Today (31st January 2022) marks 200 years since the death of Valentine Gray, a child apprenticed to Newport chimney sweep Benjamin Davies, who badly abused Valentine leading to his tragic death.
At 14:00 this afternoon a floral tribute was laid at the stone obelisk memorial in Church Litten by Newport Central Councillors Vix Lowthion, Julie Jones-Evans and other members of Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council, to commemorate this sad event.
Valentine was born into a poor family in Alverstoke (near Gosport). Benjamin Davis took him out of the Poor House there to become an apprentice sweep in October 1821. However, on this day in 1822, 10-year-old Valentine Gray was found dead in the filthy outhouse where he had been forced to sleep in one of the numerous slum alleys radiating off Pyle Street in Newport.
A medical examination showed that his body was covered with bruises and at his inquest, his death was recorded as being as a result of ‘a severe blow or blows to the head’. The verdict was ‘manslaughter against Davis (his master) and his wife’.
Benjamin and Margaret Davis stood trial at the Lent Assizes 1822 at Winchester. Davis was found guilty and fined the sum of 1 shilling (5p); his wife was acquitted. Davis’ daughter Elizabeth was also charged with beating up one of the witnesses to her father’s crimes.
Both the local and national press extensively reported the inquest and subsequent trial, which aroused much public anger both locally and across the whole country that children of his age, or even younger, could be treated so badly. The story added to the already growing movement for new and effective legislation to protect youngsters in factories and elsewhere.
Here on the Island, compassion, or possibly a sense of guilt and shame, led to the erection of a memorial by public subscription in Church Litten, the burial ground for the parish church of St Thomas’, Newport.
History enthusiast Roger Fruen, who gave a short talk on the story of Valentine Gray at the memorial, said that it was important to remember Valentine to ensure that we learn lessons from history. He claimed that such tragic events still happen today, as in the case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes this year.
2022 has been named Newport Year of the Child in honour of Valentine, and the council hopes to be announcing further events of remembrance.
His stone states “interred January the 5th”
So how does that work if he died on the 31st January?
Was he “interred” over 11 months later?