Family History is fascinating and all of us have a family with stories to tell. My own Great-Great Grandfather John Roberts had an unremarkable life but I have discovered some little nuggets of information about him. Although he spent most of his life in Hellingly and Eastbourne (where he had an unusual occupation) he died…
Month: January 2016
WW2 in Seaford & Lewes
Yesterday I met Dorothy Trethowan at her home in Polegate. This is what she told me… I am 97 years old. I have spent much of my life in Seaford. I was born Dorothy Gretton. My parents lived at a house called Sommerville, Highlands Road, not far from the Catholic Church (I remember the church…
60 years in the Police!
Today it is not unusual for Police Officers to transfer into the British Transport Police from other forces and it is not unknown for some officers to spend a few years in the BTP having retired from another force. After Walter Hebborn retired from the Metropolitan Police, he joined the Railway Police in Sussex…
African Policeman from Alfriston
William Bodle was born in Alfriston in 1855, the son of Charles, an agricultural labourer and Elizabeth, a schoolmistress. He left home at when he was fifteen to join the Army; firstly the Sherwood Foresters and later the Inniskilling Dragoons. At the age of just eighteen Bodle was posted to southern Africa where he saw…
Kissing the Queen’s Hand
In January 1858, Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter, also called Victoria ( although her mother called her Vicky ) married Prince Frederick of Prussia. The Corporation of Seaford was so proud that they wrote a “Loyal Address” to Queen Victoria congratulating her on her daughters marriage. The address was taken in person to Queen Victoria at…
The Hailshamberry
My Father met my mother when he was working at Knight’s Nursery in Hailsham. He drove all over East Sussex delivering fruit vegetables and garden produce. Knight’s Nursery actually once invented a new fruit called the Hailshamberry! It was first grown in 1911 and was a large, almost ever-green bush with large leaves which protected the fruit…
Tiny Lewes Letter
My thanks to Mrs Dorothy Trethowan of Polegate for sending me this absolutely TINY letter sent from Olive and Tom in Windsor Crescent, Lewes to Hindover Road Seaford in December 1943. The letter is a tiny folded sheet of paper in an envelope which is about the size of a penny coin! I will pass the…
An overenthusiastic Home Guard!
Just before Christmas I visited the delightful All Saints Church in Waldron. I was lucky to catch the Church Administrator clearing up after a Christingle Service and he generiously, not only showed me around the church, but allowed me to climb up on to the tower via a rather narrow stone spiral staircase. According to…
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 