Baddesley (or North Baddesley) is a village, situated on an open heath, on the road from Romsey to Portsmouth, 3 miles west from the Chandlers Ford station on the Eastleigh Salisbury branch of the London and South Western railway, 77 miles from London, 3 east from Romsey, 10 south-west from Winchester, 6 north from Southampton, in the New Forest division of the county, Hursley union, Romsey petty sessional division, King's Somborne hundred, Winchester county court district, rural deanery of Romsey, and archdeaconry and diocese of Winchester.
The village consists of a few small houses. The church of St John, situated near the site of the ancient chapel of the same name, belonging to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, was rebuilt in 1608, and is a small edifice of flint and stone, consisting of chancel and nave, with gallery at the western end, south porch and a western tower with two bells; the desk and chain to which the Bible was formerly attached still remain; two stones in the tower bear the date 1674; there are 150 sittings. The register dates from the year 1682. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £121, with glebe (£12) in the gift of Tankerville Chamberlayne, esq., and held since 1885 by the Rev Edward Thomas Hoare, M.A, of Caius College, Cambridge, who is also vicar of and resides at Chilworth. Here is an undenominational Mission Hall, erected in 1887.
Tankerville Chamberlayne, esq., B.A. of Cranbury Park, Winchester, is lord of the manor and the principal landowner. The soil is sand and loam; subsoil, clay and gravel; there is much bog land in the parish. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The area is 2582 acres; rateable value, £1945; the population in 1891 was 359 in the civil and 219 in the ecclesiastical parish..
Parish Clerk: George Monday
Pillar Letter Box, near the school, cleared at 2.30 and 6.20pm and 10am Sundays. Wall Letter Box cleared at 1.10 and 6pm weekdays and 10.15am Sundays. Letters arrive at 7am and 1pm through Romsey, which is the nearest money order and telegraph office, 3 miles distant.
School (mixed) opened in 1875 for 130 children; average attendance, 75; John Vilas Dibble, master.
Crossman Capt William
Smith William
Taylor Miss, Green Hill
Commercial
Allen Walter, farmer, Sion Hill farm
Gradidge Henry, farmer, Manor farm
Hampton Walter, woodman
Harper Charles, head gamekeeper to Tankerville Chanberlayne esq
Harper James, gamekeeper to Tankerville Chanberlayne esq
Hoskins David, farmer
Hoskins Jacob, farmer
Ireland Harriett (Mrs), shopkeeper
Knowlton George, shopkeeper
Sillence Thomas, farmer
Smith J B and Sons, saw mill and timber merchants, posts, rails, pails, elm and oak coffin boards, summerhouse buildings with rustic work, fencing fixed complete at lowest possible prices.
Taylor Chas and Sons, wood dealers and hauliers
Vane Charles, farmer, Castle Hill farm
Walden Albt Geo farmer, Knightswood farm.
© Sandra J Smith MBE 2003