The history portal for Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England
Recent posts and articles listed in published chronological order.
The Aylings were family grocers, drapers and furnishers at 54 and 56 High Street on the western corner with John Street. Henry Ayling born 1838, a master grocer from Midhurst and his wife Fanny arrived in Shoreham during the mid/late 1860’s after acquiring the premises.
Continue reading “The Ayling Family”King’s Manor Girls School in Kingston Lane was built in 1959 to replace the sister school as the senior school for three parishes.
In the south east corner of Mill Lane Cemetery, overlooking The Meads and backing onto a spur of Greenacres, is the grave of a French sailor formerly of the SS Lutetia, who died in 1919. There are no other gravestones near to this isolated stone cross marker, giving it rather a sad and lonely appearance, perhaps reflecting the nature of this sailor’s death, a young man from another country who lost his life under tragic circumstances.
The SS Arthur Wright – a Shoreham Collier
The SS Arthur Wright was built by William Pickersgill & Sons at their Southwick, Sunderland yard in 1937 for the Brighton Corporation. It was a 1,097-ton vessel, the Corporation’s first collier, and used for conveying fuel to the electricity works at Portslade. Named after the first (1894) manager and engineer of the works (he also designed the first domestic supply meter) the Arthur Wright carried coal mainly from the Yorkshire and Welsh coalfields via the ports of Goole and Port Talbot.
Continue reading “SS Arthur Wright -collier”
To coincide with the re-opening of Shoreham’s Marlipins Museum this May 2022 it is worthwhile mentioning that a visit to the first floor gallery will give a rare opportunity to view in person the original sketch made by Butler in 1786. This accurate snapshot of Shoreham is especially revealing. Roger Bateman’s meticulous examination and research is linked below.
After a very long time closed, the Marlipins Museum re-opens on 5th May 2022.
Entry is now free.
This is also an opportunity to re-watch Roger’s superb montage video about the origins of the museum.
Shoreham’s church of St Mary De Haura has been a landmark for many centuries. For over 250 years the bells suspended in the tower belfry have been rung from the Ringing Room many feet below. The belfry, the ringing room, the clock movement and the tower roof are only accessible via a very narrow spiral staircase in the North East corner of the tower.
Hamish McKenzie is the current St. Mary’s Bellringer’s Tower Captain – and one of his additional roles for many years is to ascend the narrow steps to raise the flag on national days and state occasions. www.Shorehambysea.com were granted access to accompany Hamish to the roof to raise the flag of St. George to mark St. George’s Day 2022.
Continue reading “The Long and Winding Steps”East Street, New Road and the footbridge have not changed too much over the last 100 years. However the encroachment of large buildings on the waterfront has restricted views of the river significantly. Note the position of the photographer on the tower roof was identical, except a little shorter. Maybe a tripod was used in 1924 or they sat down away from the low parapet?
