James Ward Doughty was born in Bristol in 1818. He was a nephew of Theodore Hook (1788-1841) who was famous as a practical joker and the receiver of the first postcard. Hook was responsible for the infamous ‘Berners Street Hoax’ of 1810 (Google it!). Maybe James picked up on his uncle’s penchant for entertainment as, at the…
Category: Royalty
A Royal Embarkation at Brighton.
Many years ago I was given a copy of this 1819 cartoon by the satirical engraver George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Sadly it is not an original but I like it because it has lots of detail to be interpreted. It is entitled “Royal Embarkation or bearing Brittannia’s Hope from a Bathing Machine to a Royal Barge” The…
The Music of Bells is Sweet
Thomas Lewis was born on 28th December 1845 in Church Street, Old Town, Eastbourne, the son of Thomas Lewis (1805-1883) and Elizabeth Miller (1804-1871) originally from Ringmer. Living so close to the Parish Church it is no wonder that the Lewis family were all bell-ringers. Tom had six brothers who all became bell-ringers at St Mary’s and…
Deadly Sins in a Sussex Church
Wherever I travel, I take a copy of Simon Jenkins book ‘1000 Best Churches’ which is usually a good indication of churches worth going out of your way to see. Occasionally though, I come across a church not mentioned in his book and wonder why it has been omitted. One such church is St George’s at Trotton…
An Eastbourne House Through Time
I have enjoyed the BBC Series ‘A House Through Time’ where David Olusoga researches the history of a particular house. Inspired by this I thought I would try to do the same with a house close to where I live in Old Town, Eastbourne. St Mary’s House is adjacent to the Lamb Inn at the…
Pinch-Bum Day
Watch out for your bottom if you go out this morning because in Sussex today (29th May) is known as ‘Pinch-bum Day’ although in the rest of the country it is ‘Oak Apple Day’. During the English Civil War, in 1651 the future King Charles II was pursued by the Roundheads south across England following…
Railway Jack
Railway Jack was a dog. To be honest Railway Jack was several dogs but this item will be about the original one who was based in Sussex. The Victorians loved their pets and they loved their railways so they were particularly sentimental about railway dogs. Railway Jack was a fox-terrier who entertained and amused passengers…
A King’s escape through Sussex
Louis-Philippe of France had a troublesome life; his father had initially supported the Revolution but when Louis-Phillipe escaped to exile he called for his execution. There can’t be many people whose own father wanted them dead! After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815 the monarchy was restored to France and on 9th August…
When blood spilled in Sussex !
A short announcement appeared in the Morning Chronicle on 2nd October 1805. “The long pending match between the Chicken and the Gulley is fixed for Tuesday next. The combatants are now in training in Sussex in which the battle is to be fought. Most of the amateurs of pugilism have departed for Brighton in the…
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…
Quirky Sussex History by Kevin Gordon 