Lasham is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is northwest of Alton and NE of Bentworth village, east of the A339 road.
The parish covers an area of and has an average elevation of above sea level. The nearest railway station is Alton, southeast of the village. Lasham formerly had its own railway station, Bentworth and Lasham, on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway until the line's closure in 1936. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 176.
Etymology
The name "Lasham" is thought to have originated from the Old English words læsc (a cleared plot of land) and ham (homestead or village). Thus, Lasham roughly translates to "homestead on cleared land," indicating that it was likely established as a small settlement in an area cleared from ancient forests or heathland. It has been spelled in various ways throughout the centuries, including Esseham (11th century), Lessham (12th century), and Lesseham or Lassham (14th century).
History
The village of Lasham was originally held as an allodial title under Edward the Confessor and became part of the Crown's possessions in 1086, assessed at 2½ hides. By the late 13th century, Richard Fitz John was the overlord of Lasham. Upon his death in 1297, his nephew, Richard de Burgh, the third Earl of Ulster, inherited the fee held by John Dabernon. Another fee, held by the Prior of Portsmouth, passed to Robert de Clifford and Idonea de Leyburn, daughter of Fitz John's sister Isabel.
The earliest recorded tenant was Roger de Clere, who held the estate in 1175. He granted Lasham to his wife, Hawise de Gournay, as dower. After her death, the estate was expected to revert to Roger's brother Ralph but was instead granted to Ingram Dabernon. In 1207, the manor was divided between Walter Dabernon and Ralph de Clere, leading to the creation of two separate manors.