BRIGHSTONE OR BRIXTON
Briccheston (xiii cent.); Brizteston, Brightestone
(xiv cent.); Brixton (xvi cent.).
Brighstone, one of the southern parishes of the
Island, about 7 miles south-west from Newport, was
formerly included in Calbourne, but was separated
ecclesiastically as early as the 13th century. (fn. 1) Atherfield Green and Atherfield Farm were transferred
from Brighstone to Shorwell in 1882 and 1889
respectively, and in 1882 part of Shorwell was
transferred to Brighstone. (fn. 2) The village, lying on the
road from Shorwell to Freshwater, consists of one
long street of scattered houses, many of which have
thatched roofs. Here, as at Niton, the fuchsia,
myrtle and veronica flourish in the open. The soil
is clay and sand. The total area of the parish is
80 acres of foreshore and 2,846 acres of land, of
which 1,006½ acres are arable land, 1,422 acres are
permanent grass and 8½ acres are woodland. (fn. 3) The
hamlets of Limerstone and Chilton lie within the
parish boundaries, though the latter is partly in
Mottistone. The manor-house at Limerstone is
merely a long, low building without wings, with
stone mullioned windows, and the only object of
interest connected with it is a 15th or 16th-century
painted board (fn. 4) with a quaint legend in black letter
which was found under the flooring during some
alterations in 1884. Waytes Court is an insignificant stone building, though somewhat picturesque
with its stone mullioned windows and thatched
roof.
At Brighstone Grange is a station of the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution, the boat placed here
in 1860 being the first in the Island. There is a
coastguard station by the shore, a post office in the
village and two inns, the 'Five Bells' and the New
Inn. The National schools (mixed) were built in
1835 and subsequently enlarged. Robert Dingley, a
notable Presbyterian divine, was (as he styled himself) 'minister of the Word at Brixton' from 1648
to 1660, and his Deputation of Angels (1654) is dated
'from my study at Brixton,' and dedicated to the
Governor and other officers of the Island. The
pious Bishop Ken, one of the Seven Bishops, held the
living from 1667 to 1669, and is said to have
written his well-known hymns in the beautiful
rectory garden. William Wilberforce spent much of
the latter part of his life in the house of his son
Samuel Wilberforce, afterwards Bishop of Winchester,
then rector of Brighstone. Dr. Moberly was rector
from 1866 till raised to the see of Salisbury. (fn. 5)
Brighstone possessed a 'great gun' which is mentioned in the parish registers as 'one gonne of
brasse' as early as 1570. The gun-house and 'shott'
for the gun occur as early as 1679, and the same
piece of ordnance is mentioned frequently under
William III.
MANORS
At the time of the Domesday Survey
Walkelin Bishop of Winchester held
Calbourne as part of the possessions of
the priory of St. Swithun, Winchester. This entry
represents the manor of Swainstone in Calbourne
parish and includes BRIGHSTONE, afterwards a
separate manor. (fn. 6)
The manor of Swainstone was declared in 1303
to contain the hamlet of Brighstone. (fn. 7) In 1334,
by virtue of the late grant of Swainstone Manor
to William de Montagu, the king made an additional
grant of the hamlet of Brighstone, which had by an
error been omitted from the original grant. (fn. 8)
From that time the manor of Brighstone followed
the same descent as that of Swainstone (fn. 9) until
1874, when it was purchased of Sir John Simeon
by Mr. Charles Seely.
