Newland House

Situation
On the south side of Newland in Witney, immediately to the east of the site of Newland Mill.

History
This large stone built house was the home to several generations of the Early family of blanket makers. It was built around 1830 for John Early (1783-1862) and his wife Betsy who was also from a local blanket making family, being the granddaughter of William Marriott (1728-1798). When Charles, John and Betsy's eighth child, was six the family moved from their home in the West End of Witney to Newland House. Here Charles was bought up in close proximity to the family business, as the warehouse and weaving shops were in premises next to the house. In 1843 Charles married Sarah Vanner [1]. He went into partnership with his father 1851 and when his parents died in the 1860s he and his wife moved into Newland House, where he lived until 1912. His office was next door and was reached by some wooden steps leading up from the yard, which was surrounded by the warehouse and weaving shops. Every payday Charles stood at the top of the steps and rang a hand bell to let the workers know their wages were ready, and it was Sarah who took the unusual hygienic precaution of washing all the coins beforehand! [2].

Newland House continued as a busy home to members of the Early family down to their eighth generation of blanket makers during the 20th century. It was also a place for entertaining business visitors and its kitchen was on occasion used to keep the shift workers in the factory next door supplied with food so that emergency orders could be met. In 1908 an earthquake in Sicily created a sudden need for blankets and the Newland Warehouse staff worked many extra night shifts to meet the demand; to keep the workers going at this time, sausages, mashed potatoes and coffee were prepared at Newland House. Joints of meat were also regularly cooked at Newland House for night workers in the warehouse [3].

The building is now a nursing home.

Clare Sumner