|
|
|
Information contained in these pages is intended for genealogical research only,
and I ask that you respect the privacy of those mentioned.
Please
acknowledge the source of any information used from these pages.
Stephen Ainsworth and Ann Browning © It is thought Stephen may have been born in Handley, Dorset, and a possible baptism on the 25th December, 17451&8, in St Mary, the parish church of Handley has been found. Although not conclusive, and no parents are recorded, several other records for Answorth have been identified in and around Handley, so I believe this to be my Stephen.
Nobody can be sure when the first church was built in Handley, but it is certain
that a church has stood here for almost a thousand years2. The
chancel and parts of the nave date from 1350, when the church was much smaller.
The church was enlarged in 1831 and two 17th Century windows were
moved and a third
matching, but plain, window was added to the new outer north wall. During
further renovations, 1876-1878, the 14th Century porch was moved to
its present position. The churchyard is maintained under a strict conservation
plan, providing a safe habitat for many native species, it also contains a
gravestone with an interesting
inscription referring to the old smuggling days, telling how poached deer,
smuggled goods and venison were hidden in a dummy, empty tomb. It has been
suggested this tomb was in fact under the floor of the porch after it had been
moved. Recorded in the Domesday Book3 as Sixpenny, and part of the
Abbey of Shaftsbury St Edward & St Mary, with 49 very large households, its
value to the Lord in 1086, was £12. The village name is derived from two
distinct medieval ‘hundreds’: ‘Sexpena’ and ‘Hanlega’, which eventually,
probably in the 14th Century, were united as the Hundred of Sexpenne
et Henle. However, the use of both words in the name of the parish is modern,
as until quite recently it was just called Handley. Through the centuries the
village has suffered a series of fires and, in 1892, the whole village was
virtually destroyed due to its remoteness from the nearest fire appliances. The
church, dating back to the 13th Century, remains and there are
several buildings which maintain the traditional village Nothing is known of Stephen’s life until his marriage to Ann Browning in the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul, Ringwood, Hampshire, on the 22nd January, 17724. Stephen is recorded as being a Bachelor and Ann a Spinster, both from the village of Burley. Stephen made his mark and Ann signed her name. Witnesses were Jas Brown and Humphrey Coles. The Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul is a well-known landmark which can be clearly seen as you approach the town, is Grade II listed and well loved by the people of Ringwood, whether they are church-goers or not. According to the Domesday Book there has been a church on the site at least as far back as the 11th Century, but little is known of the recorded wooden building. It is known that the first stone church was built on the site around 1200 and that this medieval church stood on the site until the early 1800. By this time it had fallen into such bad repair that it was pulled down and had been rebuilt by 18555. Ringwood is recorded in a charter of 961, in which King Edgar gave land in Rimecuda to Abingdon Abbey. The name is also recorded in the 10th century as Runcwuda and Rimucwuda, from ‘Wuda’ meaning a wood and ‘Rimuc’ which may be derived from Rima meaning 'border’, hence ‘border wood’. Suggesting the name may well refer to Ringwood's position on the fringe of the New Forest, or on the border of Hampshire6. In the Domesday Book of 10863, Ringwood, recorded as ‘Rincvede’ had been appropriated by the Crown and most taken into the New Forest. In 1108, it was recorded that the tenants of the ‘manor of Ringwood and Harbridge ‘had common rights in the New Forest, for their farm beasts and plough beasts. Common rights, also known as the Charter of the Forest, which was first issued in 1217, re-established the rights of tenants to access to the royal forests to gather fuel, firewood or turf, and to graze their animals. This charter not only referred to ‘treed areas of the forests’ but could also include fields and moors. This charter is said to be the longest running statute in English history, with special courts still in existence today in the New Forest and the Forest of Dean. Granteda Market Charter in 1226, modern Ringwood still features a weekly market in the traditional market place. Burley is a small village in the New Forest area about 8km south-east of Ringwood7 and is one of the few remaining villages that still practices the old tradition of ‘Commoning’, allowing animals to graze on the Open Forest, and where New Forest ponies are left to wander the village at will. Burley has remained largely untouched by time, steeped in old customs and history, allowing visitors to unwind and enjoy its tranquil atmosphere. Picturesque thatched cottages tucked away in unexpected places help conjure up images of how life was in days gone by. Witches, smuggling and dragons are also part of Burley's unique character. The Queen's Head pub, built in the 16th Century, was notorious for smugglers and highwaymen. Recently a hidden cellar, which was discovered beneath the floor of the ‘Stable Bar’, full of pistols, bottles and coins, is believed to be one of the hiding places of long gone smugglers. The front of the building has never been changed, and today the pub is still a local favourite and also a quaint B&B for tourists. Ringwood Parish records indicate Stephen and Ann had six children4: William 1772, he married Margaret Bennett 1800; Stephen 1773; Henry 1775, Betty 1777-1779; Rebecca 1780; and Charlotte 1793, but it is not known where the family actually lived. The burial records of Ringwood Parish indicate Stephen was buried in the Parish Churchyard on 2nd November, 18034. His wife Ann, a widow, was buried 16th August, 1807, also in the Parish Churchyard. It is not known if their graves are marked.
References: |