There seems to have been no separate court held
for the manor of Brighstone during the 15th century,
but the tenants from this hamlet and from Limerstone
attended at the courts held half-yearly at Swainstone. (fn. 10)
Only on one occasion in 1489–90 is it recorded that
a separate court was held at Brighstone. (fn. 11)
It has been suggested that the manor of WAYTES
COURT was represented in 1086 by the 2 hides
in Calbourne held of the
Bishop of Winchester by
Herpul. (fn. 12) It is certainly identifiable with the messuages,
land and rent at Brighstone
given by Henry le Wayte (fn. 13)
in 1321 to William le Wayte
and Alice his wife, and confirmed by Alice widow of
Henry a few months later. (fn. 14)
This property remained in
the Wayte family until the
17th century. Thus it descended to Thomas son of the
last-named William Wayte and thence to John son of
the latter. (fn. 15) In 1414 Thomas son of John was involved in a successful suit concerning the ownership
of the property against John Gawen, who claimed it
in right of his wife Edith. (fn. 16) John Wayte was dealing
with the manor in 1530–1, (fn. 17) and in 1633 Alexander
Wayte sold it to Sir John Oglander, (fn. 18) who purchased
it for his nephew, the son of his sister Mary the wife
of Thomas Kempe. (fn. 19) 'Wayght of Wayghtes Coorte
hath been a very awntient gentleman in owre
Island,' Sir John Oglander notes. 'I bought itt
[Waytes Court] of him for my nephewe Kempe for
2500£, so Wayght is nowe extinct.' (fn. 20) The manor
apparently passed from the son of Mary and Thomas
Kempe to Amy 'daughter of Thomas Kempe,' who
married Roger Clavell of Smedmore, co. Dorset. (fn. 21)
She died in 1682 and her husband in 1686, and
this manor fell to the share of one of their daughters,
Bridget wife of John Eastmont of Sherborne, co.
Dorset. (fn. 22) Bridget died in
1690 and her husband in
1722, (fn. 23) leaving a daughter
Dorothy, who married Carew
Hervey Mildmay (fn. 24) and was
dealing with the manor of
Waytes Court in 1723. (fn. 25) She
died without issue in 1742,
and on her husband's death
in 1784 he left his estates to
his great-niece Jane Mildmay,
who married Sir Henry Paulet
St. John, afterwards Sir Henry
Paulet St. John-Mildmay, the
third baronet. (fn. 26) He and his wife made a settlement
of the manor in 1808, (fn. 27) and the estate has since
descended with the title, being now held by Sir
Henry Paulet St. John-Mildmay, bart., of Dogmersfield Park.
Wayte. Argent a cheveron gules between three hunting horns sable.
Mildmay. Argent three lions azure.
The manor of LIMERSTONE (Lemmereystone,
xiii cent.; Lymerston, xiv cent.) was originally part
of the manor of Swainstone belonging to the Bishop
of Winchester, (fn. 28) and may possibly be represented by
the 6 hides in the manor of Calbourne held of the
bishop by Robert at the time of the Domesday
Survey. (fn. 29) The overlordship passed with Swainstone
into the king's hands in 1284, (fn. 30) and Limerstone
remained a tithing of Swainstone, the tenants attending
courts held at Swainstone until nearly the end of the
15th century. (fn. 31) In 1498, however, the manor was
said to be held of the Bishop of Winchester, (fn. 32) and
similar returns were made in 1555–6 (fn. 33) and 1564. (fn. 34)
The earliest mention of any sub-tenant of this
manor occurs in 1255–6, when Mabel Tichborne
granted a messuage and land in Limerstone to Hawise
daughter of Geoffrey de Loges for life, with reversion
to Mabel. (fn. 35) In a genealogy of the Tichborne family
this Mabel is stated to be the wife of Sir Roger de
Tichborne and the daughter and heir of Ralph de
Limerstone. (fn. 36) As she was evidently holding Limerstone in her own right in 1255–6, it may be
assumed that the manor passed to the Tichborne
family through this marriage. John de Tichborne,
who, according to the pedigree mentioned above,
was the grandson of Mabel, was in possession of
the estate in 1284, (fn. 37) and at the beginning of the
14th century John de Tichborne and Henry le Wayte
held half a fee in Limerstone. (fn. 38) Henry le Wayte's
holding was probably a part of Waytes Court (q.v.)
and was held by his successor
William Wayte in 1346. (fn. 39)
Roger Tichborne, grandson of
the above-mentioned John, (fn. 40)
was holding the estate in
1346, (fn. 41) and the descent from
that time until 1498 seems
to have been identical with
that of Tichborne (fn. 42) (q.v.).
In 1498 John Tichborne
died seised of the manor,
which passed to his son
William. (fn. 43) William was succeeded by a brother Nicholas,
and from this date the manor, like that of West
Tisted (fn. 44) (q.v.), remained in the Tichborne family
until sold by Sir Henry Joseph Tichborne in 1724
to William Stanley of Paultons. (fn. 45) From that date it
has followed the descent of the manor of Paultons. (fn. 46)
Tichborne. Vair a chief or.
