Old Shoreham Archives - shorehambysea.com

April 21, 2025April 22, 2025

Who is who?

The recent re-discovery of the Buckingham Book and the uncaptioned contents has raised many questions about who in the Head family is in the photographs. With over 130 years elapsed since many of the photos were taken and the last of the subjects having passed away by the 1980’s there maybe only a few people who will have met any of them to identify them specifically. A few named photographs exist as references – notably Sir Henry Head, Hester Pinney and Christopher Head. But who are the others?

As you browse the scrapbook and scrutinise the faces do you see similarities that will help identify individuals? Most of the photographs are undated so it is useful to see Bernard Head in many group photos as we know he was born in 1876.

Mystery photograph 1:

Henry Head (far right), eldest son, seems to appear only once in the Buckingham Book in a family group photograph which I assume is mother and brothers. Bernard at the back, but is that Christopher (with the camera) and Francis on the left? And if Hester Head is in mourning then that would date this image within a year of Hugh’s death in November 1890. That would make Bernard 15 years old in this photo.

April 4, 2025April 4, 2025

Homicide at the Buckingham House?

In 1853 the home of the local Squire Bridger was the scene of a night-time burglary. This was not unexpected after a series of break-ins in previous days. Servants had been put on watch in the darkened manor house and were armed with guns. They had not to wait long before a man entered the property through a window. When confronted and ordered to surrender he bolted for the exit. In the ensuing fracas he was shot in the back and clambered out of the window before dying in the garden outside. The reulting court case is outlined below.

1853 news report (click 5th column) “**Burglar Shot**” was justifiable homicide verdict at the Buckingham House burglaryI

Buckingham House census returns 1841 – 1911

1841 census of Great Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

First name	*Surname*	Gender	*Age*	*Born*	Place of birth
Harry	Bridger	Male	41	1800	Sussex, England
Sarah Louisa	Bridger	Female	41	1800	Sussex, England
Harry	Bridger	Male	12	1829	Sussex, England
Mary	Bridger	Female	11	1830	Sussex, England
Isabella	Bridger	Female	9	1832	Sussex, England
Emma	Bridger	Female	8	1833	Sussex, England
William	Bridger	Male	6	1835	Sussex, England
Frederick	Bridger	Male	4	1837	Sussex, England
Harriett	Bridger	Female	70	1771	Sussex, England
Catherine	Bridger	Female	69	1772	Sussex, England
Mary	Best	Female	21	1820	Sussex, England
John	Smart	Male	24	1817	Sussex, England
Robert	Harman	Male	33	1808	Sussex, England
William	Bonny	Male	40	1801	Sussex, England
George	Smart	Male	16	1825	Sussex, England
Diana	Marsh	Female	57	1784	–
Jane	Ratcliff	Female	25	1816	Sussex, England
Hannah	Osborne	Female	17	1824	Sussex, England
Elizabeth	Mitchell	Female	24	1817	Sussex, England
Ann	Fiest	Female	21	1820	Sussex, England

1861 census of Great Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

Harry C	Bridger	Head	Married	Male	61	1800	Gentleman	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
Sarah L	Bridger	Wife	Married	Female	61	1800	–	Withdean, Sussex, England
Fredrick	Bridger	Son	Unmarried	Male	23	1838	Gentleman	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
Augustus G	Bridger	Son	Unmarried	Male	19	1842	Gentleman	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
Ann F	Elmont	Servant	Widow	Female	60	1801	Nurse	Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
James J	Parsons	Servant	Unmarried	Male	22	1839	Baker	Shoreham, Sussex, England
Susan	Hocombe	Servant	Unmarried	Female	35	1826	Cook	Sevington, Somerset, England
Harrietta	Wallick	Servant	Unmarried	Female	15	1846	House maid	Sussex, England
Arthur	Brown	Servant	Unmarried	Male	18	1843	Foot man	Warnham, Sussex, England
Hester	Rewell	Servant	Unmarried	Female	22	1839	Kitchen maid	Chellington, Sussex, England
Joseph	Kearwell	Servant	Unmarried	Male	24	1837	D gardner	West Stoke, Sussex

