NETLEY ABBEY MATTERS!


INTRODUCTION

This is simply what the search engines call the "Landing Page" for my website.

It tells you what new articles, photos etc have been added into the website recently.


The content of the Netley Abbey Village and Netley Military Hospital pages is updated

usually around the start of each month, giving you an insight into what's been happening in

these two locations through the years. 

Why not check them out?

This website was last updated on 28/06/2025

Netley Abbey Matters
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At one end, 

Ruins of a 13th century Cistercian Abbey; at the other, a Military Cemetery


tucked in the middle -

a Victorian Village and the ghosts of its former

Military Hospital! 

Welcome to the Past Lives and Times of


NETLEY VILLAGE and HOSPITAL

Let the memories live on!

Hot off the Press!

The Miles Family story is on Shared Stories M - P.  In May 2025 via this website, I heard from a

lady in Australia who asked if I could put her in touch with Bob Miles as she

had recently found out that she shares Bob's Great Grand-parents, "Topsy" aka

William and Louisa Maria Miles.


Louise is currently visiting family in the UK and is coming down to Netley Abbey in a

few weeks' time to meet up with Bob and me!


-o0o-


The Royal Victoria Hospital's Visitors' Book is missing!

If you know where it is, please let me know.

For more information, click on Netley Military Hospital


-o0o-


I've received some new information, a photo and articles about Sergeant John Critchley

whose story was originally in Shared Hospital Stories until March 2024 before I included it in my

book "Unforgotten Lives at Netley Hospital".

I've agreed with his Great Grandson, James, that I will reinstate John's extended story on to

Shared Stories A - D soon.


One of of John's daughters was Ivy Louise.  Her Great Grand-daughter, Danielle contacted me

in March 2024 and now I'm helping her to compose her Great Grandma's story to add to the story.


-o0o-


I received an email in late May 2025 from Carol whose husband is the Great Great Grandson of the

Rev John Aspinall Addison, Vicar of Netley between 1858 - 1874.


When the Vicar and his wife left Netley Village in 1874, the parishioners presented them with a

silver pot, silver biscuit tin and napkin rings.  Carol's husband inherited the silver pot ...

The Reverend's updated story and photos can now be found on Village Folk (he's first up!)


-o0o-


I've added details of some of the Railway Workers who were at Netley Military Hospital


-o0o-


The following new information or updates on existing articles have been added to the website

in May/June 2025:


            in Growth of the Village:

- a new road linking Woolston to Netley Castle - 1841

           - the ins and outs of building the new Netley Infants School 1882 - 1884

- the Mission Hall gains a Marriage License - 1888

- the opening of the first-ever Chemist Shop in Netley Village in 1902


            in Lost but not forgotten:

- more info on "Hilton" - 1839

- more info has been added about Netley Abbey Hotel 1850 - 1867

- the opening of the Jubilee Hall - 1887


in Village Life - how the Villagers celebrated Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887!


             in Village Folk - read more about

- Major Chatfield, MC; and

- the origins of the Chamberlayne Family


             Under History of Netley Hospital -

Pre-1914 - I've added details of a suspected poisoning at Netley Hospital in 1877

definitely not for the squeamish!

and

World War ll and beyond - August 1945

I've added some names of US Navy personnel stationed at

232nd Station Hospital aka Netley Hospital whilst USNR were in control of it.

-o0o-


Coming soon ...

A new addition to "Lost but not Forgotten" - Netley Grange Farm will be added shortly.

Sadly in 2025, there's barely any sign left of what was once a very important location!


-o0o-


A member of the Summerfield Family has contacted me about their ancestor

who had a business in Netley Abbey Village and connections to the Crichton Family. 

We're currently compiling the story to add to Shared Stories R - W


-o0o-


I've started trawling through my records for articles about happenings in July through the years!

Use the Search box below to check what's on the website!  It should open a different tab

To mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Wickham History Society is delighted to announce this new Exhibition.


There will be displays of various aspects of life

in Wickham during those years - the Home Guard, evacuees, the Land Army, our fighting men,

the "Beverley Babes" - the babies born at

RN Maternity home on Southwick Road - Wickham Invasion Committee and more,

including a display of model planes from that time.


Visitors will be able to look for their houses on

the 1840 Tithe and 1897 OS maps, browse albums of old photos of Wickham and read newspaper clippings.  Church records of baptisms, marriages and burials will also be available to browse through.


PS - I'm on stewarding duty on the Saturday

1300 - 1500h

-o0o-


I wasn't quite sure whether this should be on the Village page or because it was military on the Hospital page so decided to stick it in here ...


"On Monday evening, a melancholy accident took place at Netley Camp. As the men were firing,

a soldier who had incautiously loaded his musket with ten cartridges, had his hand so

miserably blown up that the knuckles were all torn asunder and the wrist only hung by the skin.


