Arthur Woodgate remembers the old family names of Rye and examines other topics of interest to those of us who have spent most of our lives in this small, proud town I thought I knew most Rye Harbour people and I still know the name of Saunders, and must have known Graham’s dad but he was 14 years older than me when at school and in early teens 14 years was a long time. (Graham Saunders has written more reminiscences in a letter in this month’s Pen & Ink). Continue reading Old family names of Rye
Category: Rye History
A Victorian Christmas in Rye
What was a Dickens Christmas?
In modern times, with all the comforts that the post war world has ushered in, it is, perhaps, hard to imagine the days which Dickens has so vividly recorded for us when the workhouse and the beggar were part of the daily scene and the world was, as Disraeli remarked, for the few – the very few. Although with the advance of the welfare state the character of Christmas has changed and its true meaning has been lost amidst the onslaught of commercialism, it still remains a season of goodwill and a time when hearts are strangely touched by the magic of the occasion. Continue reading A Victorian Christmas in Rye
Not Much Traffic Then
Another great old Rye photograph, this time from the Eric Streeton Collection. ‘Lion Street on a gloomy day’. Continue reading Not Much Traffic Then
Edwin Hollis Pulford
AN OLD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT OF THE CORPORATION’
The story of Edwin Hollis Pulford from Ship’s Cook and Shoemaker to Sergeant at Mace and Town Crier of Rye.
By J. C. Pulford.
One day, about 35 years ago, the then Town Crier of Rye, Percy Sherwood, an old acquaintance of my father’s, led my father and me to an upstairs room in the Town Hall to show us an old book that was kept there. In the book was the signature of one of Percy’s Victorian predecessors -Edwin Hollis Pulford. Continue reading Edwin Hollis Pulford
Swastika Over Rye
Swastika Over Rye
As remembered by Arthur Woodgate
War is Declared
When our then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, declared War on Germany on Sunday morning 3 September 1939, the air raid sirens started up immediately, Continue reading Swastika Over Rye
They Took Over the Town Hall
Fed Up with ‘Jobs for the Boys’, Corruption and Discrimination the men of Rye Elected their own Mayor and Councillors and Took Over The Town Hall
By 1825 the Lamb family had dominated politics in Rye for 100 years,
providing the Mayor 23 times out of the 25 since the turn of the century,
most of the jurats and freeman were either family or supporters. This
had been achieved by the ‘Freeman’ system introduced in the days when
Rye played an important and very active part in building, maintaining
and manning the Cinque Ports Fleet. There were about 40 Freemen of
Rye and only a Freeman had a vote.
To become enfranchised there were only two ways. By birth as the eldest
surviving son of a Freeman or by election, one citizen a year was
voted in as a Freemen by Jurats and Freemen on Mayoring Day. Continue reading They Took Over the Town Hall
Rye’s First Photographer
Edwin Thomas Gasson of Rye
1827 – 1904
Carpenter, photographer, taxidermist and museum proprietor.
By John C. Pulford
In a family letter written in 1956 by my great, great uncle living in Watchbell street, Edwin Thomas Gasson was remembered as “rather a clever old chap, he used to stuff birds and was a photographer and also did some artistic work in broken china”. Continue reading Rye’s First Photographer
Rye Borough Police
By Frank Palmer
Rye Borough Police Force came into being in 1838, two years after Hastings and nine years after the Metropolitan Police. Continue reading Rye Borough Police
Over The Sluice Part Two
By Arthur Woodgate
Many members of the Bryant family lived over the Sluice, either in Western Place or like me close by, so I claim that side Bryant, one of Rye’s top runners, second only to the great Shooty shoebridge of Rye Harbour, was one of us, and the Bryants were part of the builders or Rye as we know it today. Continue reading Over The Sluice Part Two
A Rye Childhood – Part 1
By Noel C. A. Care.
More Buildings and Games.
There were other buildings which found their way into our games. Brought up, as we were, in a town full of old buildings, we took little notice of them unless they affected us.There were two in Mermaid Street that became, even if only by implication, part of our games. Continue reading A Rye Childhood – Part 1