WHITWELL
Whitewell, Wytewell (xiii cent.).
The parish of Whitwell lies to the south of Godshill, and extends to the southern shore of the Island.
It contains 1,910 acres of land, 687 acres in 1905
being arable land, 775½ acres permanent grass,
and 74½ acres woodland. (fn. 1) The village, consisting
of one short street with cottages either side—many
of 17th and 18th-century date, (fn. 2) with stone-mullioned
windows and thatched roofs—lies in the low ground
between the downs, with an ascent towards the
church which stands at its southern end. Here
the road branches west to Niton. Nearly opposite
the road from the station is a 17th-century stone-mullioned cottage, at one time used as the church
house.
The Hermitage, a house under the east slope of
the down, was built by Michael Hoy, a Russian
merchant who settled in the Island at the beginning
of the 19th century, and who erected a pillar on
the top of the down in honour of the visit of the
Czar Alexander after the battle of Waterloo. It has
lately been sold to the nuns of the Visitation.
There is a coastguard station at Woody Bay. The
soil is a strong loam.
MANORS
The manor of WHITWELL does
not appear by name in the Domesday
Survey, but was probably included in
the manor of Gatcombe held by William son of Stur,
which three brothers had held before the Conquest,
each having his aula. (fn. 3) It certainly afterwards formed
part of Gatcombe Manor, (fn. 4) and was held by the Stur
family, Maud widow of Walter de Lisle being in
possession toward the end of the 13th century. (fn. 5) In
1292 her son Sir William de Estur, kt., died seised of
the manor, (fn. 6) which had been settled as dower on his
wife Agnes. (fn. 7) Geoffrey de Lisle, brother and heir
to Sir William de Estur, died before his sister-in-law,
and the manor passed on her death in 1298–9 to
Geoffrey's son Baldwin. (fn. 8) From that date it followed
the same descent as Gatcombe (q.v.) until the 16th
century, (fn. 9) when both manors were divided between
the Poles and the Ernleys. Richard Ernley in 1564
sold his moiety of the manor to Richard Worsley,
Governor of the Isle of Wight. (fn. 10) It then passed
with Appuldurcombe (fn. 11) (q.v.) to Sir Richard Worsley,
the first baronet of Appuldurcombe. Owing to a
complete absence of any deeds after 1604 relating to
this part of the manor it is difficult to decide how it
descended after this time. It is not mentioned
among the possessions of Sir Richard Worsley at his
death in 1621, but Appuldurcombe, which he must
then have held, is not mentioned either. He may
have conveyed it to the Newmans, who held the
other moiety, as at the beginning of the 18th century
their estate is called 'the manor of Whitwell'; but
as William Newman held only half the manor in
1639 it seems probable that the Worsleys retained
their share and that it has remained in the family
from that time to the present day.
The Poles sold the manor to Richard Newman, (fn. 12)
who in 1596 divided it with Thomas the son of
John Worsley, Newman taking the property east of
the village street, Worsley taking that to the west. (fn. 13)
William Newman died seised of half the manor in
1639, (fn. 14) being succeeded by his son Thomas. The
Newmans held their moiety till 1709, when Thomas
Newman (presumably the grandson of William) sold
it to Sir Robert Worsley, bart. (fn. 15) It thus became
united with the other moiety of the manor, and the
whole then followed the descent of Appuldurcombe (fn. 16)
(q.v.) until 1855. Whitwell was not sold by the
Earl of Yarborough, but passed to his second son the
Hon. E. C. Anderson-Pelham, to whose son Major
Cecil Henry Anderson-Pelham it now belongs.
The manor of WYDCOMBE (Wytecumbe, Wydecoumb, xiii cent.; Wydnecumbe, xiv cent.) was held
of the manor of Appuldurcombe. (fn. 17) It was granted
to the abbey of Montebourg by Maud de Estur in
the latter part of the 13th century, (fn. 18) having been
held by her family since the time of Domesday. (fn. 19)
This grant must have been before the time of the
Testa de Nevill, as the Abbot of Montebourg is there
entered as holding a fee in Wydcombe, (fn. 20) and twelve
tenants of the 'manor' of Wydcombe were impleaded
in 1304 for pasturing on the abbot's land. (fn. 21) Wydcombe followed the same descent as the manor of
Appuldurcombe (q.v.) until the middle of the 19th
century, (fn. 22) when it was purchased by Captain, afterwards Major, Dawes, (fn. 23) and passed from him to the
present owner, M. de Chabannes. (fn. 24)
The house has a date stone on the back gable
inscribed T. T. 1697 in a square.
NETTLECOMBE
NETTLECOMBE may have formed part of the
manor of Wathe, now St. Lawrence, held by the
de Aula and Russell families. It is first mentioned in
1316, when it belonged to the heir of William
Russell, (fn. 25) from whom it descended with the
manor of St. Lawrence (q.v.) to the Worsleys
and Pelhams. (fn. 26)
Nettlecombe was sold by Lord Yarborough in
1856, and is now owned by the family of Sprack.
