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Kings Worthy:
The Parish of Kings Worthy includes Abbots Worthy, which was a separate manor at the time of the Domesday Survey. Kings Worthy itself was then a Tithing of Barton Stacey, which was held by King Edward and then by King William after the Conquest. According to the Domesday Book the royal manor "was under the obligation of providing entertainment for the King for half a day; and Worthy is a village forming part of this manor." In the twelth century Henry II granted the manor to Walter, his usher, for the annual rent of a pair of gilded spurs. Walter's brother Aimery le Despenser later succeeded to the manor, and King John confirmed the grant in 1205.
An ownership dispute arose in 1265 but the case was settled in favour of the owner as it was decided that "Adam had more right to the said manor than the lord King." Members of the de la Zouche family were lords of the manor from 1370 until 1502 The manor later passed to the Capell family, of whom Giles Capell was knighted for gallantry by Henry Vlll and Lord Capell of Hadham was beheaded in 1649 for his loyalty to the king. In 1773 the manor was sold to Sir Chaloner Ogle whose son Sir Charles Ogle sold it in 1826.
The Domesday Book lists the Manor of Abbots Worthy as belonging to St. Peter's Abbey, Winchester, which later became Hyde Abbey. It remained so until the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when it was given by Henry VIII to his Italian doctor, Augustine de Augustinis, in 1542. Three years later the manor came into the hands of Wriothesley, who became Earl of Southampton in 1547. Subsequent Earls of Southampton held the manor until the late seventeenth century, when it passed into the Russell family.
The Club:
Worthies S&S Club – A brief historyR. Irwin, May 1986.
Cricket was played at Worthy Park at the turn of the century, and. possibly before. An early photograph, circa 1901, suggests that the games were of the country house variety, with C.B.Llewellyn, a South African test player from 1896 to 1912 playing for the home side. The cricket pitch and pavilion remained there .until the late 1930’s.
Worthies Football team won the Northbrook Cup in 1924, and. a photograph exists of an earlier team of about 1912. The opening of the recreation ground by the parish council in the early 30’s afforded facilities for various club and school sides.
The origins of the Worthies Sports & Athletics Club were just after the Second World War, when Mr. George Harris was involved with the formation of a football team for the youth of King’s Worthy and Headbourne Worthy. The Parish Council minutes of December 19th, 1945, comment on the formation, and promises every support and encouragement to the local youths.
A meeting to fully formulate the Club was held in the Jubilee Hall in 1949. attended amongst others by the aforementioned Mr. Harris, and Mr. R. Maskell and Mr. F. Amey, both of whose sons, and now their grandsons feature prominently in local sporting circles. These gentlemen, together with Mr. G. Sweetenham can claim to be the early pioneers of the organisation.
Two football teams were entered in the Winchester & District League for the 1949/50 season, the first matches being played on September 10th, 1949. Two people who played that day, Arthur Butcher and Derek Sweetenham remain prominent club members to this day, whilst others such as Amey, Bulpett, Guppy, James, Lawrence, Maskell and Matthews are names that are much in evidence. Also on the team sheet for the first match was Doug Wren, who unhappily died last month, and. had been involved with the Club throughout its existence until recently.
The players were almost always local lads, and Dave Hunt, the present club secretary, recalls that as a young schoolboy, there would be great excitement and much argument on seeing the team selections. The ability to feel a sense of affinity with the players created great interest and good support.
A cricket team was formed for the start of the 1952 season, and. again the names of Amey, Guppy, Lawrence, Maskell and Wren appear amongst those playing in the very first match, followed. shortly by Roy Margrim who was to prove a stalwart for many years. A few games were played. at Worthy Down, but these apart all matches were contested on away grounds until the present square was ready for use in August 1972.
The Club Secretary for virtually the whole of its independent existence was Mr. W.T. (Bill) Iddeson, a handicapped. man who additionally suffered from poor health. The immaculate records that remain are indicative of the dedication Bill had for the Worthies Sports & Athletics Club,~ and its aim to provide sporting facilities for the youth of the village.
