The Isle of Wight 150 years ago.

Extracts from the Hampshire Telegraph.

November 1860

3 November 1860

A dreadful  accident occurred at Node-hill on Wednesday evening, when a pony and cart driven by a lad named Newnham, then over two little children, named Reason. The youngest, an infant four months old, was killed on the spot, and the other, a girl aged about eight years, was so fearfully injured that her recovery is doubtful. We could not obtain the evidence given before the coroner in time for publication this week.

A Coroner’s Inquest was held at the Grapes’ Tavern, on Wednesday last before F. Blake, Esq., on the body of John Scott, lace maker, aged 59, who was employed at the time by Mr. E. G. Alabone, draper, in St. Jame’s Square, in stamping muslin patterns, and whilst sitting on the stairs waiting for some beer which his employer had promised him, he fell suddenly forward, nearly to the bottom of the stairs, where he was caught by a fellow workmen, but the vital spark had fled, and the medical attendant having given his opinion that a blood vessel had burst in the head or chest, the jury returned a verdict of “Died by the visitation of God.”

[ County Petty Sessions] Henry Ward, the mate of the Sylph, yacht, was cited to appear for the fifth time by Madame Eugene La Marté, to show cause why he refused to obey the magistrates order for contributing to the support of her child. – Mr. Beckingsale for the defendant, produced the original order, on which it was entered that the applicant had been paid from “1859 to 1863,” and to which her signature was appended, the defendants wearing that he saw her life that words and figures both, and that he had advanced her upwards of £42 in the last five years, she was overpaid, in answer to which the applicant in the strongest possible language declared that the figures were a forgery, and inserted after she had given up the document to the defendant, and after he had promised to marry her, and that she had never received at £16 from him. – Mr. Damant, of Cowes, appeared for the complainant, and after an examination which lasted some hours, the Court virtually returned a verdict in favour of Madame, by awarding the defendant to pay up in these accruing since last decision was given in the same court against her, and the costs.

John Rogers, (10) of Southampton, charged with pilfering the chills of shopkeepers at Cowes, to be committed for 14 days, to the once privately whipped, and at the expiration of the sentence to be sent to a reformatory for five years.

Henry Elcock, charged with re-enlisting into different regiments on several occasions after having been declared unfit to service by the medical examiner, and thus obtaining a shilling each time, was committed for three months to hard Labour has a rogue and a vagabond.

Jane Foster, of Cowes, charged by Charles Tilbury with walking into his shop on the day previous, and walking out again with a Dutch cheese, his property, was committed to one month.

[Cowes] The change of seasons brings with it a change of hours in the going and coming of our steamers, and this must be the case; that some persons contend, and that, too, not unreasonably, that the boats both from Southampton and Portsmouth take their last departures from those towns for the island at too early an hour for the general accommodation. The objectors say that the boat from Portsmouth, instead of leaving at half-past two in the afternoon, should not start earlier than four o'clock, and that the boat from Southampton should leave at six instead of half-past four. We know of many cases where the present arrangements cause the greatest inconvenience. In our town we have persons residing whose business calls them daily to Southampton or Portsmouth, and their occupations prevented them from returning home at the present early hours. We know also that officers in the Army are often unable to leave Portsmouth for Cowes, and the likes to go by way of Ryde for Parkhurst, an inconvenient arrangement, as they would naturally prefer coming to Cowes, where a coach would take him to Parkhurst direct. We believe it only requires to be bought before the steam-packet authorities to get the how altered.

[Ryde] The Winter Season. - The present winter is likely to be exceedingly dull, only a few houses here being engaged; and after a dull summer, lodging-house keeper is we fear will be losers to a great extent.

