Victorian 1837-1901
Taskers of Andover Ltd
Taskers of Andover Ltd, Tasker & Co, Tasker & Sons the list goes on but the company is the same. In 1803, Robert Tasker, a twenty one year old blacksmith from Devizes, left his home to look for work and found a job with the blacksmith at Abbotts Ann. He was a hard working and…
Read MoreBlackmoor Church
Blackmoor Church in Hampshire named St Matthew’s, was designed by one of the greatest Victorian architects, Alfred Waterhouse. These images show the beauty of his stained glass.
Read MoreHythe Pier Railway
Hythe Pier in Hampshire is home to the worlds oldest continuously running pier railway. It reaches out into Southampton Water to connect with the ferry. A ferry has been making the crossing here for well over five hundred years.
Read MoreWilliam Nicholson Gin and Lords Cricket
William Nicholson gin and Lords cricket ground, what do they all have to do with the history of the county of Hampshire? Well cricket and Hampshire fit hand in glove but what about a London gin distillery? Read to find out more about this fascinating history.
Read MoreBramdean Church in the Woods
Bramdean church in the woods is a corrugated iron clad church, built in 1873 for the families of travellers to use, who occupied Bramdean common. It was a flat pack construction that took just five days to erect.
Read MoreDr Keate of Eton College
Dr Keate of Eton College, the great flogging headmaster from 1809 to 1834, was rector of St Mary’s church Hartley Wespall and is buried inside.
Read MoreEastney Pumping Station
The Eastney Pumping Station in Portsmouth is a wonderful example of Victorian engineering, housing a Watts Boulton steam beam engine. It now operates as a museum.
Read MoreMarc Brunel in Portsmouth
The incredible engineers, the Brunels, father and son are in-extrinsically linked to Portsmouth through deed and birth Marc Isambard Brunel was a frenchman who fled the French Revolution and in 1793, fled to America and became chief engineer of New York City. By 1799 he had married Sophia Kingdom and they had three children, Sophia,…
Read MoreData Meon Valley Surnames 1841
Data collected from the 1841 census on Meon Valley surnames, shows the incidence of surnames in individual villages along the Meon Valley. This bank of data reveals some interesting finds. It is an incomplete but growing body of data useful to Hampshire family historians.
Read MoreChristchurch Hatherden
Christchurch Hatherden, the church was badly damaged in 1975 as a result of a lightning strike, but has now been completely restored.
Read MoreWater Babies in Hampshire
The Water Babies was a children’s novel written by Charles Kingsley, rector of Eversley and inspired by the grounds and building of Bramshill House Hampshire.
Read MoreA View of Netley Abbey 1909
The romantic ruins of Netley Abbey as they appeared in 1909. Netley Abbey has such a fascinating history and it’s interesting to see how historic sites have long captured the imagination of visitors.
Read MoreThe Mysteries of Wymering Manor
Wymering Manor in Portsmouth is one of Hampshire’s oldest and allegedly, most haunted houses. From the outside it presents a bit of a sorry state and its exterior belies its ancient past but it is a house full on intrigue and mystery.
Read MoreThe Terraced Cottage Chapel Buckler’s Hard
St Mary’s Chapel Buckler’s Hard is half hidden in a row of terraced houses in the old ship building village close to Bealieu. Inside is the Sir Francis Chichester Memorial.
Read MoreThe Andover Workhouse
The Andover workhouse scandal brought about the demise of the Poor Law Commission, set up in the 1830’s to find a solution to the growing number of por and destitute people in England.
Read MoreHoly Trinity Ashe
The church of Holy Trinity at Ashe in Hampshire has a wonderful history with connections to Jane Austen and the Charge of the Light Brigade
Read MoreRoyal Victoria Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital in Netley was built with Queen Victoria’s support to provide care to British military personnel whose sufferings at the Crimea War had been brought to her attention. The huge hospital on Southampton Water served it purpose for just over a hundred years.
Read MoreBaptismal Font Soberton
The baptismal font Soberton in the church of St Peter’s The font in St Peter’s church Soberton is Victorian with a hexagonal bowl on a single pedestal and a stepped base. The sides of the bowl are decorated with carvings of angels, crossed swords and keys. It has a wooden lid. Our intention is to…
Read MoreItchen Abbas Church
Itchen Abbas church of St John the Baptist, is a fine Victorian building that hides a much earlier church Alas the old church placed a great burden on the parish as its ancient walls and tower fell into decay and became unsafe. The church has some architectural remains that suggest it was built in the…
Read MoreThe Church in the Woods Bramdean Common
The Church in the Woods at Bramdean Common is one of the most delightful and moving churches in Hampshire. This simple building was erected to serve an itinerant working community in the late C19th.
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