FRESHWATER
Frescewatere (xi cent.); Freshewater, Fresqwatere,
Ferswater (xiii cent.); Fershewater (xiv cent.).
Freshwater is an extensive parish including the
modern parish of Totland (fn. 1) and the ancient tithings
of Norton, Weston, Middleton and Easton. A
narrow pebble ridge here cuts off the western extremity of the Island, which was formerly called
Freshwater Isle. The bold chalk cliffs at the southwest extremity rise to a height of 600 ft. and terminate in the rocks known as the Needles. (fn. 2) At
Freshwater Gate is a remarkable natural cave running
into the rock some 120 ft. with an arched opening
35 ft. wide and about 20 ft. high, while about
500 yards from the shore to the eastward are two
isolated rocks through one of which the sea has
driven a picturesque arched opening. Extensive
forts have been erected on the high ground and a
military hospital established. The parish is supplied
with water from works at the foot of Afton Down.
On the west point of the entrance to the Yarmouth
haven a watch and ward was kept day and night in
the 14th century, and here in the reign of Elizabeth
Sir George Carey built a 'sconce' called after his
name, while half a mile to the west of it on the high
ground of Norton Common Richard Worsley raised
an outlook tower afterwards taken down by Lord
Conway. Freshwater Isle was formerly divided into
King's Freshwater and Prior's Freshwater. The
soil is sand, gravel, and clay. The parish contains
3,526 acres of land, of which 1,111½ acres are
arable land, 1,559½ permanent grass and 93½ woodland. There are also 291 acres of foreshore, 10 acres
of land covered by tidal water and 2 by inland water.
Totland contains 1,332 acres of land, of which 203
acres are arable, 154½ permanent grass and 25
woodland. (fn. 3) There are also 36 acres of foreshore. (fn. 4)
Norton Common in this parish was inclosed in 1859
and Easton Common Fields in 1866. (fn. 5) There is a
terminus of the Isle
of Wight Central
railway with an
omnibus service to
Totland.
Freshwater: The Village Street
The old village
lies near the church
to the north of the
station and has now
extended west along
the road to Totland,
passing the hamlet
of School Green,
where the National
schools are situated.
The Council school
in Queen's Road was
built in 1906.
Totland is a civil
parish comprising
Totland Bay, Alum
Bay, Colwell, and
Weston, formed out
of Freshwater in
1894. (fn. 6) Of late
years it has been greatly developed by building, and
the main street from the coastguard station to the
church has practically a continuous row of houses on
either side. There is a good hotel at Totland and
another at Alum Bay. The meteorological station
midway between Ventnor and Bournemouth is situated
at Afton. The curious formation of coloured sand
at Alum Bay is well known. Weston Manor, the
residence of Mr. E. Granville Ward, is in the
parish. There are coastguard stations at Totland
and Alum Bay. The schools attached to Christ
Church are non-provided, built in 1880, and
since enlarged; and there are also Roman Catholic
schools, rebuilt in 1902. A lifeboat is stationed at
Totland Bay.
Among the place-names are Asturdinge,
Hamelache, Lampultes, Hochene, Uppelinch (xiv
cent.), (fn. 7) Farnhill (xvi cent.), (fn. 8) Galden Common.
In 1599 the fortification of Freshwater was
described as an 'island … six or seven miles about
and very strong by nature.' (fn. 9) In 1638 it was stated
that 'the parish of Freshwater by a cut overland
between the sea and haven may easily be made an
island fit to receive the people of the country, their
cattle, and supplies from the main, in case of invasion.' (fn. 10) Farringford was the residence of Alfred Lord
Tennyson and is now that of his son. A memorial
cross to Lord Tennyson stands on the Downs.
