Press cuttings and other interesting items linked to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight history

22 March 1912.
The late Mr Joseph Bastiani
A Veteran Liberal and noted Smuggler of olden days

The death took place at his residence at Colwell on Friday morning last of Mr Joseph W Bastiani, a well known local resident and one of the oldest Liberals of the district, after a very short illness.
   Although ailing for the past four or five weeks Mr Bastiani was out off doors on the Monday prior to his death. The late Mr Bastiani was 80 years of age and could recall many tales of interest of the doings of his younger days, when he frequently run contraband goods, on one occasion after landing a cargo at Compton they were chased right across to Totland where they were caught.
   The deceased was a noted and familiar figure along the shores and proud of the number of distinguished visitors he had the honour of taking out for a row or a sail. The most interesting personality to him being the late Mr Laboughere. Mr Bastiani was a well known Liberal and one of the oldest veterans of the islands Liberal Association, which he rarely missed attending.
   He was an out and out supporter of the cause of Liberalism and one of the first to advocate the erection of a Liberal club for the district and personally collected a considerable portion off the money that purchased the land to build a club on, but failed to see the realization of his ideas, although he lived to be a regular member of the present institution.
   The late Mr Bastiani was predeceased by his wife some seven or eight years ago and leaves a grown up family of seven sons and one daughter. There are also 35 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.    The funeral took place on tuesday afternoon at the Colwell  Baptist Chapel where he attended for a number of years and there was a large attendance of mourners and sympathizing friends present.
    Mr Albert Hill conducted the service and portions of scripture included the 90th Psalm, 1st Corinthians, 5th chapter, and 14th chapter of Revelations, while the hymn sung was "Rock of Ages". In a feeling address Mr Hill referred to the respect with which their departed brother and comrade was held by those who had known him for a good number number of years. He was a man of principle and one whose word could
be looked upon as a guarantee.
   The coffin was borne from the house to the chapel by four of the deceased fellow boatmen. Messrs C. Conway, E. Conway, Elias Cotton and F. Dorey.
   The family mourners present were Messrs Edward, Frederick, John, Joseph, Maurice and Sebastian Bastiani (sons), Mrs Urry (daughter) Mesdames Edward and Joseph Bastiani (daughters in law), the Misses Mable and Gertrude Bastiani (granddaughters) and Albert Bastiani (grandson).
   Among other present were Mr and Mrs Cotton, Mr and Mrs Geo, Baker, Miss St John, Mrs Saunders, Mrs Phillips, Mrs Reason, Mrs J Reason, Mrs W Eldridge, Mrs Albert Hills, Miss Keslake, Mrs Howe, Mrs Holden, Mrs Elias Cotton, Messrs G Moyce, H Fry, R E Liver, Edgar Hitchman, J Lane, T S Webb, R Ray, A W Green, and Mark Whitewood.
   There were a number of beautiful floral tributes including a wreath from West Wight Liberal Association and Club, Fred and Lucy, Margie Sebastian and family, Neal Ellen and the children, Queenie and Rodney, Joe and Alice, Mr and Mrs Dorey, Mr and Mrs Saunders and from the late friends at the Totland reading rooms (Miss St John).
   Messrs Wheeler and co were the undertakers and the coffin plate was inscribed "JOSEPH BASTIANI DIED MARCH 15, 1912 aged 80 years"    The family of the late Mr Bastiani wish to sincerely thank the many kind friends and neighbours for their expressions of sympathy and for flowers sent.

EXTRACTS FROM (A HISTORY OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH AT COLWELL)
Isle of wight 1834 to 1964 By Basil Twyrian Cheverton

1895. Certainly there were no tea rooms (at Colwell) although cups of tea could be obtained from Conway ('s) at Chine View. Mrs Bastiani ran apartments and Mrs Shutter was a beer retailer.

Sunday School
Unfortunately only 15 children were present belonging to the Sunday school, Mr pinder was always happy to talk to the children on special occasions as he did at the 1925 Prizegiving, when Mrs Culliford donated prizes and Mr Bastiani gave each child an orange.
     In 1927 there was a tour of the Island with tree charabanes supplied by Messrs Pink brothers, 75 were in the party including 17 adult visitors. I recall the high back open top vehicles drawn up outside the mission hall. The ladies sitting at the back in emormous hats and there to was Mr Bastiani in his white straw boater.
     In 1939 it was back to the canoe lake at Ryde, but now a motorised canoe was the star attraction but by now the appeal of the outing to children was not what it had been.
      The number attending being about 25 so that when the war finished it teminated an activity which was very much a thing of the twenties. It was the period when a pound of toffees scattered by a well wishing visitor caused great excitement, when Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway Company took us away in long narrow carriages with the seats facing inwards, when winning the three legged race meant a penny to spend and when with Mr Allen, Mr Bastiani, Mrs Polland and Miss Rolfe we set off to
picnics at such a distant places as Calbourne
     There we would improvise tobogganing to the downs, we were offen sick on the coach, and it usually rained coming home, but it was great fun.

MILITARY MEDAL AWARDED TO EAST COWES MAN.

The Military Medal has been awarded to Corpl. I. J. Dexter, Hampshire Regt., serving with the Royal West Kent Regt. in Italy. He is the grandson of Mrs. M. Dexter and the late Mr. J. Dexter. In a letter home he states that whilst on the Rapido crossing near Cassino in May "My company were making the last attack which gained them Route 6 and cut off Heydrich's paratroops and sealed their escape route from the town. We were practically on our objective when two  Spanduas opened up,  accompanied by heavy morter and heavy shellfire, which managed to pin us down and inflict severe
casualties. Fortunately three of the New Zealand tanks came up and tried to help us with accurate shelling and machine gun fire, but owing to the very close country, although they set the objective on fire, a fortified series of houses (approach to the Gustav line),  the Spanduas (machine guns) continued firing un - checked. We could fix a bearing on the machine gun posts by their fire, but the tanks had to keep closed down, and when that happens their visibility (in close country) is very small. So feeling
very annoyed with the whole lot I climbed on top of two tanks in turn and directed their fire. The snipers bullets (there were plenty, by the way) pinged around, but I was dead lucky and thanks to my pals, I managed to rejoin them and send a runner back for orders from the company commander, as by this time the machine-guns were silenced for good. Upon orders, I withdrew with the rest of the platoon (officer and sergeant
being wounded) and managed to dig in and consolidate half-way to the objective. Meanwhile, we contacted the rest of the company and rejoined them. I shall never forget the night of May 15th - it was hectic, to say the least. "Stonked" all night: only one officer, the C.S.M., and self (the only N.C.O., left) with 12 men. That's another story. But in passing, the Isle of Wight boys from the Hampshire's have done well. Brave young Fineran, of Wroxall, and plucky Peter Kennedy, from Ryde, and steady young Don
Groves, of Freshwater. Only Bastiani and myself are left now- the rest have all done a good job in the Hampshire's tradition...

~ As printed in the Isle of Wight county press ~