WHIPPINGHAM
Wipingeham (xi cent.); Wyppingham (xiv cent.).
Whippingham is one of the larger parishes of the
East Medine, occupying 4,611 acres of land, of
which 7 acres are inland water, 940¾ acres arable
land, 1,822¼ acres permanent grass, and 287¾ acres
woodland. (fn. 1) It embraced all the north-western
portion of East Medine, including East Cowes, and
reached south as far as Newport. In 1894 the parish
of East Cowes was created from Whippingham, (fn. 2) and
at the same date Whippingham was extended to include
all that part of Wootton which had not already been
included in Gatcombe. (fn. 3) Barton, (fn. 4) which is now a
suburb of Newport, was constituted a separate
ecclesiastical parish from the south part of Whippingham in 1844. (fn. 5) Village proper there is none,
as the houses are scattered along the Newport to
Cowes road. The almshouses, erected and endowed
by Queen Victoria, lie on the east of the road, and the
schools (unprovided) on the west; while the church
and vicarage stand off the main road nearer the
Medina. There is a corn mill on the banks of the
river just above North Fairlee, now known as East
Medina Mill. It, as well as a corresponding mill on
the western bank, was built about 1790 by a Mr.
Porter of Newport and was termed Botany Bay Mill. (fn. 6)
The Royal Naval College was built in 1903 on part
of the Osborne Estate granted by King Edward VII
in 1902.
East Cowes may have taken its present name from
the two defensive works on either side of the mouth of
the Medina River, built in the reign of Henry VIII. (fn. 7)
By the end of the 16th century a hamlet had sprung
up just to the south of the castle and goods began to
be landed there instead of being brought up the river
to Newport. In the reign of James I a Mr. Newland
was engaged in litigation with the corporation of
Newport on account of his having erected a quay for
landing his goods to the prejudice of the quay at
Newport. (fn. 8) Cowes now rapidly became important. (fn. 9)
Merchants' houses sprang up along the shore to
supply the increasing victualling trade, and by the
middle of the 18th century East Cowes was a place of
importance with a custom house, a service of ferry
boats and many private residences. (fn. 10) The rise of
yachting in the beginning of the 19th century carried
the interest from East to West Cowes, though the
first meetings of the Royal Yacht Squadron were held
at the Medina Hotel in East Cowes, and the importance of East Cowes declined till it was revived in
1857 by the establishment of Messrs. John Samuel
White & Co., engineers. Messrs. S. E. Saunders, Ltd.,
also have extensive workshops for the building of motor
boats, and adjoining the works is an interesting 17th–18th-century house worthy of notice. (fn. 11) Princess
Henry of Battenberg resides at Osborne Cottage. Dr.
Arnold of Rugby was born at Slatwoods in 1795.
Norris Castle (fn. 12) was built in 1799 for Lord Henry
Seymour from designs by Wyatt, and East Cowes
Castle (fn. 13) about the same time by John Nash. The
Medina Hotel, though refronted with plaster, is an
old building, and some of the houses in High Street
have many quaint features about them.
The Frank James Memorial Home, originally built
as an almshouse for aged and disabled seamen, is now
used as a cottage hospital. It is a well-designed
picturesque building, fronting Adelaide Grove, and
was established on its present basis in 1902 by Messrs.
Arthur and William James, who in January 1906
conveyed the building and land with £10,000 of
stock to trustees.
There is a coastguard station towards the point and a
Trinity House landing pier at the top of the High Street.
