Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
  • MENU

May 1875

Isle of Wight Observer:

May 1st 1875:  RYDE TO NEWPORT RAILWAY – We are happy to see that the Bill for the Ryde and Newport Railway has passed the Lords; and it is rumoured that by October next people may be able to get from Ryde to Newport, not by a round-about method, or by old fashioned coaches, but by a direct line of railroad. We believe the inhabitants of Newport and Ryde will be astonished to find how great will be the numbers of travellers by this line.

May 1st 1875:  HEALTH OF THE BOROUGH – We have much pleasure in stating, on the authority of the medical officer of health, Dr. PLATT WILKS, that during the week ending April 28th there was no death registered for this borough. This is a satisfactory state of things, which we hope will continue.

May 1st 1875:  ACCIDENT – On Thursday morning a little boy of the name of PICKNELL, whose parents live in Hill Street, was playing with several other lads at Smallbrooke, when he fell off the railway bridge there, injuring his head so severely that he had to be taken to the Infirmary where he now remains. We understand that this is not the first accident at this spot owing to boys playing about the bridge.

May 1st 1875:  A RUNAWAY – St, Thomas’s- square was in a great state of excitement, owing to a runaway horse, it bolted down Church-lane, the carriage being attached to the frightened animal by only one trace. There was a cart standing in the road, and how it managed to pass this cart is a mystery. The horse continued till it reached the bottom of the lane, when it came violently in contact with Mr. CRABB’s baker’s cart and sent the bread flying in all directions. This brought it too., but the shafts of the carriage were broken and other damage done; while Mr. CRABB’s horse was so seriously injured that it is feared it will have to be killed.

May 1st 1875:  DISCOVERY OF HUMAN BONES – Workman have been making alterations at the back of Strand Villa, in the course of the excavations they were obliged to make deep down in ordinary sea-shore sand, they came across a quantity of bones. These relics of poor mortality may, without doubt, be referred to the Royal George, for upon the Strand were buried nearly all those drowned by that lamentable catastrophe, whose bodies were washed in off Ryde.

May 15th 1875:  RAILWAY BETWEEN RYDE PIER AND ST JOHN’S – There are not many, we should imagine, who would care to find the sea view of the Esplanade obstructed by another pier approach (as Mr. KNIGHT suggested) by a bridge over the Esplanade. Such a structure could not but disadvantage the town. One member of the Town Council has said, in private conversation, that he believed the pier might be reached by tunnelling under the Esplanade, and that he would withdrawer his opposition if such a scheme could be carried out.

May 22nd 1875:  THE CEMETERY – We are glad to see then that our cemetery is again in this bright spring time, looking as fresh as the face of nature, and that the beautiful flowers there are beginning to enliven the place. We must say we think that the superintendent (Mr MEW) deserves the credit for the way in which the cemetery is kept. The contrast between it and the old churchyard of St. Thomas’s Chapel is very striking. We think that it is almost time that something was done to improve the appearance of the latter place, though we entertain no great hope of any remonstance upon this matter being attended to.

May 29th 1875:  COLLISION IN THE SOLENT. – On Saturday morning the RYDE, one of the Southsea and Ryde Steam Ferry Company’s vessels, came into collision with a large yacht whilst crossing to Ryde. There was a high wind at the time, and both vessels were going at a considerable speed. Both vessels were enabled to continue on their course. The RYDE was afterwards placed on a slip at Gosport for repairs. As usual, each party blame the other for the collision.

May 29th 1875:  NEGLECTING TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY – Rueben COLEMAN, 37, Albert-Street was charged with neglecting to maintain his wife and children, when able to do so, whereby they became chargeable to the guardians. Mrs. Sarah Ann COLEMAN said he was a baker, he did not provide her with necessary food. She had ten children. On 20th of May she applied for relief because she was obliged to do so, as she had no food. Her husband was at work, on the day in question, but she did not see him all day. When he came home he was not sober. He was well able to keep her if he chose to. The defendant having promised to support his wife better, he was warned by the mayor that if he came before the Bench again he might be sent to Winchester gaol for three months.