The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 51 No.1 | June 2024

Local Group Programmes

Heron at Ampfield. Sandra's other ancestors on her Callen side was transported to Australia for 14 years in 1832, leaving his English family behind. He ended up staying in Australia and having a second family there. Rod told us about his great-grandparents Arthur and Alice Cross, who were believed to have had four children. In looking at the 1911 census, it was found that there had been a fifth child born to the marriage, who had died on Christmas night. Having researched further, the child was found to have been named Robert Baden Powell Cross! Rod discovered the name Baden John is very involved with Eastleigh & District Local History Society, and in the limited time available was only able to provide use with a glimpse of its history. This was mostly illustrated using maps and latterly with photographs of the various landmarks. He started with what is thought to be the earliest settlement, Zions Hill, on the west side of Chandlers Ford which has been dated to 300BC- 43 AD. Following the Norman conquest, Merdon Castle was built north of Hursley and is the oldest settlement that can be visited today although it is in ruins. Chandlers Ford is the meeting place of 3 streams and John used these for orienteering us when looking at the old maps. The oldest map was dated 1588 and shows the Hursley Estate. The name on the map was Channels Ford. The name Chandlers Ford first appears on a 1759 map. With names such as Zion, Monks Brook and Fryern (possible corruption of Friar) it is tempting to think there was a religious building nearby but there is no evidence of one. The 1855 map shows the start of Chandlers Ford with the brickworks and the coming of the railway. Large houses were built around Fryern Hill as the better off moved out of the polluted cities and into the country. We were also surprised to learn that in the 1880s for a short time there was a racecourse on the south west side of Chandlers Ford. In the 1930s the area was used for various camps. Initially refugees from the Spanish Civil War were housed in the area after disembarking at Southampton. The camps were also used for Prisoners of war, families who were made homeless by bombing, and the Army prior to D-Day. Forthcoming meetings All meetings at 7:30pm Powell was not unusual in being given these names around 1900. (April) Glimpses of Chandlers Ford History – John Lankaster

9pm Shopping in the High Street in the 1940s & 50s

June 11th

John Pitman

8 pm A History of Hampshire in 10 Objects – Part 4: Delving Deeper Tony Cross

July 9th

August 13th 7 pm Guided Walk – South Stoneham & Mansbridg e Eric Reed September 10th8 pm Strangers and Aliens: French Nick, Mrs Read the Saracen and Mrs Holmes’s Blackamoor Cheryl Butler

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