MANORS
Thirty-two hides at WHIPPINGHAM are said to have been given by
Cutred, kinsman of Ethelard king of the
West Saxons, to the church of Winchester. (fn. 14) At the
time of the Domesday Survey a manor at Whippingham which had been held before the Conquest by
Cheping of King Edward was held by King William. (fn. 15)
William son of Stur also held an estate there, which
had formerly belonged to Bolla. (fn. 16) Certain land at
Whippingham, which afterwards became known as the
manor, was granted about the middle of the 13th
century by Henry de Clavill to the abbey of Quarr. (fn. 17)
The abbey obtained further grants of land in and
about Whippingham, including a tenement called
Cleybrokes, in the 13th and 14th centuries, (fn. 18) and at
the Dissolution held rents of assize to the value of
15s. 4d. at Whippingham and a messuage called
Cleybrokes valued at £2 2s. 8d. (fn. 19) The manor
having passed to the Crown at the Dissolution seems
to have remained a Crown possession (fn. 20) until 1628,
when it was granted to trustees in satisfaction of debts
due by the king to the City of London. (fn. 21) It followed
the same descent as the manor of Newport (q.v.) until
1816, when it belonged to Philip Martin. (fn. 22) It was
perhaps sold by some member of the Martin family
to Queen Victoria and added to the estate at Osborne
House, but the Wykeham Martins still hold an estate
in Whippingham.
Another estate in Whippingham was held towards
the end of the 13th century under William Russell
of Yaverland by Jordan de Kingston jointly with the
Prior of Portsmouth. (fn. 23) In 1271–2 Jordan granted
a messuage and 43 acres of land in Whippingham to
Denis Abbot of Beaulieu. (fn. 24) In 1291 the Abbot of
Beaulieu held the grange of Whippingham taxed at
£1, (fn. 25) and seems to have acquired more land in
Whippingham at about this time from Richard le
Noreys. (fn. 26) The abbot obtained a grant of free warren
in the manor in 1359–60. (fn. 27)
This estate seems to have been identical with that
afterwards known as the grange of EAST SHAMLORD. At the Dissolution the abbey of Beaulieu
held the grange of East Shamlord, valued at £5 6s. 8d. (fn. 28)
The grange must have been granted by the Crown to
John Vaughan and Richard Putte, as in 1565 they
sold it to Dominic Vaughan. (fn. 29) It had passed before
1593 to Richard Goddard, by whom it was leased in
that year to Richard James of Newport. (fn. 30) Richard
James was still holding the lease in 1611, when
Thomas Worsley claimed it under a grant from
Richard James and others. (fn. 31) The descent of this
estate has not been further traced, but the name is
still preserved in a field known as 'Shamblers,'
between the Naval College Works and the cemetery.
Another estate known as the manor of SHAMLORD or WEST SHAMLORD was conveyed in
1543–4 by Sir Thomas Trenchard to his son
Richard. (fn. 32) It remained in the Trenchard family
until 1586, when it was conveyed by William
Trenchard to Richard Hardy and others. (fn. 33) In
1608–9 Edward Lovinge and John Baskett claimed
the manor by gift of Sir William Trenchard. After
this time no further trace of the estate has been
found. West Shamlord was on the west bank of the
Medina, where White's yard now is.
The manor of BARTON (Berton, Burton, xiii
cent.) evidently belonged originally to the Mackarels
of Brook, for by a charter without date Sir Ralph
Mackarel granted land in Barton to Nicholas de
Godshill. (fn. 34) It must have passed with Brook to the
Glamorgans, as it was purchased of Sir William de
Glamorgan (fn. 35) by John de Lisle, one of the founders
of Barton Oratory, upon which he bestowed 'all the
land of Burton' in 1275. (fn. 36) Ten years later John de
Lisle obtained licence to alienate a carucate of land
at Whippingham to the 'archpriest' of Barton, (fn. 37) and
this with other property in Whippingham acquired
by the archpriest was probably added to the Barton
estate, the whole being known as the manor of
Barton. (fn. 38) The manor remained with the chaplains
of Barton until 1439, when the archpriest granted it
to the warden and scholars of Winchester College. (fn. 39)
The manor was purchased of Winchester College in
