Having read the recent emails re Bonchurch, and the reference to the author, H. de Vere Stacpoole, I'm prompted to fire off this "proverbial long shot." My late mother used to recount how her mother, Marian St Bernard HUMBY, lived in Bonchurch as a child opposite the house where the author of The Blue Lagoon, Henry de Vere Stacpoole lived. . Ive checked in the past, and he did in fact live in Bonchurch, firstly in a house called Swiss Cottage, in Belgrave Rd, (Isle of Wight Directory, 1914-15), and secondly in "Deepdene", which from the map seemed to be either in Bonchurch Hill, or a road named The Pits(?), but this was long after my grandmother had moved away(she married in London, in 1890) I can only assume that she was still in touch with a friend or neighbour in Bonchurch who told her that "the author has moved in, opposite your old house", or words to that effect. Or unless he was born in the village, or lived there in his youth. I have never been able to uncover anything at all of Granny's life, from when she was born in 1967 at Long Common near Southampton, to when she married in Hampstead, London, in 1890. There's just this vague story of her living as a child in Bonchurch, but previous enquiries have all failed to unearth anything at all. Would any knowledgable IOW listers have any ideas/suggestions at all as to records or listings of the families living in the immediate areas of the roads as mentioned above, c1967-90? Or, in your searches of any Isle of Wight records, I would appreciate knowing if you ever come across the names of MARIAN ST BERNARD HUMBY, or ELLEN HUMBY. Any clues, however tenuous, will be very much appreciated. Mal, W. Australia
Hi Mal <Would any knowledgeable IOW listers have any ideas/suggestions at all as to records or listings of the families living in the immediate areas of the roads as mentioned above, c1967-90? > Assume you mean 1867 - 1890??? Would suggest you address an enquiry to Ventnor Heritage Centre (or Janet are you out there?) Anybody researching ancestors in the Ventnor area (which includes Bonchurch) should contact Ventnor Heritage Museum at 11 Spring Hill, Ventnor PO38 1PE for general information, email: ventnorheritage@aol.com as well as with specific queries or requests for advice. They have produced a range of booklets about various aspects of Ventnor's past which are for sale at around 1 GBP each I think. The booklets should include the hospital as they have done an exhibition on it in the past and they probably sell the book that was written about it too. The organisation is run by a dedicated band of volunteers, led by Fay Brown, so if asking for answers please at least send an SAE and preferably offer a small donation to their funds to help them keep going. Di ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mal Parr" <parrsbay@iinet.net.au> To: <ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 3:34 PM Subject: A House in Bonchurch