Bedhampton

The parish of Bedhampton occupies the south-east corner of Portsdown hundred, with Langstone Harbour forming its southern boundary. The parish includes Baker's Island, Long Island, and North and South Binness in the harbour. King Egbert granted the manor to Winchester Cathedral. By the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, Hyde Abbey held it, and Hugh de Port was tenant. Two mills and two salt pans valued at 37s. 8d. are recorded.

Herbert, son of Herbert the Chamberlain and ancestor of the Fitz Herbert family, held the manor in 1167. The Fitz Herberts held Bedhampton until the early fourteenth century. In 1236 Herbert Fitz Peter was forced to acknowledge the right of Walter, abbot of Hyde, to exact scutage and relief from two knights' fees at Bedhampton. Reginald, brother of Herbert Fitz Peter, died seised in 1281, leaving a minor son John and widow Joan. Joan received dower in 1286 and died seised in 1314, holding of the abbot of Hyde.

Hugh le Despenser the elder held the manor by 1316, having received it by enfeoffment from John son of Reginald in 1305. Upon Despenser's attainder in 1326, the manor passed to Edmund, earl of Arundel, who was himself attainted at the end of that year. In 1327 the Crown granted Bedhampton to Edmund of Woodstock, earl of Kent, youngest son of Edward I. Edmund was beheaded outside Winchester on 19 March 1329 for treason. The manor was then granted for life to John Maltravers, steward of the household. In 1330 the attainder of the earl of Kent was reversed for his son Edmund.

Margaret, countess of Kent, held one and a half fees by wardship in 1346, her son Edmund having died in 1333 while his heir John was a minor. John died without issue in 1352. The manor passed to his sister Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent, wife of Thomas, lord Holland, who became earl of Kent in right of his wife. The manor remained with the Holland family until the extinction of the male line, then descended through Margaret, co-heir of the last earl, to her son John Beaufort, first duke of Somerset. His granddaughter Margaret Beaufort became countess of Richmond and mother of Henry VII. The manor merged with the Crown on her death in 1509.

In 1522 Henry VIII leased Bedhampton to Stephen Copes for twenty-one years. In 1537 the king granted the manor to William Fitz William, earl of Southampton. Fitz William died without issue in 1542 and the manor reverted to the Crown. On the accession of Edward VI, the manor was granted to Richard Cotton in consideration of long and faithful service. Richard died in 1556 and his son George succeeded him. George died in 1609 and was succeeded by his son Richard. In 1610 Richard conveyed the manor to the king by fine and it was re-granted the same year. Richard died in 1635 and his grandson Richard, son of George, became heir.

The Cotton family held the manor until 1714, when they sold to Adam Cardonnell. Cardonnell gave the manor to his daughter Mary upon her marriage with the Rt. Hon. William Talbot. In 1778 Mr Legge, later Lord Stawell, purchased from Lord Talbot and was in possession by 1790. Lord Stawell left the manor to his daughter Mary Legge, who married Lord Sherborne as her second husband. Lord Sherborne left the manor by will to his third son Ralph Dutton. It passed to Ralph's grandson Henry Dutton, in whose hands it remained at the date of the VCH publication.

The old manor house was pulled down in 1881. It was an L-shaped building of red brick and timber, two storeys with an overhanging upper floor and thatched roof. Before its destruction it had been divided into six tenements.