Crofton

At the time of the Domesday survey, Crofton was held by Count Alan of Brittany. The pre-Conquest holder was Wulfward (Ulward), described as one who "could betake himself where he would with this land." The Domesday entry records 17 households (11 villagers, two smallholders and four slaves), five ploughlands, 24 acres of meadow, woodland yielding five swine, one mill worth 12s. 5d., one fishery, two salthouses and one church. The value in 1086 was £4, down from £8 in 1066.

Crofton probably formed part of the possessions of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, the whole of which were granted to Alan of Brittany for his services at the Conquest. These afterwards formed the honour of Richmond, of which Crofton was held certainly as late as 1355.

The Furneaux family held as mesne lords from the twelfth century. Of the sub-tenants, Geoffrey Talbot was seised of the manor in the reign of King John. His son Lawrence married Benedicta. Their daughter Alice married Henry of Glastonbury, who was in possession of the property in 1316. After Henry's death the manor was settled on Alice with reversion to her son Henry, who died without heirs. The right then passed to John son of John le Venour, as heir of Eva, sister of Geoffrey Talbot. He released his right to Benedicta, widow of Lawrence Talbot, and Elias de Cherleton, her second husband.

In May 1331 licence was granted to Elias and Benedicta to alienate the manor in mortmain to the abbot and convent of Titchfield. The condition was that they should find a chaplain to celebrate divine service daily in the chapel of St Edmund, Crofton, for the soul of Edward II and for the souls of Elias and Benedicta after their deaths. The abbot undertook to regrant the manor to the grantors for life.

In 1335 the abbot received a grant of free warren in his demesne lands at Crofton. By the aid for making Edward the Black Prince a knight in 1346, the abbot of Titchfield held half a fee and a quarter of a fee in Crofton.

Maurice le Brune died seised of what was then termed "a liberty called Crofton," belonging to the manor of Rowner, in 1355. His son and heir William le Brune held the same in 1358.

In 1537 the last abbot surrendered the manor with the other possessions of Titchfield Abbey. It was granted the same year to Thomas Wriothesley. From this date Crofton followed the descent of Titchfield manor through the Wriothesley earls of Southampton, the Noel earls of Gainsborough, the dukes of Portland and Beaufort, and from 1741 the Delme family.

There was a church at Crofton in 1086, probably identical with the chapel of St Edmund mentioned in the fourteenth century. The ecclesiastical parish of Crofton was formed from Titchfield in 1871.