Discipline was considered to be of paramount importance, Bill Iddeson’s records record the non appearance of any player. George Frampton, very often the teams bus driver, recalls that this would necessitate reporting to the ‘discipline man’, Mr. Maskell senior. There is no record of the punishment issued out, but the threat of such action was usually sufficient to deter second offenders.
The First Anniversary Celebration Dinner was held at the Jubilee Hall on May 13th, 1950, with speeches by Mr. R. Maske]l, Mr.R.H.(Laddie) Maskell, Club Captain, and Bill Iddeson, with Ernie Brrunger as M.C. This was the first of many such dinners. Another annual event was the Children’s Christmas Party, with Fred Amey, the village policeman playing the role of Father Christmas.
The Worthies Sports & Athletics Club was responsible for the organization of the Carnival every year, with the election of a Carnival Queen and attendants. Photographs of this event always indicated a large turnout and tine weather, certainly the social event of the year in Kings Worthy.
During the first twenty years of its existence, the Club flourished with immense enthusiasm, with no little success on the sports field, and considerable success socially, which considering the lack of premises was a tribute to all concerned.
The Worthies Social Club together with the local branch or the British Legion had premises at the top of Legion Lane, and an approach was made for permission to meet there. An exploratory meeting was arranged, attended, by George Frampton and. Bill Iddeson, President and Secretary of the Worthies Sports and Athletics Club, and Peter Hillary and Lea Steele, Chairman and Treasurer of the Worthies Social Club. This ultimately resulted in a six months trial period being arranged during which the Sports and Athletic Club members might use the premises. The partnership proved an excellent one for both organisations, and an amalgamation was readily agreed, creating the birth of the Worthies Sports and Social Club in 1967.
The Club now had adequate premises, a football pitch thanks to the co-operation of the parish council, but still no facilities for cricket.
A piece of land near the top of Legion Lane was owned, by Mrs. Hunter-Fell, very keen on cricket, and reputed to be a cricketer herself. On enquiring as to its availability with a view to cricket being played in the village, she stated that she would give it some thought. This resulted in an agreement to purchase for £4OO., a considerable sum to the Club at that time, but after a struggle the required deposit a £40 was found, and credit arranged.
Following the amalgamation of the two organisations, there was increased use of the premises, with indoor sports sections such as darts, table tennis and bar billiards flourishing, and it soon became clear that not only were additional playing fields needed, but also bigger premises. George Frampton had become President after the amalgamation, with Peter Hillary as Chairman, Gareth James, Secretary and Les Steele Treasurer. The new committee on seeing the need, formed the Worthies Supporters Club in 1969, this being purely a fundraising organisation to raise money for new facilities,
The Club enjoyed the full co-operation of the Parish CounciL, and with the assistance of John Taylor, then Chairman of the Recreation Ground Committee. a deed of exchange was formulated for a parcel of land of the same dimensions, resulting in the Club owning the land where the present premises stand. With the considerable help of many members and friends, the contours of the recreation ground were changed drastically to enable the football pitch to be re-sited, and a cricket table laid. The present club house was opened for an Inaugural Celebration Dinner on December 23rd. 1971, to thank all who had contributed, this also being the last night the British Legion premises were used. The Official Opening of the new club was the next day, Christmas Eve.
Sadly, Bill Iddeson didn’t live to see all of this accomplished, having collapsed and died on leaving the Club after a meeting of the Development Committee which was formed to carry out the new plans. The records which he left, and which were later preserved. by Hog Butcher are invaluable in studying the history of the Worthies Sports & Athletics Club, similarly the cricket scorebooks and statistics maintained ‘by Archie Wonnacott are equally valuable.
The King’s Worthy Canoe Club made an approach in 1972, and have been successfully integrated. Golf, Snooker and Whist now flourish together with Cricket, Football and. Darts, all sections with their own officers and committee working under the umbrella of the Worthies Sports and Social Club.
Sources:
‘Our Heritage’ by Peter Hillary - Barry Richards Benefit Programme.
Messrs. P. Amey, R.W. Frampton, A. Fry, B. Maskell, H. Maskell.
Kings Worthy and Headbourne Worthy Parish Council Minutes— l9L~5/6,
Copyright : Robert Irwin 1986.
If you have any questions or information, then please feel free to get in touch at ‘history@theworthies.com’.
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