By Isle of Wight Observer
Listening to older Island residents is always interesting – as the editor of the Isle of Wight Observer published on 3rd April, 1920 found.
Tales of Old Ryde.
Mr. Geo. Mundell’s Recollections.
Very interesting are the recollections of Mr. George Mundell, of Cross-street, as he looks back on the 94 years of a busy life spent in his native Ryde. Though he is very infirm, partly owing to his great age, and as a result of an accident which he sustained one dark night during the war, his intellect and memory are unimpaired and he can vividly recall scenes and incidents of long ago. Chatting with him the other day, he informed us that he was the oldest native of the town and the oldest ratepayer. In olden times he used to take a great interest in the parochial life of the place. The parish church was six miles away at Newchurch, in charge of the Rev. Mr. Sneed, and was the only church until Mr. Thomas Player purchased the Ashey Estate and built a little chapel for the accommodation of the parishioners. The dead were also buried at Newchurch. Before the Cemetery was built, he used to play in the sandpits there, and what is now Hill-street was known as Square Ground. A tub well was at the top of Well-street, from which all the water was obtained until powers were acquired under the Act of 1854.
He remembered the first person buried in the Cemetery and every resident at that time is deceased. Mr. Mundell was born in Union-street, and there were very few inhabitants there at the time but no less than five doctors had houses there, namely Drs. Banks, Feeney, Jowens, Peder, and Moore. He vividly recalled the grand Masonic ceremony when the Prince Consort as the Grand Master of Freemasons of England attended to lay the foundation stone of the Arcade. It was a very stately procession, the Bible being carried on a velvet cushion in front.