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
John Hindes, a Durham born man with a seagoing background, came to know Shoreham as a crewman during frequent visits in the coal-carrying sailing ships from the north east that traded with Sussex ports in the years following the Napoleonic Wars.
An historically important document recording the signatures of those Shoreham Master Mariners who took out insurance and assurance cover prior to their voyages. Each were indemnified for up to £40 against loss of their nautical instruments, charts and clothes and a full £40 in the case of their death payable to the widow or nearest relative. Shoreham born Thomas Brown Kirton of Queen’s Place who wrote and signed the front page conditions of the document was himself a shipowner.
The year 1853 could be misread as 1833 but has been discounted as many of the ships named were not built until after the latter. Some entries only show the year but a few do include a date – were these the date the ships were due to sail or just when they were added to the policy? In the case of James Francis of the War Hawk it had to be near the maiden voyage as the date entered was only six days after the launching!
Bungalow Town properties were known by name, not the street numbering system used across the river in Shoreham Town and it was first necessary to identify the location and names of the bungalows at Widewater beach. This has been carried out using photographs, Ordnance Survey maps of the period, Street Directories and the 1911 Census Returns – all have inexactitudes to a greater or lesser extent. Furthermore, the majority of these bungalows were lost to storms and it wasn’t just one storm that caused the bungalows to be
A selection of newspaper cuttings providing five year example of ship movements in and out of Shoreham port during the 19th century. The ship’s name is followed by the surname of the captain then the port sailed from or to. From early 1840 the cargo carried is also given.
The British Library Newspaper Archive is a massive and absolutely fascinating resource and thanks must go them for their permission in allowing these images to be reproduced (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). Please also note that in copyright images belong to Northcliffe Media Limited and out of copyright images belong to The British Library. Continue reading “Ship Arrivals & Departures 1837-1842.”
It turns out that three past and present Shoreham residents Brian Bazen, Denis Turrell and I are linked in a surprising set of coincidences. Earlier this year I was looking through Bob Hill’s collection of Old Shoreham photographs (he wrote the booklets ‘Old Shoreham Village & Farms’) in Marlipins Museum and found one of a V1 flying bomb (they were known generally as doodlebugs) that was taken through a window.
