I am always interested in early reports of crime and disorder especially in the early 19th century when the Police were still in their infancy. Sussex had no uniformed force to deter and arrest criminals. There were parish constables of course, but they were used by the parish vestry (a form of early local government)…
Category: East Sussex
Why is Charlie-Joe upside down?
The web-site of the La Trobe University in Australia reports that “Charles La Trobe is much better known in England than he is in Australia” This I doubt, even though he is buried in the delightful riverside churchyard at Litlington, East Sussex. Charles Joseph La Trobe was born in London on 20th March 1801 and…
Beacons for the Queen (and the French!)
Next week beacons will be lit all over Sussex, and indeed the whole country, to commemorate the 90th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen. Beacons have been used for many years for celebration and also as a means of communication. This was particularly the case to warn us good Sussex folk from invasion against the…
The Alfriston Beaver?
The Church of St Andrew in Alfriston dates from the 14th Century and it is likely that the Easter Sepulchre to the north of the altar is of a similar date. The Easter Sepulchre was a feature often placed in medieval churches. It represented the tomb of Christ and was used for an elaborate ceremony…
A Chubby but Cheerful Soldier
This afternoon I did one of my Guided Tours of Lewes and took people through the lovely churchyard of St John Sub-Castro. I pointed out some interesting graves but noticed something today that I had no seen before. It was a Memorial Plaque – known as a Death Penny or Widow’s Penny, which had been inserted…
The Squinting Speaker from Sussex
On 21st June 2009 I was working in the Houses of Parliament when I heard a rumour that the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin was about to resign. He found his position untenable due to the his role in the expenses scandal. A Speaker had not been ‘sacked’ since the 17th Century…
Did a 10yr old cause a train crash?
The Railway between Brighton and Lewes was opened on 8th June 1846. The London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) took over the new railway just a few weeks later. Railways were dangerous places, indeed the opening of one of the first railways – The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was marred by the death of…
A Royal Flower Girl who packed a punch!
Elizabeth Quill, (known as Kitty) was born in Kingstown, Ireland in 1861. At some stage she moved to London where she met a labourer David Quill. Although they lived in London Kitty spent the summer in Eastbourne where she lodged and did a brisk business as a flower seller. The Dukes of Devonshire regularly hosted…
Of Booze and Bridges
One of my talks that I give to History Societies, Women’s Institutes etc is about the gravestones of Sussex and, despite the gloomy subject it seems to be quite popular! During the talk I show people a couple of my favourite gravestones, including that of Thomas Tipper in the graveyard of at Newhaven. The gravestone…
A Sussex Architect with bottle!
In 2011 I was honoured to be asked to say a few words at a meeting of the Alfriston & Cuckmere Valley History Society which was called to pay tribute of their former president, the late Lady Edna Healey who had died the previous year. I was in esteemed company, as not only Lord Denis…
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 