The Indigenous population of Hampshire

[Dave the Walrus]

Hi Everybody,

In an effort to get back as far as I can go, with my ancestors, I began to wonder about the indigenous people of Hampshire, in the early medieval period. Where did they come from? Were they Saxons mainly? Were they Normans? Were they a mixture of Saxon and Norman?

I would also postulate the theory that if you did not live on the coast, you would have been a farmer and you possibly would have offered your services at some time, in the building of Winchester Cathedral, even if it was just to carry stone from quarries.

Can I have your views?

Dave

[Little Nell]

The Victoria County Histories are usually quite good for background history of the general population.  You can find the Hampshire Volumes here:

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/catalogue.aspx?gid=14

Saxon invasions happened all along the south coast, since the area came to be known as Wessex - with Sussex to the east.  Wessex was the kingdom of the West Saxons and Alfred the Great was the most famous.  His capital was Winchester.

The Normans also arrived since the cathedral is heavily influenced by Norman architecture.

England became a bit of a melting pot as a result of so many invasions: Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norman, let alone what was there before 

Nell

[Dave the Walrus]

Hi Nell,

Thank you very much for all of that, there is much for me to be getting on with.
As I said in a reply regarding Winchester cathedral, the name Rogers seems to be of Norman origin.

Best wishes,

Dave

[Bilge]

A potted history can be found here and may help to put it all into perspective:

http://www.localhistories.org/winchester.html

[Redroger]

See Stephen Oppenheimer's book "The origins of the British" If his theory is correct then we are all descendants of a population which expanded from an Ice Age refuge in Northern Spain, and subsequent migrations have made little difference, as the invaders were descendants of the same people who went further afield initially. A group known as the Durotriges inhabited Dorset Hampshire and Wiltshire in the late Iron Age immediately prior to the Roman Invasion.

[Dave the Walrus]

Hi Everybody,

Thank you Bilge and Redroger for the information.

Dave

[diplodicus]

I thought that the Isle of Wight and the south-eat coastal areas were conquered by Jutes not Saxons?

[Little Nell]

The Jutes certainly had a hand as well, but the Saxons seem to have overcome them in leaving a lasting legacy in terms of their name.  Perhaps that is why the Saxons come to mind more often rather than the Jutes. 

Nell

[Redroger]

If Oppenheimer is correct it doesn't really matter anyway. They are the same people, some came later than others!