Place:Chidham, Sussex, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Chidham is now only an ecclesiastical parish; the equivalent civil parish is now named Chidham and Hambrook. It is located in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England, approximately five miles (8 km) west of Chichester, and south of the A27 main road, west of the parish of Bosham.

Chidham village lies on a loop-road, halfway down the peninsula. The only road leading out to Cobnor Point is a private road, so access to and from the harbour is limited. The residents of part of a third village, Nutbourne, are also part of the Chidham and Hambrook community, but because of the vagaries of local government, the village itself is technically in the parish the neighbouring parish of Westbourne.

The civil parish covers an area of 10.72 km2 (4.14 sq mi) and in the 2011 UK census had a population of 1,356.

History

The present flint and rubble church, St. Mary's, dates from the 13th century, and may have had a wooden predecessor. The peninsula is not mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) because it was part of the Manor or Chapelry of Bosham, rich in farming land and then belonging to the Bishop of Exeter.

Close to the church of St. Mary is the manor house, a large late 17th century building. Facing the church, on its south side, is a large early 19th century vicarage known as the 'Old Rectory', now a private house. The men of Chidham seem to have been farmers rather than fishermen or sailors, probably due to the good quality of the soil. However, from time to time winter high tides and gales can cause flooding, even with embankments in place.

Research Tips

• The West Sussex Record Office is located in Chichester. Because it holds the records of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester, which covers the whole of Sussex, it has church records relating to both parts of Sussex.
• An on-line catalogue for some of the collections held by the West Sussex Record Office is available under the Access to Archives (A2A) project (a nationwide facility housed at The National Archives, Kew).
• West Sussex Past - database of 2 million records from West Sussex heritage organizations.
• The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies' Sussex Collection (PDF). This is a 9-page PDF naming the files relating to Sussex in their collection-a possible first step in a course of research.
• The National Library of Scotland has a website which provides maps taken from the Ordnance Survey England & Wales One-Inch to the Mile series of 1892-1908 as well as equivalent maps for Scotland itself. The immediate presentation is a "help" screen and a place selection screen prompting the entry of a location down to town, village or parish level. These screens can be removed by a click of the "X". The map is very clear and shows parish and county boundaries and many large buildings and estates that existed at the turn of the 20th century. Magnification can be adjusted and an "overlay feature" allows inspection of the area today along with that of 1900. The specific map from the series can be viewed as a whole ("View this map") and this allows the inspection of the map legend (found in the left hand bottom corner. Becoming familiar with the various facilities of these maps is well worth the trouble.

• GENUKI on Chidham
• British History Online. A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester, section on Chidham
• Maps of the local area are to be found on pages for Bosham Hundred and Chichester Rape.
• A further map taken from the Ordnance Survey England & Wales One-Inch to the Mile series of 1892-1908 provided online by the National Library of Scotland. This is very clear and shows many large buildings and estates existant at the turn of the 20th century. The link given centres in on Westhampnett, but it can be moved to fit many places in the immediate area.