Press Release
New Milton Town Mayor, Cllr Alvin Reid, attended the unveiling of New Milton’s first Blue Plaque, highlighting the story of Emma Newhook and her part in naming the town of New Milton in 1896.
The Blue Plaque is affixed to the wall on the Tesco Express building on Station Road opposite the railway station. This building was the site of the original New Milton Post Office in 1896.
The Mayor said “It’s a monumental occasion for our young town and it’s nice to see our heritage on display. Let’s hope for some more.”
Chairman of Milton Heritage Society, Nick Saunders expressed hopes that other historic buildings across New Milton could receive plaques, including the Water Tower and the Old Rectory near St Mary Magdalene Church.
Councillor Alan O’Sullivan, Treasurer of Milton Heritage Society, said “I am pleased to sponsor this blue plaque in celebration of Emma Newhook and the heritage of the New Milton name. The Milton Heritage Society and the Friends of New Milton Station have worked very hard to achieve this in the anniversary year of Railway 200.”
Milton Heritage Society have recorded that in 1894 the sub-post office located in the northern part of the town was run by Mrs Emma Newhook. She named her post office the New Milton post office to differentiate it from the post office in the nearby Milton Village. In 1896 the London and South-Western Railway noted the name in use by the Post Office and used it to name their new railway station – New Milton.
Local volunteer groups Milton Heritage Society and the Friends of New Milton Station have been working together to publicly recognise the importance of Emma Newhook naming the town and the importance of the railway station in the town’s history.
Milton Heritage Society are a local history group collecting, preserving, and presenting the history of the Parish of Milton, covering New Milton, Barton on Sea, Ashley, Bashley, Wootton and Tiptoe.
Friends of New Milton Station are a group of enthusiastic volunteers working towards creating an exciting new chapter in local history securing and restoring the old Station Masters House known as No.1 New Milton.