1871 census of Great Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

Harry C	Bridger	Head	–	Male	71	1800	Landowner	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
Sarah L	Bridger	Wife	–	Female	71	1800	–	Patcham, Sussex, England
Adela C	Bridger	Daughter	–	Female	27	1844	–	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
William	Bridger	Son	–	Male	36	1835	Captain Sussex Imperial Yeomanry	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
Mary B	Bridger	Daughter-in-law	–	Female	34	1837	–	Yenston, Dorset, England
James C	Bridger	Grandson	–	Male	10	1861	–	Hale, Surrey, England
Lilian L	Bridger	Granddaughter	–	Female	5	1866	–	West Grinsted, Sussex, England
Mabel B	Bridger	Granddaughter	–	Female	3	1868	–	West Grinsted, Sussex, England
Adela K	Bridger	Granddaughter	–	Female	2	1869	–	West Grinsted, Sussex, England
Agnes V H	Bridger	Granddaughter	–	Female	0	1871	–	West Grinsted, Sussex, England
Mary	Bridgland	Servant	–	Female	53	1818	Cook domestic servant	Hartfield, Sussex, England
Sarah J	Blackhall	Servant	–	Female	44	1827	Ladymaid domestic servant	Mortlake, Surrey, England
Elizabeth	Ponsford	Servant	–	Female	22	1849	Kise housemaid domestic servant	Hitlishaly, Devon, England
Anne	Payne	Servant	–	Female	17	1854	Housemaid domestic servant	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England
Mary	Tucker	Servant	–	Female	20	1851	Nurse maid domestic servant	Chichester, Sussex, England
Sarah	Bishop	Servant	–	Female	16	1855	Nurse maid domestic servant	Petcombe, Somerset, England
James J	Parsons	Servant	–	Male	32	1839	Butcher domestic servant	New Shoreham, Sussex, England
Maria	Parsons	–	–	Female	42	1829	Butcher wife	Beeding, Sussex, England
William	Wakeman	Servant	–	Male	18	1853	Groom	Ightham, Kent, England
James	Kent	Servant	–	Male	17	1854	Under gardener domestic servant	Old Shoreham, Sussex, England

1881 census of Great Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

Harry	Bridger	Head	Married	Male	52	1829	Magistrate esquire	Sussex, England
Eliza Ann	Bridger	Wife	Married	Female	52	1829	Magistrate esquire wife	Lambeth, Surrey, England
Florence Louisa	Bridger	Daughter	Single	Female	25	1856	–	Sussex, England
Dulcibella Mary	Bridger	Daughter	Single	Female	22	1859	–	Sussex, England
Marguerite	Bridger	Niece	Single	Female	9	1872	–	Sussex, England
Henry	Spratt	Servant	Single	Male	19	1862	Groom	Wickham, Sussex, England
Marian Jemima	Phillips	Servant	Single	Female	26	1855	Domestic servant	Emsworth, Hampshire, England
Susan Andrews Elliot	Lamble	Servant	Single	Female	27	1854	Domestic servant	Blackawton, Devon, England
Gemma	Boniface	Servant	Single	Female	22	1859	Domestic servant	Hailsham, Sussex, England
Mary Ann	Fuller	Servant	Single	Female	22	1859	Domestic servant	Bexley, Kent, England
Caroline	Lisher	Servant	Single	Female	20	1861	Domestic servant	Sompting, Sussex, England

1891 census of Great Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship	Marital status	Sex	Age	Birth year	Occupation	Birth place
Henry	Head	Head	Married	Male	56	1835	Underwriter	Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Hester	Head	Wife	Married	Female	56	1835	–	Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England
Francis	Head	Son	Single	Male	23	1868	Underwriter	Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England
Christopher	Head	Son	Single	Male	21	1870	Student of law	Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England
John Alban	Head	Son	Single	Male	17	1874	Scholar	Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England
Hester	Head Jr	Daughter	Single	Female	16	1875	Scholar	Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England
Bernard	Head	Son	Single	Male	15	1876	Scholar	Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England
Violet	Ponsonby	Visitor	Single	Female	14	1877	Scholar	Belgravia, London, England
Mary	Felce	Governess	Single	Female	27	1864	Governess	Launceston, Cornwall, England
Geoffrey	Head	Son	Single	Male	19	1872	Clerk	Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England
Edward John	Peatt	Butler	Single	Male	28	1863	Domestic servant	London, England
William Edward	Bishop	Footman	Single	Male	20	1871	Domestic servant	Shoreham, Sussex, England
James	Brown	General	Single	Male	28	1863	Domestic servant	Scotland
Jane Amelia	Bennett	Servant	Single	Female	40	1851	Domestic nurse	Hackney, Middlesex, England
Alma	Caudwell	Servant	Single	Female	36	1855	Domestic cook	Ixworth, Suffolk, England
Eliza E	Gooderham	Servant	Single	Female	32	1859	Domestic housemaid	Old Buckenham, Norfolk, England
Margaret E	Daniells	Servant	Single	Female	20	1871	Domestic housemaid	Old Buckenham, Norfolk, England
Emily	Roadnight	Servant	Single	Female	21	1870	Domestic kitchen maid	Hackney, Middlesex, England
Annie	Goldsmith	Servant	Single	Female	17	1874	Domestic kitchen maid	Shoreham, Sussex, England

