The Domesday Survey show that the village was the property of the Abbey of Westminster and it had been held by four Freemen as four manors. The size of the four Manors is difficult to establish but one is said to be Church Farm and another is probably the Van Farm the third an old house that stood behind Glaston Hill and was demolished by Sir William Cope, and the fourth manor is believed to have been on the site of the cottages by Bramshill Gates. Two mills are also recorded in the area.

William de Braybœuf built a park at Hackwood in 1280 and in that century it is recorded that a family lived in the area called Eversleigh. Gilbert de Eversleigh died in 1252 and his son Walter was alive in 1274 and it may be that they took their name from the house as was quite common in those days. The Abbey of Westminster stayed supreme Lord until 1280.

In 1276 William de Wanton who was the son of Amicius de Wanton gave up the claim to the manor to Alan de Hagheman and his wife Amicia for the sum of 25 marks. It is thought that as de Wanton's name was Amicius and that of the lady Amicia it is more than likely that Alan de Haghemans wife was a relation of the de Wanton family and that she had inherited the Manor.

Alan de Hagheman was succeeded by Jon de Hagheman and then Nicholas who was the Rector of Eversley became Lord of the manor. From here on little is known until Thomas de Bradeston granted a Market and the right of Free Warren at Eversleigh and Eversley Fair which was held on St Luke's day was held right up till the 1800 or 1900s. Thomas left an only daughter named Elizabeth who wed Sir  Walter de la Pole thus giving the Manor of Eversley to him.

Charles Kingsley's School showing the gates with Tom of the Water Babies depicted. The original gates were erected to commemorate the Festival of Britain in 1951 and the present ones are replicas

Eversleigh is a scattered hamlet and the forest which became a royal hunting forest has now been given a Heritage status by the county  and is called the Royal Forest of Eversley. The village has four public houses with two of them at Eversley Cross and the River Blackwater flows through the village and is crossed by several bridges including a toll bridge.

The name Charles Kingsley, author of the Water Babies plays a significant part in the history of the village as he was the rector here from 1844 to 1875 and lived in the Old Rectory which is where he wrote his famous book.

EVERSLEY CROSS
Eversley Cross is one of five small hamlets that together with Eversley Street and Eversley Centre, Up Green and Lower Common for the parish of Eversley and its name is derived from Eofors Leigh (Field of the wild boar) and this is still remembered as it has a wild boar depicted on the village sign.

Both Charles and his wife are buried in the churchyard, a white marble cross with flowers entwined on it marks their final resting place, while below are the Latin words that he chose himself, 'Amavimus, Amamus, Amabimus', which when translated means 'We loved, We love, We shall love'.

Kingsley is also recorded as planting the avenue of Irish yews that lead from the lychgate and the big Wellingtonia which grew from a cone that he brought back from America was planted a few days after he died by his daughter Kingsley also preached in the church in what was then a three decked pulpit but has now been made smaller. He also founded the village school from which Tom of the Water Babies is shown on its iron gates.

BRAMSHILL
This little village has close ties with Eversely , the name deriving from the 'broom covered hill' which has Bramshill House on top and which is now the Police Staff College, was a beautiful Jacobean structure that was built by Lord Zouche in the early  half of the 1600s and is reputed to have its own ghost!

Until 1936 it was the home of the Cope family and they used to engage Mummers to perform their ancient play at Christmas and the Ballad of the Mistletoe Bough is said to have connections with the house. Though other sources say the Mistletoe Bride was in Diss near Norfolk, others say Upham

The Mistletoe Bough

Thomas Haynes Bayley (1884)
 

The mistletoe hung in the castle hall
The holly branch shone on the old oak wall.
The Baron's retainers were blithe and gay,
Keeping the Christmas holiday.

The Baron beheld with a father's pride
His beautiful child, Lord Lovell's bride.
And she, with her bright eyes seemed to be
The star of that goodly company.
Oh, the mistletoe bough.
Oh, the mistletoe bough.

"I'm weary of dancing, now," she cried;
"Here, tarry a moment, I'll hide, I'll hide,
And, Lovell, be sure you're the first to trace
The clue to my secret hiding place."

Away she ran, and her friends began
Each tower to search and each nook to scan.
And young Lovell cried, "Oh, where do you hide?
I'm lonesome without you, my own fair bride."
Oh, the mistletoe bough.
Oh, the mistletoe bough.

They sought her that night, they sought her next day,
They sought her in vain when a week passed away.
In the highest, the lowest, the loneliest spot,
Young Lovell sought wildly, but found her not.

The years passed by and their brief at last
Was told as a sorrowful tale long past.
When Lovell appeared, all the children cried,
"See the old man weeps for his fairy bride."
Oh, the mistletoe bough.
Oh, the mistletoe bough.

At length, an old chest that had long laid hid
Was found in the castle; they raised the lid.
A skeleton form lay mouldering there
In the bridal wreath of that lady fair.

How sad the day when in sportive jest
She hid from her lord in the old oak chest,
It closed with a spring and a dreadful doom,
And the bride lay clasped in a living tomb.
Oh, the mistletoe bough.
Oh, the mistletoe bough.

The Mistletoe Bough is said to have been taken from a true story, where for a game a bride hid from her husband in a game of hide-and-seek. Her hiding place was an old oak chest which, unknown to her, locked on a hidden spring on closing.

EVERSLEY - ST MARY'S