In 1440, Baughurst became part of the Manor of Manydown near Basingstoke. In the mid-16th century, Baughurst's tithings were bought by the Palmes family. Around the same time, the Dissolution of the Monasteries occurred and Aldermaston returned to Winchester Cathedral in 1541. It later swapped to Manydown once more, before being sold in 1649 and returned to Winchester in 1660. After the Civil War, the area became one of the wealthiest Quaker centres in the south of England. After George Fox's visit to Basingstoke in 1657, a dissident – James Potter – was imprisoned for standing up in church and reading from a Quaker paper which conflicted with standard church beliefs. After his release, Potter established a Friends meeting house in the village. After the Act of Toleration 1689, Baughurst became less valuable to the Quakers – many joined the Anglicans. The majority, however, began following the Methodist movement of John and Charles Wesley, who regularly visited Baughurst. The Wesleys' friend, George Whitefield, lived in Baughurst around 1736.