1901 census of Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

Francis	Head	Son	Single	Male	33	1868	Member of “lloyds” royal exchange	Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England
Alfred	Nicholls	Servant	Single	Male	38	1863	Coachman domestic	Chigwell, Essex, England
Arthur	Gull	Servant	Single	Male	28	1873	Groom domestic	Ardleigh, Essex, England
Emily	Wood	Servant	Single	Female	36	1865	Cook domestic	Dunster, Somerset, England
Mary A	Sampson	Servant	Single	Female	21	1880	Kitchenmaid domestic	Shoreham, Sussex, England
Charles T	Parris	Servant	Single	Male	26	1875	Footman domestic	Sussex, England
Mabel	Page	Servant	Single	Female	15	1886	Scullery maid domestic	Shoreham, Sussex, England
Nellie	Sampson	Servant	Single	Female	17	1884	Housemaid domestic	Shoreham, Sussex, England
Minnie E	West	Servant	Single	Female	23	1878	Housemaid domestic	London, Middlesex, England
Jane	Bennett	Servant	Single	Female	55	1846	Nurse domestic	London, Middlesex, England

1911 census of Buckingham House, Old Shoreham Street, Old Shoreham

William Godson	Little	Head	Married	Male	59	1852	Director of company	London Regents Park
Ada Waide	Little	Wife	Married	Female	55	1856	–	London Primrose Hill
Annie Elizabeth	Lowe	Granddaughter	–	Female	1	1910	–	Sussex Hove
Paul	Ewens	Visitor	Married	Male	63	1848	Director of company	London Clerkenwell
Margaret	Wiggins	–	Single	Female	32	1879	Servant	Moreton in the Marsh Gloucestershire
Ada Macey	Lodge	–	Single	Female	36	1875	Servant	Sussex Brighton
Hilda	Turner	–	Single	Female	22	1889	Servant	Feltham Middlesex
Alice	Wellstead	–	Single	Female	22	1889	Servant	Dorset Broasen
Elsie Elizabeth	Fugawes	–	Single	Female	20	1891	Servant	Surrey Fainham
Arthur	Cherry	–	Single	Male	15	1896	Servant	Sussex Newhaven

Buckingham House Timeline

The Buckingham House Timeline

The first Buckingham House (c1655-1820)

1782 – View of the East front of Buckingham the seat of Colville Bridger Esq. in the parish of Old Shoreham by Samuel Hieronymous Grimm © British Library Board

The first Buckingham House known as “Buckinghams” (or “Great Buckingham” to differentiate it from the Bridger’s farm at Little Buckingham) was built in the c1655 for the Bridger family. Note the main East-West road took a more direct route passing just South of the house and through Little Buckingham Farm. This would join the Avenue and The Street to emerge at St Nicolas Church and the Toll Bridge. Lidar imaging from the air reveals the exact route of the road across the park (shown yellow in the photograph below) and that also suggests the original approach to the front of the house was along the straight avenue of trees still evident in the park.

Route of original East-West road overlayed 1946 aerial view.

Second Buckingham House (c1820-1910)

B39 94.2402 Buckingham House, Shoreham-by-Sea. Watercolour painting by Miss E Bartlett. Showing the south and east elevations. Driveway leading up to the house and grounds. The house was owned by the Bridger family and then leased by Henry Head Esq. Signed EEB. From the Sussex Archaeological Society’s Marlipins Collection.

The second Buckingham House (c1810-1820) was built for the Bridger family in classical style to a design by J. B. Rebecca of Worthing. It substantially remodelled the original house with some small elements remaining. It faced east across a park of about 55 acres. At this time the East – West road was moved to curve southwards to avoid the parkland of the house. It appears it was extended substantially in 1873 with a rear annexe around the stabling and courtyard in part to create servants accommodation.