1853 by the Prince Consort, and now forms part of
the Osborne estate. (fn. 40)
Sir John Oglander described the house—probably
converted to the use of the tenant in the middle of
the 15th century—as 'very ancient moated round,
with a drawbridge and a church now converted into
a barn.' (fn. 41) After its purchase by Queen Victoria
the house was greatly altered and modernized, but
care was taken to keep its old character. (fn. 42) Lancet
windows occur in the south wing of the entrance
front. (fn. 43)
Osborne House
CLAVELLS
CLAVELLS, though now but a small holding,
was in the 16th century termed a manor. It was
held of the manor of Gatcombe. (fn. 44) Henry de
Clavill was holding land in Whippingham in the
middle of the 13th century, (fn. 45) and in 1349 John de
Clavill died seised of land in Whippingham, leaving
as his heir a daughter Felicia. (fn. 46) In 1536–7 Nicholas
Wynyatt and his wife Elizabeth sold the manor to
John Cresweller. (fn. 47) It subsequently passed to the
Worsleys, John Worsley dying seised of it in 1580. (fn. 48)
It then followed the descent of Appuldurcombe,
being mentioned for the last time, as a manor, in
1772. (fn. 49)
FAIRLEE
FAIRLEE (Fairele, xiii cent.; Fourle, xiv cent.;
Fayrle, xv cent.; Farleigh, xvii cent.) was held of
the honour of Carisbrooke. (fn. 50) It belonged in 1227–8
to Simon de Daventry and Joan his wife, (fn. 51) and followed the same descent as Alvington in Carisbrooke
(q.v.) until the middle of the 15th century, when it
belonged to Sir John Popham. (fn. 52) In 1666 Levinus
Bennet sold the farm called Fairlee to the Hon. John
Colepeper of Carisbrooke. (fn. 53) Mr. William White
purchased Fairlee about the middle of the 18th
century and died there in 1774 and his son John
died seised in 1800. Grace Eleanor daughter of
John White of Fairlee, who succeeded her father in
1865, married John Batten, whose son Major John
Mount Batten (fn. 54) still holds an estate at Fairlee,
though much of the manor has been sold.
OSBORNE
OSBORNE (Austeburne, xiv cent.; Oustbourn,
xiv cent.) was held of the honour of Carisbrooke
for the service of an eighth of a knight's fee. (fn. 55)
Hugh de Chekenhull held it about 1280, when it is
called land in Whippingham, and died in 1316 seised
of the manor of Osborne. (fn. 56) His son John granted
the manor about 1328 to William Payn of Newport, (fn. 57) who was succeeded in 1332–3 by his kinsman
and heir John Payn, (fn. 58) who granted the manor to
John le Engleys and Robert de Barton called
Chamberleyn. (fn. 59) Robert was in possession in 1346, (fn. 60)
but in 1361 John Malwayn died seised of the manor
and was succeeded by a son John. (fn. 61) In 1395 Philip
Payn sued Thomas Raleigh for the manor, but
seems to have lost his case by default, (fn. 62) for it
passed to Joan daughter and heir of Thomas Raleigh,
wife of Edward Bromflete, and she and her husband
sold the manor in 1424 to John Garston and John
Rookley. (fn. 63) John Rookley's daughter Joan married
Thomas Bowerman, (fn. 64) whose younger son Richard
succeeded to the manor. Richard Bowerman's
daughter Alice married John Arney, (fn. 65) who successfully upheld his claim against her cousin Nicholas
Bowerman of Brook, (fn. 66) and whose heir Nicholas Arney
in 1549 conveyed the manor to Thomas Standish. (fn. 67)
Standish was probably a trustee for John Lovibond, (fn. 68)
who was dealing with the manor in 1575–6 and in
1588, (fn. 69) and Thomas Lovibond died in 1618, (fn. 70) leaving
a son and heir Edward, who in 1633–4 sold the
manor to Eustace Mann. (fn. 71) John Mann son of Eustace
died in 1705, (fn. 72) and his daughter and sole heiress
Elizabeth married Robert Blachford of Sandhill,
Hants, with whose family (fn. 73) Osborne remained till
Queen Victoria bought it of Lady Isabella widow of
Barrington Pope Blachford in 1845.
The 18th-century house built by Robert Pope
Blachford was pulled down and the present Osborne
House begun in 1845 and finished in 1851. It was
much frequented by Queen Victoria, who died there
in 1901. It was given to the nation by King
Edward VII in the following year, and is now used
as a convalescent home for officers of both services.
