SEAFORD, SUSSEX, ENGLAND
A Little Town With a Big History
Seaford, a small town situated on the southern coast of England in the county of East Sussex, was a Cinque Port, receiving benefits and parliamentary representation in return for providing the King's fleet with ships and men. A combination of events, including the devastation of the Black Plague in 1348 and repeated flooding resulted in the economic downfall of the town. Seaford could no longer sustain Parliamentary representation and lost its privileges. By the end of the Civil War (1660), Seaford began to thrive once more and Cinque Port privileges were restored.
Seaford's fate was at the mercy of the storms that regularly batter the southern coastline. The storm of 1579 blocked the mouth of the River Ouse, changing its course and essentially ending Seaford's value as a port town, devastating the town's economy, and leaving the villagers poor and hungry.
By rights of their status as a Cinque Port, the people of the town were allowed to take any goods washed up from the sea. The Seafordians took this as carte blanche to entice ships onto the rocks and then relieve them of their cargo. The townsfolk became known as "cormorants" and "shags." Smuggling also became a thriving industry.
In December of 1809, Seaford was hit by a severe gale in which several ships were wrecked. Between December 14th and 21st some twenty bodies were washed ashore and buried. 1875 saw one of the worst floods of the town and in 1897 the beach between Newhaven and Seaford was partially washed away in another severe storm. The numerous ship wrecks off this area are testament to the difficulty of navigating these waters in the harsh weather.
William Pitt, Prime Minister of England from 1766-1768, was a member of parliament for Seaford as were Henry Pelham and George Canning.
One of my ancestors, Roberte Hide (Hyde) was Vicar of Seaford from 1573 to 1638 and his handwriting is found throughout the Parish Registers of his time. His burial is recorded as follows. Robert Hide Vicare of ye sayd pishe of Seaford buried the 25th day of August 1638. hee was viccar 65 (years)
Census records beginning in 1801 show the fluctuating population of the town.- 1801 - 847
- 1811 - 1001
- 1821 - 1047
- 1831 - 1098
- 1841 - 953
- 1851 - 997
- 1861 - 1150
- 1871 - 1339
Seaford was never able to compete with Brighton as a major seaside resort, however the attraction of the nearby South Downs, and the shingle beaches make it a pleasant change from Brighton's more vibrant lifestyle.
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