The east-west road had been moved south and that necessitated a new drive (marked in green below) and building of the Lodge.

Overlay in green shows the route of new drive to Lodge on new Shoreham Road.

Around 1890, the Bridgers moved to Adur Lodge in Old Shoreham and let the house to Henry Head.

The literary connection

Buckingham House was the inspiration for a novel Esther Waters written in 1894 by George Moore – a popular tale of below-stairs love and drama set in a country mansion “Woodview”.

“Yet is only about 10 years since we left Woodview, and the garden was left to waste. Nature does not take long – a few years, a very few years.” All the winter athe north wind was bitter on the hills; many trees fell in the park, and at the end of February seemed barer and desolate than ever; broken branches littered the roadway, and the tall trunks showed their wounds.

George Moore was a close friend of the Bridger Family and frequently stayed with them at Little Buckingham Farm in the 1860’s whilst the Bridgers still occupied Buckingham House. In 1867 Moore also lived, for a year or so, at the top of Truleigh Hill at Freshcombe Lodge – again at the invitation of Harry Bridger who was building a rabbit farm. On record is a letter from Moore to Dulciebella Bridger about fictionalising life at Buckingham House. It is curious to note that Moore published Esther Waters in 1894 yet his prescient description of an abandoned mansion was many years before what would actually befall Buckingham after the death of Henry Head in 1905.

Buckingham House view from East. c1905 The children probably Hester Harriott Pinney b.1901, and Bernard Pinney b.1903. Bob Hill Collection ©SAS

Census returns for Buckingham 1841-1901

Homicide at Buckingham? – 1853

Map comparison c1945 showing The Retreat and c1880

The third Buckingham House (1911-1961)

After the death of Henry Head in 1905 (and in the same year as the death of his son and natural successor Francis Head) the house remained vacant and abandoned and in 1910 was in a ruined state with the floors and roof collapsed. It was bought by William Godson Little, who built a new house 200 yards to the north around 1910-1911. William lived there and died in 1922.

Buckingham House c1913 Bob Hill Collection ©SAS

An event in front of a ruined Buckingham House June 1924. Events were declared open by Lady Winterton from the steps between the Corinthian columns on the surviving east wall of the house. Bob Hill Collection ©SAS

June 1924 Dutch Fete at Buckingham to raise funds for repair of the cracking tower of St. Marys. Note the attendance of former House occupier Dulcie Bridger.

This new house and the old house and ruin were subsequently bought by Ernest Redford Harrison, who partitioned off the park and sold 38 acres of the 55 acres of Buckingham parkland to Shoreham Council in 1930. It was officially opened to the public in Feb. 1931. By 1935 he house was occupied as the Downs School and was run by the Misses Grace S Woodhead & Winnifred Cleare co-principals of the International School. Over time the house had been known by a number of names: Grangewood School (1932), Castlemere School (1933). (see Peter Kefford’s book for detail).

There was a period of requisition of The Retreat and new Buckingham House during WWII. By 1948 the new Buckingham House was sold to Brighton Borough Council to run as a Childrens Home. It became surplus to requirements and sold to a developer. It was demolished by 1962.

1946 aerial view with locations of the Lodge, Buckingham House ruin and the 3rd Buckingham House (Downs School)

Ruins and The Retreat

The 1820’s external walls and facade of the 1820 mansion remained intact as a ruin. The rear of the house, ostensibly the 1837 annexe that was built in a less lavish style remained intact as was occupied as a home, known as The Retreat. In the 1910’s W G Little had divided this into 3 parts known and these were occupied.

By 1954 there were immediate plans to demolish The Retreat and the facade walls that had remained since 1910. Local historian Michael Norman made strenuous efforts to preserve the ruin and was able to get the facade Listed. At this time about a quarter of the interior of the house still remained, including an inglenook fireplace and a blocked window from the original Buckingham dating to about 1655. These features were evident until the interior of the ruin was rendered over in 1962.

In 1962 the 1837 rear part of the mansion (The Retreat) was demolished and a new 2 storey block of flats (Woodview named after the novel) built in it’s place overlooking the remaining 3 sides of the Buckingham House ruins facade.

The Retreat c1954 and around time of demolition winter 1962. Photographs by Michael Norman.