SEUTECOME
SEUTECOME, which was held in the time of
King Edward the Confessor by Leving and in 1086
by William son of Azor, (fn. 47) is probably to be identified
with Sutton in this parish. During the 14th and
15th centuries land there seems to have belonged to
the owners of Preston in St. Helens, (fn. 48) but no continuous descent of the estate has been found. Sutton
is in the south of the parish near the military road.
The manor of UGGATON (Ugelton, xii cent.;
Uggeton, xiii cent.; Oketone, xiv cent.), which
possibly owed its origin to the 3½ hides in the manor
of Calbourne held by Alsi of the Bishop of Winchester
in 1086, (fn. 49) belonged to the Mackerels, lords of Brook,
in the early 13th century. Thus in 1201 Ralph brother
of William Mackerel, the original donor, confirmed a
carucate of land at Uggaton to the Knights Templars, (fn. 50)
but evidently retained the overlordship, since at the
end of the 13th century the Templars held Uggaton
of Robert de Glamorgan, successor of the Mackerels
as lord of Brook. (fn. 51) Uggaton as attached to the
Preceptory of South Baddesley followed the descent
of Milford Baddesley (q.v.) until 1558, when it
reverted to the Crown. It was granted in 1623 by
James I to John Trayleman and Thomas Pearson, (fn. 52)
of whom it was purchased by Stephen March. (fn. 53) One
moiety of the manor passed from Stephen to Lewis
March, who may have been the son of David March
son of Stephen. (fn. 54) Lewis and his wife Mary were
dealing with half the manor in 1672, (fn. 55) and Mary
March, then a widow, made a conveyance of it in
1694. (fn. 56) It was perhaps this moiety which belonged
in 1721 to Thomas Powell. (fn. 57) He was succeeded in
1761 by his son Harcourt Powell, on whose death in
1782 the manor passed to his son John Harcourt
Powell. (fn. 58) John Harcourt Powell, son of the lastmentioned John, was dealing with a moiety of the
manor in 1812. (fn. 59) He died in 1855, leaving co-heirs,
Mary Agnes wife of W. W. Drake and Emma, who
married the Rev. H. W. Haygarth. (fn. 60) All manorial
rights in Uggaton lapsed in the 19th century.
The other moiety of the manor descended to the
Bagster family, who apparently represented a branch
of the March family. (fn. 61) It may have been this
moiety which under the name of 'Muggleston'
descended with Limerstone (q.v.) in the 18th century. (fn. 62) Muggleton Lane, near Limerstone Farm,
still exists in the parish.
CHILTON
CHILTON (Celatune, xi cent.) had been held in
parage by Alvric before the Conquest, but after the
coming of King William it was divided into two
holdings, half a hide being held by William son of
Azor and half a hide by his brother Gozelin. Under
William the manor was held by William Forist. (fn. 63) It
is uncertain whether this holding is to be identified
with half a fee in 'la Scherde (fn. 64) and Cheleton' held in
1279–80 by John de Kingston of William Russell, (fn. 65)
or with a twelfth of a fee in Celerton held at the same
date of the same overlord by Richard de Afton. (fn. 66)
John de Kingston's holding belonged at the beginning
of the 14th century to Jordan de Kingston, (fn. 67) who
was succeeded in 1305 by his son John, (fn. 68) the owner
of this estate in Sherde and Chilton in 1346. (fn. 69) It
seems afterwards to have passed to William Rebert,
for about 1429–39 John Kene was holding in la
Scherde and Chilton half a fee which had formerly
belonged to William Rebert. (fn. 70) In 1428 Richard
Pak held a quarter of a knight's fee in Chilton which
Robert Olde had once held. (fn. 71)
Apparently all manorial rights in Chilton ceased in
the 16th century, since no further descent for this
estate can be traced.
The grange of SHUTE (Sieca, Syeta, xii cent.; Scece,
xiii cent.; Shewte, Chewte, xv cent.) is probably to
be identified with land at 'Sieca' granted to the abbey
of Quarr by Baldwin Earl of Devon and by Richard
his son, and confirmed by Henry II (fn. 72) and Isabel de
Fortibus. (fn. 73) In the confirmation charter of Isabel it is
called 'land and tenements in Scece which once belonged to the manor of Louecumbe'(rectius Bowcombe).
