Weston, Southampton

Weston is a small suburb on the south-eastern side of Southampton, UK, predominantly built on the Weston Grove Estate formerly owned by the Chamberlayne family. It also includes the area that was previously the Barnfield Estate. Weston includes part of Mayfield Park, which was previously the Mayfield Estate. Weston is bounded by Woolston, Sholing, Netley and Southampton Water.OriginsWeston was originally a small fishing community. The earliest references date to the end of the 10th century.John de Weston is recorded as a Burgess of Southampton in 1332. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there are occasional records of disputes over fishing rightsThe Seaweed Hut that used to stand on Weston Shore appears on 17th century maps. It was used to store the fishermen's equipment.The Chamberlayne familyIn 1424, Ralph Chamberlayne's wife Alice inherited an estate on the east bank of the River Itchen. What that estate contained, how it subsequently changed hands and was split-up is not clear, but at least part of it remained connected with the Chamberlayne family as in 1781, William Chamberlayne inherited what was then the Weston Park Estate from Thomas Dummer.His son, William Chamberlayne, later to become MP for the Southampton, inherited the estate on the death of his father in 1799. In 1802, William Chamberlayne built Weston Grove House, forming the Weston Grove estate.The Weston Grove estate was subsequently inherited by Thomas Chamberlayne in 1831. Part of the Estate was sold to Col. Robert Wright in 1854, to create the Mayfield estate. The Barnfield estate was situated between Weston Grove House and the Mayfield estate and is shown on the 1864 Ordnance Survey map (NC/03/17984)