The Titchfield Abbey Records Project continues to transcribe the earliest records for Titchfield – those for Titchfield Abbey which was established in 1232 and disbanded with the Dissolution in 1537. The records were copied into large leather bound volumes in the 14 th century, from much earlier rolls and documents and are now deposited in the Western Collections at The British Library, London. There are 4 volumes:
- Add MS 70506 Register of Titchfield Abbey 225 folios
- Add MS 70507 – Collection of information – 110 folios – including a Description and Catalogue of the Library, Itineraries [ of travel] to other Abbeys, Finances on the accessions of new Abbots in 1348, 1370 & 1390, the Acta de Houke [ regarding an non permitted chapel in Titchfield]
- Add MS 70508 – Rentals of Titchfield Abbey – 125 folios [The document gives tenants names, areas of holdings, names of copyholds, rents paid, manorial customs , ancient custom & Baronial tenancies
- Add MS 70509 – Register of Court Rolls – 1246-1376 – 640 folios
The manuscripts are about the Titchfield Abbey Estates, this is NOT just Titchfield which consists of many manors including Swanwick, Crofton, Funtley, Chark, Lee, Tubbington, Brownwich, Hook, Chilling Abshot, and many other estates in Hampshire including Portsea, Porchester. Rowner Corhampton, Cadland, Wickor, East Cosham, Bere Forest also Wallsworth [ a lost hamlet] and Inkpen in Berkshire.
The Titchfield History Society is transcribing the documents (which needs specialist skill), translating (not only from Latin but French and Spanish) and publishing editions to ensure anyone with an interest in Titchfield and abbeys can easily access this material
With this grant of £5500 from HAT the Society can work on the second and final phase, volumes Add MS 70507 & Add MS 70509.