Free warren at Shute was granted to the abbot and
convent in 1284, (fn. 74) and in 1291 the abbey's possessions
there were valued at £5. (fn. 75) The grange of Shute was
leased by the abbot in 1428–9 to Simon Bernard and
Joan his wife and their son John, (fn. 76) and ten years later
this lease was renewed. (fn. 77) In 1502 a new lease was
granted to Richard Jakeman. (fn. 78) On the dissolution
of the abbey the grange of Shute passed to the
Crown, (fn. 79) and appears still to have been held under
leases by the Jakemans or Jackmans in the reign of
Elizabeth. (fn. 80) In 1611 the grange was granted to
John Eldred and William Whitmore, (fn. 81) and in
December of the same year, at the request of John
Eldred and James Collymore and others, a lease of the
manor for forty years was granted to Thomas Lovibond
of Gatcombe after the expiry of an existing lease to
the Jackmans. (fn. 82) Shute was purchased towards the
end of the 17th century by Lord Colepeper, who left
it to his natural daughter Charlotte, wife of Robert
Perceval. (fn. 83) The descent of this estate cannot be
traced further.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY stands to
the south of the main road and consists
of a nave with north and south aisles,
chancel with south chapel, a western tower with
wooden spire, and a south porch.
Of the 12th-century church nothing remains
beyond the north aisle arcade, (fn. 84) and of the 13th-century building the only evidence is the west door,
evidently not in situ, (fn. 85) the transitional 13th to 14th-century piscina bowl in the south wall of the south
aisle, and the south door, which has mouldings of the
period which may have been re-worked. (fn. 86) It is probable
the first south aisle was also of this period, as it was
certainly rebuilt of greater width in the 15th to 16th
century, (fn. 87) possibly to meet the requirements of the
manorial tenants. It was when this widening took
place that the tower was added at the west end, to be
followed almost immediately by the practical rebuilding
of the chancel and the addition of a south chantry (fn. 88) —probably by the owner of Waytes Court—and the
pulling down of the north aisle and building in of the
arcade. (fn. 89) A north porch was added and further square-headed windows inserted in the spandrels of the
blocked north arcade in 1617. (fn. 90) The present spire
took the place of an earlier one in 1720, (fn. 91) the date
cut on the cross-beam.
Plan of Brighstone Church
A so-called 'restoration' took place in 1852,
when the north arcade was unblocked, the aisle
rebuilt and the porch destroyed. The 15th–16th-century windows of the chancel were replaced by
lancets, large late 'decorated' windows were inserted
in the south aisle walls, (fn. 92) a lancet window was placed
over the pulpit and the 13th-century doorway
rebuilt in the western face of the tower. All these
innovations make the history of the church a difficult
matter to read with any confidence, more especially
as the soft local stone ages rapidly in this damp
climate. The north arcade has semicircular arches
with a narrow splay on the edge, springing from
columns with square capitals, and is of the end of the
12th century. The splays end in stops ornamented
with a patera. (fn. 93) Attached to the western face of
the westernmost column of the south arcade is a crude
image bracket, (fn. 94) and at the crossing of the south aisle
the rood-loft stairs still remain in the south wall,
with, just to the west of it, the piscina already
referred to—evidence of a former altar here. In the
tower it is evident the floor of the ringing stage has
been raised some 4 ft. to admit of the insertion of a
large west window. (fn. 95) On this stage is a small
opening on the east face filled in with modern wood
tracery. The nave south arcade has octagonal shafts
with splayed capitals and abaci with double annulets,
the bases having spurs terminating in square plinths.
The arch mouldings consist of an ovolo and hollow (fn. 96)
without any label over. The chancel arcade is more
elaborate, having quatrefoiled shafts and capitals, but
with bases following the motif of those in the nave,
the arches being four-centred and having double
wave mouldings terminating in a hollow. The
cross arch to the south aisle has a wave mould
ending in a filleted bowtel—a somewhat unusual
feature at so late a period—springing from responds
with shafts divided by deep hollows. The pulpit is
a fair specimen of early 17th-century work. The
font is of the 15th century with octagonal bowl and
shaft, both panelled on each face and ending in a
square base. Over the south porch is a sundial.