The Buckingham Book – story of the Head Family

References:

Peter Kefford: The Buckingham Houses Old Shoreham – A Pictorial History 2011
https://georgemooreinteractive.org
Bob Hill: Old Shoreham Village and Farms 1995

The Buckingham Book

In 2025 a Shoreham resident acquired at auction a significant historical find. It was a rather battered leather bound family scrapbook dating from 1889. It contained photographs, sketches, and cuttings collected by the Head family of Great Buckingham, Old Shoreham. The story behind the “Buckingham Book” book is tantalising. It had been kept in the Head family’s possession for 80 years but had been torn in two, and separated, with the front part donated to a museum. The second part had been given by the family to a local historian Michael Norman. He was keen for the 2 halves to be reunited but his untimely death in 2013 meant the book was forgotten and eventually sold at auction. 13 years later and we now have possession of that second half along with its accompanying covering letter from Michael Norman. The images in the book are in this gallery.

Buckingham House 1904. Built 1820 and abandoned by 1911. The little girls in this photograph maybe the same grand daughters of Henry Head seen in the image below. Hester Harriott Pinney on the right.

The background to the Head family

We can surmise that the book was split in 1983 after Hester’s death. Whilst it is reasonable to assume the Marlipins Museum holds the other half of the book they are currently unable to confirm this.

In the same year as the 1891 census this family group photograph is on the East steps to Buckingham. It appears to show Henry Head (age 56) next to his daughter Hester Head (16) (standing) and seated an unknown woman. Henry’s wife Hester Head Snr (56) is seated in black (probably in mourning for her son Hugh who died in Nov 1890). Henry’s sons are seated, believed to be John Alban Head (17)and Bernard Head (15) later killed in Gallipoli in 1915. The other ladies are not identified. The lady at the back, on the right, could be Governess Mary Felce.

0215 – – Henry Head with his daughter Hester Pinney and grand-children. It is probably Hester Harriott Pinney b.1901 on his lap and Bernard Pinney b1903 in his mother’s arms. c.1904 a short while before Henry’s death. Location at the front door to Buckingham ©SAS

Hester’s father was Henry Head b.1834 m.1860 Died 1st July 1905
Hester’s mother was Hester Head (née Beck) b.1835 m.1860 d.1907
Hester became Hester Pinney (née Head Jnr.) by marriage in 1900 b.1875 d.1958
Hester’s daughter Hester Harriott Marsden-Smedley (née Pinney) b. Ponna India 21st June 1901. Married Basil Futvoye Marsden-Smedley 1927. Hester died in 1982 in Chelsea.
Hester’s daughter was Henrietta Hester Marsden-Smedley b.1935 d.1998

Sons and daughters of Henry and Hester Head:

Sir Henry Head¹ b. 4 Aug 1861, edu: Charterhouse, Trinity Coll Camb. d. 8 Oct 1940
Charles Howard Head¹ b. 28 Dec 1862, edu: Charterhouse d. 6 Dec 1877 died of pneumonia at Charterhouse school age 14 (Godalming)
Hugh Stanley Head¹ b. 9 Jun 1864, edu: Charterhouse d. 4 Nov 1890 age 26 (old Shoreham)
Rachel Mary Head¹ b. 26 Aug 1865, d. 19 Jan 1870 age 4
Katherine Head¹ b. 17 Sep 1866, d. 2 Aug 1869 age 3
Francis Head¹ b. 13 Feb 1868, edu: Lancing College d. 11 Feb 1905 of brain tumour age 36
Christopher Head¹ b. 25 Dec 1869, edu: Lancing College, Trinity Coll. Camb d. 15 Apr 1912 on Titanic age 43
Geoffrey Head+¹ b. 14 Apr 1872, edu: Lancing College d. 22 Nov 1955
John Alban Head¹ b. 7 Dec 1873, edu: Lancing College d. 8 Jun 1931 age 57
Hester Head+¹ b. 29 Jan 1875, d. 1958
Bernard Head¹ b. 12 Jan 1876, d. 13 Aug 1915 Major, Corps: Royal Welsh Fusiliers killed in action at Gallipoli age 39

Henry Head died in July 1905 of heart disease, 5 months after the death of his 4th son Francis from a brain tumour at the age 36. This was the catalyst for the abandonment of Buckingham House that became a ruin by 1910.

Census returns for Buckingham 1841-1901

Head Family: Who is who?