PAN
PAN (Lepene, xi cent.; Penna, xiii cent.) was at
one time an important manor. It had belonged to
Godric before the Conquest and was held of the
king by Herbrand the thegn in 1086. (fn. 74) It was
held by the lords of the Island in demesne, (fn. 75) and
seems to have been somewhat neglected, judging by
the finding of the jury at an inquiry held at
Newport in 1339. (fn. 76) The manor formed part of the
lordship of the Island from the 13th till the 16th
century. (fn. 77) It was granted in 1553 to Leonard
Browne and Anthony Trappes, who sold it in the
same year to Thomas Carew. (fn. 78) He must have sold
it to William Colnett, (fn. 79) whose son Barnabas died
seised of it in 1607. (fn. 80) His son Edward sold it to
Thomas Kemp in 1613–14. (fn. 81) From the Kemps it
came by marriage to Henry Bromfield of Haywood,
from whom it was purchased by John Gilbert, (fn. 82) who sold
it in 1737 to Matthew Rolleston of Southampton. (fn. 83)
Matthew Rolleston died in
1758, and was succeeded by
a son and grandson both
named Samuel. The younger
Samuel was succeeded in
1860 by a son George, and
Great Pan Manor is now
held by his grandson William
Vilett Rolleston. (fn. 84)
Rolleston. Or two bars nebuly sable between three cinqfoils azure.
There is no entry of a mill
in the Domesday Survey, but
by the 14th century a mill
had not only been established
but needed repair. (fn. 85)
SHIDE
SHIDE (Side, Sida, xi
cent.; Schyde, xiii cent.; Shide, xiv cent.) was held
in 1086 as three manors. One formerly held by
Chetel was held by the king, but William son of
Stur paid for it and the three manors of Bowcombe,
Haldley and 'Levintun' £60, though they were not
worth so much. (fn. 86) Besides the manor William and
Gozelin the sons of Azor held estates at Shide. (fn. 87)
Land at Shide belonged in 1227–8 to Simon de
Daventry and Joan his wife, (fn. 88) and followed the same
descent as Alvington until the beginning of the
16th century. (fn. 89) The manor, owing probably to
its lying within the three parishes of Whippingham,
Arreton and Carisbrooke, must have been divided up
during the next two centuries, and what remained of
it was held in the middle of the 18th century by a
family of Smith, (fn. 90) from whom it came in the 19th
century to the Foquets and then to Col. Evelegh, the
representatives of whose son sold it in 1901 to Mrs.
F. A. Joyce, who sold it in 1910 to E. J. Gunner.
WOODHOUSE
WOODHOUSE, a holding near King's Quay, to
the west of what was formerly called Shoflet Creek, (fn. 91)
was held of the king in chief by the serjeanty of
keeping the forest of Chute. (fn. 92) It was probably at
one time held by Henry de Bosco, (fn. 93) and is no doubt
to be identified with the eighth part of a night's fee
held about 1280 by John de Lisle 'called de Bosco.' (fn. 94)
John son of William de Lisle of Wootton died
about 1301–2 seised of a ruined house at Woodhouse
where the forester of Chute Forest lived, for which
he paid 13s. 4d. to Clarissa Sackville, (fn. 95) and the
estate passed with Wootton until the death of
Bartholomew de Lisle in 1345. (fn. 96) Soon after this
time the estate must have passed to Robert de Barton
of Osborne, for he in 1346 held the eighth of a fee
in Whippingham which Henry de Bosco had formerly
held, (fn. 97) and an estate at Wode passed with Osborne to
John Malwayn (fn. 98) and to the Raleighs, in whose
family it passed like Walpen (fn. 99) (q.v.) until sold in
1565 by Simon Raleigh to John Dryden. (fn. 100) Dryden
sold his interest in 1566 to Richard Foster. (fn. 101) Edward
Sampson, alias Eden, died seised of it in 1620, (fn. 102) and
his son Edward sold it in the same year to Sir
Richard Worsley. (fn. 103) The further descent of this
estate cannot be traced, but it is now the property
of the Crown.
