Aird Adur Railway Viaduct
Railway Bridge 1893
Stow & Son Yachts
Thomas Stow & Son Yachts 1866 – 1936,
Courtney & Birkett and Francis Suter
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries Thomas Stow & Son earned themselves a reputation internationally as a respected designer and builder of good quality luxury racing yachts and other types of boat at their shipyard on the river at Shoreham. In his book ‘The Ships and Mariners of Shoreham historian Henry Cheal lists some of their schooners, yawls, luggers and cutters. These were of high quality, well planned internally to give them a ‘roominess’ rarely matched by other makers. Besides supplying private customers Stows also built many of the boats that carried British troops up the river Nile for the 1884 Sudan Expedition.
Continue reading “Stow & Son Yachts”Ships Built or Registered in Shoreham
Ships Built or Registered in Shoreham
from the 13th century to the early 1900’s. (excluding yachts which are listed in the separate article ‘Stow & Sons Yachts 1866 – 1936 and Courtney & Birkett.’)
This index is consistently the most frequently referred to record on the Shorehambysea.com History Portal web site. This, and the printed library version, is the third update since the first publication in 2010 and now includes information on over 600 vessels. Ranging from mediaeval times to the 20th century, fishing smacks to 48-gun men of war and merchant ships that travelled the world known to have been built in Shoreham, Kingston and Southwick. Even during the 18th century Shoreham ships sailed as far as India, Australia, the Americas and the West Indies. War ships were still being built for the Royal Navy and one Shoreham built man of war (HMS Scorpion) had a particularly eventful career capturing five French ships in 1795 before subsequently joining Shoreham’s merchant fleet only to be captured itself yet still managed to return to British merchant trading shortly after.
Continue reading “Ships Built or Registered in Shoreham”Shoreham Harbour 1875
(a pamphlet recording a speech at the meeting of the trustees donated by Andy Ramus)
John Jabez Edwin Mayall 17 Sept 1813 – 6 March 1901
On Tuesday July 20th 1875, Alderman Mayall, having been appointed by the Brighton Corporation to be one of the trustees of the Shoreham Harbour Board, gave a speech at a meeting of the trustees at the Dolphin Chambers, Shoreham, where he laid out his plan to get a new bill passed through Government to allow the port greater borrowing powers in order to make the most of Shoreham Harbour’s potential. Continue reading “Shoreham Harbour 1875”
Buckingham Arms Side-Spouted Ale Measure
This pewter pint measure was made by George Farmiloe & Sons of John Street, London EC1 in the 1870’s (1). It has two Victorian verification marks (official excise weights and measures) of a crown above the letters VR over the numbers 74 on one and 167 on the other – 167 was the number for Steyning district. There is also another mark of a crown above WS for West Sussex. The maker’s name is also stamped thereon – known in the pewter makers’ trade as touch marks. Finally, the names ‘A. Thorncroft, Buckingham Arms’ are beautifully engraved in script upon the opposite side to the handle of the measure.
Ayling Stores Order Book
A rare and fascinating relic of Shoreham’s commercial past is this 1908 receipt book provided by Henry Ayling & Sons for their customers. Aylings were family grocers, drapers and furnishers at 54/56 High Street on the western corner with John Street.
Continue reading “Ayling Stores Order Book”A Small Book of Letters
The early 19 th century letters of a Shoreham Resident
Contents
Page 1 – 2 Introduction
Page 3 – 4 Letter A (transcript)
Page 4 Letter B ( .. )
Page 5 Letter C ( .. )
Page 5 – 6 Letter D ( .. )
Page 6 – 7 Letter E ( .. )
Page 7 – 9 Letter F ( .. )
Page 9 – 10 Letter G ( .. )
Page 10 – 12 Notes H ( .. )
The Original Papers
Page 13 Front cover, inside front cover and first page (letter A)
Page 14 Second and third pages (letter A continued)
Fourth and fifth pages (letter A concluded and start of letter B)
Page 15 Sixth and seventh pages (letter B concluded and start of letter C)
Eighth and ninth pages (letter C concluded and start of letter D)
Page 16 Tenth and eleventh pages (letter D continued)
Twelfth and thirteenth pages (letter D concluded ad start of letter E)
Page 17 Fourteenth and fifteenth pages (letter E concluded and start of letter F)
Sixteenth and seventeenth pages (letter F continued)
Page 18 Eighteenth and nineteenth pages (letter F continued)
Twentieth and twentyfirst pages (letter F concluded and start of letter G)
Page 19 Twentysecond and twentythird pages (letter G concluded and notes H)
A Small Book of Letters and Notes by William Butler (circa 1816)
This beautifully written book (not much more than a few pages eight and a half by six inches sewn together ) discovered recently under the floor boards during renovations at No.22, Church Street transpire to be the writings of William Butler whilst serving on board the Revenue Cutter ‘The Hound’. The Butler family of that time is vividly described in detail by Maria Butler in her history of that family shortly before her tragic death at 27 in 1857.There were possibly more than two William Butlers from Shoreham living at this time but the most likely candidates were baptised in 1760 and 1795. The former, who would have been 56 at the time, is not seriously considered to be a candidate for the author of these writings (A) in view of the author’s exploits which will be revealed later (although it could have been possible), and (B) because he is not mentioned at all by Maria in her notes. Furthermore, since his baptism, this older William does not appear again in the parish records, even for burial, so it is assumed that he had moved away and died elsewhere.