SHALFLEET
Scealdanfleot (ix cent.); Seldeflet (xi cent.);
Scaudeflete (xii cent.); Schaldeflet, Eskaudfflete,
Scheldflute, Chaldflut (xiii cent.).
Shalfleet is a parish on the north of the Island,
about midway between Newport and Freshwater, and
at one time doubtless included the town of Yarmouth.
The nearest station is at Calbourne on the Isle of
Wight Central railway. The village consists of a
grouping of cottages to the north and east of the
church. In the hollow of the road, which here dips,
lies the New Inn, behind which, a little to the north,
stands the manor-house, a picturesque small building
of the 16th–17th century.
East of the church is the old parsonage, now used
as a cottage. Shalcombe Farm is picturesquely situated
by the side of a large pond on the main road from
Ventnor to Freshwater. Built in the early part
of the 17th century, it has been modernized by the
insertion of wooden windows, though many of the
old stone mullions still remain. The general plan of
the house is L-shaped, and with its ivied front mirrored
in the water it makes a pleasant, homely picture.
Shalfleet Manor-house
The parish includes the hamlets of Newbridge,
Wellow and Ningwood. There is a National school
(mixed) at Ningwood, built in 1870 and enlarged in
1905. There is a water mill at Shalfleet, (fn. 1) at the
head of the Newtown River, and brickworks at Ningwood, Bouldnor and Hamstead. Bouldnor, about a
mile from Yarmouth, has been lately developed for
building purposes, and at Hamstead, the northernmost part of the parish, at the mouth of the Newtown
River, are one or two private residences. Ningwood
House, about half a mile from the station, is an
18th-century house, the residence of Mr. E. W.
Cottle. The soil is a stiff clay, and in 1905 Shalfleet
included 1,617½ acres of arable land, 2,406 acres of
permanent grass and 504¼ acres of woodland. (fn. 2)
Hulverstone and part of Brook Green were transferred from Shalfleet to Brook in 1889, and at the
same date part of Shalfleet was transferred to Calbourne
and part of the parish of St. Nicholas in Carisbrooke
to Shalfleet. (fn. 3)
MANORS
The manor of SHALFLEET, with its
member of CHESSELL, (fn. 4) was in 1086
held in chief by Gozelin son of Azor as
it had previously been held by Edric (fn. 5) of King Edward.
For nearly three centuries the
Trenchard family held Shalfleet in chief. It is possible
that Payne Trenchard, collector of danegeld in the Isle
of Wight about 1135, held
the manor in the 12th century. (fn. 6) Payne was succeeded
in his estates before 1164 by
his grandson Robert, (fn. 7) who
was still living in 1189 (fn. 8) ; he
was succeeded by his son
Henry. (fn. 9)
In the reign of Henry III
Henry Trenchard, the son of
this Henry, held the manors
of Shalfleet and Chessell in
demesne and John his son
held of him the eighth part
of a fee in Shalfleet. (fn. 10) In
1278 Henry Trenchard complained that Amice Countess
of Devon and her men took
thirty of his oxen at Chessell
and detained them at her
manor at Thorley and kept
imprisoned Nicholas de Baseville till Henry ransomed
him for 100s. Moreover, they broke his park of
Chessell and 'rescued the beasts lawfully impounded
therein' and drove off the deer from his park
at Shalfleet. (fn. 11) Henry Trenchard was succeeded
by his son John, who died about 1302, leaving the
estate to his son Henry, a minor, (fn. 12) who eight years
later settled the manor on himself and Eleanor his
wife and his heirs. (fn. 13) This Henry Trenchard was
hardly of a law-abiding nature. In 1309 the Abbot
of Titchfield complained that Trenchard 'besieged
his abbey, so that neither he, nor the canons, nor the
servants of the abbey could go forth to transact
business or bring in victuals.' Moreover the said
Henry 'felled his trees . . .