He was immediately carried to the Hospital Tent where it was deemed necessary an amputation, higher up in the arm, should take place. An Officer said to him “My poor lad, you have done with Soldiering” to which he replied “Although my King and Country can no longer have my arm,

they shall ever have my heart”.

All his cry to the Officers was “For God’s sake, Gentlemen, get me the “Bread”, a military cant

word for a pension." 

Hereford Journal, 18/06/1800

Past Lives and Times of Netley Village and Hospital

I thought it might be worthwhile to list here the names of the past Netley Abbey Villagers

whose stories currently feature in Village Folk -


Reverend John A Addison     Robert Beck     Chamberlayne  Family     Major L H Chatfield   

William B Courtenay   Crichton Family      George Damen

Thomas Denman     Downie Sisters    Charles Durrant    William Edginton   

    Gould Family     Alexander Greaves     Reginald C Hollis

(Sorry, can't find the first name of) Mr Lance     Douglas McGibbon   

Moore Family     Abner Pearmain   Pennington Family   Bertram Ponsford   

Rashleigh Sisters    Gordon Rice   Henry G Ross     Sedgewick      G Smallden     

Tarrant    Vanderplank      Village + County Policemen

West Family    Willoughby   Winfield  Family   Annie Yorke


I add new names and/or update current entries as and when I find more info.

My Book -

"Unforgotten Lives at Netley Hospital"

The last local stockist, the Post Office on Coronation Parade, Hamble-le-Rice has now

sold all its copies.  The only other stockist who may still have my book on sale is the Museum of Military Medicine at Keogh Barracks, Ashvale. 


Both Hampshire and Southampton Library Services bought copies directly

from me for inclusion in their local library stock at Netley and Hedge End.


I had planned to publish it on Apple Books or Amazon Online. It was, however, very time-

consuming filling in all their permission forms etc and they wanted at least 33% from the sale

of each book so I decided against going down that road.


If anyone out there wants to read my book, then I'm happy to email you a copy of its contents

- just the 136 pages including photos etc, ie no front/back covers - if you email me proof that

you've donated £10.00 to Macmillan Nurses, see below. 

A screenshot of their receipt of the donation is all I need to see.

Alternatively, if you live near to Bitterne ... there's still an opportunity to read the actual book

- make an appointment with Sharon below to give your feet a treat!

Below is a list of the names contained in my book.  If you recognise any of them and just want to check if it is who you think it is, let me know via Contact Me

 

Private George F Abraham; Private Ambrose Alcock; Sergeant Jeffrey Appleyard;

Private John Atkin; Private Samuel Atkinson; Driver George H Attwood;

Private Frederick A Axten; Elsie M Baker, nee Carpenter; Gildas E W Bankes-Williams;

Private J Banks; Private Walter Barker; Lance-Corporal Frederick J T Barlow;

Private John Barstow; Private Martin Beakey; Dr Agnes Bennett; Miss Rita M Bennetts;

Miss Margaret W Bevan; Private John Bishop; Colour Sergeant Charles W Blencowe;

Gunner Alexander W Bond; Sergeant James Boseley; Rifleman Robert Boyce;

Lance-Corporal Victor H Broadbridge; Gunner John G and George R Broadway;

Private William L Brodie; Private George W Brown; Private John Brusher; Private Sydney H Buckman;

Aunt Betty Bucksey; Temporary Lieutenant William Burt; Sergeant Ralph Butcher;

Private W E Byrne; Miss Maisie Calder; Sergeant John Callelly; Lance-Corporal John C Campbell;

Private Michael J Carey; Sergeant George B Cargill; Driver Charles Carpenter;

Private Edward (J) Carver; Second-Lieutenant John B R Challen; Private William Chalmers;

Private John Chandler; Private George Cheal; William H Child; Private Harry Christiansen;

Private Robert J Christie; Private Robert Clark; Private Richard Clarke;

Surgeon Lt-Colonel Robert Cobb; John F Collins; Joe Collura; Staff Sergeant Henry Colston;

Sergeant Alfred Colston; Brothers Horace G and Thomas W Cooper; Corporal Amos R Cornes;

Private Patrick Cox; Sergeant John Critchley; Private Walter G Crook; Sydney G Curtis;

Gunner Daniel Daly; Private Herbert E M Davison; Trooper William J Dawbin;

Corporal Walter A Daws; Sergeant John J Dawson; Miss Agnes J Day; Private Samuel Dimes/Dymes;

Private Robert R Dow; Private Barak Ellis; Private Frederick C Emanuel;

Sergeant John Emerson and Family; Sapper Frederick M Erwood; William Farr;

Lt-Colonel Henry E D Flack; Sapper Gilbert J Follett; Private Charles Francis;

