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

Busy Day at Landgate 1887

By Jim Hollands

This photograph from the Frank Palmer Collection was taken 130 years ago this very month. More than 20 figures are faithfully captured at that moment in time. Continue reading Busy Day at Landgate 1887

The Very Heart of Rye

First Published in the November 2003 Issue of “Rye’s Own”

The old Lion Street School, now the home of the Rye Library and Further Education Centre, has a question mark hanging over it’s future existence.There are proposals for the Library to be re-sited in a new building on the old Central Garage site, there are also plans for moving some of the educational facilities to this new building.

Continue reading The Very Heart of Rye

F E Centre, Garage & Ferry Road School

Rye’s Own May 2001

The controversy currently raging about the possible demise of the Lion Street School Buildings, re-sighting the Library in rented accommodation at the old garage in Cinque Ports Street and the new use of the Ferry Road School site may Continue reading F E Centre, Garage & Ferry Road School