Bygone Southend

Caroline, Princess of Wales

Royal Terrace

Southend-on-Sea

In 1801 five year old Princess Charlotte     was ordered by her physician to come to Southend for her health. She spent much time on the beach but for her health she attended Mrs.Glasscock’s bathing machines which were situated near the pier.  The princess stayed at the Lawn in Southchurch. Princess Charlotte was the only child of George, Prince of Wales  (King George IV, and Caroline of Brunswick.

Two years later, in 1004 her mother Princess Caroline visited Southend and stayed in  nos.7,8 and 9 in Grand  Terrace, next to the Grand Hotel, because  of this royal patronage  the terrace was renamed Royal Terrace and the Grand became the Royal Hotel.

Several irregularities occurred during Caroline’s  stay but these were disproved at an enquiry. Caroline  later separated from her husband King George IV.

Princess Charlotte died giving birth to a stillborn son in1917 when she was 21,

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Frank Matcham

Cliff Parade

Frank Matcham was born

Frank Matcham

Cliff Parade

Southend-on-Sea

Architect

Frank Matcham was born in 1854 in Newton Abbott, Devon. At the age of fourteen he was apprentice to a local architect .  He became assistant to T. Robinson, surveyor to the Lord Chancellor. Frank fell in love with, and married his employer’s daughter in 1878, a short time after the wedding his father in law died, leaving Frank to carry on with the unfinished Elephant and Castle in London. His design with its elephant motifs, proved to be greatly admired and by 1888 he was involved in at least five other theatre designs.

Matcham designed at least 200 important theatres including his first solo commission, the Elephant and Castle, the Alhambra Brighton, the Hackney Empire, and the London Coliseum.

Frank Matcham was one of the most eminent and prolific theatre designers, each theatre had its own unique design and original ideas, such as air ducts 6ft above the ground , which avoided draughts, and the elimination of huge pillars which obstructed the view for some patrons.

Matcham never qualified as an architect but he was undoubtedly one of the finest of the time

Frank died in 1920

John Fowles

Fillibrook Avenue. Leigh-on-Sea

John was born in 1926, he lived with his parents Gladys and  Robert in Fillibrook Avenue, Leigh-on-Sea. He found his conventional life very oppressive. After boarding school he attended Edinburgh University, he completed his compulsory national Service just before the end of WWII.

Fowles then spent four years at Oxford University, gained a degree in French. He decided to become a writer. First  he became a teacher in France, Greece and later in London. His book The Writer was a success, so John decided to devote his time to writing. He moved to Dorset in 1965, his house became ‘the Dairy’ in his famous book ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman.’ He later moved to Lyme Regis, where the famous ‘Cob’ is situated.

Apart from his writing he became interested in local history and became curator of the local Lyme Regis Museum.

John died in 2005

David Bone Nightingale Jack

254 Hamlet Court Road

Westcliff -on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea

David Bone Nightingale Jack  was born in Bolton Lancashire in 1899. His father, Bob Jack, and his brothers Rollo and Daniel were all footballers.

David began his career in 1919  playing for his father’s club,  Plymouth Argyle, where he scored  15 goals. A year later he transferred to Bolton Wanderers.  Jack was the first English football player to score at Wembley and the first to be transferred for over £10 000 .  He stayed with the Trotters for eight seasons. He  won his first England cap  in a  defeat against Wales. He played for his country eight times and scored three times.

In 1928 he won  his third medal. After he retired he became manager of Southend United.  He managed the Blues  from 1934 to 1939.

Jack died aged 59

Benjamin Waugh

Runwell Terrace

Southend-on-Sea

Benjamin Waugh was born in !839. His father was a saddler, they lived in Settle, Yorkshire.

Benjamin attended theological college in Bradford and became a congregational minister in London  . Benjamin married Sarah Boothroyd in 1865, they had twelve Children

This was the time of great  hardship. Waugh was very critical of the terrible  poverty and  cruelty many  children had to endure. This often led them into crime for which there was no proper criminal justice.  He sought to change the workhouse conditions, the Poor Law and the criminal justice system’

He wrote  The Goal Cradle, Who Rocks It? Hoping to ease the lot of the children who turned to crime. He served on the London School Board for several years.

Benjamin was editor of a religious magazine, and in it published some of his own hymns .He founded the London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 1884.The first chairman was Lord Shaftesbury. This later became the NSPCC. Five years later, Waugh was its chairmen and Queen Victoria its Patron.

In 1905 He retired to Southend-on-Sea. Where he died in 1908