Trooper Frederick Allen Freshney; Percy Walter Gibbs; Private Ernest W Glanville;

Joseph Glover and Miss Dorothy Coe; Edmund J Gosden; Private Leonard A Grainger;

Private Charles W Gray; Staff Sergeant Walter Harrison; Private William Harrison;

Second Corporal Pierce Hindley; Private Raymond Hitchen; Hobbs + Moorse Families;

Private John Holland; Private Joseph Holmes; Private "Kit" Holmes; Private Thomas Holmes;

Lieutenant H C B Hopkinson; E W Hore; Private Cecil J Horlick; Sergeant-Major Arthur Horn;

Major William Heaton Horrocks; Private Arthur S House; Herbert Huckle;

Lance-Corporal James Hurden; Private John H Hyne; Lance-Corporal Charles G Ireland;

Victor Isaacs/Brenda Whitlock; Sergeant Henry F Jay/Miss Eleanor C H Moody;

Private Nathaniel Jones; Private James Kennedy; Bombardier Frederick G Knott;

Private Edmund C Knyvett; Private Samuel P Lamb; Major Freeling R Lawrence;

Corporal Ernest Leahy; Corporal James Lee; Private David J Lloyd; Lysandros M Lysandrides;

Robert A Macaskill; Alexander D Mackeeg; Private Louis Mackenzie; Captain Donald C H Maclean;

Colonel Kenneth MacLeod; Miss Mary J Martin; Private James E McBain; Private Charles McGregor;

Albert H Mitchell/Lily M Loosemore; George A Morgan; Lance-Corporal Harry Morgan;

Serjeant Maurice G Neal/Miss Alice T Gray; Private John Nelson;

Battery Sergeant Major Jesse A Newland; Gunner John Nolan; Private C Norman;

Lance-Corporal Ambrose E H Northcote; Private Edward O'Neill; Second-Lieutenant J C Orr;

Gunner Frederick J Osborn; Private John C Osborne; Lance-Corporal James W de C O'Sullivan;

Charles Pask/Miss Hilda Emily Carter; Private Walter J Pearce; Bombardier William A Petworth;

Private Arthur G Place; Miss Edith J Place; Private Walter J Poole; Miss Hester E Powell;

Private William Price; Private Henry Priestly; Sergeant John Pringle; Private Robert J Pritchard;

Private Henry Punter; Sergeant Frank Quickfall; Private Alexander Raitt; Private George L Roberts;

Private W Beaufort Robertson; Private Charles E Robinson; Private Percy E Roots;

Lance-Serjeant Frederick Sainsbury; Sergeant Frederick Sharp; Sergeant-Major Ronald E Smith;

Private William Smith; Arthur de W Snowden; Lance-Corporal John Southall;

Mrs Florence E Southwick, nee Waters; Lieutenant (Charles) Harry Spackman;

Private Harold Spalding; Private Leonard C Sparkes; Regimental Sergeant-Major Ian Strain;

Private Robert Tait; Private Arthur Tarr; Private James G Taylor; Private John Tominey;

Private Ronald A E Tredinnick; Miss Betty Tremills; Private William Ernest Truan; Private Henry Vail; Sergeant C Valon; Private Philip C Vowles; Lance-Corporal Wilfred Waller; Private Edgar Ward;

Private Ernest S Watkins; Sergeant David J Watts; Private Basil E C Watts; Corporal Edwin Weaving;

Private George F Webster; Trooper Stephen W White; Lieutenant Arthur H Whitfield;

Second-Lieutenant C S Whitworth; Private John Whitworth; Trooper Arthur Whyte;

Private Charles H Winson; Private George E Witherington; Geoffrey H Wood; Private Andrew Wrath;

Private Harry Wrench; Private Edwin J Wright; Private Ernest Yearsley; Great Aunt Lilian Youlton;

Private/Gunner Albert J Younghusband.

Housekeeping/"need-to-know" blurb!


Please note that whilst I am an independent researcher with no direct connection to any

of the Local History Societies, I share research with Julie Green and/or the

Royal Victoria Chapel Team at RVCP..


The contents and design of this website have been researched and created by me,

including finding the sources stated and as such are subject to copyright. 

It's fine to share my research elsewhere but please do the right thing and credit this website

as one of your sources.  Thank you.


The majority of the newspaper articles are courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive/FMP.

Sources are in black print, underlined, beneath the relevant article


If a word or phrase is in this colour, you should be able to click on it and it

will open on a new tab and let you return to the previous one when you're ready!

From Cistercian Abbey Ruins at one end, through Netley Abbey Village to the Royal Victoria Hospital ... 

Netley Abbey Ruins 2017 photo
Victoria Road Netley Abbey Photo
Photo Red Cross Hutted Hospital Netley 1915