MANORS
Before the Conquest the manor of
FRESHWATER, assessed at 15 hides,
belonged to Earl Tostig; in 1086 it
belonged to the king and was assessed only at 6 hides,
of which the Abbot of Lire held 3 virgates and
William son of Azor 1 hide. (fn. 11) Presumably between
these two dates the manor had, like Carisbrooke and
Bowcombe (q.v.), belonged to William Fitz Osbern,
the founder of the abbey of Lire, (fn. 12) and had been
forfeited by his son Roger in 1074. Although in
the 13th century Freshwater came into possession of
the Earls of Devon it does not seem to have been
granted like Carisbrooke to Richard de Redvers, but
in the 12th century belonged to William de Vernon, (fn. 13)
who was succeeded by his son Richard de Vernon.
The latter crossed over to Normandy and forfeited his
lands, including Freshwater, at the beginning of the
reign of King John, but his son-in-law John Arsic,
who had married his daughter Margaret de Vernon,
claimed the manor in right of his wife and made fine
of £100 to have livery of the same. (fn. 14) On the death
of John Arsic in 1205 Margaret promised the king
40 marks and a palfrey to have livery of her inheritance in Freshwater with reasonable dowry of the
lands of her husband's inheritance and that she might
not be compelled to marry again. (fn. 15) However in
the same year she married Thomas de Stok, (fn. 16) and on
his death before 1213 (fn. 17) chose a third husband,
William Buzun. The latter was reported dead in 1226,
and the Sheriff of Hampshire was ordered to seize the
lands of his widow Margery, since she had wrongfully
consented to the marriage between Henry de Brayboef
and the daughter and heir of William Buzun. (fn. 18) However, William Buzun was still alive in July 1227, and
the sheriff was ordered to survey the manor, deliver
one moiety to William and the other to Margaret
until they were divorced by ecclesiastical authority
or otherwise, and restore the arms and chattels of
William which had been seized with the manor in
the previous year. (fn. 19) Two months later the sheriff
was ordered to give the manor to Geoffrey de Lisle
and William de Shorwell, who were to cultivate the
land at their own cost and to give half the profits to
William Buzun and the other half to Margaret. (fn. 20)
In March 1249 Henry III granted the reversion of
the manor of Freshwater after the death of Margaret
de Vernon to his kinsman William de Chabeneys, (fn. 21)
and four months later he agreed with Margaret that
she should give seisin of the manor to William de
Chabeneys, on condition that a moiety was restored
to her for life (fn. 22) with promise of the other moiety
also if she survived William. Margaret was still alive
in 1251, in which year the king granted William de
Chabeneys £30 a year as long as she lived, but the
date of her death is unknown.
William de Chabeneys either sold or forfeited the
manor or died without heirs, since in 1262 Baldwin Earl
of Devon died seised of Freshwater among his Isle of
Wight possessions, (fn. 23) and from that date it followed the descent (fn. 24) of Carisbrooke (q.v.), passing back to the Crown
in 1431 on the death of Philippa Duchess of York.
Worsley states that Freshwater was sold by Queen
Elizabeth to Thomas Urry, (fn. 25) but he probably refers
to two leases of it to Joan Hinde, Robert and Thomas
Urry in 1590, (fn. 26) and to Thomas Urry in 1601. (fn. 27) In
1608 a detailed survey of the manor was taken while
in the possession of the Crown, (fn. 28) and in 1623 it was
chosen by the famous Duke of Buckingham 'in part
of the value granted to him by the king.' (fn. 29) It was
then apparently sold to the Urrys and passed through
the marriage of Katherine daughter and heir of
Thomas Urry to Anthony Morgan. (fn. 30) In 1746
Thomas Morgan and his wife sold the manor to
Thomas Holmes, (fn. 31) afterwards Lord Holmes of Kilmallock in Ireland, and from this date the manor followed
the descent of the fee-farm rent of Yarmouth (q.v.)
until the death of William Frederick HolmesA'Court third Lord Heytesbury, when instead of
passing to his widow it passed to his son Leonard
Holmes-A'Court fourth Lord Heytesbury.
