In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Bosham like this:
BOSHAM, a village, a parish, and a hundred in the SW of Sussex. The village stands on Chichester harbour, 1 mile S of the South Coast railway, and 3½ W by S of Chichester; and it has a station on the railway, and a post office, of the name of Bosham-Pound, under Chichester. It was known to the Saxons as Bosenham; and it possessed importance for ages as a landing-place; but is now inhabited chiefly by fishermen. ...
A monastic establishment was founded at it, in the 7th century, by a Scot named Dicul; and a collegiate church, in 1129, by Bishop Warlwast. It belonged early to the see of Canterbury; was obtained, through guile, by Earl Godwin; had a seat of Harold, whence he sailed on his fatal visit to Duke William in Normandy; was given, at the Con. quest, to the Anchors; and passed, first to Bishop Warlwast, then to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. The parish includes the tythings of Broadbridge, Creed, Old Fishbourne, Gosport, and Walton; and is in the district of Westbourne. Acres, 3,839; of which 645 are water. Real property, £8,136. Pop., 1,158. Houses, 236. The property is divided among a few. The present manor house has an ancient moat, and probably occupies the site of the seat of Harold. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Chichester. Value, £220.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. The church possesses much interest for artists and antiquaries; is partly Saxon or Norman, and partly early English; contains a Norman font and a monument to a daughter of Canute; and was restored in 1862. A colossal head, supposed by some to be for Woden or Jupiter, was found in the churchyard, and is preserved in the palace garden at Chichester. There are an Independent chapel, and charities £21. Herbert de Bosham, secretary to Thomas à Becket, and afterwards a cardinal, was a native.-The hundred comprises five parishes, and is in the rape of Chichester. Acres, 13,544. Pop., 2,722. Houses, 544.
Bosham through time
Bosham is now part of Chichester district. Click here for graphs and data of how Chichester has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Bosham itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Bosham, in Chichester and Sussex | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/8280
Date accessed: 02nd November 2024
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