Whitson
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Whitson is a village in the outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom.
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[edit] Location
Whitson is located four miles south east of the city of Newport on the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea. Administratively, Whitson is part of Goldcliff Community Council.
[edit] Origin of the name
Sir Joseph Bradney, who published his "History of Monmouthshire" in 1932, was undecided on the derivation of the name of the manor and surrounding village, but notes early spellings such as Witston, Widson and Wyttston. In 1358 it was held by John de Saint Maur of Penhow of Peter de Cusance by knight service, as of his manor of Langstone. In the 18th century and 19th century a family named Phillips owned a large estate in the parish and lived at what was then called Whitson House (see "Whitson Court" below).
[edit] Character
Together with the neighbouring larger parishes of Nash and Goldcliff it is one of the so-called "Three Parishes" which have long been treated as a unit - geographically, socially, economically and ecclesiastically.
At high-tide much of the land in the village is below sea-level. A main drainage ditch [1], with an origin near Llanwern, known as "Monksditch" or "Goldcliff Pill" (probably from the Welsh "pwll" for pool) passes through the village on its way to the sea. Local folklore maintains that the sides of the Monksditch are laced with smuggler's brandy.
The main part of the village has the houses and farmsteads set back from the road in long strips of pasture reflecting a medieval 'cope' land allocation pattern, similar to that used in land reclamation in Holland [1].
[edit] History
In 1901 Kelly's Directory [2] lists the Parish Clerk as one William Roberts and sub-postmaster as one Richard Keyte. The two private dwellings given are those of Mr. Phillips St. John Knox Richards J.P. at Whitson Court and Reverend John Price of St.Bees (vicar of Whitson & Goldcliff) at the Vicarage.
Commercial properties are given as: Henry Gale, farmer, Church Farm; John Hale, farmer, Whitson Farm; Mrs Charlotte Howells, farmer, Whitson Green; Thomas James, Newhouse; Edward Jones, stone mason; Robert Robert, farmer; John Keyte, farmer, Chestnut Tree Farm; Rishard Keyte, carpenter, wheelwright & post office; Ddgar Morgan, farmer, Court Farm; John Waters, farmer, Green Court; Charles Webb, farmer.
[edit] The Church
The tiny parish church [3], with its distinctive "thimble tower" [4], is situated to the east of the village at Porton. It is thought to have originally been a chapellage of the Benedictine Priory at Goldcliff. Although the original dedication is unclear, the church is known locally as St.Mary's (not to be confused with the church of St.Mary Magdelene at Goldcliff).
An ancient building of stone, in the Early English style, it consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a western tower, originally containing two bells. Prior to the 20th century the nave has been restored and the chancel substantially rebuilt. There is a handsome Norman font and a stained glass memorial east window erected in 1884 by the family the Reverend John Beynon. In 1901 there were 100 sittings. The register of baptisms dates from the year 1744; marriages from 1729; burials from 1728. In 1901 the living was a vicarage with a net income of £196, including 49 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Eton College and the Dean and Chapter of Llandaff alternately, and held from 1900 by the Reverend John Price.
Bradney (1933) noted the church as "remarkable for its fine tower with a pinacle at one corner" [2] The church is now closed but the churchyard may still be accessed by means of a public footpath though private land. [5]
The real outpost of the village is the remote Lower Porton House which, situated right next to the sea, is accessible only via the seawall. Historically Porton has been part of Goldcliff and may have once had its own separate church [3], although confusion with Whitson church seems more likely.
[edit] Whitson Court
Whitson Court [6] is a Welsh example of a neo-classically inspired family house. It is claimed that the house was the work of the architect John Nash, but as the house was almost complete in 1795, having been built for MP William Phillips, this is hard to believe. Monumental inscriptions at Whitson church indicate that the house was called Whitson House from at least 1789 and for most of the 19th century, but was known as Whitson Court by 1903. Memorial stones for the Phillips family may also be found in St.Mary's church in Nash. (William Phillips also built Redbrick House in nearby Redwick).
After the death of St. John Knox Rickards Phillips J.P. [4] in 1901, the house went to a distant relative, the Rev. Oliver Rodie Vassall-Phillips. In consequence of the persecution of religious congregations in France, the Sacramentines of Bernay of the Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament at the time of the expulsion in July 1903, were compelled to close their boarding-school and go into exile. Thirteen of the sisters retired to Belgium, and founded a house at Hal, while the rest of their community settled in Wales at Whitson Court [5] - thanks to the generosity of Rev. Oliver Rodie Vassall-Phillips.
This order of nuns existence is precarious, for they are not permitted to open a school. Their days are spent in prayer, adoration, and the making of altar-breads, vestments, and church ornaments. In March, 1911, the Sacramentines were permitted by Archbishop Farley to open a house in Holy Trinity parish, Yonkers, New York. When Sir Joseph Bradney's published his "History of Monmouthshire" in 1932, the house stood empty - it is likely therefore that all of the nuns had left the house for America by that time.
During World War II, the court housed Jewish refugees, as well as providing work for German Prisoners of War. The house was also used as a reference point by German bomber crews, aiming for bomb runs at Newport Docks[6].
During the 1970s, in the ownership of the Maybury family, the house was briefly the home of a private zoo.
The house is currently abandoned, and on Newport City Council's "Buildings at Risk" register [7], although a local businessman has recently purchased the property and has requested planning permission to undertake extensive repairs which are currently underway.
[edit] Whitehall Farm/Redbrick House
This notable property is situated in the neighbouring parish of Redwick.
[edit] Ameneties
The vlllage was the home for the Post Office for the three parishes for many years but this has now long since closed. The village hall, now sadly unused, was with its adjoining parish field, for many years the site of an annual village fair at Whitsuntide which traditionally included a road-race run around the three parishes.
There is a large electricty sub-station [7], operated by the National Grid, adjacent to the site of Llanwern Steelworks near Whitson Arch.
The village has never been known to have had its own public house.
The village enjoys a regular public bus service (Route 63, seven a day, six days a week) provided by Francis Drake Travel.
The local newspaper is the South Wales Argus which is published in Newport.
[edit] References
- ^ British Archaeology, No 11, February 1996: A land shaped by generations past
- ^ Bradney, Sir Joseph. A History of Monmouthshire, Vol 4 Part 2: The Hundred of Caldicot (Part 2), pub 1933, reprinted 1994, Merton Priory Press.
- ^ Bradney, Sir Joseph. A History of Monmouthshire, Vol 4 Part 2: The Hundred of Caldicot (Part 2). pub 1933, reprinted 1994, Merton Priory Press.
- ^ KELLY'S DIRECTORY OF MONMOUTHSHIRE, 1901
- ^ CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament
- ^ Data Wales - Whitson Court
- ^ Newport City Council - Register of buildings at risk
[edit] External links
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