There was a windmill worth nothing (fn. 32) in the
manor of Freshwater in 1262; a new windmill was
built in 1300 and was valued at 100s. (fn. 33) There was
also a rabbit warren on the coast of Freshwater.
PRIORS FRESHWATER
PRIORS FRESHWATER evidently originated in
a virgate of land which William Fitz Osbern granted
out of the manor of Freshwater to the abbey of Lire
soon after the Conquest. (fn. 34) In 1203 (fn. 35) the abbey
owned 2 virgates of land in the parish which were
granted with its other possessions to Sheen Priory in
1414. (fn. 36) After the Dissolution Priors Freshwater descended with Godshill (q.v.)
to the Millers, (fn. 37) being owned
by Sir Thomas Miller, bart.,
in 1781. (fn. 38) It then seems to
have been purchased by
Leonard the last Lord Holmes
and settled by him on his
younger daughter Catherine,
wife of Edward Rushworth,
who was holding it in 1810. (fn. 39)
The manor now belongs to
Lord Tennyson, having been
purchased by his father, Alfred
Lord Tennyson, in 1853.
Tennyson, Lord Tennyson. Gules a bend nebuly between three fleurs de lis coming out of leopards' heads or with a wreath vert on the bend.
In 1086 a certain Roger (fn. 40) held 1 hide in Freshwater of William son of Azor, who held in chief and
had succeeded one of Earl Tostig's reeves in its
possession. The overlordship of this estate followed
the descent of Yaverland (q.v.). In the middle of
the 13th century the Prior of Domus Dei Portsmouth,
Walter de Farringford (fn. 41) and the assigns of William le
Leonn were returned as holding half a fee in Freshwater of William Russell, the lord of Yaverland. (fn. 42) In
1346 the estate was held in common by the Prior
of Domus Dei and Giles de Beauchamp, (fn. 43) and in
1428 the prior was in possession of the entire halffee. (fn. 44) The 77s. 8d. which the prior derived from
lands in the Isle of Wight at the Dissolution (fn. 45) may
have included a rent from this property.
Before the Conquest Earl Tostig had held AFTON
(Affetune, xi cent.; Affintone, xiii cent.; Afton,
xvi cent.), which in 1086 belonged to the king. (fn. 46) Its
overlordship followed the descent of Carisbrooke (q.v.)
until these rights lapsed in the 17th century. (fn. 47)
Of the immediate tenants William de Afton died
seised of Afton about 1224, when the custody of his
lands was granted to Waleran Tyes. (fn. 48) In 1301 his
successor Sir Richard Afton (fn. 49) conveyed the reversion
of the manor after his death to John de Drokensford, (fn. 50)
afterwards Bishop of Bath and Wells, to whom he
surrendered his life interest in 1307 in return for an
annuity of 100 marks. (fn. 51) Like Crux Easton (fn. 52) (q.v.)
Afton passed to Thomas Drokensford, who received
a grant of free warren in the manor in 1343, (fn. 53) and in
1359 granted the manor to William Ringbourne for
life. (fn. 54) In 1370–1 Sir Thomas Mandevile, jun., who
was holding the manor in right of his wife Anne,
entered into an agreement with William Ringbourne
to settle on him the manor of Afton if he would
cancel a debt of 40 marks of silver. (fn. 55) Accordingly
William son of William Ringbourne was holding
the manor in 1407, (fn. 56) and from that date Afton
followed the descent of a moiety of Barton Stacey
Manor (fn. 57) (q.v.), to the Brunes of Rowner and Fordingbridge. (fn. 58) In 1591 Henry Brune, son of Sir John,
sold Afton to David Urry, (fn. 59) from whom it passed to
three descendants of the same name, (fn. 60) the last of whom
died childless in 1779, entailing the manor by his
will on John Urry, second son of Captain Urry of
Yarmouth, with contingent remainders to Thomas
Urry of Sheat. (fn. 61) In 1804 one-third of the manor
belonged to Edward Rushworth and Catherine his
wife. Afton House and lands were purchased from
one of the Hicks family by Charles Cotton, who
was holding in 1850. Benjamin Cotton was holding in 1860. It is now owned by Mr. F. Tankard,
who bought it from Mr. George Fletcher Jones.
