Milford-On-Sea Historical Record Society Collection

The ancient parish of Milford includes the village of Milford-on-Sea with the hamlets of Keyhaven and Lymore, the villages of Everton, Pennington, Hordle and Arnewood together with the town of New Milton with the associated villages of Ashley, Barton, Chewton and Highcliff. The Society's collection includes the society's publications, copies of maps, Parish magazines, industrial and trade records, house histories, Poor Relief Books, and members research notes. Details are also to be found of people from the village involved in WW1 and WW2.

Full catalogue available on our website at https://www.milfordhistory.org.uk/

Available from Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society. Not held by National Archives

Milford-on-Sea is a large village in Hampshire between the New Forest and Christchurch Bay. It lies 5 miles to the west of Lymington and 10 miles east of Christchurch. The village has Saxon origins and together with surrounding settlements is mentioned in the Domesday Survey. Milford parish was under the Prior of Christchurch until just before the dissolution of the monasteries. In 1626, King Charles awarded the advowson of the parish of Milford together with the chapels of Hordle and Milton to the Provost and Fellows of the Queen?s College, Oxford. The living remained in the gift of Queen?s College for the next 250 years. The land was farmed for sheep and arable crops, while the sea yielded an income from salt. In the 17th century iron was mined locally to be transported to Beaulieu for smelting. The area was very popular for second homes for the wealthy: from Stuart wool traders to the aristocracy; from East India Company nabobs to admirals; and from bankers to lawyers. The larger houses in the area all have their story to tell. In the Great War, Milford lost 45 men and served as host to many of the injured from the Indian Army. In the Second World War when it lost 24 men, Milford was very much a village on the front line with coastal defences against invasion and housing Empire forces prior to D-Day. The Society was founded in 1909 and holds regular meetings and talks. We undertake research and regularly publish an Occasional Magazine of research articles.