Introduction to Titchfield

Part One - Introduction to Titchfield

Titchfield lies between Fareham and the Solent in Hampshire. Records show that there was a village of some sort before 900 AD. The church of St Peter’s in the heart of the village also dates back to approximately this time. The ancient Parish of Titchfield ran from what is now Lee-on-the-Solent to Warsash and to the edge of Shedfield in the north.

The Meonwara, a war-like group, were one of the last tribes to be converted to Christianity by St Wilfred's missionaries in approximately 680 AD. The church they founded was built as a minster church to serve the whole of the Meon Valley. If you look at St Peter’s Church porch you can still see the Roman bricks that were robbed from Portchester Castle.

History runs deep in this area. It has seen visits from eight kings and queens to Titchfield Abbey. This became the seat of an influential family, the Earls of Southampton. After the Abbey became a ruin, the area settled down again to be quiet country villages, farms and small holdings.

The village has a canal, which is one of the earliest man-made waterways in the country. It runs from the tannery, now a small industrial estate, to the open sea. There are many stories about the canal and it is believed that it was originally constructed by the third Earl of Southampton in 1611. The village once had a market hall in the centre of the Square but it was allowed to fall into disrepair. It was eventually given to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in

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Sussex where it has been restored to its former glory and is available for all to see.

By the first half of the 20th century many people worked for the tannery, the gas works, or Fielder's brewery. Some worked in the shops, but most people worked on the land. Titchfield has rich soil which is ideal for market garden produce such as strawberries, lettuce and tomatoes.

Titchfield and World War 1 (WW1)

Sleepy Titchfield was rocked by the devastation of WW1. Its ordinary men-folk, some of whom had never strayed further than Fareham, went off to fight for king and country. Of these men, 51 lost their lives. Their families had to learn to cope without them, but cherished the memory of their men folk when naming their new-born sons.

‘Titchfield Remembers’, a separate local research project was set up in 2014 to find out more details of the men whose names are recorded on the village War Memorial (see page 10). From their research we mention here just four of the men who didn’t come back.

Frank Biddle, Private in 10th B Hampshire Regiment

Frank, the third child and the eldest son of Henry and Jane Biddle, who had ten children. The census shows that he was a ‘carter on farm’ in Titchfield. Frank joined the 10th Hampshire Regiment and his military record shows he entered the Balkan theatre of war on 5th August 1915. Shortly after joining the Gallipoli Campaign in northern Turkey, he died on 10th August, aged 22.

Albert George Biddle, Private in Kings Royal Rifle Corps

Albert was one of Frank’s younger brothers. By November 1911 he had enlisted as a regular soldier, as had his elder brother Frank. Albert was in the King's Royal Rifle Corps and they were in Blackdown when war broke out. They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on the 13th August 1914. They fought on the Western Front throughout the War, taking part in most of the major actions including the first Battle of Ypres in October.

Albert died on 10th January 1915 in Le Touquet, south of Calais. It is not clear exactly how he died, but extracts from a dispatch from the Commander in Chief of the British Armies in France and Flanders at that time said: ‘Weather conditions were abnormally bad, the snow and floods

2 Introduction to Titchfield precluding any active operations during the first three weeks of January.’ From this it can be concluded that Albert George Biddle may have been injured in December, possibly by a stray bullet. He was 21.

Donald B.E. Upshall, Private in 1st Northumberland Fusiliers

Donald was one of five siblings, whose father was a schoolmaster, first at the Endowed Boys School in Broughton and then at the National School at the top of West Street in Titchfield. Donald joined the army in 1913 and so, unlike many of the Titchfield lads, he was a regular soldier and one of the first to leave for France in 1914. He joined the Northumberland Fusiliers who were part of the British Expeditionary Force. He was engaged in the major actions on the Western Front. On Easter Monday, 9 April 1917, at 5.30 a.m., with poor visibility and snow, the Canadian and British First Army set out to take control of Vimy Ridge in southern Belgium. This was a high point, the capture of which, would allow the Third Army to advance to take an important road and rail junction and liberate the coal-mining region. During this first day’s offensive Donald Upshall was killed. He was 22.

Benjamin Waterfall, Chief Petty Officer, HMS Research

Benjamin was the second of five children to Benjamin, an engine driver from Deptford, and his wife Christiana. Benjamin junior joined the Royal Navy in 1889. He married Matilda Frampton in 1899. They had four children and lived in West Street, Titchfield. Whilst serving on HMS Research at Portland, a depot ship for locally employed armed trawlers, he died from an unstated disease. He was 43. He is buried in the graveyard of St Peter’s, Titchfield.

‘Remembrance of things past, The Vicar of Titchfield visits the Front in France in 1915’,

This month marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War when on the 11th November 1918 the guns fell silent on the Western Front. The fact that this terrible conflict still looms large in our consciousness is not really surprising given the vast amount of contemporary accounts, photographs and artistic works that have been handed down to us. Added to which are the many books written by historians, novelists and veterans since the event, and the films, radio and TV programmes that continue to bring home the suffering and ordeals of the men and women who fought in that War.

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Of course, every town and village in the country has that most visible of signs of remembrance, the War Memorial, each of which lists the names of the fallen and where in many cases, including here in Titchfield, they are read out on Remembrance Sunday. It is extremely difficult to put ourselves back in time to understand the different emotions that affected people at different stages of the War but as early as 1915 it was beginning to dawn on many people that this was not going to be a quick walk-over as the troops from both sides dug in for three more years of trench warfare.