entered his free warrens,
hunted therein, took away
game and his goods, and
assaulted his servants.' (fn. 14)
Trenchard was excommunicated (see below). In 1320
Sir Ralph de Gorges informed
the king that, although Trenchard had been outlawed in
July 1318, Sir Henry Tyes,
constable of the castle of
Carisbrooke, maintained him
and had bought from him
'the fair manor of Shalfleet' (fn. 15)
and other lands which should
have escheated to the Crown. (fn. 16) Sir Henry Tyes
stated in defence that Trenchard had made him a life
grant of the manor before the
pronouncement of the outlawry. (fn. 17) In the end Trenchard
was evidently pardoned, (fn. 18) since
he was holding the manor
in 1328, (fn. 19) and on his death
in 1349 it passed to his
son and heir Giles. (fn. 20) His
second wife Joan survived him
and married Richard Aleyn,
and in 1365 she brought a
suit against her stepson Giles
for a third of Shalfleet
Manor, which she claimed as
her dower. He refused on the plea that Henry his
father 'was not seised of the said manor on the day
he married Joan, nor afterwards.' (fn. 21)
Trenchard. Party argent and azure with three pales sable in the argent.
Tyes. Argent a cheveron gules.
Giles Trenchard left Shalfleet at his death to his
daughter Margaret, (fn. 22) who was thrice married; her
third husband John Pershute apparently survived her
and was seised of the manor in accordance with a
settlement of 1403, (fn. 23) but he died before 1428, in
which year her son Thomas Deepdene was the owner. (fn. 24)
Thomas died before 1438, leaving as his heir his
daughter Agnes the wife of Edmund Brudenell, (fn. 25)
whose daughter and heir Alice married Richard Waller
of Groombridge (co. Kent). (fn. 26) Alice died in 1481, (fn. 27)
leaving as her heir her son John, who in 1496 was
expelled by the escheator because John Trenchard of
Chessell was supposed to have died in September
1495 seised of the manor. (fn. 28) Waller won the suit, but
died in July 1497, leaving a son and heir John, who
died seised of Shalfleet in 1526, (fn. 29) leaving a grandson
and heir Richard. (fn. 30) Richard Waller died in 1552
and was succeeded by his son William, (fn. 31) who conveyed the estate about 1575 to Anthony Kempe, (fn. 32)
by whom it was sold in 1591 to Thomas Worsley for
£900. (fn. 33) From this date the manor remained in the
Worsley family (fn. 34) (see Appuldurcombe) until 1780, (fn. 35)
when it was sold by the Worsleys to the Barringtons,
and so passed by marriage to the Simeons, and
descended like Swainstone (q.v.) to Sir Edmund
Charles Simeon, bart., the present lord of the manor.
Until the early half of the 14th century (fn. 36) the
manor of CHESSELL followed the descent of the
manor of Shalfleet. However, before 1346 it had
been acquired by John Gymminges, (fn. 37) who in 1349
settled it on himself and Avice his wife, with remainder to John son of John de Lisle of Gatcombe, (fn. 38)
who died seised of it in March 1349. (fn. 39) In 1443 John
Bramshott, who had succeeded to the Lisle property, (fn. 40)
sued William Fauconer and others for the manor of
Chessell, (fn. 41) but quitclaimed the same in the July of
the following year. (fn. 42)
This transaction seems to have been for purposes
of conveyance to the lord of Shalfleet, with which
Chessell subsequently descended and in which it
became merged.
