c. 681CE – St. Wilfrid converted the south Saxons and founded a monastery at Selsey, putting his priest Eappa in charge. It has been said that Yapton, 3 miles N.E. of Felpham, derives its name from “Eappa’s Tun”.
880 – Earliest recorded mention of the village Felhamme.
885 – The will of King Alfred the Great left Felpham to his kinsman Osferth, but later the property reverted to the Crown.
953 – Felpham granted by King Edred, Alfred’s grandson, to Adgiva, his mother and widow of Edward the Elder but, later in that year, it passed to the Abbess and Nuns of Shaftesbury Abbey (founded 888 by King Alfred).
The body of St. Edward, King and Martyr, was re-interred at Shaftesbury after which the Abbey became known as the Abbey of the Blessed Virgin and St. Edward, whilst its land became known as “St. Edward’s land”.
c. 1040 – The Abbess and Nuns of Shaftesbury probably built a church at Felpham – this would have had a timber framework with plaster
1086 – Domesday Book. The entry regarding Felpham reads:
“The land of St. Edward of Shaftesbury in Benestede (Avisford) hundred. The Abbey of St. Edward holds and did hold in the time of King Edward, Falcheham.”
“Then it was assessed for 21 hides, now for 15 hides. There is land for 12 ploughs. On the demesne is one plough and 4 8 villeins and 19 cottas with 15 ploughs. There is a church and a fishery yielding five shillings.”
“In Cicestre 6 burgesses yielding 7 shillings. There are 8 acres of meadow. Woodland yielding 30 swine. In time of King Edward, it was worth 10 pounds, now 20 pounds.”
(Benestede—Binstead; Avisford was a house in the hundred of the Rape of Arundel; the reference to Cicestre shows that the Abbey owned land at Chichester as well as at Felpham; “then” means the time of King Edward, who died 1066).