On behalf of Rye and District Lions Club, I visited the Torrent at 0900 this morning with Carl Bagwell to get an update and to see how the crew were. It would seem that the whole situation is still in stale-mate. Continue reading Russian Crew Stranded
By Julie Brett (Ditcher) Great Granddaughter
Jacob was born in 1865 in Rye, his father and four brothers were all from Rye and were all fishermen as he was to become at the age of 11. From 1888-1890 he served as mate under skipper W. Bourne on the trawler S.S.Pionerre and from 1893-1897 he was the third hand under Master J.M. Breeds on the S.S.Crusader. Continue reading Old Fisherman of Rye
By Julie Brett (Ditcher) Great Granddaughter
Jacob was born in 1865 in Rye, his father and four brothers were all from Rye and were all fishermen as he was to become at the age of 11. From 1888-1890 he served as mate under skipper W. Bourne on the trawler S.S.Pionerre and from
1893-1897 he was the third hand under Master J.M. Breeds on the S.S.Crusader.
He married around the age of 22 to Mary Jane Small, who was a Rye Harbour lass and was married for over 50 years until her death in 1937. Jacob and Mary Jane had 2 sons and 4 daughters, lived in Rye for a few years and then Rye Harbour.
Jacob sailed in numerous vessels and became a familiar figure to fishing communities from Newhaven to Folkestone. During the First World War when he lived for a time in Newhaven he served first in the Territorial Force and then asked to be transferred to minesweepers and served as a Petty Officer.
At the end of the war he and his wife settled back in Rye Harbour still continuing to fish until the death of his wife when he moved to Rye and lived with one of his daughters Mary Jane Ditcher (my Grandmother). Continue reading Old Fisherman of Rye
In 2007 a better and cheaper option for dredging was needed for Rye. The Dutch had the monopoly on this throughout the UK, but about 10 years previously I had drawn up a system to fit to an existing vessel, then never got around to fitting it. Continue reading Rye Silt Dredger
What many locals proclaimed as “The best Rye Scallop Festival ever” came to a close with masses of praise being heaped on the shoulders of event organiser Oliver Campion and the many helpers he bulldozed into helping him realise such a great success. Continue reading Best Scallop Festival Ever
A vessel that arrived at Rye Wharf in early January from a Cornish quarry with a cargo of road-stone found itself arrested by the Admiralty Marshall leaving the crew destitute. The M.V. Continue reading Suffering As Ship Remeins Under Arrest
The sound of the sea lapping gently at the shore, a warm, sunny day in Hastings, blue skies overhead and the piercing cry of seagulls invading your senses. Camera in one hand, sunglasses in the other and with arms outstretched for balance you are creeping gingerly across the pebbles on the beach at St leonards towards a Hovercraft ‘parked’ on the sand near the waters edge… Continue reading Imagine If You Will A Local Hovercraft Service
On 11th November 1891 a powerful storm raged along the Kent / Sussex coast, wreaking havoc on Hythe, Rye and Hastings. Continue reading The Calamitous Storm of 1891
It’s been rather nice thinking about Rye Shipyard since that loving presentation in the Autumn issue of ‘Ryes Own’, and it’s given me a lot to think about. We know that Sussex was covered at one time by a lot of forestry, and there must have been lots of it’s timber cut down and brought into Rye Shipyard. Continue reading Acorn to Anvil
Rye Maritime Festival took place on the Strand Quay on one of the hottest days of the summer. The event, an annual celebration of Rye’s Maritime history, had record crowds to one of Rye’s numerous FREE colourful events Lots of fun for all the family with stands and stalls, demonstrations and displays. Continue reading Hot Maritime Festival in 2012
