Newport - Whites 1878 - - Page 1

Newport, the capital of the Isle of Wight, is an ancient borough and well-built market town.

In 1871 the Municipal Borough comprised the parish of Newport and parts of Carisbrooke, Northwood, St. Nicholas, and Whippingham parishes, containing respectively 3556, 3032, 1033, 194, and 141 inhabitants.

The Parliamentary Borough comprised Newport parish and parts of Carisbrooke, St. Nicholas, and Whippingham parishes, containing respectively 3556, 3807, 194, and 965 inhabitants.

Vessels of about 60 tons can get up to the town, where there are commodious wharves and quays for coal, corn and timber

Here are a number of large corn merchants, millers, maltsters, and brewers, three iron foundries, and millwright and machine works.

There is a lace factory at Broadlands, which has been closed for several years, once giving employment to about 200 hands, chiefly women and children.

At Northwood, about 2 miles N. of the town, are the extensive cement works of Messrs. Francis, Son, & Co., of None Elms, London, who employ here about 100 hands.

Near the town are several nurseries, one belongs to Mr. Edward Cave, and was established about a century ago.

Places of Worship

Newport Church (St Thomas) is a large and handsome structure which has been erected since 1854, on the site of the ancient church, at the cost of 20,000GBP.

St John's church, is in Carisbrooke parish.

St Paul's church is in the Whippingham parish

The Roman Catholic chapel, in Pyle street, was built in 1791, at a cost of 2,000GBP, at the sole expense of Mrs. Eliz. Heneage. A plain brick building with about 500 sittings.

The Baptist chapel, in Castlehold, is a neat brick structure erected in 1812, at the cost of 2,000GBP. A large schoolroom and vestry were added about four years ago [from 1878], at the cost of 300GBP.

The Congregational chapel, at Node Hill, was built in 1804, at the cost of 2,500GBP, including two subsequent enlargements. It has about 500 sittings.

The Congregational Church, in St James street, was built in 1848, at the cost of 3,300GBP, and its School at the cost of 500GBP. It occupies the site of an old chapel erected in 1699, and rebuilt in 1777. It has 500 sittings and a library of about 1200 volumes. The church was restored and an apse erected in 1877, at a cost of 1,100GBP. A site has been secured for schools.

The Wesleyan chapel, in Pyle street, is a plain brick edifice, which was erected in 1803, at the cost of about 2,200GBP, and repaired in 1864. It has 800 sittings. The Victoria Wesleyan School was built in 1874, opposite the chapel, at a cost of 1,300GBP, towards which the Queen contributed 50GBP. The building is used as a Sunday school.

The Catholic Apostolic Church, in Holyrood street, was built by Primitive Methodists, who have lately purchased a neat chapel in Pyle street, which was built by Wesleyan Reformers, in 1852, at the cost of 700GBP.

The Zion chapel, in Quay street, belongs to the Bible Christians, and was built in 1843, at the cost of about 700GBP. The same demonination owns the Zion chapel, at Gunville.

The Unitarian chapel, in High street, built in 1774, at the cost of 500GBP, was enlarged about 50 years ago, at the cost of 900GBP, and restored in 1875.

There is a Friend's Meeting House at 74 Castlehold.

The Plymouth Brethren have a small chapel in Union street.

Schools

Newport Grammar School was founded in 1612, or perhaps enlarged from an older foundation dating back to the time of Henry V., by Sir Thomas Fleming, Lord Chief Justice of England, who built the present school house.

The Blue School or Girls' Charity School, in Lugley street, was founded by subscription in 1761, for the purpose of clothing and schooling a number of poor girls of Newport, and qualifying them to be honest and useful servants or apprentices. The house which it occupies was given in 1764, by Benjamin Cooke Esq. There are 20 free scholars, all educated and clothed, and six of them also boarded and lodged at the expense of the charity.

Newport National Schools were built in 1816, at the cost of 1,100GBP, and are now attended by about 110 boys, 40 girls, and 70 infants.

There are Ragged Schools in Chain Lane.

Chillerton National School was built in 1852, and a house for the mistress in 1857.

The Infant School, at Clatterford, was built by the Misses Gunter in 1839.

The School Board fir the borough of Newport was formed in December 1873, it have one school under their control, which was formerly the British School.

Charities

The Lower or Worsley's Almshouse consist of six small tenements, with gardens, for six poor widows. It was founded in 1618, by Sir Richard Worsley, Bart., pursuant to the will of Giles Kent, who gave the building and 100GBP for its endowment.

The Upper Almshouse consists of four tenements, occupied by poor families put in by the churchwardens, who have held the building from time immemorial.

A Wharf, formed by the Churchwardens, in 1832, on a piece of waste land, is let for 10GBP a year which is distributed among the poor in bread and tea.

Public institutions

The Town Hall, or Guildhall, with the Market House under it, was erected by the Corporation in 1814-15-16, at the cost of 10,000GBP, from designs by the late John Nash, esq.

The Gas Works belongs to several proprietors, and were constructed in 1853, at the cost of about 10,000GBP.

The Water Works, established in 1848 by a company of shareholders, with a capital of 4,000GBP, were purchased by the Corporation in June 1876, at a cost of 8225GBP. The Corporation have extended the works to the limit of the borough, and also constructed on the hill above the village of Carisbrooke, at the cost of about 6,000GBP, a reservoir having a capacity for 200,000 gallons.

The Isle of Wight Literary Institution, in St. James' square, is a handsome stone building erected in 1810, at the cost of about 3,000GBP.

The Savings' Bank, in Mill Street, in November 1876 had deposits amounting to 62,218GBP. 19s. 10d., belonging to 2613 depositors, 4 Penny Banks, 43 Charitable Societies, and 15 Friendly Societies. Mr. W. C. Way is the actuary.

The Freemasons' Hall, in Lugley street, was built a few years ago, at the cost of 500GBP, by the Albany Lodge, No. 151. Here is also a Lodge of Mark Masons.

The Isle of Wife Rifle Volunteers (1st Administrative) Battalion, consisting of 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th corps, has it head-quarters at Newport.

Post, Money Order and Telegraph Office, Savings' Bank, and Government Annuity and Insurance Office, 99 High Street; George Duke, postmaster

Railway - Henry Thomas, station master.

Railway Carriers.

London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Co.; Pickford & Co., agents

Pickford & Co., 113 St. James' street; Charles Wilcock, agent

Shepard Bros. (agents for London & South-Western Railway Co.) 27 Sea street

Water Conveyance.

COWES - Passage boat, 'Spider' (Pickford & Co.), daily