Who was the first Christian to set foot on the Isle of Wight?
Evidence of Roman settlements dating back to the 1st.Century A.D, have been discovered at several places on the Island. There is no clear evidence, to date, that any of these early settlers might have been Christian, however we do know from historical records that there were ‘secret christians’ in the 1st. and 2nd. Centuries throughout the Roman Empire including Britain. The Roman Officer, Vespasian, came to the Island in the 2nd.Century and it is known that there were ‘secret christians’ in his Army. Perhaps the first Christian prayer on the Island may have been by a soldier, many miles away from his home, for his family in another part of the Roman Empire.