Earnley

History

An Anglo-Saxon charter of AD 780 names a piece of land as 'Earnaleach and Tielesora' that was given to the church of St Paul.{{efn|The location of St Paul has not been identified, but was possibly at Wittering or Selsey. Then in a charter, dated AD930, King Æthelstan granted to Bishop Beornheah of Selsey, land at Medmerry in Selsey 'with the woodland and fields lying therewith called Erneleia'.

Historically Earnley was situated in the hundred of La Manwode or Manwood, now known under the form Manhood. The name La Manwode means 'the common wood' and extended round Hundredsteddle Farm, where the boundaries of the Witterings, Birdham, and Earnley coincide. Hundredsteddle was the meeting place for the hundred moot and other hundred business. The name Hundredsteddle refers to the floor on which the Hundred court would have sat. It lay in the ancient pre-Conquest division of Sussex known as the Rape (county subdivision) of Chichester. The Domesday survey does not include Earnley, however it is possible that at that time it was included with East Wittering or West Wittering. The mediæval lords of the manor here belonged to the Ernle, Ernley, or Erneley family, and derived their surname from a manor they held in this parish. The land was given to Luke de Ernele by his nephew, William de Lancing as part of a Knight's fee, in 1166.

Earnley Church is a grade II* listed church and together with its small graveyard is contained within retaining stone walls of an interesting boat shaped island of land. The nave is of 13th-century origin. A century later the chancel was added; an aumbry fitted with a carved door dates back to the 14th century. The first recorded rector was in office in 1365; parish registers survive from 1562, but there is no record of a dedication. It has always simply been "Earnley Church".

Placename

The O.E. form of Earnley was Earnlēah. 'Earn' meaning Eagle (or possibly a person's name) and 'lēah' wood, glade or clearing.

Culture and community

• In June every year since 2016 the Parish Council holds an annual fete.

Landmarks

Part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest Bracklesham Bay runs along the coastline of the parish.

Notes

References

Sources: Victoria History of the County of Sussex, volumes 2 and 7

References

1. "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish". West Sussex County Council.
2. "Earnley Parish".
3. Kelly, S.E. (1998). "Anglo-Saxon Charters VI, Charters of Selsey". OUP for the British Academy.
4. }}'Earnley', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester, ed. L F Salzman (London, 1953), pp. 201-203. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp201-203 British History Online. accessed 19 March 2016]
5. Kelly, S.E. (1998). "Anglo-Saxon Charters VI, Charters of Selsey". OUP for the British Academy.
6. Parish, William Douglas. (1875). "A Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect and Collection of Provincialisms in use in the County of Sussex". Farncombe & Co..
7. (1930). "Placenames of Sussex". Cambridge University Press.
8. (1953). ""The hundred of Manhood: Introduction." A History of the County of Sussex: the Rape of Chichester". British History Online. Web..
9. "Open Domesday: Hundred of Wittering".
10. {{NHLE
11. "Earnley Church". St Anne's Church East Wittering.
12. (1914). "The placenames of Sussex". Cambridge University Press.
13. Gelling, Margaret. (1984). "''Place-Names in the Landscape''". Orion Publishing.
14. (25 May 2017). "Earnley Fete 10th June 2017". Earnley Parish Council}}{{Dead link.
15. "SSSI Citation — Bracklesham Bay". Natural England.