Village that flourished in no man's land

Unlike its old First World War namesake, Nomansland - on the edge of the New Forest, near the Hampshire-Wiltshire border- has had a less troubled existence.

But as local historian David Kerridge illustrates in his new book Nomansland, the village has occasionally had a gruesome past.

The village owes its existence to a court settlement on October 23, 1802, when John Shergold won his encroachment case that his house was outside the New Forest boundary and therefore in "no man's land",

A well-remembered story in the neighbourhood concerns an old woman who kept a little shop near the brook at Burford Bridge.

On the day of an open-air dance at Merry Orchards, a young man called at the shop to ask for a loan of some money to go to the party.

When the woman refused he knocked her down with an axe and set fire to the building.

Unfortunately for him the fire was extinguished and the woman survived to tell the tale and identify her assailant.

The young man was gibbeted before his mother's door and his body slung in irons for the wind to swing and the crows to peck. That gibbet was later erected on ground near Brook.

On another occasion a woman went into the woods one dusky autumn evening to cut a supply of wood to make match faggots.

As she bent down a man, who was at the time a keeper on the franchise, shot her, mistaking her white cap for the target of a dear. She was killed instantly.

For some years Nomansland also made a nice little side income by smuggling brandy from France.

White brandy was illegally imported in tubs and kegs. As the traffic was a risky one it required several hands to ensure conveyance and hiding the booty if attacked or pursued.

So the smugglers operated in companies and one such company of ten men used the out-of-the-way village of Nomansland as its headquarters.

Not all about the village has been disreputable. Mr Kerridge's book tells the tale of a local hero.

In the spring of 1908 a well was being sunk in the grounds owned by Miss Bradburn of Bramshaw. Two men from Nomansland were employed, Henry Bryant and William Boyce.

Henry was working below while William was using a windlass to haul up the earth.

Henry was overcome by gas and collapsed at the bottom of the pit.

Aware of the risks William was lowered into the well to help pull Henry out. But the rope was only strong enough for one so while Henry was winched to the surface William remained below.

He too was affected by the gas, but managed to loop the rope around his arm before he lost consciousness and was dragged up.

William was later awarded the silver medal of the Royal Humane Society for his courageous deed.

It emerged that at a depth of 80 feet the poisonous gas was released from blackened woody remains.

Nomansland has always enjoyed a lively social scene.

Eighty years ago the boys of the village played a kind of rough hockey, known as "Bandish", played with a crooked stick and a stone.

The village green, overlooked by the popular Lamb Inn, was a natural playground. Today it is the site for the cricket pitch, still played without a boundary rope.

Other games included Juggle Cat, played with a short stick and a wooden cat. The object was to knock the cat, with as few strokes as possible, into a hole the size of a hat.

Mr Kerridge has lived in the village for 34 years, and continues to enjoy uncovering its intriguing past.

A number of families mentioned in the 1871 village census have descendants living in the New Forest today.

John Giddings was recorded as a farmer with three acres and six children and a niece, who was housekeeper.

Other surnames listed in the census included Batten, Dibden, Moody, Hatch and Winter.

Copies of Mr Kerridge's book Nomansland, Its Two Hundred Years Of History, are available at the Lamb Inn, Nomansland, Landford post office and Nova Foresta Bookshop, Ashurst, priced £6.