Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for OVERTON

OVERTON, a village, a parish, and a hundred, in Hants. The village stands near the source of the river Test or Anton, ½ a mile S of the London, Yeovil, and Exeter railway, and 3½ E N E of Whitchurch; was once a market-town, and a borough; sent members to parliament in the times of Edward I. and Edward II.; attracts anglers for sake of very superior trout in the Test; and has a station on the railway, a post-office‡ under Micheldever Station, a great lamb and sheep fair on 18 July, and other fairs on 4 May, Whit-Monday, and 22 Oct. The parish contains the tythings of Polhampton, Quidhampton, and Southington; and is in Whitchurch district. Acres, 6, 572. Real property, £11, 484. Pop. in 1851, 1, 550; in 1861, 1, 460. Houses, 320. The decrease of pop. arose mainly from migration of persons formerly employed in a large silk mill. The property is divided among a few. The manor belongs to the Bishop of Winchester. The Vine hounds are kennelled here. The living is a rectory and a vicarage, united with the rectory of Tadley, in the diocese of Winchester. Value, £320.* Patron, the Bishop of Winchester. The church is ancient; was restored in 1853; presents some interesting features; and has a lowsquare tower, with shingled spire. There are chapels for Independents and Wesleyans, a national school, and charities £30. The hundred contains also five other parishes, and is in Kingsclere division. Acres, 15, 913. Pop. in 1851, 3,071. Houses, 629.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a parish, and a hundred"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Overton CP/AP       Overton Hundred       Hampshire AncC
Place: Overton

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