NEWSLETTER August 2021 NUMBER 54 Officers: Other Trustees: Roger Williams Chairman John Pullen Vice Chairman Tony Butt Secretary Peter Almond Jon Matthews Richard Day Treasurer Barry Sowerby Stella Watling Registered Charity no: 1180926 Please address all enquiries to: The Secretary, Friends of Northwood Cemetery, 16 Church Road, Gurnard, Isle of Wight PO31 8JP; Tel: (01983) 295807 Email: [email protected] Website: www.friendsofnorthwoodcemetery.org.uk Chairman’s Report At last, with restrictions easing, on Friday 4th June we were able to hold our TARGET £12,000 first themed Coffee Morning since March of last year, and together with a £12,000 plant sale, raised over £400 towards the restoration costs of the Civilian £10,000 War Grave, which combined with other donations means we have now raised just over £9,000 in total. We are still some £3,000 short of our target £8,000 and whilst we are seeking sources of grant funding, your donation, no matter how small or large, would be most welcome. You can donate online £6,000 by visiting our website, send a cheque to our treasurer or give cash to any one of our trustees who are usually working in the Cemetery on Wednesday £4,000 and Saturday mornings. £2,000 Work on restoring the kerb stones is expected to start in early August and will likely take about 4 – 6 weeks. Please be mindful of contractor’s vehicles £0 and equipment when visiting the Cemetery during this period. On 2nd July we had a book sale in brilliant sunshine outside the Heritage Resource Centre. It was good to see so many of our ‘regulars’ again as well as a number of new visitors. My sincere thanks to everyone who supported (and helped) at these coffee mornings, we do hope to see you all at our future sessions, (see the back page for diary dates). I am pleased to say that our Partners, the Isle of Wight Council, arranged for many of the concrete paths to be repaired, which had become broken and uneven and posed serious trip hazards. They have also arranged for contractors to repair and apply wood preservative to the gazebo timbers shortly. Midsummer is the perfect time to visit the grounds and take in the huge variety of flora and fauna within the Cemetery. There is currently an abundance of butterflies, insects, wild flowers, birds and of course our many red squirrels to admire; well worth a visit if you have an hour or so to spare. President: Jon Matthews Vice Presidents: Geoff Banks, B E M David Jones Graham Lloyd Lora Peacey-Wilcox Headstone - Hidden from View Nearing the completion of transcribing the memorial inscriptions of Plot 15, I noticed, by peering through a rhododendron bush, evidence of stonework; the one that nearly got away? Unknown at the time, it was a fallen headstone, dirty and buried in leaf litter. Although it did just look like the edge of an old breeze block, further investigation was required to at least eliminate it. The first task was to check the shrubbery for evidence of any birds’ nests and after finding none, the loppers and secateurs were put into action. Several cuts and scratches later (that bramble was very sharp!) the Friends of Northwood Cemetery Conservation Team were called in to help clear around the area, which revealed the toppled headstone (albeit in good condition). It was very dirty, but once washed off the owners name became clear. Joseph Ninham; interred 1895; and his daughter Ellen, 1936. With its decorative edging and almost perfect lead lettering crafted by a stonemason over one hundred years ago, it was an exciting discovery. It was a great sense of achievement to then be able to photograph and transcribe the inscription, subsequently uploading the results to the owner’s burial record on the website. Revealing ‘hidden’ memorials gives immense satisfaction to the FoNC volunteers; bringing them back into view after being hidden for (possibly) many years. To see the results of the operation, you can find the record of Joseph Ninham and a link to his daughter, Ellen, on the website at http://www.friendsofnorthwoodcemetery.org.uk/b urial-record/ninham-joseph/ The Friends of Northwood Cemetery annually set-aside a proportion of their donated funding to repair and/or re- erect memorials within the Cemetery. In fact, restoration work is imminent on nine memorials which are covered by the 2020/21 budget, at a cost of some £2,500. Most of these are headstones that were either toppled or damaged when the large Monterey Pine fell on Plot 22 in March 2020. Joseph and Ellen Ninham may be lucky enough to have their memorial re-erection included on the 2021/22 list, funds permitting. Barry Sowerby Historian 2 Rashley's