PORTSDOWN HUNDRED 



ALVERSTOKE 



Christ Church at Newton, is a modern building en- 

 larged in I 862, and has a chancel with nave of four bays. 



There was a chapel at Gosport attached to the 

 parish church in 1284.'' Leland states that there 

 stood, before his time, a ' prophanid ' chapel near the 

 shore of Portsmouth Haven, ' scant half a mile from 

 the very mouth of the haven.' 1M The present church 

 of the Holy Trinity was built in 1696 ; for some 

 years it was a chapelry of St. Mary, Alverstoke, but 

 it was assigned a separate parish in i86o. 10 ' St. 

 Matthew, Gosport, was formed into a parish out of 

 Alverstoke in i845, 105 the church being built in the 

 same year. 106 Holy Trinity Church is a brick build- 

 ing stuccoed, consisting of chancel, nave with aisles of 

 eight bays, west porch, and detached north-west 

 tower. It was entirely remodelled in 1887, and the 

 west end rebuilt, the tower being added in 1889. It 

 contains a great deal of good modern woodwork and 

 other fittings, and the organ came from the chapel at 

 Canons, Stanmore, the famous house of the dukes of 

 Chandos, having been purchased by the parishioners 

 when the house was dismantled. St. Matthew's, built 

 in 1 846, has a chancel, nave with aisles of five bays, 

 and south porch, of thirteenth-century style. 



The church of St. John, Forton, was built in 1831, 

 to serve as a district chapel. 107 In 1841 a distinct 

 parish was assigned to it. 108 A new church is partially 

 built, though the old one still exists. 



At Elson the church of St. Thomas was built in 

 1845, and assigned a portion of Alverstoke parish in 

 December of that year. 109 It has a chancel, nave, and 

 west turret, and is designed in thirteenth-century style. 



The Baptists, Congregationalists, and Wesleyans all 

 have chapels in Gosport, and the Roman Catholics 

 have a chapel in High Street. 



The following charities exist within 

 CHARITIES the liberty: 



Captain John Mann, by his will 

 1660, gave j5 yearly for the poor out of certain 

 messuages in George Alley, in the parish of St. George, 

 Southwark, vested in the governors of St. Thomas's 

 Hospital, from whom the sum of 4 is received 

 annually 1 being deducted for land tax. 



In 1671 Abraham Hewlett by will gave 20*. 

 yearly to the poor out of his dwelling-house in Gosport. 

 The annuity is secured on a house in High Street, 

 Gosport, and is regularly paid by the owner. 



In 1711 Jane Holmes by will charged a house and 

 garden with 40*. yearly, for the benefit of two poor 

 widows. The annuity is regularly received from 

 Mrs. Seward, the owner of the house in the vil- 

 lage. Two cottages adjoining the property charged 

 are occupied by two widows, who in addition to the 

 annuity of 40^. receive 36 8/. from the Thorngate 

 Charity No. 4 (see below). 



William Allen, by will 1719, charged his estates in 

 Gosport and Alverstoke with 4 a year for the 

 poor. It is secured on the King's Arms public- 

 house, High Street, Gosport, and is received from 

 Messrs. L. N. Blake & Co., solicitors for the owner. 



In 1773 William Poore, by his will, charged his 

 house in Gosport with .5 yearly for ever, payable to 

 the churchwardens of the liberty part of the parish 

 of Alverstoke for bread, to be given after every Sun- 

 day morning's service to poor persons therein, widows 



in preference. The devise was confirmed by deed 

 enrolled in Chancery, dated z October, 1775. The 

 rent-charge fell into arrear, but, owing to the interven- 

 tion of the Charity Commissioners, the payment was 

 resumed (with arrears) by the owner of No. 30, 

 Clarence Square, Gosport, which represents the 

 property charged. 



In 1828 James Spaycock by his will left 78 1 11. 

 consols (with the official trustees), dividends to be 

 given to two of the poorest and most respectable 

 watermen residing in the parish. 



The above-mentioned charities are administered 

 together by the rector and churchwardens. Bread is 

 given weekly to aged widows, fourteen old widows 

 receive 5/. each, and the dividends on the stock are 

 divided between two poor old watermen. 



In 1 8 80 Thomas Paul by will left 3,000 con- 

 sols to the rector and churchwardens of Alverstoke, 

 th^ dividends to be applied in the distribution of 

 coals at Christmas-time to poor residents in the parish 

 without regard to age, sex, or religious profession, in 

 quantities of one-fourth of a ton to each person. In 

 1905, 78 tons of coal were distributed among 312 

 recipients at a cost of 73. 



In 1887 Frederick John Lowes, M.D., bequeathed 

 1,000 consols to the rector and churchwardens 

 upon trust, that the dividends thereof should be 

 applied in the distribution of money at Christmas 

 among fifty poor inhabitants residing in the parish as 

 constituted in the year 1887, when the charity came 

 into operation. The sum of io/. is given to each 

 recipient. 



The two sums of stock are held by the official trustees. 



The above apply to the whole parish of Alverstoke. 

 In connexion with the town of Gosport there are the 

 following charities : 



By deed dated 27 September, 1693, Lambert 

 Peachey conveyed a piece of land for the erection 

 thereon of almshouses. Augmentations were made to 

 the charity by members of the Peachey family, and 

 in 1786 a sum of 360 arising under the will of 

 Richard Pilfold (l 760) was laid out in the purchase of 

 3 acres 2 roods in the parish of Wickham, the rents to 

 provide weekly bread for the inmates. 



The endowments of the Almshouse Charity now 

 consist of a messuage in North Cross Street, let at 

 40 a year ; an annuity of 2 los. paid by the Urban 

 District Council out of New Short Road, Gosport ; 

 and jS os. \d., 2 l$s. per cent, annuities, arising 

 from investment of balances in hand. 



The endowments of Richard Pilfold's augmentation 

 consist of 2 acres 20 poles of land at Wickham, 

 196 \t)s. ifd., 2 I5/. per cent, annuities, arising 

 from investment of proceeds of sale in 1899 of 

 part of the land at Wickham to the London and 

 South Western Railway Co., and 96 los. \d. con- 

 sols from investment of surplus income. The sums of 

 stock are held by the official, and the charities are 

 administered under a scheme of the Charity Commis- 

 sioners, dated 1 5 May, 1 900. 



In 1838 Mrs. Ann Paul, by will proved in the 

 P.C.C., left 200 to be invested and income applied 

 (subject to an invalid trust for repair of certain tombs 

 in the chapel-yard of Holy Trinity), to be divided on 

 I February and I August in every year among indi- 



l<a Cal. Chart. R. ii, 273. 



103 Itin. (ed. Thos. Hearne), p. 96. 



104 Land. Gax. 25 Jan. 1860, p. 298. 



105 Ibid. 3 Sept. 1845, P- z6 95- 



106 Conspectus of the Dhc. of fPinton, 

 1864. 



207 



107 Ibid. 



106 Land. Gas. 7 Sept. 1841, p. 2250. 

 109 Ibid. 23 Dec. 1845, p. 7281 j Con- 

 spectus of the Dioc. of IVinton, 1864. 