10 November 1860

A Coroner’s Inquest was held at the Town-hall on Friday last, before Mr F. Blake, Esq., on the body of Thomas Reason, an infant of the age of four months. It appeared from the evidence of several respectable witnesses that, on the Wednesday preceding, and whilst the deceased was in the arms of an elder sister, a baker's horse and cart, driven by a lad named Charles Newnham, came round the corner of Orchard-Street, at a rapid draft, the driver at the time looking a different way, and not seeing the children, who were crossing the road. He ran over both, killing the youngest on the spot, and seriously injuring the other. The jury, after two hours’ deliberation, returned a verdict of “Accidental Death.”

[County Petty Sessions] Frank Hollis, a butcher, was charged with stealing 23 pounds of prepared bones, the property of James Coles, of West Cowes, from a stable in his occupation, and which he disposed of to a marine store dealer named Ann Perry. The latter, finding the police were is search of the stolen goods, put them into one of her own bags and carried them bag to the premises, just in the nick of time to meet a policeman. The prisoner was committed to hard labour for three months. Mrs. Perry received a severe admonition as to her future conduct, and was disallowed her expenses.

17 November 1860

[County Court] In an action brought by Mr. Hellyer, of Ryde, architect, against the Appuldurcomb Hotel Company, to recover the sum of £42 5s. 11d. for making out plans and estimates, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, with costs, subject to a deduction of two guineas charged for his last inspection of the work.

[County Petty Sessions] William Cole, a jobber, was charged by Inspector Grapes with keeping a number of pigs in a yard adjoining Eat-street, so as to be a nuisance to the neighbourhood, but as this was the first offence the Court merely administered a caution as to the condition of the place in future, and ordered the defendant to pay the costs, 6s.

[Ventnor] The sudden change of wind on Wednesday proved very dangerous to the coasting vessels on our exposed coast. The wind shifting from north-east to south drove two small vessels off Bonchurch on the beach, but one of them managed to get off without difficulty. The other was not so fortunate, as her cable broke, and she was driven ashore, although it is expected she will get off at the next tide. At Ventnor Cove also, opposite the Mill stream, two vessels were driven ashore – one with a cargo of timber, the other with coals. They are both high and dry on the beach, but if the wind continues moderate they may get off again without much injury.

24 November 1860

A Prolific Family, consisting of nine brothers of the name of Felix, and one sister, all of whom are enjoying robust health, is now residing in the Island, in which we believe they were born, whose united ages amounted on their last birthdays to 575 years, viz., Mary, aged 70 years; James, 68; William, 66; Joseph, 62; Benjamin, 60; Richard, 55; Charles, 54; John 49, (the children of this brother average 6 feet in height); Thomas, 47; and Leonard 45. The sire of this hearty family was interred in Carisbrooke Churchyard in 1851, at the age of 80, and his headstone informs us that at that time the diseased was father of ten children, fifty-one grandchildren, and fifty-nine great grandchildren, and it is computed that at the present time the number amounts to upwards of 250 living souls.

[County Petty Sessions] Emma Morris applied to the Court to compel John Devereux, of Cowes, ship-agent, to maintain his two children, one of whom was aged six years and the other four. – Mr. Field, of Gosport, who appeared for the defendant, having elicited that  the applicant’s place of residence was in London, the Court informed her that she could only sue the defendant in the district where she resided, and that they had no jurisdiction in the case. – Applicant said in that case she should throw the two children into the workhouse, and then the defendant would be compelled to support them.

[Borough Court] James William Tayler, an apprentice to Mr. J. E. Snelgrove, of Nodehill, painter, was committed for 14 days to hard labour, for neglecting his employ, and absenting himself without leave.

[Ryde] On Saturday last, as a sailor belonging to the quarantine brig was sailing off to the vessel, the boat was capsized by a sudden squall, precipitating him into the water. He succeeded in gaining his boat, and though bottom upwards, sustained his hold for nearly half an hour, when he was rescued by five watermen of Ryde, who descried his perilous position from the pier, and lost no time in manning a boat, and such was the force of their exertions that two oars were broken before they reached him. We hope they will be rewarded as they deserve.

The Isle of Wight 150 years ago

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