ST. LAWRENCE
St. Lawrence (Suthwade, Sancti Laurentii, xiii
cent.; Wathe, xiv to xvii cent.) is now practically
a suburb of Ventnor. There is no village proper, the
houses being scattered along the high road from
Ventnor to Niton. The parish comprises what is
known as the Undercliff, and has at its eastern end
the Royal National Hospital for Consumption built
in 1869 and comprising ten blocks for the accommodation of 150 patients. The soil is a chalky marl,
rich in fossils. The parish contains 328 acres, of
which the greater part is arable land. (fn. 1) There is a
parochial school built in 1898. The principal
residence in the parish is St. Lawrence Hall (Sir
Thomas Brooke-Hitching).
MANOR
The first mention of the manor occurs
towards the end of the 13th century,
when as the manor of SOUTHW ADE
ST. LAWRENCE it belonged to William Russell, who
had acquired it through his marriage with the daughter
of Thomas de Aula. (fn. 2) The manor followed the same
descent as Yaverland (q.v.) until the death of Thomas
Umpton in 1542. (fn. 3) The reversion after his widow's
death was devised with Yaverland to Thomas Hyde, (fn. 4)
but part appears to have passed to Edward Unton or
Umpton son of Alexander, brother and heir of
Thomas, as Edward in 1560 divided the manor with
Thomas Hyde, the latter taking two-thirds and the
former one-third. Richard Coningsby, who was
evidently related to Thomas Hyde through his wife
Elizabeth, conveyed a third of two parts of the manor
to Anne widow of Sir James Worsley in 1562. (fn. 5) In
the same year Edward Umpton disposed of his share
to German Richards, who sold it to Anne Worsley.
Henry Cottesmore, who conveyed the whole manor
in 1571 to John Worsley, (fn. 6) was perhaps heir at law
of the Cottesmores. From John Worsley the manor
followed the same descent as Appuldurcombe in
Godshill (fn. 7) (q.v.) until 1855. St. Lawrence was
retained by the Earl of Yarborough, and passed to
his second son the Hon. Evelyn Cornwallis Anderson-Pelham, D.L., J.P. It now belongs to his son Major
Cecil Henry Anderson-Pelham.
St. Lawrence Old Church looking East
A holding called Southwathe or Stoureswathe was
held towards the end of the 13th century by John de
Woolverton of Woolverton in Shorwell of the Esturs
of Gatcombe. (fn. 8) It had passed before 1346 to Robert
de Aston, (fn. 9) and evidently followed the same descent
as Woolverton to the Dingleys, as it was held in
1431 by Ralph de Dingley. (fn. 10) This holding is
probably to be identified with the land called Little
Woolverton Under Wathe mentioned by Warner as
belonging to Ralph de Woolverton. (fn. 11) Sir John
Oglander also mentions a piece of land in the parish
of St. Lawrence 'Undor Wathe' belonging to Sir
John Dingley where there were ruins of a building
supposed by Sir John to have been a chapel. (fn. 12) This
estate probably became merged in Little Woolverton in Whitwell, with which it may have been
identical.
CHURCH
The old church of ST. LAWRENCE,
at one time said to be the smallest in
England, is now disused except for
burials. It was probably built early in the 13th
century as a manorial chapel for the tenants here, but
has been so altered from time to time as to be hardly
recognizable as an ancient structure. Originally only
30 ft. long, it was lengthened 10 ft. in 1842 (fn. 13) by the
addition of a small chancel.
The new church of St. Lawrence was built in 1878
from designs by Sir Gilbert Scott, and consists of a
nave, chancel, north aisle, porch and western turret
with two bells.
The plate consists of a 17th-century chalice, two
chalices and a paten given by Lady Dysart in 1804,
a paten given by Henry Worsley, rector, 1825, a
modern silver flagon given by the Hon. Mrs. D.
Pelham Sinclair, and a pewter flagon.
The registers date from 1678.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of St. Lawrence is
mentioned for the first time early in
the 14th century, (fn. 14) and was then in
the possession of the lord of the manor. Since that
time it has followed the same descent as the manor, (fn. 15)
Major Cecil Pelham being the present patron.
CHARITIES
There do not appear to be any
parochial endowed charities in St.
Lawrence. The Royal National
Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the
Chest, situate in this parish, is general in its
nature, as also 'The Frederick Fund' and
'The Hamilton Fund' for Evangelical Clergymen,
&c. (fn. 16)