Titchfield in the English Civil War

1645

Titchfield was drawn into the English Civil War through the involvement of the Wriothesley family and the strategic importance of the area around Portsmouth Harbour. The 4th Earl of Southampton was a Royalist supporter, and Place House became a point of interest for both sides during the conflict. Hampshire was contested territory during the Civil War, with Royalist and Parliamentarian forces operating across the county. The proximity of Titchfield to Portsmouth, which changed hands during the war, and to the wider military campaigns in Hampshire meant that the village and its great house were not isolated from events. Troops passed through the area, and the disruption of the war affected the local economy and community. Place House itself did not see a major siege or battle, but the political consequences of the war affected the Wriothesley family and their estates. The 4th Earl's loyalty to the Royalist cause brought difficulties during the Commonwealth period, though the family survived and the estate was not confiscated. The Civil War period marked the beginning of the decline of the Wriothesley connection with Titchfield. The family's fortunes fluctuated with the political changes of the seventeenth century, and by the end of the century, the male line of the Wriothesleys had died out, bringing to a close the family's association with Place House and with the village.