Brixton or Brighstone, Isle of Wight

Historical Description

Brixton or Brighstone, a village and a parish on the SW coast of the Isle of Wight. The village stands on a brook, ¾ of a mile NNE of Grange Chine, and 6 SW of Newport, under which it has a post, money order, and telegraph office. The parish includes also the hamlet of Limerston, and part of the hamlet of Chilton. Acreage, 2853 of land and 71 of foreshore and water; population of the civil parish, 528; of the ecclesiastical, 543. The land was formerly part of the manor of Swainston. A slight adjacent encurvature of the sea bears the name of Brixton Bay; the coast is cut with a series of chines presenting picturesque features; and the interior, at the distance of 1¾ mile, is a range of hill called Mottestone, Brixton, and Limerston Downs. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Winchester; net value, £247 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Winchester. The church was rebuilt on the site of an ancient previous one in 1852, and is variously of Norman, Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular character. The parsonage is a picturesque edifice, and was the home of Bishop Ken two years as rector, and the asylum of the old age of William Wilberforce. There is a Bible Christian chapel. At Brighstone grange there is a lifeboat station.

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.

Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Brixton or Brighstone from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Brixton, or Brighstone (St. Mary))

Visitations Heraldic

The Visitations of Hampshire, 1530, 1575, & 1622-34 is available to view on the Heraldry page.