It is just possible that the manor of NINGWOOD
(Lingwede, xii cent.; Nyngewode, xiii cent.) was
represented in 1086 by 1 hide in 'Lenimcode' held
in chief by a certain Gerin. (fn. 43) Before the 12th
century it had passed to the Crown and was granted
by Henry I to Richard de Redvers, who gave it to
the priory of Christchurch Twyneham. (fn. 44) This gift
was confirmed in 1292 by Isabel de Fortibus, who
further gave the prior and convent leave to inclose the
land with dykes and hedges, 'save that the doe with
her fawn should have free passage, and that the dyke
of the wood of Ningwood should remain by the high
road, and might be repaired without denial by the
grantor and her heirs.' (fn. 45) The prior and convent
received a grant of free warren in their manor from
Richard II in 1384. (fn. 46)
At the Dissolution Ningwood was granted by
Henry VIII with other church lands to Thomas
Hopson in exchange for the manor of Marylebone. (fn. 47)
Thomas died seised in 1559, leaving as his heir his
son and namesake, (fn. 48) who was succeeded at his death
in 1594 by his son, a third Thomas. (fn. 49) In November
1627 John Hopson, probably a son of the latter, was
appointed 'to have the charge and leading of the
company of Ningwood as their captain.' (fn. 50) In 1631
this John Hopson conveyed the manor to trustees, (fn. 51)
who, according to Worsley, sold it to John Comber
of Chichester (co. Sussex). (fn. 52) The latter died childless and was succeeded by his nephew Thomas the
son of his sister Mary and Mark Miller. (fn. 53) From
this date the manor passed like Froyle (q.v.) in the
Miller family until the end of the 18th century, when
it was sold to John Pinhorn (afterwards knighted), a
London banker, who remodelled the house. In
1806 John Nash of East Cowes Castle bought it
of a Mr. Chamberlayne. He died in 1835 and
his widow devised it to John Pennethorne and his
sister Anne, at whose death it came to their niece,
Miss Rose Pennethorne, the present lady of the
manor. (fn. 54)
The manor of WELLOW (Welige, xi cent.; La
Wellonde, xiii cent.; Welewe, Welwe, xiv cent.) was
held in parage of King Edward the Confessor by
Coolf and afterwards by King William in demesne. (fn. 55)
It was granted in 1337 by Edward III to Hugh
le Despenser and descended with the manor of
Thorley (fn. 56) (q.v.) until it passed to the Crown in 1478.
In 1540 it was leased to Thomas Dore for a yearly
rent for twenty-one years (fn. 57) ; the lease was renewed
in favour of John Dore, possibly a son of Thomas,
about 1557 and again in 1581. (fn. 58) John Dore died
before 1612, in which year his sons Thomas and John
were the tenants of Wellow. (fn. 59) The third John Dore
was still living at Wellow in 1629, (fn. 60) but after this
date it is difficult to trace the history of the manor.
According to Worsley, however, it was subsequently
bought by John Comber and followed the descent of
Ningwood until the end of the 18th century. (fn. 61) It
was later acquired by the Rev. Richard Walton White,
and at the end of the 19th century it belonged to
Miss White, who died in 1911. It is now held by
her nephew, Captain Macpherson, R.N.
The manor of HAMSTEAD (Hamestede, xi cent.)
was held at the time of the Domesday Survey by
Gozelin the son of Azor, and had previously been
held in parage by Alvric. (fn. 62)
The 'land of Hamstead' was granted by Richard
de Redvers with Ningwood to the priory of Christchurch Twyneham in the reign of Henry I, (fn. 63) and in
1263 the prior and convent enlarged their property
by the acquisition of two small holdings from Geoffrey
and Wymarc Brodheye and William de Egesford and
Denise his wife. (fn. 64) In 1384 Richard II granted to
the priory free warren in the lands of Hamstead. (fn. 65)
The grant of Richard de Redvers did not include
all the land in Hamstead which belonged to the lords
of the Isle, for in 1279 Isabel de Fortibus granted her
lands of Hamstead to the abbey of Quarr. (fn. 66) In
1284 the abbot and convent received a grant of free
warren in their lands in Hamstead from Edward I. (fn. 67)
They remained in possession of the land till the
Dissolution.
In 1544 Henry VIII granted to Thomas Hopson,
in exchange for the manor of Marylebone, all the
lands in Hamstead which had belonged to the
priory of Christchurch and the abbey of Quarr. (fn. 68)
The property subsequently followed the descent of
the manor of Ningwood.
There was another manor of HAMSTEAD which
was held at the time of the Domesday Survey by
Nigel of William the son of Azor, and had previously
been held by Alvric in parage. (fn. 69) It was held in the
time of Henry III by John de Lisle of Wootton (fn. 70)
and followed the descent of that manor until the
early part of the 14th century. (fn. 71) In 1346 it was
held by Idonea de Beauchamp, but it is impossible to
trace its history with certainty after this date. (fn. 72)
The manor of SHALCOMBE (Eseldecombe, xi
cent.; Shelcecumbe, xiii cent.; Shaldecombe, Shalecombe, xvi cent.) was held in the reign of Edward
the Confessor by Alwin Forst and subsequently by
the chapel of St. Nicholas of the castle of Carisbrooke. (fn. 73)
This chapel was granted by Richard de Redvers
Earl of Devon to the abbey of Quarr about 1195. (fn. 74)
In 1284 Edward I granted free warren in the demesne
lands of Shalcombe to the abbot and convent and
their successors, (fn. 75) who remained in possession until
the Dissolution.
