National Gazetteer (1868) - Havant

"HAVANT, a parish, liberty, and market town, in the Fareham division of county Hants, 27 miles S.E. of Southampton, and 28 from Winchester. It is a station on the London, Brighton, and South Coast, and Guildford, Godalming, and New Portsmouth lines of railway. The town is situated on the old road from Southampton and Fareham to Chichester, and consists of one long street, intersected by another at right angles, called East, West, North, and South streets. It contains a savings-bank and a subscription news-room, with a book club. The population are mostly occupied in tanning, malting, brewing, and in the coal and flour trades; the manufacture of parchment is also carried on. There was formerly a very extensive fishery in Langston harbour, but now there are only oyster beds. A new quay was constructed in 1840 on the Portsmouth side of the bridge, which has greatly increased the trade in coal and timber.

Havant is a polling place for the S. division of the county. The direct Portsmouth railway here joins the South Coast, and proceeds by way of Petersfield and Haslemere to Godalming, where it joins the South-Western railway; there is also a branch line from Godalming to Shalford. The living is a rectory,* with manorial rights, in the diocese of Winchester, value £489, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, dedicated to St. Faith, is a cruciform structure, having traces of Norman and later styles of architecture. There is a brass bearing date 1413. At Red Hill in this parish is a district church in the patronage of the rectors of Havant and Warblington alternately. A mortuary chapel has been built by the rectors in the new cemetery. There are National and infant schools. The Roman Catholics, Independents, and Wesleyans, have places of worship in this town. There is a swing bridge across the channel, affording communication with Hayling Island, about 1 mile S. of Havant. An earthquake was felt here in 1743. East Leigh, Mid Leigh, and West Leigh are hamlets, and Brockhampton a tything in this parish The principal residence is Leigh Park, the seat of Sir G. T. Staunton, Bart. A market is held every Saturday; fairs on the 22nd June for toys, and on the 17th October for cattle and hops. "BROCKHAMPTON, a tything in the parish and liberty of Havant, Fareham division of the county of Hants. "LEIGH, a tything in the parish of Havant, county Hants, 2 miles N.W. of Havant. The principal seat is Leigh Park. "REDHILL, an ecclesiastical district in the parish of Havant, county Hants, 2 miles N.E. of Havant, and 22 S.E. of Winchester. It is situated on Langston Harbour at the bridge to Hayling Island. The living is a perpetual curacy, value £140, in the diocese of Winchester. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was erected in 1838. There is a diocesan school. "ROWLAND'S CASTLE, a hamlet in the parish and liberty of Havant, county Hants, 3 miles N. of Havant, and 20 S.E. of Winchester. It is situated on Langston Harbour, near the bridge to Hayling Island, and has a station on the Guildford, Godalming, and New Portsmouth branch of the London and South-Western railway."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]