HAMPSHIRE-LIFE-L Archives

From: "Chris and Caroline" <>
Subject: [HantsLife] KITCHER-FLEXFORD MILL
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 02:03:53 +0100
In-Reply-To: <000f01c206c1$67261900$d59c4d18@ok.shawcable.net>

Hi Angie we have lost your email address so sent it to the list
Can you email us to let us have it?
Meanwhile here is another little snippet!!
Chris and Caroline


FLEXFORD MILL AND THE KITCHER FAMILY

There had been a mill at Flexford before Domesday. In 1150
a.n area of land, the mill and its men were given to the Abbey of
Quarr on the Isle of Wight by Hugh de Witteville. Thus, in
company with another gift of land, did a large part of Sway become
known as the manor of Sway Quarr. After the dissolution of the
monastery in 1536 the manor passed into lay hands, the mill being
a copyhold in the manorial records. Either the rolls have not
been preserved or they lie hidden in private possession; so the
history of the mill and its tenants is a mystery until late in the
17th century when the Kitcher family held the copyhold.

In the 1600's Henry Kittier of Arnewood was a substantial
yeoman of Sway, holding lands on both sides of Avon Water, some
by purchase and some leased from the lord of the manor. When he
died in 1702 his holdings were divided between three sons and his
grandchildren, sons and daughters of his son Aaron. To the latter
he left a tenement and closes at Gordleton and a close in Sway.

This son Aaron, who spelled his name Kitcher, was the miller
at Flexford, possibly set up there by his father some time well
before 1700. When Aaron died in 1715 left the closes etc.,
inherited from his father to two of his daughters but his interest
in the house and the mill to his son, also called Aaron. It
seems that Aaron senior had some doubt about Aaron junior working
the mill for he inserted a clause in his will leaving two horses
to daughter Jane and son Henry, "in case they continue at the
mill and carry on the business there and, if not, to such family
as do continue there''.

What happened and which Kitcher ran the mill is not clear
but when Aaron junior died in 1765, left his holdings to his
son Joseph and there is a Quit Rent entry of that year confirming
that Joseph Kittier - note the recurrence of the old spelling "
was at the mill. Later, in 1783, there is a record that Joseph
Kitcher held the mill and that his son, another Joseph, was then
aged 35. The latter, according to the Rev. Comyn's notes, was
the miller around 1815 and it is not until 1834 that Joseph Kitcher
died and was buried at Boldre, aged 86. His death ended the
recorded tenure of Flexford mill by successive members of the
Kicther family over a period of about 150 years. Before the
1841 Census Return James Northover was the miller,

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• [HantsLife] KITCHER-FLEXFORD MILL by "Chris and Caroline" <>