Afton Farm was in 1900 held by Mr. Tankard and
Mr. Fletcher Jones, but was sold to Sir Charles Seely,
who now owns most of the estate. (fn. 62)
A water mill belonged to Afton from the 14th
to the 16th century (fn. 63) ; a windmill also existed in
1342. (fn. 64)
In 1086 (fn. 65) the manor of COMPTON (Cantune,
xi cent.), which Earl Tostig had held before the
Conquest, belonged to the king, and being granted to
Richard de Redvers c. 1100 its overlordship followed
the descent of Carisbrooke Castle (fn. 66) (q.v.).
The intermediate tenants were the Compton
family. (fn. 67) Thus in 1167 Robert de Compton owed
a mark for land in Hampshire, (fn. 68) and in the 13th
century Odo de Compton owned a knight's fee in
Compton and Atherfield. (fn. 69) He held the manor in
demesne and at the same time three tenants held
land in Compton under him: the Abbot of Quarr
held I virgate in free alms without service, William
White I virgate by service of a pair of spurs and
Adam de Compton a tenement. (fn. 70) The latter, who
was the son of Odo, succeeded him in the manor about
1296 (fn. 71) and died ten years later, leaving a son John,
then eighteen years old. (fn. 72) The custody of his lands
and heir was granted in 1307 to Robert le Noreys
at the instance of Queen Margaret. (fn. 73) John de
Compton died apparently without issue before 1316,
when the manor belonged to Adam de Compton,
probably his brother, (fn. 74) who was succeeded before
1337 by a son, Sir John de Compton. The latter
in that year complained that Sir John de Kingston
and others had taken his eldest son John from the
manor of Compton and married him against his will. (fn. 75)
Margery the widow of Sir John de Compton, the
father, died seised of the manor in 1350, leaving as
her heir her grandson Richard de Compton, son of
John, then only four years old. (fn. 76) Before 1431 the
manor had come into the possession of John Lisle of
Gatcombe and Calbourne through marriage with
Isabel, daughter of Thomas de Compton, (fn. 77) who was
probably brother or son of
Richard. On the death of
John Lisle, Compton was
divided between two of his
daughters, Agnes wife of
Simon Aylward and Jane wife
of John Bull. (fn. 78) Jane granddaughter of Agnes married
John Gunter of Racton (co.
Suss.) and brought his moiety
of Compton into the Gunter
family.
Gunter. Sable three gauntlets argent.
The moiety of Jane wife
of John Bull descended to
Richard Bull, probably her son, who died seised of
half the manor in 1528, leaving a daughter Elizabeth. (fn. 79)
The latter seems to have married a Robert Goodman
and with whom she joined in a settlement of her
property in 1573, (fn. 80) but by 1609 either by reversion
or settlement this half of Compton had also passed to
the Gunter family, and the whole manor was held by
Sir George Gunter, (fn. 81) grandson of the above John and
Jane. (fn. 82) Sir George died in 1624 and was succeeded
by his grandson George son of John Gunter. (fn. 83) He
suffered for his loyalty in the Civil War, and although
commended by Fairfax as one whose 'fair demeanour
deserves all civil respect' (fn. 84) he was heavily fined and
forced to sell some of his estates. Compton was
purchased by his creditor John Comber of Donnington
(co. Sussex), who died without issue, leaving as heir
his sister Mary wife of Mark Miller, an alderman of
Chichester. From this date the manor descended
like Froyle (q.v.) in the Miller family.
