Category: Local History

RYE TOKENS

By Frank Palmer The token pictured on this page is a 1652 issue by William Keye. It is about the size of a farthing and was produced at the Tower Mint,London.

In the 1640s and 50s William Keye (or Key) was the owner and master of a ship the providence of Rye. He had been made a freeman, in 1624, and was a contractor to the government taking quantities of great shot from the iron furnaces in Sussex through Rye to the Tower of London at £13-10s per ton also supplying the navy and forts with cables, anchors and shot also Sussex corn for the navy, and bringing back black powder for the Rye Garrison. Continue reading RYE TOKENS

Editorial

Those who went to the Ferry Road Primary School in the years just after the War will be especially interested in the 1946 Staff Photograph that is publish on page twenty-six. What a fine bunch of teachers they were. Continue reading Editorial

The Boat Builders of Rye Part Two

 

The Hoad Ship Building Yard in Rye was famous for the first class vessels produced there but it was George Smith and his brother Thomas who are remembered by some senior citizens of this town as ‘the boat builders of Rye’ Continue reading The Boat Builders of Rye Part Two

Celebrating 700 Years of Rye Mayoral History

Celebrations that Did Not Happen in 1889 and Those That Did in 1989

Early in the 1890’s the names of all known Mayors of Rye were painted on the wall panels of the Town Hall Chamber.

Continue reading Celebrating 700 Years of Rye Mayoral History

Historical Odds & Ends

When Rye Councillors had the Power

Spelling taken from original manuscripts

1549- Ordered that none of the inhabitants of Rye, young or old should issue out of the town with drums and flags or otherwise, to enter the woods of any man, without his special licence, to gather or cut down any boughs, on pain of imprisonment for three days and three nights. Continue reading Historical Odds & Ends

Smuggling

Reproduced from “Gentle Breezes”

Kent and Sussex were hot beds of smuggling for centuries, and to judge by reports, still are. Originally, wool was smuggled out to France, rather than other goods coming in. The reason was that we produced high quality wool, but had not the means of processing it. The French and Dutch did. In 1622, it was made a hanging offence to smuggle out wool. The government then imported French and Dutch weavers and other trades to process the wool. That is why we have many large houses of Dutch style in our area. Many parishes have their Cloth Halls, The Weavers, and so on. Continue reading Smuggling

Wharehouses At The Strand

From a water colour by Austin Bloomfield

The warehouses at The Strand still stand today. They are a reminder of Rye’s maritime past when many ships used to dock in The Strand and unload their cargos of grain, timber, basic slag, coal etc. into these and other warehouses and yards dotted around the area. Continue reading Wharehouses At The Strand

HMS Rye

On a cold January morning in 1942 HMS Rye, a Bangor Class Minesweeper commanded by Lieutenant J. A. Pearson, slipped her moorings at a small Scottish port and put to sea on her maiden voyage. Sea trails off the east and west coasts of Scotland proved successful and because of the urgent need for sweepers at that desperate time in the War she was quickly pressed into service. Continue reading HMS Rye

The Amazing Story of a Rye Shipyard

Mrs. Pollington nee’ Jempson of Crowborough has loaned “Rye’s Own” a wonderful photo and cuttings album recording the history of one of Rye’s most famous ship building yards. There are many previously unpublished photographs recording ship building at the yard from the 1880’s to after World War Two, when the yard built ships for the Admiralty that went to war in the Pacific Ocean against the Japanese. This is just a first installment, the album opens with a brief history of the yard written in 1946. Continue reading The Amazing Story of a Rye Shipyard

The Singing, Shouting and Dancing Town Crier

One of the Best Town Crier’s in the Land

Last month Rye Town Crier Rex Swain was featured on the cover of “Rye’s Own”. Since he became Town Crier, Rex has gained in fame and popularity. He must be the most photographed man in the town. Continue reading The Singing, Shouting and Dancing Town Crier