The origins of our Police are interesting. Although most people have heard of the Bow Street Runners, they were not like the police of today and surprisingly they operated not only in London, but across the country, often in Sussex. The Middlesex Justices Act 1792 saw the creation of seven offices in the capital, each…
Category: East Sussex
How to celebrate St Clement’s Day
Will you be celebrating St Clements Day on 23rd November? Your ancestors did! It is believed that Clement was an early Pope imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Trajan who packed him off to the Crimea to work in a mine. Undaunted, he miraculously made a spring appear to help his fellow workers. These men…
Remember Remember
Last month I had the honour of introducing the visiting Bonfire Societies to Seaford for the annual Guy Fawkes celebrations. I love bonfire and probably recite the Bonfire Prayers – “Remember Remember the Fifth of November” more than most people. As a tour guide in the Palace of Westminster – the Houses of Parliament I recite…
A Respected Sussex Policeman
A few weeks ago, Dr June Goodfield, the President of the Alfriston & Cuckmere Valley Historical Society had an unexpected visitor with an interesting item. John Enever called in with his great-grandfathers watch. His ancestor was a policeman who was so respected by the good people of Alfriston that they presented him with the watch…
The Oldest man in Sussex
Isaac Ingall was a grumpy old man but I suppose , given his age he had reason to be; he worked as a servant for no less than 90 years! Isaac was born in Yorkshire in the 1670s. He worked for the Post Office in York in the early 1700s but in 1719 he become…
The only female Sussex Saint
Last week I visited the Church of St Candida in the isolated Dorset village of Whitchurch Canonicorum. It is the only parish church in England to contain the relic of a saint. Saint Wite. The Latin name for Wite is Candida, hence the name of the church. The shrine of the saint contains three…
Seaford’s Saddest Day
TODAY 100 years ago 3rd September 1916 was one of the darkest days in Seaford’s history with five local men being killed within 24 hours. They were all members of the Royal Sussex Regiment. Four of the men were members of the 11th (South Downs) Battalion. Known as Lowther’s Lambs as they had been recruited…
The Sussex Cyclist and his lasting legacy
Overlooking the Cuckmere Valley between Alfriston and Seaford is a viewing point provided by the Rees Jeffrey Fund. Rees Jeffrey was a cyclist who did more then most people to ensure our roads are safe. William Rees Jeffreys was born in Paddington, London in 1872 but lived in Sussex. He was a keen cyclist…
X-IT the Lewes Dwarf
Today we realise that we should not discriminate a person because of their physical appearance but this has not always been the case. It is clear that in the past, dwarves were used for entertainment particularly amongst the royal families of Europe. One of them possibly had a local connection. His name was XIT and…
When my Grandma met a Prime Minister
When I visit Parliament I regularly pass the statue of the former Prime-Minister David Lloyd-George. The sculpture shows the great Liberal politician in an animated pose. Lloyd George is remembered for his many reforms including those responsible for welfare and women’s suffrage. As a young lady my Grandmother, Bessie Gordon, was a keen photographer. In…
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 