CHURCHES
The church of ST. MILDRED lies
back from the main road and forms a
conspicuous object from the River
Medina. Its architectural history is a varied one.
A church must have been in existence at the time of
Domesday, as it was one of those granted to the
abbey of Lire; the chancel, which was the earliest part
of the church as it existed at the end of the 18th
century, was of the 13th century, (fn. 104) and it may be
that it and the tower at the west end were added to
an original 11th-century nave. (fn. 105) The only remains
of this original church is the roughly-sculptured
stone (fn. 106) now inserted in the wall of the south porch.
In 1804 the church was reconstructed by Nash and
in 1854–60 pulled down and rebuilt.
The present church consists of an aisled chancel
and nave, with transepts and a central lantern tower
with spire of Rhenish-Gothic motif. It is of little
interest architecturally, but possesses some good
stained glass and fittings. The north chancel aisle
has been formed into a memorial chapel to the late
Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg. It contains a
fine sarcophagus tomb and is inclosed by a gilded iron
grille designed by Alfred Gilbert, R.A. There are
memorial tablets to the Prince Consort, the Princess
Alice and the Duke of Albany and a reredos of good
design has been erected in memory of Queen Victoria.
In 1906 a tablet was erected by the Landgrave of
Hesse to the memory of the Hessian soldiers who
were invalided to the Isle of Wight after the
campaign of 1794. (fn. 107)
There is one bell of about 1856.
The plate, which is modern, is said to have been
exchanged for the old plate by a former rector.
The registers date from 1728.
The church of ST. JAMES, EAST COWES, is
an uninteresting structure designed by Nash in 1831
and enlarged in 1870, and now in course of practical
reconstruction.
ADVOWSON
Whippingham was one of the six
Island churches bestowed by William
Fitz Osbern on the abbey of Lire (fn. 108)
and remained with that body till the suppression of
the alien houses, (fn. 109) when it was granted by Henry V to
the Charterhouse of Sheen, (fn. 110) with which it remained
until the Dissolution. It then reverted to the Crown, (fn. 111)
and is now in the gift of the Lord Chancellor.
There are denominational places of worship: Wesleyan in Adelaide Grove; Congregational, Bridge
Square; United Methodist, Osborne Road.
CHARITIES
In 1688 John Mann by his will
devised a fee-farm rent of £23 (part
of a fee-farm rent of £43 15s. 4d.)
issuing out of the Grange of Lazenby in the county
of York to be applied in the first place in maintaining,
educating and setting up in the world of poor
orphans of East Cowes and after that of other children
in Whippingham and after that to maintenance of
poor ancient lame and impotent people of the parish.
See also under parish of Northwood, West Medine
Hundred. The official trustees hold £67 2s. 11d.
India 3 per cent. stock, producing £2 a year, arising
from accumulations of income. The income is
applied in prizes and awards to poor children of the
ancient parish of Whippingham (with preference for
orphans of East Cowes) and any balance for the poor.
In 1856 Beatrice Shedden by will bequeathed
£1,000 consols, producing £25 yearly, for distribution among the poor of Whippingham, East Cowes
and Barton, in this parish.
There are also eight almshouses erected and
endowed by Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
East Cowes.
In 1725 Thomas Cole by his will
bequeathed £50, the income to be applied for the
benefit of poor children of East Cowes. See under
parish of Northwood, West Medine Hundred.
In 1880 the Right Hon. Elizabeth Mary Viscountess Gort by her will, proved at London
22 November, bequeathed £1,000, now represented
by £1,003 15s. 3d. consols, with the official trustees,
who also hold a further sum of £102 6s., representing
a legacy of £100 by will of the Right Hon. Caroline
Harriet Viscountess Gort, proved at London,
13 June 1888.
The dividends, amounting together to £27 13s.,
are distributed in accordance with the trusts to the
poor at Christmas in coals, food and clothing.