The story of this family firm of bakers and grocers starts in 1877 when Edwin Colin Rashley founded the firm. In 1887 a plot of land in Park Road was purchased by Mr Rashley for £248; this became the well-known shop and bakery. Although now owned by others it is still known as 'Rashley’s'. Buried in Northwood Cemetery are several members of the family. The founder Edwin Colin is buried beneath this headstone in plot 15 grave 111, he died on 6th February 1943 aged 88. Buried beside him in grave 122 is his first wife Martha who died on 13th July 1911 aged 54. His second wife Bertha who he married in 1915 died on 28th March 1955 aged 88 is buried with him in plot 111. Edwin is described in an Isle of Wight County Press 13th February 1943 report as a staunch Liberal and a founder member of Cowes Liberal Club. He was a Vice-President of Northwood Cricket Club and Cowes Bowling Club. As a young man he grew prize winning chrysanthemums, showing them at South of England shows. Edwin and Martha had five children; two boys and three girls. The sons Edwin Colin (the same as his father) and Douglas Leigh took over what was now Rashley Bros. when Edwin senior retired in 1916. Edwin had two brothers, Charles and Frank Leigh. It appears they both worked for the firm rather than being partners. They are both buried in Northwood Cemetery. Edwin’s granddaughter, Margaret Griggs, in her memoirs suggested that by marrying Martha, daughter of George Richardson landlord of the Royal Oak in Terminus Rd in 1882 Edwin had enough money to open the Park Road premises, having previously traded in Albert Street. The younger Edwin died just 5 years after his father on 18th May 1948. He is buried alone with a plain headstone in plot 31 grave 8610. He married Winifred Baker in 1912 and they had daughters, Barbara and Winifred and a son Colin Edward born in 1922. Douglas Leigh married Dora Binder in 1921, they had two children Dorothy May and Eric Douglas. He died 6th January 1976 and is buried in plot 14 grave 5830. Also buried in the same plot are his wife who died in 1962, his son Eric who died in 1989 and Eric’s wife Grace who died in 2000. Dorothy married Bert Symons in 1945; he joined the firm becoming a partner. They are buried in plot 39 grave 11199a. Pictured here is the last loaf baked at Rashley’s Princes Street Bake House on 10th June 1973. From left are Bill Saunders, Joe Spragg, Bert Symons, Eric Rashley, Edgar Read and Douglas Rashley. When this picture was taken Douglas had retired, his son Eric and son in law Bert Symons managed the shop and bakery. The Isle of Wight County Press on 16th June reported that a loyal customer bought 57 loaves of the last batch for his deep freeze. David Jones Vice-President 3 The Maberly Graves Against the Eastern edge of Northwood Cemetery in Plot 1 are these three identical headstones; grave numbers 15, 16 & 17. These are the graves of the Maberly family in Plot 1; Colonel William Leader Maberly (grave 15), his wife Catherine Charlotte (grave 17) and between them their only child William Anson Robert (grave 16). William died in Cowes in 1867 aged 27. Inscribed on his headstone by his grieving parents is a desire to be buried either side of him. This wish was complied with, firstly Catherine (spelt with a K on her son’s headstone, with a C on her own) died in 1875, and then Colonel Maberly, dying in 1885, were buried either side of their beloved son. I can find no family connection to Cowes and surmise that the son died in Cowes and was buried locally resulting in the two other graves, although they both died in London. The headstones and the full inscriptions on each headstone can be viewed on our website in the Burial Records www.friendsofnorthwoodcemetery.org.uk Born in 1798 William Maberly joined the British Army at 17 as a Lieutenant in the 7th Foot Regiment, was promoted to Captain in the 9th Lancers, then to Major in 72nd Highlanders, before becoming Lieutenant-Colonel of the 96th Foot (1826-27) and the 76th Foot (1827-32). He remained attached on half pay until his retirement from the army in 1881. His military career didn't prevent him becoming the MP for Westbury (1819-20), for Northampton (1820-30), for Shaftesbury (1831-32) and for Chatham (1832-34). 4 He also found time to serve as Surveyor-General of the Ordnance (1831-32), Clerk of the Ordnance (1833-34) and a Commissioner of Customs (1834-36). In 1836 he was appointed as Joint Secretary to the General Post Office; during his time there he strongly opposed the ideas of fellow employee Rowland Hill who proposed a uniform postal rate which led to the, now universal, use of adhesive stamps.