Brighton & Hove

John Kay will tell the fascinating story of Captain William Green, an 18th century officer whose career included managing the defences on the Sussex coast, including those at Hastings and Ringmer.  As well as a being a military engineer he had an interesting personal life.

Louise Peskett will be giving another talk profiling noteworthy women of Brighton & Hove.

Brighton and Hove is a treasure trove of women’s history - some of the first women doctors to practise in the country moved here to set up landmark hospitals, the first British woman to swim the Channel was born here, Britain’s first female cabinet minister worked in a shop in Hove, the first Suffragette to die for the cause worked here, the first and possibly only woman to have a blue plaque outside her home for services to witchcraft lived in Brighton.  Louise will talk about some of the fearless and fabulous women associated with Brighton and Hove.

Chris Horlock’s talk will detail the development of this well-known Sussex beauty spot.  He will tell the famous legend of how the Dyke chasm came into existence, linked with the coming of Christianity to Sussex, and cover its Victorian hey-day when owned by entrepreneur James Hubbard with details of its many attractions, including an aerial cable car.  Other more recent aspects of the Dyke’s history are covered, including the secret “old fort” and its connection with the First World War.

The Old Poor Laws, which were administered at parish level, provided pre-welfare state assistance to the needy.  They created mountains of paperwork and where these have survived we can get a fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors.  This talk will look at how the system worked and the records it created in East Sussex, and will tell the stories of some of those who received help from the parish.

Built in 1857 because of fears of attack from France under Napoleon III, Shoreham Fort is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.  During the nineteenth century the Fort was garrisoned by the Sussex Volunteer Artillery, with links to both Brighton and Eastbourne.  People with ancestry from this part of Sussex may well have relatives amongst the many volunteers who served there.

Gary Baines, Chairman and Trustee of Friends of Shoreham Fort, will give a presentation on the Fort’s fascinating history, its restoration, and future plans for the monument.

Airship use during the Great War unwittingly became their heyday period.  This talk will cover their background, where they were based, and how their role developed and evolved as the demands of war progressed.  Stewart will present his findings of what remains in the Sussex landscape and where archaeology could fill the gaps in our knowledge relating to this lesser-known aspect of the war.

Over 3 million Britons were in the Indian subcontinent from 1650 until 1947.  If you cannot find an ancestor it is quite possible that you find them in India.  Occupations include military, railwaymen, engineers, surveyors, missionaries shipping, colonial service, fortune hunters, and in some cases families and servants.  Trade through the Honourable East India Company, established by Queen Elizabeth in 1600, and conflicts such as the Indian Mutiny took many Britons to India.

Elaine will share her expertise in searching for relatives in India and the resources available.  She will also present a family story with interesting connections to the subcontinent.

Wyn & Sue will host a Christmas Social, which will include a quiz and some family history related fun.

In 1859 the first public asylum in Sussex opened amidst great publicity near Haywards Heath. Victorian mental health reformers believed in something revolutionary: that a well-run, progressive asylum could solve the increasing problem of “madness” in society.  

Inmates came from all over Sussex, and beyond.  If you are “missing” a Sussex relative in your family tree they may been an inmate of the Asylum.  James Gardner’s talk explores what happened to this aspiration and seeks to explain the demise of asylum treatment.