The Abbot and convent of Quarr received a grant
of free warren in their land at Compton in 1283. (fn. 85)
The ninths of their temporalities in the parish were
estimated to be of the annual value of 6s. 8d. in the
reign of Edward III. (fn. 86) They still owned property
here at the Dissolution. James I granted a lease of
it in 1610 for sixty years to Edward Kendall, (fn. 87) but
there seems to be no further trace of it. In 1574–5
Michael Dennis died seised of land in Freshwater
which he held of Arthur Gunter and — Holbach
as of their manor of Compton by service of a pair of
spurs worth 2d. and suit at the manor court. (fn. 88) It is
possible that this holding, which passed to his son
Thomas and is described as a third of the manor of
Compton in 1576, (fn. 89) was the property which William
White held in the 13th century.
WESTON
WESTON (Fresshewater, xiii cent.; Weston Brayboef, xiv and xv cent.; Weston Brayfrys, xvi cent.;
Western Bray Beife, xvii cent.) is probably to be
identified with the land in Freshwater which William
de Vernon, lord of Freshwater, granted to Geoffrey
de Lisle in the 12th century. (fn. 90) Walter de Lisle, son
of Geoffrey, held it in the time of King John by the
service of half a knight's fee. (fn. 91) His daughter brought it
to the Brayboef family by her marriage with William
de Brayboef, (fn. 92) and from this date it followed the
descent of Eastrop (fn. 93) (q.v.) until Sir Henry Whitehead
sold it in 1611 to Robert Urry, (fn. 94) from whom it passed
to David Urry of Afton. (fn. 95) It followed the descent
of Afton (fn. 96) (q.v.) until the 19th century, when it was
purchased by the Wards of Northwood. Mr. Edmund
Granville Ward is now lord of the manor.
In 1505 Sir John Cottesmore, who seems to have
been the guardian of one of the Whiteheads, accused
Thomas Kingswell and others of breaking one of his
closes at Weston Brayboef and taking sea birds worth
£10 in a certain rock there, and of entering his free
warren and taking coneys, pheasants and partridges.
The defendants stated that the close and free warren
were part of the king's manor of Freshwater and that
they had entered them as his bailiffs. (fn. 97)
Before the Conquest WILMINGHAM, consisting
of 1 hide of land, belonged to Ulviet the huntsman.
It had been granted with Freshwater to William
Fitz Osbern, but in 1086 (fn. 98) belonged to the king,
having been forfeited like Freshwater and Carisbrooke (q.v.). In the 13th century the Prior of
Christchurch Twyneham held one-fourth of a fee in
Wilmingham and the tenement which Henry Huse
held in Freshwater, (fn. 99) and the estate remained with the
priory until the Dissolution.
Wilmingham was among the lands lately belonging
to that priory which in March
1544 Henry VIII exchanged
with Thomas Hopson for the
manor of Tyburn and other
property. (fn. 100) According to
Worsley it was afterwards purchased by Thomas Cotele and
passed through marriage with
his daughter and heir to Lord
Edgcumbe. (fn. 101) Wilmingham
certainly belonged to Richard
Edgcumbe in 1705, (fn. 102) and descended with Niton (fn. 103) (q.v.)
to his grandson George Earl
of Mount Edgcumbe, who
was holding it in 1787. (fn. 104) In
1795 it was held by Edward Rushworth and in the
19th century by Lady Heytesbury, who sold to
Charles Seely, father of the present owner.
Edgcumbe. Gules a bend ermines between cotises or with three boars'
heads argent cut off at the neck upon the bend.
CHURCHES
The church of ALL SAINTS
stands at the head of the estuary
of the western Yar, and consists of a
nave with north and south aisles, chancel with north
and south chantries and a western tower. Of the
church mentioned in Domesday (fn. 105) no visible trace
remains, and the earliest work consists of an arched
opening—originally in the west wall of the south
chantry (fn. 106) —of the second half of the 12th century,
at which period the church must have been rebuilt.
