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Famous Residents
It\'s interesting to know which well-known faces and famous names live or lived in your home town – such as the painter Flora Twort (pictured left and profiled below). If you would like to add to this list, email: online@lifemags.co.uk.
Prime-movers of Petersfield
William, Earl of GloucesterFounder of Petersfield, 1120
Petersfield does not feature in the Domesday Book (1086), the great stock-taking event after the Norman Conquest in 1066. However, the Domesday Book does include details of Mapledrensham (also known as Mapledurham, the present day Buriton. In 1086 Mapledrensham included Sheet and Petersfield. It was from Buriton that people came to work in the fields to the north of the village, and they would very likely break off from their labours to attend prayers at a chapel of rest dedicated to St Peter in the Fields (Petersfield).
Within 50 years, Earl William of Gloucester had the idea of founding a town by the chapel in the fields. He worked out that he could add to the value of his holdings in much the same way as towns today create industrial estates to enhance their revenues.
The existence of the Earl’s original charter was in so much doubt that his widow, Hawisa, granted a renewal of the charter, which still exists. The charter granted the town’s burgesses ‘ all liberties and free customs which the citizens of Winchester who are in a Merchant Guild have in their city and let them have the same in a guild of Merchants as my husband William, Earl of Gloucester, granted them by this charter.
Hawisa’s charter was confirmed by a further grant by John, Count of Moreton (Mortain) who then lived at nearby East Meon. This 1198 confirmation was made one year before he became King John. Both charters are owned by Petersfield Town Council and held in the county record office at Winchester.
Thomas HanburyOwner of the Hanbury Letters Patent from 1599
After its foundation, Petersfield grew steadily in importance and size. In the mid-16th century it appeared to be self-governing – run by a mayor and commonalty – under a light touch from the lords of the manor, the Stafford family. On 23 July 1599, towards the end of the reign of Elizabeth I, Thomas Hanbury bought the Letters Patent for £216, entitling him to rents for the town, ponds, mill stream, running waters, rights of enclosure, and, perhaps more importantly, to hold Courts Leet, fairs and markets and to retain fines and dues.
Hanbury’s efforts to exert his rights over the inhabitants of Petersfield culminated in a case which started at the Court of Exchequer in 1608. The court decided in his favour in 1610, and that legally established his power over the mayor and burgesses.
Louise de Kerouaille, 1649-1734,Baroness of Petersfield
A mistress of Charles II, she was born Louise-Renee de Penancoet de Kerouaille in Brest in September 1649. At 19 she became maid of honour to Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans, the sister of King Charles. She met the king at Dover in June 1670 when she accompanied the Duchess on a journey from France to witness the signing of the Treaty of Dover. Charles became infatuated with her and came to describe her as ‘the only jewel I covet’.
She was a rival to Nell Gwynne and bore Charles a son, Charles Lennox, in 1672 (later the first Duke of Richmond whose descendants are the owners of Goodwood). Her refinement, good brain and breeding were in stark contrast to Nell Gwynne’s coarseness.
In 1673, Louise was created Duchess of Portsmouth, Countess of Fareham and Baroness of Petersfield. Samuel Pepys related that King Charles spent several nights with her in Petersfield. After the death of Charles in 1685 she returned with her son to live in France and died in Paris on 14 November 1734.
William JoliffeThe Joliffe family came from Staffordshire and made their money in the 18th century in industry and finance. Looking to increase their influence in Parliament they bought the manor of Petersfield, and with that, the right to send two MPS to the Commons. In 1720 William Joliffe had built Petersfield House, just south of St Peter’s Road, near the present police station. He created a grand garden with ornamental ponds and a clear view down his inherited Home Farm at the Grange (Now the Grange surgery).
To aggrandize the approach to the family home from St Peter’s Road (now New Way), Joliffe left £500 in his will for the erection of a lead statue of William III which was placed in a circus at the entrance to Petersfield House in 1757. He also had a stepped entrance built to the Church – sometimes called Joliffe’s Steps. Nothing is left of Petersfield House, which was demolished in 1793, although the school was built in the old gardens in 1898 and this has been converted into Joliffe Court.
William Percy JacobsW P Jacobs was born on the Isle of Wight in 1865. The founder of the firm of auctioneers and estate agents which became Jacobs & Hunt, he came to Petersfield in 1887 as an assistant to a local estate agent, Mr Alfred Williams. He opened his own estate agency after Mr Williams’ death. William Jacobs joined the Urban District Council in 1909 and served for 37 years, during which, he was made chairman five times. He joined the fire brigade when it was formed in 1890 and was later its captain for 18 years.
Alan John RayA major benefactor of Petersfield, Alan Ray was a director of Gammon & Smith, nationally recognised builders’ merchants. He was involved in the Sixties in raising money for the outdoor swimming pool, and in Seventies he was the driving force in building the Petersfield Girl Guide Headquarters. He was the last chairman of the Urban District Council and the first Mayor of the Town Council when that was formed in 1974.
Petersfield owes the Penns Farm playing fields to him as he strongly promoted the town council’s desire to provide playing fields. He also recognised the importance of music, as President of the Musical Festival, and he led the effort to raise money to restore St Peter’s organ. He was elected President of the Institute of Builders’ Merchants in 1977 and also appointed a Freeman of the City of London.
Excerpted from Kenneth Hick ‘s “Petersfield: A History & Celebrations” – published in 2005 by the Francis Frith Collection, price £15.99).
Flora Twort, 1893–1985A local artist, Flora Twort lived in the cottage in the grounds of St Peter\\\'s church. She ran a second-hand bookshop at number 1 and 2 The Square, where she would paint The Square and the people going about their daily business. She also depicted local scenes, mainly in watercolours, as well as crawings in charcoal, crayon and pencil.
Flora was great friends with the novelist Nevil Shute (author of A town like Alice and On the beach), who unsuccessfully proposed marriage to her in 1925. They remained lifelong friends, and for some time he lived in the house at Langstone which she owned. She left her house in Petersfield and unsold paintings to Hampshire County Council. The Flora Twort café and gallery that was her home in Petersfield used to display her work, but closed in June 2008.
Other, more recent, famous residents include:
Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis; chart-topping pop-star Lilly Allen; Luke Pritchard, lead singer of the Kooks; Jamie Campbell Bower, who starred in the film Sweeney Todd; and supermodel Sophie Dahl.