One man, whom I am sure realised this, was the Rev. Charles Matthews, Vicar of Titchfield. It was he in April 1915 arrived in France to serve as chaplain and minister to the wounded in a base hospital 40 kilometres from Calais. In June he wrote of his experiences in the St Peter's Parish Magazine saying that since arriving he had witnessed some very wonderful sights which had brought home to him the tragic horrors of the War, in a manner which could not be realised, in England.

"Every man I speak to acknowledges the mercy of God in sparing his life, and many have made their communions with deep thankfulness," he writes. "I could tell you many a story of the sufferings, the patience, and even cheerfulness of many a poor lad who is lying here - one especially interests me - who has lost both his arms. He always smiles when I visit him, and he is making slow but sure strides towards recovery. He was very devout and thankful when I gave him communion after his second operation."

He uses the euphemism ‘crossing the bar’ for those who had died of their wounds. He says that he had written letters to the bereaved parents and wives and he had accompanied several relatives to the cemetery for the last rites. They had gone over to France to see their loved ones but had arrived too late. The funerals of the troops took place daily at 8.00 a.m. and the officers’ funerals at 2.30 p.m.

He writes of the several Sunday services he conducted at the hospital and at other base camps and says that the heartiness of the singing is most inspiring. He discovers that one feature stands out prominently, the intense feeling of the value of prayer and intercession.

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"Every man I have spoken to believes in the power of prayer," he wrote. "One dear lad told me that he and his chums had said the 23rd Psalm daily in the trench while the Germans were shelling our front”; and he added, “I believe, Sir, God heard and answered our prayer, as four out of five of us were spared."

Charles Matthews then goes on to issue a mild rebuke to his parishioners. "I mention this, because I know that there are some at home who do not come to Church to pray for our brave lads out here. I can only say to such as these; if you could come out here and visit this hospital for half an hour with me you would be absolutely convinced of the need and the value of intercession for as long as this ghastly war lasts."

It was to last for another three and half years during which time many thousands were killed and millions more wounded and damaged by their experiences. It still goes on in the conflicts which followed and those which are continuing today. As we remember our war dead at the War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday and think of those servicemen and women currently engaged in conflicts on our behalf we should recall the words of Charles Matthews and convince ourselves of the value of intercession.

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Titchfield after WW1

Although the War left its mark, the people of Titchfield soon made every effort to return to normal life as the baby show in 1921 and the opening of the bowls club in 1923 show. The Queen’s Head public house is also mentioned during this time.

Visitors also started to come to the village again. The Rev. E. C. Bedford, Rector and Rural Dean of Holborn in London wrote in his Parish leaflet in June 1924 under the heading ‘Parish History’:

‘The writer was fortunate enough to have a week's holiday at Easter and spent it in a place probably little known to his readers, namely Titchfield – in Hampshire. The small town, or large village, two miles from Fareham, lies in a beautiful green valley through which the River Meon winds swiftly towards the sea. The wide street, as in many another country town, is bordered by shops, a few private houses and two old fashioned hotels with bow windows. At one time the quiet of the street was only disturbed twice a day by the arrival of the coach and the stream of life ran very placidly for the inhabitants. But now all through the day, charabancs pass and repass, motors and cycles go noisily by and the village dog can never compose himself for slumber for any length of time.

But those who visit Titchfield will not complain; for these same charabancs enable them to visit many more important places, as Portsmouth and Southampton and many beauty spots beyond the reach of the ordinary pedestrian. Above the town are woods and fields, particularly of strawberry plants, and houses and bungalows are springing up rapidly around.

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There are two special objects of interest to the antiquarian here. The old Parish Church is one, dedicated to St Peter, with chancel, aisle and western tower showing different style of architecture, a fine Norman west door and early English decorated and perpendicular windows. In beautiful order and well restored, it repays a visit. But what is especially attractive is the magnificent tomb of the Earls of Southampton. This is fashioned of different coloured marbles with pillars and carving, and recumbent figures of the first Earl and his Countess and their son the second Earl. A welcome touch of colour is given to the sombre mass of marble by heraldic shields covered with armorial bearings in red and blue and gold, and gilded lettering giving the names and family history of those who lie beneath. The tomb is in perfect preservation, having been carefully restored under the direction of an artist.

The other object of interest to which the visitors direct their steps lies a little way to the north of the town, in the fields. This is the ruin of the great house called Place House (short for Palace House) once the stately residence of the Wriothesley family, Earls of Southampton.

An imposing gateway still stands with flanking battlemented towers and, stretching out on either side, two wings of the house with handsome chimney stacks and corner turrets. Roofless now, it is yet possible to trace various rooms, kitchen, hall and solar and imagine, at a later date, King Charles I

7 Village Voices taking shelter here after his escape from Hampton Court and finding a brief rest before the storm broke and his fate sealed.

HM Board of Works has lately stripped away the ivy which mantled the whole building, and have made safe the existing portions of the house. All the rest of the structure has disappeared but excavations are being made which show part of the Abbey, upon the site of which, the great house was built. One can trace the walls of the cloister and can, with a little imagination, picture the monks of old strolling about, pursuing their various tasks, crossing the meadow and catching fish in the little river for the Friday fast.

A fascinating place, and known to history, as here King Henry VI married Margaret of Anjou. But it may be asked, what connection has it with St Andrew's, that it is written about under ‘Parish History?’ The answer is that Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, Chancellor to King Henry VIII, was patron of St Andrew's. He lived in Holborn and was buried in our church. His son removed the bodies of his father and mother from their resting place here and conveyed them to Titchfield, where they lie under the marble tomb above described in the chancel aisle of the Parish Church.’

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