The manor of Shalcombe was among the church
lands granted by Henry VIII to Thomas Hopson in
exchange for Marylebone (fn. 76) ; it subsequently followed
the descent of the manor of Ningwood (q.v.) until
it was sold, according to Worsley, by the third
Thomas Hopson to the Stanleys of Paultons in the
parish of Copythorne (fn. 77) (q.v.). It remained in the
possession of this family till the end of the 18th
century, when it was divided between Sarah the wife
of Christopher d'Oyley and Anne the wife of Welbore
Ellis, afterwards Lord Mendip, the sisters and co-heirs
of Hans Stanley, after whose death it came back to
the Stanley family and is now owned by Captain
Sloane Stanley. (fn. 78)
At the time of the Domesday Survey there was 'a
wood worth twenty swine' attached to the manor
of Shalfleet. (fn. 79) The wood thus mentioned may have
included both Ningwood and the holding known as
SHALFLEET WOOD, which subsequently came
into the possession of Hugh Gernon (fn. 80) and was
granted by him to the abbey of Quarr. (fn. 81) This gift
was confirmed about 1175 by Thomas de Evercy,
Hugh's descendant, (fn. 82) and the abbey remained in
possession of the land until the Dissolution.
In 1537 Henry VIII granted the land called
Shalfleet Wood to Lord Chancellor Wriothesley, (fn. 83)
who sold it in the following year to John Mill. (fn. 84)
From the latter it passed, like Nursling (fn. 85) (q.v.), to
Sir Richard Mill (1568), but after this date the
history of the estate becomes obscure.
There were four messuages and land in Shalfleet
which belonged in the 14th century to the Gorges
of Knighton, who added to their holding between
1310 and 1315 the 3 acres of land called LA
ELDELONDE, together with the patronage of the
church, which had previously belonged to Henry
Trenchard. Sir Ralph de Gorges, who thrice presented to the living between May 1320 and May
1321, (fn. 86) died in 1325 and was succeeded by his son, a namesake. (fn. 87)
This Ralph de Gorges settled the
estate in 1320 on himself with remainder to William son of his sister
Eleanor and Theobald Russell, and
the heirs of his body, and failing such
to Theobald, William's brother. (fn. 88)
Theobald, who subsequently took the
name of Gorges, (fn. 89) succeeded his
brother William in 1346 (fn. 90) ; his son
Bartholomew died seised of the land
in 1395, (fn. 91) leaving as his heir his
brother Thomas, (fn. 92) but after this date
the history of the estate becomes
obscure.
A quarter of a fee at BOULDNOR
(Bolenore, xiv cent.) was held towards the end of the 13th century of Isabel Countess
of Devon by Henry Tolouse. (fn. 93) He or a descendant
of the same name held an eighth of a fee at Bouldnor
of the castle of Carisbrooke in 1334–5. (fn. 94) In 1345
Geoffrey Doget died seised of a messuage and land
in Bouldnor, leaving Margaret his daughter and
heir. (fn. 95) Margaret died in 1349 and was succeeded
by her cousin Alice daughter of Walter Doget
brother of Geoffrey. (fn. 96) Livery was made to Alice in
1354–5. (fn. 97)
From the Dogets the manor apparently passed to
the Ringbournes of Afton in Freshwater, for in
1431, when the manor is next mentioned, it belonged
to John Holcombe of Afton, (fn. 98) who had married
Agnes the widow of William Ringbourne. From
that date it descended with Afton (fn. 99) until 1591–2,
when Henry Bruen sold it to Thomas Urry. (fn. 100) The
further descent of the manor has not been traced.
