Newchurch - Whites 1878 - - Page 1

Newchurch was the longest ancient parish in the Isle of Wight, extending across the island southward from Ryde to Ventnor, a distant of 11 miles ; by the Newchurch Parish Act of 1866, it was divided for all civil and ecclesiastical purposes into the three parishes of Newchurch, Ryde, and Ventnor.

The Newchurch parish now comprises Newchurch village, the hamlets of Knighton and Mersley, forming the Northern division ; Branstone, Apse Heath, and Princelett, the central ; and Winstone, and the village of Wroxall, the Southern. The parish extends over about 4680 acres of land, and had 985 inhabitants in 1871.

There are three manors here, called, Wackland, Kingston, and Apse Farm, of which E. Carter, George Young, and ? Perrot, Esqrs., are the lords, by Mrs. Harvey has an estate here.

Upon a rocky eminence near Appuldurcombe is a mock ruin called Cook's Castle, which forms a picturesque object.

Newchurch village is on the banks of the river Brading or Eastern Yar.

The church (All Saints') stands in Newchurch village, and is an ancient cruciform structure, with a tower crowned by a wooden spire, and containing six bells. The church will hold 500 worshippers.

A Chapel of Ease has been built at Wroxall, at a cost of nearly 1,000GBP.

The Independents and Primitive Methodists each have Chapel at Wroxall ; that belonging to the latter body was erected in 1875, at a cost of 350GBP, including 50 guineas for the land.

The Independents have a small Chapel in the village.

The Free School at Langbridge, supposed to have been erected by Mrs. Bowles, pursuant to the will of her husband, William Bowles, about 1760, now exists only as a private school, but probably will soon be discontinued, a Board School having been built.

The School Board was formed in March 1871 and a School erected in Newchurch in 1876, at a cost of 1,800GBP (including 82GBP for the site). Another School was built in Wroxall in 1872-3, on a site given by George Young, Esq., of Ryde, at a cost of 1,400GBP.

Post Office at Mrs. Frances Wheeler's (Newchurch), and at Mr. George F. Fallick's (Wroxall).

Railway - Thomas Roberts, station master (Newchurch), and Charles Newnham, station master (Wroxall)

Carrier - Newchurch to Newport, Henry Cooper, Wed. and Sat. - Wroxall to Newport, Oliver Heal, Mon., Wed., and Sat.

Batstone James, blacksmith, Branstone

Butler Rev. Charles Robert, M.A., vicar, The Vicarage

Cheverton John, farmer, Batchelors farm

Cooper Mrs. Harriet, shopkeeper

Cooper Henry, carrier

Cooper John, farmer, Hill farm

Fitt Arthur, miller & farmer, Knighton

Gale Mrs. Hannah, vict., Pointers Inn

Groves Henry, market gardener, Mersley

Hayden William Henry, wheelwright

Himmins William & Joseph, farmers, Langbridge

Humphreys Edwin, surveyor to East Medina, Vinnicombe house

Ingram Edwin Samuel Barnwell, master of Langbridge Endowed School, assistant overseer, tax collector, and clerk to School Board

Jacobs Isaac, farmer, Parsonage farm

Jacobs William & Robert, farmers, Knighton

Kingswell Mrs. Elizabeth, blacksmith

Mabey John, market gardener, Knighton

Mabey John, jun., assistant engineer ant Ryde Water Works, Knighton

Meads James, farmer, Pope's farm

Medley William Henry, farmer, Wacklands

Mew John, brickmaker (Thompson & M.); h Apse heath

Richards Mrs., Pucks farm

Richards John, baker, Branstone

Roberts Thomas, station master, Newport Junction Railway

Russell Cornelius, farmer, Mersey farm

Taylor Henry, grocer, Apse heath

Tharle Barnaby, farmer, Bigbury

Tharle Thomas & Charles, farmers, Princelett

Thompson & Mew, brickmakers, Apse heath

Thompson William (T. & Mew); h Apse heath

Wheeler Mrs. Frances, shopkeeper & postmistress

Wheeler John, baker

White James, dairyman, Dyers

Aston Mr. John C., The Vale

Bignell William, brickmaker, Winston

Brown William Young, auctioneer and estate agent, Ventnor; h Clevelands