A couple of years ago Sue Jones of The Real Car Limited contacted the Eastbourne Local History Society regarding a Rolls Royce they had acquired. Real Car Limited is based in North Wales and specialise in selling early Rolls-Royce and Bentley Cars.
The car in question was a 1928 20-horsepower Rolls Royce registration HC8815. ‘HC’ was the two-letter code for vehicles registered in Eastbourne and the car was first registered to Mrs Sybil Harvey of Carlisle Road, Eastbourne. Here is the car which looks like it is parked near the Golf Course or maybe in the grounds of Compton Place.
Sue contacted me again last month as the Real Car Company have another beautiful old Rolls Royce with an Eastbourne connection. It is this blue 1926 20-horsepower two-seat touring car. It belonged to Eastbourne butcher, Henry Leeson.
Henry Leeson (1889-1932) loved exciting sports. He was a successful farmer and butcher with eight shops across the town. In August 1930 he qualified as a pilot at the Cinque Ports Flying Club but his passion was for motoring having started to drive in 1906.
On 3rd March 1931 Henry was driving a green 12 hp racing car between Pevensey and Pevensey Bay when he lost control His car left the road and hit the wall of Fence Bridge. The local vicar, the Reverend Jones witnessed the incident and estimated the car was travelling at over 60 mph. Henry however told a subsequent court hearing that his speed was about 15mph and that he swerved to avoid a dog which had run out of the bushes in front of his car. This seems unlikely, especially as the car was described as being wrecked after the crash and none of the witnesses saw a dog, however the magistrates believed Henry and dismissed the case.
Henry started motor-racing later that year and in September participated in the Lewes Speed Trials on Race Hill. (Named after the racecourse) There were several car races and Henry won the ‘Super Sporting Cars Unlimited’ race, came second in two other races and third in another three races. He drove either a MG Midget or a Bentley.
Henry had married in 1924 and his wife Edith said that his one wish in life was to race at the Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit near Weybridge in Surrey. He was to get his wish in June 1932 when he entered the British Junior Car Club’s 1,000 Mile Race. Sixty three motorists including four women took part in driving 400 laps of the iconic banked motor circuit over two days. Henry was driving an MG Midget at about 70 mph when it suddenly veered across the track and hit a parapet.
The car was wrecked and Henry was killed. Edith told the inquest that her husband had been over-excited in taking part in the race. His body was returned to Eastbourne and buried at Ocklynge Cemetery.
Leeson’s Butchers shops continued in the Eastbourne area for many years. In 1976 they had branches in Lewes, Hastings and Hove. The business closed in the 1980s when they had 12 butchers shops in all.
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 