The oldest memorials in the church are two 18th-century slabs in the south wall just above the
piscina, to the memory of Thomas and Francis
Wavell. (fn. 97)
In the tower hang five bells—four recast (fn. 98) in the
middle of the 18th century and one in 1800 (fn. 99) —inscribed: (1) 'John Lord zealous for the promotion
of campanalogias art (fn. 100) in the year 1740 caused me to
be fabricated in Portsmouth and placed here in the year
1740. 60 years I led the peal when I was unfortunately broken. In the year 1800 I was cast in the
furnace, re-founded in London, and returned to my
former station. Reader thou also shalt know a
resurrection. May it be unto eternal life. William
Chip, David Way, Churchwardens. Thomas Mears
fecit'; (2) 'Success to the great Admiral Vernon';
(3) 'God preserve the British Arms, 1740';
(4) 'Prosperity to the parish of Brixton, 1740';
(5) 'Mr. John Lord Mr. Thomas Jolif Churchwardens, 1740. Joseph Kipling fecit.'
The plate consists of a chalice of 1663 and paten
of 1672, both silver-gilt, the gift of Dr. Fitz William,
rector 1670–5.
The earliest book of registers contains all entries
from 1643 to 1812, the second marriages 1754 to
1823.
The account books are in three volumes, from
1566 to 1666, 1676 to 1751, 1757 to 1841; and
the overseers' books in four volumes, from 1667 to
1849.
ADVOWSON
The church of Brighstone was
originally a chapel attached to Calbourne, whose rector claimed it as a
pensionary, (fn. 101) but by 1305 the authority of the
mother church seems to have been disputed (fn. 102) and
the rector of Brighstone's claim to autonomy recognized by the Bishop of Winchester as patron of both
livings. (fn. 103) The advowson is and always has been in
the hands of the bishop. (fn. 104)
The founder of the chapel of Limerstone is not
known, but it may have been Geoffrey de Tichborne,
a younger son of Sir Roger and Mabel de Tichborne, (fn. 105) for his nephew Sir Roger released to the
chaplain of Limerstone all his right in land at
Landguard given to the chapel by his uncle Geoffrey. (fn. 106)
The chapel is mentioned in the returns made by the
Dean of the Island to Bishop Woodlock in 1305.
The warden at that time was one Martin, and
the chapel was endowed with 3 carucates of land
supporting three chaplains. (fn. 107) The chaplains received sentence of excommunication from Bishop
Stratford (1323–33) owing to their ill conduct. (fn. 108)
The advowson of the chapel was vested in the lords
of the manor of Limerstone. (fn. 109) In the valuation of
Church property made in the reign of Henry VIII
the chapel, then called the chapel of the Holy Spirit,
was declared to be worth £7 9s. 4d., William Tichborne being returned as the chaplain. (fn. 110) William
Tichborne, 'gentleman,' took the revenue to his own
use, and no priest was installed, nor had divine
service been celebrated there for twenty years before
the commissioners visited Brighstone in 1547–8. (fn. 111)
The chapel, which was half a mile distant from the
parish church of Brighstone, was then said to have
been founded by Nicholas Tichborne 'to have a
prest for ever to synge for the soule of the said
Nicholas and all chrysten soules.' (fn. 112)
In 1584–5 the chapel of the Holy Ghost in
Brighstone was granted, at the request of Henry
Lord Wentworth, to Theophilus Adams and Thomas
Butler. (fn. 113)
There is a United Methodist chapel at the west
end of the village, to which a Sunday school is
attached.
CHARITIES
In 1814 the Rev. Noel Digby by
deed conveyed to trustees a messuage,
tenement and lands, known as Brook
Side Farm, containing about 21 acres, for the purpose
of founding a school. The tenement was fitted up
as a school. The farm was sold in 1877, and the
proceeds are represented by £1,996 19s. 2d. consols,
producing £49 18s. 4d. yearly.
The founder likewise gave £333 6s. 8d. consols,
now £334 3s. 5d. consols, the annual income of
£8 7s. to be applied in the purchase of books of
instruction for the use of the school and any residue
for benefit of the school.
The sums of stock are held by the official trustees,
and the charities are regulated by a scheme of the
Charity Commissioners dated in 1872.
In 1830 Kenelm Somerville and Jane Mills by
deed gave £400 consols, the income to be applied in
coal, fuel and other necessaries for the poor. The
trust fund now consists of £401 0s. 1d. consols, with
the official trustees. The annual dividends, amounting to £10 0s. 4d., are applied in bonuses to members
of the coal and clothing clubs.