The building of the chancel evidently took place
first, to be followed, at the close of the century,
by that of the nave with its triple arcades to
north and south. In the middle of the 13th
century (fn. 107) a general lengthening took place. The
chancel was extended eastward, the nave westward,
another bay added to the aisles at the junction of
the new work and a massive bell turret formed at
the west end. No further work was carried out till
the 15th century, when the aisle walls were raised
and new windows inserted, north and south porches
added and the bell turret converted into a tower.
The 19th century found the church in a somewhat
deplorable state, what with galleries, wooden mullions
and whitewash, and in 1874 the increasing demands
of a growing parish necessitated extra accommodation, which was obtained by pulling down the
aisle walls and extending the chancel. In 1902
the vestry was extended northward, and to allow of
access to the church the easternmost window of the
north chantry was moved 3 ft. to the
west.
Freshwater Church from the West
Looking at the church as it now
stands the tower deserves first notice.
It springs from two piers united by a
pointed arch, above which the upper
stage is corbelled out, the whole being
finished with an embattled parapet
having crocketed angle finials. The
ingenious way in which the 15th-century builders converted it to its
present purpose is apparent from the
inside, (fn. 108) where two massive piers—the
north containing a stair—have been
carried up to support the superstructure.
Of the north and south arcades, the
former is slightly the earlier. Both have
pointed arches with a single chamfer
springing from square capitals splayed
at the angles. The capitals to the north
opening from the chancel have simple
transitional 12th to 13th-century
foliage. In the south wall of the south
chantry is a sepulchral recess with a
cusped inclosing arch of late 13thcentury detail. (fn. 109) A 13th-century font
with central drum and attached shafts
stands at the west end of the church
under the tower. The 12th-century
arch from the west wall of the south
chantry (fn. 110) has been inserted as a door
to the modern north porch and the
north chancel window (fn. 111) removed to
the new portion of the chancel south wall. There is
a brass (fn. 112) in the vestry, a good example of late 14th-century mail, formerly in the floor of the church,
and two matrices of canopied figures (fn. 113) which in
1850 formed part of the paving in front of the tomb
in the south chantry. They may safely be adjudged
as belonging to members of the Afton and Compton
families, who at this period were notable residents in
the neighbourhood. The way up to the rood-loft is
visible in the jamb of the westernmost pier of the
north arch. (fn. 114)
There are six bells, all cast in 1895 except the
first, which is inscribed 'I to the Church the living
call, and to the grave do summon all. 1785.'
The plate consists of a flagon (fn. 115) and paten, given
to the church by David Urry of Afton in 1748; a
chalice and paten, the gift of Benjamin Culm, rector
1745–68; a chalice and paten presented in memory
of Jane Hicks 1861, and a chalice and paten (1907)
used principally in the district churches.
The four early books of registers contain all entries:
(i) from 1576 to 1653; (ii) 1653 to 1675; (iii) 1678
to 1780; (iv) 1781 to 1812.
CHRIST CHURCH
CHRIST CHURCH, Totland, built in 1875 and
enlarged in 1888, 1905 and 1910, consists of a nave
with south aisle and chancel. An oak lych gate
was placed at the entrance in 1906 in memory of
Mr. F. Burnett. At Norton Green and Freshwater
Bay there are chapels of ease to All Saints.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of the church of
Freshwater was granted by William
Fitz Osbern Earl of Hereford to
the abbey he founded at Lire in Normandy. (fn. 116) The
abbot received a confirmation of this grant from
William de Vernon in the 12th century. (fn. 117) Freshwater belonged to him until the 15th century. (fn. 118)
During the greater part of the 14th century the
possessions of the abbey were in the hands of the
king on account of the war with France, (fn. 119) and after
the dissolution of alien religious houses formed part
of the endowment of Sheen Priory. (fn. 120) The church
of Freshwater was probably included in the grants of
the site of the priory to the Earl of Hertford and
Duke of Suffolk and in the restitution to the priory
by Queen Mary. (fn. 121) After the final dissolution of
the priory it was held by the Crown until 1624,
when it was granted to St. John's College, Cambridge, (fn. 122) to which it still belongs. (fn. 123)
The chapel of Brook was at one time dependent
on Freshwater. (fn. 124)
The living of Totland Bay is a perpetual curacy
in the gift of the Church Patronage Society.