The estate called LITTLE WOOLVERTON, in
Whitwell, was evidently intimately connected, if not
identical, with the estate held by the Woolvertons in
the parish of St. Lawrence, as its name Little Woolverton
under Wathe implies. It seems to have followed the
same descent as Great Woolverton in Shorwell, (fn. 27) and
it first appears under the name Little Woolverton in
1640, when in a sale of Great Woolverton is included
'all that capital messuage or farm called Little
Woolverton in the quarter of Whitwell in the parish
of Godshill.' (fn. 28) This estate, whose further descent
has not been traced, has long ceased to be of any
importance, and a ruined building of the 14th
century (fn. 29) lying south of the road to Ventnor may
be associated with the early holders. A cottage with
stone mullioned windows—about the middle of the
19th century converted to a house—represents the
tenants' dwelling of the 17th century.
Berelay, Ford and Southford are small holdings in
the parish. (fn. 30)
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY AND
ST. RADEGUND stands on rising
ground at the south end of the village
street and adjoining the rectory. It consists of a nave
with south aisle of three bays, a chancel with south
aisle in alignment with the east wall, a western tower
and a south porch. The original church evidently was
an aisleless one with narrow chancel, divided by an
arch, (fn. 31) built towards the close of the 12th century by
the lords of Gatcombe, who raised there an altar to
their patron, St. Radegund. (fn. 32) In the 13th century
a narrow south aisle was added, it may be for the
Montebourg tenants of Wydcombe, and an altar
placed at the east end in honour of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. It was in the 16th century, probably soon
after the decree of 1515, (fn. 33) that the widening of the
south aisle took place, (fn. 34) when at the same time it was
lengthened eastwards and a connecting arch pierced
through into the chancel. (fn. 35) The tower was also
added at this period, and a south porch with stone
ribs, as at Arreton and Niton. To support the tower
the westernmost arch was strengthened by a pier and
a cross arch thrown over the aisle. In the south wall,
at the east end of the aisle, is a square-headed piscina
and credence. (fn. 36) A general remodelling was undertaken in 1868, when most of the north and west walls
were taken down and new windows inserted. At
this time a wall painting of the Martyrdom of
St. Erasmus (fn. 37) was discovered, but soon crumbled
away. On the floor of the tower stands the only
ancient bell, inscribed in Lombardic character,
'Michaelis campana fugiant pulsante prophana ✠/P.W.'
Plan of Whitwell Church
There is a good Jacobean altar table in the chapel
of St. Mary, also a pulpit of rather later date, and a
parish chest inscribed 'WN. · OF SOVTEFORD · RC · AD
1632 C.W.' (fn. 38) There is a chalice of the 16th–17th
century, inscribed on the cover 'THE CVPE OF WHITWEAY · CHVRCH +,' with a Tudor rose on the centre
boss. (fn. 39)
The registers date from 1617.
ADVOWSON
The chapel of Whitwell was
annexed to the vicarage of Godshill, and followed its descent until
1867, when the livings were separated. (fn. 40) Whitwell
was then constituted a vicarage, and the advowson
was purchased by the Rev. Robert Bennett Oliver,
who is still the patron. The chapel of Godshill,
mentioned in the valuation of churches in 1536, (fn. 41) is
perhaps to be identified with the chapel of Whitwell.
The advowson of the chapel of St. Radegund appears
to have belonged to the lords of Gatcombe under
the name of the chantry of Gatcombe. (fn. 42) The rector
of Gatcombe in the 14th century took all tithes of
the demesnes of Baldwin de Lisle in Whitwell
in the parish of Godshill and oblations of the altar
of St. Radegund, (fn. 43) and in 1781 still received the
rent from the lands with which the chantry was
endowed, and had to officiate in the church at
certain times; but this duty was then compounded
for. (fn. 44) The chapel of St. Radegund was kept in
repair by the rector of Gatcombe, and that of
St. Mary by the inhabitants of Whitwell, who
were parishioners of Godshill. These latter were
buried at Godshill, while the parishioners of St.
Radegund were buried at Gatcombe. (fn. 45) By a decree
of 1515 it was established that the vicar of Godshill
and the rector of Gatcombe were jointly to provide
a fit chaplain to reside at Whitwell and conduct
services there. (fn. 46) In former times the chapel of
St. Mary had doubtless been served by the monks
of Appuldurcombe.
In 1574 the church house of Whitwell was leased
to John Brode, provided that if the inhabitants should
at any time wish to hold a church ale for the maintenance of the chapel it should be lawful for them to
use all parts of the church house. (fn. 47)
There is a United Methodist chapel in the village,
built in 1884.
The schools are non-provided and were built in
1863.
CHARITIES
Mrs. Fanny King, by her will
proved in the P.C.C. in 1818, left
£50 for the poor in bread. The
legacy is now represented by £46 19s. 7d. consols.
In 1858 the Rev. Richard Dixon, by his will proved
at London 28 July, bequeathed £100 also for bread
at Christmas for poor members of the Church of
England, invested in £109 2s. 10d. consols.
In 1894 William Pelham Winter, by his will
proved at London 24 November, bequeathed £500
for bread and coals to the poor during winter months,
invested in £442 9s. 7d. consols.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees. The annual dividends, amounting together
to £14 18s. 8d., are duly applied in accordance with
the respective trusts.