[Transcription © SA Whittle-Bruce 2004]

CHRISTCHURCH UNION is the extreme south-western portion of Hampshire, bounded on the south by Poole and Christchurch Bays, on the west by Dorsetshire, on the north by Ringwood Union, and on the east by Lymington Union. It comprises only the three large parishes of CHRISTCHURCH, HOLDENHURST, and SOPLEY, which contain fifteen tithings, several villages and hamlets, and many handsome seats and scattered houses. They are all in Ringwood Division and Polling District, in the Southern Division of Hampshire, and in Christchurch Hundred, except Holdenhurst, which is in Westover Liberty; and the Old Borough of Christchurch, which is a separate liberty. The whole UNION forms Christchurch County Court District, and had 8482 inhabitants in 1851. It comprises about 36,500 acres of land, and a large portion of it is now embraced in the parliamentary limits of the Borough of Christchurch, as afterwards noticed.

The UNION WORKHOUSE is at Christchurch, and was built for that parish in 1768. It has now room for 120 inmates, though it has seldom more than 80. The total expenditure for the half-year ending Lady Day, 1858, was £2064, including about £400 paid to the County and Police Rates. Mr. Henry Pain is the Union Clerk and Superintendent Registrar; and Mr. John and Miss Sarah Gould are master and matron of the Workhouse. Mr. Samuel Bemister is the relieving officer and registrar of births and deaths. Risdon D. Sharp, Esq., is registrar of marriages and A.Q.Palmer and R.S.J.Stevens are the surgeons.

CHRISTCHURCH HUNDRED is in two divisions viz., theUpper Half, which includes Boldre, Hordle, Mitford, and Milton, now forming part of Lymington Union and Sessional Division; and theLower Half which includes Sopley parish and nearly all Christchurch parish, except the old borough. Sir G.E.M.Tapps-Gervis, Bart., is lord of the Castle and Hundred of Christchurch, and also of the Liberty of Westover, which comprises Holdenhurst parish and Longham hamlet. Mr Charles Lemmon is high constable for the Hundred and Liberty.

CHRISTCHURCH, a small ancient borough, market town, and port, is picturesquely situated at the confluence of the rivers Stour and Avon, where their united waters fall into a large, but shallow tidal basin or estuary, which is only navigable for small craft, and has a narrow opening into Christchurch Bay, between the headlands projecting from the cliffs between Hengistbury Head and Mudeford, about 1 1/2 mile E.S.E. of the town, which is distant 8 miles S. by E. of Ringwood, and S.W. by S. of Christchurch Road Station; 12 miles W. by S. of Lymington, and 24 miles S.W. by W. of Southampton. CHRISTCHURCH PARISH extends over no less than 21,860 acres of land, comprising, besides the Old Borough, the tithings of Bure, Burton, Street, Hurn, Ilford, Parley, Tuckton, and Winkton; the hamlets of Hinton-Admiral, Bockhampton, Bransgore, Highcliff, Mudeford, &c.; and many scattered houses and neat mansions, extending 6 miles N. and N.E., and 3 miles W. of the town. It increased its population from 4,644 in 1821, to 6,256 souls in 1851, but in the latter year only 1,877 were in the Old Borough, which comprises most of the town and immediate suburbs. The Parliamentary Borough was saved from disfranchisement in 1832, by extending it so as to include nearly the whole parish of Christchurch, and the whole of Holdenhurst parish. It had 7,475 inhabitants in 1851. Since 1832, it has sent only one member to parliament. The right of election is now in the occupiers of houses, &c., of the yearly value of £10 or upwards. The number of voters in 1857 was 336, of whom 277 were in Christchurch parish, and 59 in Holdenhurst parish. Vice-Admiral John Edward Walcott is now M.P. for the Borough. Christchurch is not included in the Municipal Reform Act of 1835, - its Corporate Body having no magisterial functions, and consisting only of a mayor and nine self-elected burgesses. The MAYOR is elected on Sept. 14th by the householder of the old borough, from three persons nominated by the burgesses. The office is now filled by Mr. Henry T. Jenkins. The present Burgesses are Messrs. Abm. Pike, Arthur Q. Palmer, E.S. Elliott, Geo. Ferrey, Wm. Tucker, Jas. Druitt, and Wm. H. Mumby. James Druitt esq., is the town clerk; and Wm. Lockyer, crier and pinder.

The TOWN HALL, built about a century ago, stands on 16 stone pillars in the Market Place. Petty Sessions, for this part of the Ringwood Division, are held here on the second and last Mondays of every month, by the county magistrates, to whom Jas. Druitt, Esq., is clerk. The latter is also registrar of the County Court, held at the Town Hall monthly for the three parishes of Christchurch Union, Edw. Everett, Esq., is the judge; Mr. Wm. Hatchard, high bailiff; and William Young, bailiff. Hre is also a small county police station.

The ARTILLERY BARRACKS, near the west end of the town, were built in 1792, and have room for 160 men. A market is held every Monday, and fairs on Trinity Thursday (Corpus Christi) and October 17th.