There are Congregational, Wesleyan, Baptist, and
Bible Christian chapels, and meeting-rooms for the
Brethren, Plymouth Brethren, and Salvation Army.
The Roman Catholic private chapel belonging to the
manor of Weston, now in the parish of Totland Bay,
is open to the public.
CHARITIES
The distributive charities are regulated by a scheme of the Charity
Commissioners, 9 August 1907, under
the title of the United Charities. They comprise
the charities of—
1. The gifts of the Rev. Benjamin Culm, D.D.,
by will, 1764, and others consist of £352 12s. 5d.
India 3 per cent. stock.
2. Rev. Benjamin Holmes for poor, will proved
in 1823, trust fund, £248 12s. 6d. consols.
3. Joseph Squire, will 1846, trust fund, £100
India 3 per cent. stock.
4. Julia Sarah Neale, will proved at London
1 March 1893, trust fund, £498 17s. consols.
5. Fanny Cotton, will proved at London 21 July
1897, trust fund, £203 3s. 2d. consols.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees, producing in annual dividends £37 6s.
By the scheme the income of the charity of
Dr. Culm and others (£10 11s. 4d.) is applicable in
apprenticing poor children in the ancient parish of
Freshwater or in grants towards outfits of persons
under twenty-one years, and the yearly income of
the remaining charities in supply of clothes or other
articles in kind, medical or other aid in sickness.
The trustees are also empowered to apply the whole
or any part of the income of Neale's and Cotton's
charities in a pension of not less than 5s. a week to
a deserving person selected from the civil parish of
Freshwater.
In 1714 David Urry by will devised his messuage
and lands at Brook Green, the rents to be used for
instructing sixteen children. The trust property now
consists of 1 rood of land and £1,849 10s. 2d. consols,
arising from sales of land.
The Rev. Benjamin Holmes by his will, proved in
1823, bequeathed £100 consols for purchase of Bibles
and prayer-books for distribution on St. John's Day
among scholars at the National school. The legacy,
less duty, is now represented by £82 17s. 6d. consols.
In 1835 Miss Rebecca Cotton by her will bequeathed £100, the income to be applied towards
the support of the parochial school, now represented
by £105 13s. 7d. consols.
In 1863 Sir Graham Eden Hamond by his will,
proved 20 February, bequeathed £108 8s. consols,
the dividends to be applied towards the support of
the National school.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees, the annual dividends, amounting to
£53 12s. 10d., being applied for educational purposes.
In 1875 Miss Elizabeth Anne Hamond by deed
conveyed 2 acres of land as a site for a church or
chapel, residence for minister, and a school, the rent
of any part not so appropriated to be applied in
promoting religion, piety, and education. The rent,
about £8 a year, is applied in the formation of a
library, in the payment of school fees, or in the
distribution of devotional books.
In 1897 Miss Fanny Cotton by her will, proved
at London 21 July, bequeathed £250, the interest to
be applied in blankets for the poor at Christmas. The
legacy, less duty, was invested in £203 3s. 2d. consols
with the official trustees. The annual dividends,
amounting to £5 1s. 4d., are under a scheme of the
Charity Commissioners, 1 October 1901, made
applicable in fuel and warm clothing as well as in
blankets.
The Bowen Prize Fund, founded by declaration
of trust, 11 February 1892, consists of £80 2½ per
cent. annuities, with the official trustees, the income
of £2 a year to be applied in prizes to scholars in
the National school for proficiency in knowledge of
the New Testament.