The manor of HULVERSTONE (Hunfredeston,
xiii cent.; Humfrideston, xiv cent.) was held at the
end of the 13th century as a quarter of a knight's fee
by Robert de Glamorgan and John Paslew, (fn. 101) and
in 1346 the whole estate belonged to William Paslew
son and successor of John. (fn. 102) John Roucle or Rookley,
lord of Brook, had acquired this property before
1428, (fn. 103) and it probably then became merged in the
manor of Brook. Hulverstone now forms part of
the parish of Brook, having been transferred from
Shalfleet in 1889. (fn. 104)
Land in Shalfleet was granted by Egbert King of
the West Saxons (fn. 105) to the see of Winchester in 838,
and this grant was confirmed in the following year.
CHURCH
Shalfleet Church, of which the invocation has been lost, is one of the most
interesting in the Island. The original
church was built before the Great Survey, as it is
there mentioned, (fn. 106) and probably served all the
inhabitants of the low ground watered by the Newtown River as well as the tenants of the manor.
The massive tower, (fn. 107) with walls of over 5 ft. in
thickness, belongs to the end of the 11th century,
and till 1889 had no entrance except through the
church. The present nave must have been added
in the middle of the 12th century, to which period
the north door belongs. That a south aisle may
have been added later in the century is possible, as
there are undefined signs of a widening in the west
wall, but it is more probable this aisle belongs altogether, as do its details, to the latter half of the
13th century, (fn. 108) at which period the chancel was
added with its series of windows of much the same
detail as those at Arreton. Late in the 14th century
the tower was buttressed at the south-west angle and
the original round-headed windows filled in with
tracery. The 15th century saw the addition of the
south porch, the strengthening buttress to the east of
it and a new roof, (fn. 109) as well as the insertion of square
heads to the south-east and east windows of the
aisle. (fn. 110)
Plan of Shalfleet Church
Happily the two succeeding centuries saw little or
no change beyond the addition of a cupola roof to
the tower, which was replaced by the present spire
during the first quarter of the 19th century. (fn. 111) In
1889 the plaster was removed from ceiling and walls—the latter a questionable proceeding—the tower
arch unblocked, a new door cut through the north
face and the east window of the aisle reconstructed.
Shalfleet Church: The Nave looking North-east
The church is fortunate in having escaped late
additions and thus remaining an excellent example,
with the exception of the tower, of late 13th-century
work. The entry is by the north door, bearing the
date 1754 on its inner face, through the 12th-century opening with its primitive carved tympanum. (fn. 112) The north wall is practically modern work,
partly rebuilt on the old foundation and of the same
thickness in 1812, when wooden mullioned windows
with brick reveals took the place of what may have
been 15th-century lights. The insertion of the
wide arch in the 13th century, practically cutting
away the whole eastern face of the tower at this
stage, has resulted in a serious subsidence to the
north and east, with a corresponding contortion of
the arch. When this was blocked as a precautionary
measure there is nothing to show, but its opening in
1889 and the cutting of a door in the northern face
of the tower was an unwise and risky proceeding,
probably resulting in the serious crack in the upper
part of the north-east angle. The nave arcade of
four bays is supported, as at Arreton, (fn. 113) by Purbeck
shafts and has settled considerably towards the east. (fn. 114)
The windows of the aisle are somewhat singular with
their curious oval tracery in the heads, that in the
west wall being a double lancet with unpierced head.
In the south door the arch mouldings run down the
jamb and the roll finishes in a base. The outer
splay on the east face of the chancel arch is cut away
to the height of the respond cap, probably in connexion with the woodwork of a screen. (fn. 115) The
chancel windows are of two lights in the side walls, (fn. 116)
with engaged shafts and trefoiled circles in the heads,
the east window being of three lights with three
quatrefoiled circles above. There is a priest's door
in the chancel north wall similar to that at Arreton.
The tower has a belfry stage, but the bells are hung
above it in the steeple, thus adding a good deal to
the insecurity of the tower, which is here braced
across the internal angles by iron ties. A 13th-century window similar to that in the west wall of the
aisle has been inserted in the south wall of this stage.
There is a trefoil-headed piscina below the sill of the
easternmost window in the south wall of the aisle
and an aumbry in the chancel rebated for a wooden
door with a drop-arch over. On the floor are two
interesting sepulchral slabs of the 13th century, (fn. 117)
one bearing a spear and shield, the other spear,
shield and pot helmet. On the east wall of the aisle
is a 17th-century memorial tablet, which bears no
inscription beyond the date 1630. It is divided
into two panels with four-centred arched heads and
has shields in the centre of each. There is an oak
pulpit of the time of Charles I and altar-rails of the
18th century. (fn. 118) A simple oak chancel screen has
lately been added.
