Dockenfield was one of the unnamed
tythings of
Farnham owned by the
Bishop of Winchester at the time of the
Domesday Book in 1086. It was recorded in the Calendar of the
Close Rolls of
Edward III (reigned 1327–1377) as "Dockenfield, Dokkenfeld,
co. Southampton". Dockenfield formed part of the
ancient parish of
Frensham, and still belongs to that
ecclesiastical parish. The parish formerly straddled the county boundary between Surrey and Hampshire. In 1866 the part of Frensham parish within Hampshire, being the tything of Dockenfield, was made a separate
civil parish. In 1887 John Bartholomew's
Gazetteer of the British Isles described Dockenfield as a parish in
North Hants. south-west of
Farnham railway station covering with a population of 209. This area remained constant from 1881 to 1961. In 1881, at the time of its census, 43% of men were employed in agriculture, 6% were employed in domestic or furnishing occupations; various other categories follow, ended by the smallest percentages 2% were in each of the categories of transport and communications, 2% were 'professionals'. 15% of men did not specify an occupation. At that time the greatest percentage of employment for women was unknown (27%) followed by domestic service or similar, however only 4% of women of the parish were in that category. By the 2001 census, its area had fallen to . When elected parish and district councils were created in 1894, Dockenfield was included in the
Farnham Rural District; the rest of the district apart from Dockenfield was in Surrey and the district had to be given special dispensation to allow it to straddle Surrey and Hampshire temporarily. The anomaly was resolved with effect from 30 September 1895 when the parish of Dockenfield was transferred to Surrey. ==Geography==