Link to Head Family Tree (from page 32)

The timeline of Buckingham House(s)

The contents of the Buckingham Book ( the 2nd half)

The mystery of what happened to the first half of The Buckingham Book is perhaps explained by a number of photos in the SAS / Marlipins Collection of images. Whilst there seems to be just 11 images they are of a similar nature to those in the second half of the book. The suggestion is these 11 were cherry picked by SAS and the rest of the book is in their archive awaiting full scrutiny and publication.

Selection from the front half of the Buckingham Book

Covering letter:

This Family Scrapbook compiled by the Head Family to record their time at Buckingham (Buckingham House, Old Shoreham) from 1889 to 1905 was in the possession of Lady (Hester) Marsden-Smedley (née Pinney), the daughter of Lady Hester Pinney (née Head). Before she died, Lady Pinney stated that she wanted me to have it because of its relevance to Shoreham. In due course I made contact with her daughter in Chelsea and arranged to go up to collect it.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Lady Marsden-Smedley would have liked to have kept it, since it contained so much of Family interest. In the event, she simply tore the book in half and gave me the front part, and this I placed in Marlipins. It may since have been dismembered, which is a great pity.

The other half I was very surprised to be offered many years later through a friend. and bought it, at a price, and did not enquire as to its provenance. I still have it, in its somewhat battered slate.

It is (was) three-quarter leather bound, about 100 mm thick in all, the boards approx, 370 x 298mm, with interleaved pages designed as a commercial scrap-book.

It is clear that the Head boys were responsible for most of the snaps, but there are other more professional photos taken probably by William Page, Photographer, of Shoreham, whom Hester (Pinney) said she encouraged. There are also watercolours by Hester of a competent, but amateur quality, together with sundry printed items of interest, and photos of local views and personalities.

The whole gave a unique and fascinating view of the very happy life at Buckingham until Henry Head’s death in 1905, when the family quit Old Shoreham. The house lay empty and in 1911 was gutted, with the grounds occupied by a new house erected to the North.

During their stay at Buckingham, the Heads effectively filled the role of ‘Lords of the Manor’ in the Town, and were most popular. Henry Head was an outgoing and generous personality, and he was clearly led by his very positive daughter Hester (Pinney), abetted by her brothers. The Park was regularly opened to the townsfolk, and Henry seems to have been the leader in the 1897 Diamond Jubilee celebrations. When, apart from a Grand March through the Town to a Fair and general festivities in the Park, there seems to have been a very early filrnshow in the field by the old Swiss Gardens. Fifty years later, Hester Pinney was stilt fondly rernembered in the Town.

The Book records Hunting, Cricket, Yachting (Steam and Sail) Golf, Shooting, Riding, and alfresco entertainments.. The girls from the London Store, D. H. Evans, which the Heads owned, were also entertained in the Summer and are seen obviously enjoying themselves. The Book is a wonderful, unique, record of a lost age, which was soon to come to a tragic stop. One son was lost on the Titanic (sic Christopher Head), and one at Gallipoli (sic. Bernard Head); it is fitting that their memorials are in Old Shoreham Church, in the place that they so enjoyed.

Written by Michael Norman, date: post-1983

April 8, 2024May 9, 2024

St Nicolas School

January 3, 2024April 8, 2024

Old Shoreham Gallery

This is a mock up of the intended gallery specific to Old Shoreham, assembled from existing imagery in the SAS Marlipins Collection tagged “OS”.

February 28, 2023April 8, 2024

Red Lion

c1910 ©SAS Marlipins Bob Hill Collection

May 13, 2020March 29, 2024

Adur Idyl

After a pint at the Red Lion take a walk westwards across the Toll Bridge, turn left across the stream, past the old guardhouse then turn right and look towards the Sussex Pad. Go back in time 130 years and this is the view you’ll see.(‘Lancing Brook Leading to the old Sussex Pad’ by Arthur Willett 1857 – 1918)

Bartlett Collection

John Bartlett is descended from the Winton and Maple families of Shoreham. His mother Daphne Maple married Robert Bartlett, both of Old Shoreham, in 1940. The Bartletts came from Lancing and settled in Old Shoreham where John’s grandfather was the collector at the Toll Bridge. John has kindly provided us with a selection of his family photographs dating from the early 1900’s.

1. Robert Bartlett senior, the father of George, was the Lancing Stationmaster and Postmaster seen here outside the post office with his postmen, in Lancing’s North Road.

2. This postcard shows the backwater at Lancing after the 1910 storm. The scene appears to be the coast road looking up South Street with the Three Horseshoes pub on the right.

Continue reading “Bartlett Collection”