A noticeable feature in the church is that the floor
slopes down gradually to the east end without a
break at the chancel arch.
The two bells in the tower are inscribed 'May
all whom I shall summon to the grave, The ransom
of a well-spent life receive. Thos. Way, James
Street, Churchwardens, 1815. T. Mears of London
fecit.' The smaller bell has only the names of the
churchwardens, J. Jolliffe and J. Cooper, and the
date 1807.
The communion plate consists of two silver
patens (fn. 119) dated 1594 and a chalice 1798.
The registers are as follows: (i) all entries from
1604 to 1761; (ii) baptisms and burials 1762 to
1812; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson belonged in early
times to the lords of the manor, (fn. 120)
and as late as 1310 it was in the
possession of Henry Trenchard, who in that year
conveyed it to Richard de Bourne, clerk, for purposes
of settlement. (fn. 121) In 1315 Richard was summoned
before Richard Woodlock, Bishop of Winchester, to
answer for his intrusion into the living of Shalfleet (fn. 122) ;
at the same time Henry Trenchard is stated to have
laid claim to the advowson, which had come into
the hands of the Gorges. (fn. 123) Both Henry and Richard
were summoned to appear before Bishop Sendale in
1317, (fn. 124) and early in 1320 the rector of Shalfleet
resigned. (fn. 125) In January 1323, however, Richard de
Bourne obtained from Bishop Rigaud de Asserio, the
successor of Bishop Sendale, a sentence of greater
excommunication upon Henry Trenchard, (fn. 126) and
two years afterwards he returned to Shalfleet, (fn. 127) of
which place he was described as rector in the time
of Bishop Stratford. (fn. 128) During this period Sir Ralph
de Gorges had presented to the living and the
patronage followed the same descent as his lands in
Shalfleet until 1346, (fn. 129) when it passed from Theobald
Russell to William Montagu Earl of Salisbury, (fn. 130)
whose son and heir William in 1362 obtained a
quitclaim from Giles Trenchard. (fn. 131)
The advowson presumably reverted to the Crown
with the forfeiture of the earl in 1400, (fn. 132) but was
restored to his son Thomas, by whom it was granted
in 1414 to the Prior and convent of Bisham, (fn. 133) who
subsequently presented to the living. (fn. 134) After the
Dissolution in 1541 the patronage was granted to
Anne of Cleves for life, (fn. 135) and it afterwards reverted
to the Crown, (fn. 136) in whose possession it still remains,
the patron at the present day being the Lord
Chancellor. (fn. 137)
Hugh Goodacre, afterwards Primate of Ireland,
was vicar of Shalfleet in the reign of Edward VI;
about 1548 the Princess Elizabeth had procured
from the Protector a licence for him to preach,
saying that he had been a long time known unto her
to be of sufficient learning and judgement in the
Scriptures. (fn. 138)
In 1595 Fulk Greville sought to obtain 'the
parsonage of Shawfleet' for Samuel Daniel the
poet, (fn. 139) at whose request it was demised by the
queen to Nicholas Browne in 1602. (fn. 140)
There are chapels for Wesleyans (1861), Primitive
Methodists and Baptists, with a United Methodist
chapel at Newbridge.
CHARITIES
In 1859 William Way, by his
will proved at Winchester 7 July,
left a legacy, now represented by
£208 12s. 1d. consols, with the official trustees, the
annual dividends, amounting to £5 4s. 4d., to be
applied in aid of the funds of the parish school.
The charity of Mrs. Marianne Fletcher Farnall,
founded by will proved 8 February 1838, consists
of £900 consols, with the official trustees, producing
£22 10s. a year, which, in pursuance of a scheme of
the Charity Commissioners 27 November 1883, is
applied for the benefit of the poor in the distribution
of coal, clothing and subscriptions to the Isle of
Wight Infirmary.
In 1909 coal to the value of £18 14s. 3d. was
distributed to thirty-two recipients.