The inevitable companion piece to the Head post from last year, this time we are looking at historic pubs bearing the name "King's Arms". Again, not everything is clear, but not quite as complex as the King's Head. There are three known pubs with the name, the Dovercourt premises being the most significant, but let's … Continue reading A King and His Many Arms
Tag: pubs
Area Number One
After the Great War, regeneration was the focus of the country, with Harwich being no exception. In the 1920s and 30s, local projects included the construction of new roads such as Harbour Crescent and Mayflower Avenue, as well as the destruction of old derelict buildings, most notably the strip of Tudor-era houses on West Street, … Continue reading Area Number One
A King and His Many Heads
"King's Head" is a phrase synonymous with Harwich and its history, not just thanks to the street, but also to the two former public houses bearing the name, the first of which being how the street got its name. However, laying behind this common, innocuous phrase is a complex and confusing history, with several unsolved … Continue reading A King and His Many Heads
On This Day: April 1
It's a little risky writing a post on today of all days, especially about today, but nevertheless here we go... 1609 (OS): The Harwich St Nicholas burial register records the burial of Edward Trayforte, mariner of Shadwell (juxta Ratcliffe). Worth mentioning as it may be the final piece of the puzzle of some canny Googler's … Continue reading On This Day: April 1
Woe to Drunkards
Drunkennesse, I meane, that hatefull Night-bird which was wont to waite for the twilight, to seeke nookes and corners, to avoide the houting and wonderment of the boyes and girles The Internet Archive brings us another historic window to peer into, this time in the form of "Woe to Drunkards. A Sermon by Samuel Ward … Continue reading Woe to Drunkards
On This Day: December 3
1616 (OS): The will of Joan Man, widow of Harwich, was written. Joan was the sister of Thomas Thompson, making her the aunt of Christopher Jones by marriage. 1661 (OS): Martha Narburrow, the daughter of Edmund & Mary Narburrow, was baptised at St Nicholas. This is likely to be an early record of the Nalborough … Continue reading On This Day: December 3
My Sea Shanty Saturday
Content for the blog has dried up a fair bit recently, so I figure why not invoke that old schoolchild staple of the trip report, and write about my day at the Harwich International Shanty Festival. So here is My Saturday, by Harwicensis, age 10. My day started at the formidable Redoubt, to listen to … Continue reading My Sea Shanty Saturday
Best of Harwicensis
This blog has been active for over three and a half years, with more than 150 posts being published in that time, so like any long-running TV series, it's time for the clip show. Here, I will be presenting a selection of posts, some of which were popular, some I like personally, and some that … Continue reading Best of Harwicensis
Standard Miscellany
Whenever I find myself at the Harwich Museum I seem to spend most of my time scouring old editions of the Harwich Standard looking for anything that is interesting or might be useful for research elsewhere - safe to say my notes are full of all sorts of stories and snippets. From these available editions … Continue reading Standard Miscellany
The ‘Black Hole’ of Information
One annoyance with Harwich research that I have alluded to in the past, is a gap in information between the Post Office Directory for Essex from 1855, and the Census of 1861 (the next PO Directory being from 1862). To my knowledge, there are no other similar directories that plug this gap, and if there … Continue reading The ‘Black Hole’ of Information
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