The GAS WORKS were constructed in 1853 at the cost of about £2000 by the proprietors, Messrs. Stevens and Son, of London. The manufacture of watch fuzee chains was introduced here in the latter part of last century by Mr. Robert Cox; and it now gives employment to about 500 hands (chiefly females,) and almost exclusively supplies the watchmakers of London, Coventry, Liverpool, and Birmingham, as well as many in America. The town has several large breweries and malthouses; and a coasting trade in coal, corn, timber, &c., carried on by barges; the harnour being too shallow for vessels drawing more than 5 1/2 feet water; though, like some others on the Hampshire coast, it has the phenomenon of two high-waters every twelve hours. It is a creek under the Port of Southampton. The river Avon flows southward from beyond Salisbury to Fordingbridge, Ringwood, and Christchurch, where it receives the small river Stour from Dorsetshire, and falls into the estuary or harbour, which is about a mile in diameter; including several small islands and extensive mud banks. The salmon fishery id the Avon and Stour belongs to W.J.T.Walker, Esq., and is now let to Capt. Lovell and Mr. Henry Fras. Forster, for about £400 per annum. Hengistbury Mining Company was established a few years ago, and employs a number of men in getting excellent ironstone, which is sent to the Welch Iron Works.

MORE TO COME IN THIS SECTION

AUCTIONEERS, Estate Agents, &c. Abbott John & Son, Bridge st Cranston Geo., Cst. and Ringwood King John, High st Reeks Charles, Cst. BAKERS, &c. * Confectioners 1 Abbott Priscilla *Barrow James, Hst Cluett Wm., Pwl *Cox Joseph, Hst Dowling Edw., Wnd 2 Frampton Wm., Post off., Newtown Goodbody Horatio Nelson, Church st 9 Hampton Wm., Neacroft, Bockhampton 1 Head Wm. Hibberd John, Wnd 3 Kerly Joseph 7 Legg George 1 Pardy Ann 1 Selfe John 1 Shave Eli *Shirvell John, Pwl Stride Henry, Spt Tamlyn Wm., Pwl Troke John 1 Tuck John 9 Tuck John Walden Geo., Hst 9 Walden Joseph 3 Wilson John BEERHOUSES. Britton George, Hst Button Henry, Pwl 1 Collins Mary Eldridge Geo., Brd Farwell George, Pitt French Geo., Brd Hibberd John, Wnd 3 Jeffery Samuel B. Manley Robt., Wnd Martin John, Pitt Perry Charles, Bst 9 Pound Stephen Smith Edw. Geo., Pwl 6 Watton Emanuel BIRD PRESERVERS. Hart henry, Bpl Hart Wm., Bargates BLACKSMITHS. 3 Bell Wm. Bemister Jas., Brd Caines Jas. (and farrier,) Wick lane Keffen Edw., Pwl 9 Manley John Manley Robt., Wnd 9 Morgan Joseph 9 Munday John Pack Wm.,Newtown 5 Pike George 1 Saunders George 7 Saunders James 6 Scott Wm. 4 Taylor John Whitcher Henry, Spt BOOKSELLERS, Printers, &c. Lockyer Edw. (pubr. of Christchurch Times) Tucker Wm., Hst White Joseph (and binder,) High st BOOT & SHOEMAKERS. Argyle Mattw., Pwl 4 Broom George 9 Butler Henry Clark Edmund, Cht Cull Robert,Pitt Dowden John, Pwl 5 Fall Richard Gosling Saml., Hst hart Henry, Bpl hart Mdk., Purewell 1 Head Wm. 9 Hopkins John 4 Hopkins Timothy 3 Howe James Lampard John, Hst

Marshall Moses, Pound lane Meadus John, Spt 1 Norris Thomas Perry George, Cht Savage Samuel, Hst 1 Shave James Sparks Fredk., Hst Vick John, Pwl 2 Wallis Jesse 1 Wheeler George BREWERS. Aldridge Geo. Olive, High st Baker Benj. & Eliza, Bargates Goulding John, Spt King Joseph, Hst BRICK & TILE MKRS. 1 Brown John 1 Jerrard George 1 Kerly James 1 Petty Thomas BUILDERS. 4 Barrow Edward Belbin George, Pwl Bemister John, Spt Davis Charles, Pwl Davis George Eveleigh John, Bt 2 Frampton James 1 Hailey James Hiscock Hiram, Hst Holloway John, Bst 3 Launder Joseph Preston Charles, Pwl Preston Wm., Spt 5 Read Wm. Stone James, Hst Tucker Hy. Charles, Purewell 9 Walden Henry (& valuer)6 White James BUTCHERS. Britton George, hst Domone Jph., Cst Edwards Thos., Hst Reeks John, Bst Scott Wm., Church st Wheeler Hy. (pork) High st CABINET MAKERS. Abbott and Son, Bst Verge Nicholas,Pitt CARPENTERS AND JOINERS. Butler Stephen, Wnd 3 Button Thomas 6 Golton Robert

WORK IN PROGRESS