to help the wool trade. Curtis tells us that there is a copy of the Act in the Register at Hartley Mauditt. The Act was repealed in 1814. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1687 | Buried Mary Newman of Brocas in woollen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1765 | Buried William Draper, Esq., pd. forfeit for not being buried in woollen. (William Draper was Lord of the Manor, and the forfeiture under the Act was “five pounds of lawful money of England”) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1816 | Buried John Styleman all in woollen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other entries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1699 | Buried John Turner an old batchelor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1674 | Henry Wake was carried to Alton like fish in a barrel. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1689 | Buried Elizabeth Trimming an antient maid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1691 | Buried William Smith a vagabond. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1693 | Buried John son of Mary Davis a stranger. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1758 | Buried Joseph Newman ye old miller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1788 | Was buried John Bone who in a fit of insanity killed himself. (The actual entry - we have a photograph of the page - states that “he hung himself”) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
N.B. Stratford-on-Avon people will
no doubt be interested to know that Ann Hathaway was buried at Froyle
in 1807. Other names mentioned in the Register, whose descendants are still in the district:- |
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1653 | Knight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1673 | Trimmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1674 | Kemp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1708 | Gates (and much earlier) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1708 | Stacey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1793 | Nash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1800 | Scrivener | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1800 | Savage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1806 | Binfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other old families mentioned in the Register WestbrookHenry Westbrook is mentioned in 1653, and Westbrook entries follow on right through the Registers and Parish books. Joseph Westbrook was an Overseer of the poor in about 1760. Brownjohn Robinson Heath Jeffery or Jeffrey Farms mentioned in the Registers Blunden’s Farm Blundens appears in the Register from 1737. In 1765, Adam Blunden was an Overseer of the Poor, and later Churchwarden with Robert Yalden of Isnage. The farmhouse is much older than this, and was built in the 15th, or possibly the 14th Century. Part of the land of the present Blunden’s Farm was Froyle Common Land, with the present Coombefield, Blunden’s Cottage and the Post Office Cottage as small-holdings. There were Blundens in Froyle as late as 1869. Silvester’s Farm In about 1337, John de Brocas was rewarded with several estates in Hampshire, including Froyle, which remained in the Brocas family until 1539. In 1687 the Newmans lived at Brocas. There is a Newman stone in the Nave, and a Newman tomb in the Churchyard near the Robinsons and Westbrooks. William Newman of Froyle was a magistrate in 1784. There is Newman’s Land mentioned in 1751. This is no doubt the original of Nomansland. In 1756, Joseph Tarrant lived at Brocas. In 1777, James Tarrant married Ann Westbrook. Hodges Farm Place Farm This farm is mentioned in 1751. the Simmonds, ancestors of the present Aldershot Millers, lived at Froyle Mill. There are several Simmonds stones in the Churchyard. They were connected with the Blanchards. St. Bury Hill Isnage In 1683, there was an Eggar at Coldrey. In 1756, Coldrey is described as “an extra parochial place adjoining Froyle”. Elizabeth Burningham, (1759 - 1780), married Thomas Rothwell, Esq., of Coldrey. Thomas Rothwell of Coldrey died in 1805, aged 79, and his tomb is in the Churchyard. Bonham’s In 1821, Bonham’s is described as “an extra parochial place adjoining Froyle”. The Hen & Chicken is first mentioned in
1767, and the Anchor in 1806. There was a Poor House, Froyle, (Workhouse
Cottages), in 1806, and now called Brecklands. Meetings of the Overseers
were held alternately at the Hen & Chicken and Anchor, and occasionally
at the Poor House. The Poor House was converted to cottages in about
1835. Several meetings were held at the Checkers, (or Chequers), at
Well. In 1771 they seem to have known that the correct spelling is Hen
& Chicken, and not Hen & Chickens.
The first mention of Upper Froyle, (Uper Froyl), as distinct from Lower Froyle is in 1769. The first mention of Lower Froyle is in 1758. In 1800, Tithe Accounts of Mr. Henry Burningham are separate for Upper Froyle and Lower Froyle. Tithes mentioned in the Registers In 1715, we find:-
In 1807, the tithe was £1 per acre on old hops, and 10/- per acre on young hops. By 1818, the tithe was nearly £2 per acre on old hops and £1 per acre on young hops. Sir Thomas Miller’s farms at this time were:-
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Overseers of the Poor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1750 | Thomas Hall, Overseer for late Baldwins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1755 | Thomas Messenger, for Yarnhams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1756 | Joseph Tarrant, for Brocas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1760 | James Silvester, for Place Farm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1765 | Adam Blunden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Parish Book (Overseers) from 1782 - 1806
is missing.
It is interesting to note that according to Curtis, relief at Bentley was refused in 1774 to any of the poor people who drank tea, or frequented the public house, yet at Froyle, in 1772, we find the Overseers paid for “Sugar, Tea and a jugg” and spent 18/1 at a meeting at the Hen & Chicken. They also spent 4/6d at the Hen & Chicken in 1771. In the Parish book, from 1750 - 1782, we have among other entries already mentioned in “Historical Notes on Froyle”:- |
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Between 1711 and 1714, Sam Tilley and Thomas Warner gave a lot of trouble in the village. It is not quite clear what the trouble was, but there is some mention of their being Quakers. They seem to have been put in gaol, but afterwards escaped. The “Order for the execution of the Decree”, (excommunication), was served on them by T.Grover, clerk.
The Grovers, (four in number), were clerks in succession from 1711 - 1804. They witnessed many weddings, and Mary Grover seems, during one period, to have acted for Thomas Grover Senior, when he was either ill or busy elsewhere. Thomas Grover senior was Clerk in 1711, and his son, John Grover, was Clerk from 1773 -1804. His other son, Thomas Grover junior died in 1779. The Robinsons, (Richard and Thomas), were also called upon to witness weddings on various occasions. Thomas was baptised in 1751, and Richard died in 1779. The window tax operated from 1697 - 1851, and there are several bricked up windows at the Vicarage, as well as other places. In 1766, the tax was 1/6d per window. The front part of the Vicarage is early Georgian, and part of the back premises, Elizabethan. There was a Vicarage in 1719, when John Greenway was inducted as Vicar. In 1864, coal was 21/- per ton! |