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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Sussex => Topic started by: Paratrooper on Saturday 06 February 10 12:26 GMT (UK)
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My Great Grandfather spent nearly 30 years with the Royal Marines and had an excellent record with them. When he retired from the RM he was given a job at Naval Prison Lewes where he worked until he died in 1895. He resided in around Lewes while he worked there and some of his family was also born there. Now there seems to be very little around on this place and if I wanted to find out more where is the best place to go. I have tried the CRO at Kew but they don't hold any records on this Prison
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Hi welcome to Rootschat.
Have you tried doing a Google search? I just typed in Naval Prison Lewes and a lot of different sites came up.
Jan
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Hi There
Yes, welcome to rootschat
Think this might help you - click on and open the attachment below
Chris in 1066
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Many thanks for the replies,yes I had googled it but there is not that much information around most of it is just in general terms. I think the site of this prison is where the Bus Station is. As far as records go there is not a lot about this place.
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Hi
No, the site of the prison is not where the Bus Station is today.
One of the prison walls still stands about 20ft hifh almost opposite the St John Sub Castro Churchyard and the Little Theatre. I believe an Ambulance depot was/is built inside the prison wall
Chris in 1066
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Hi Chris
Thanks for the update and correction
Bryan
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There are some boundary stone pictures here.
http://homepages.pavilion.co.uk/nmarchant/lewesjohns.htm
Do you have any of the addresses where your gt grandfather lived? I'm visiting Lewes soon & can take my camera along.
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Dear Jill
Many thanks for digging those photo's out for me it was very nice of you. Now James Bunce lived at 127 Little East Street, Lewes if you are passing that way....By the way on the 1891 census forms I am not sure if that was 127 or 27. If you don't have time or if you are busy I will understand.
Regards
Bryan
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The 1911 OS on Old-Maps shows the prison it is on the junction of North St & Lancaster st with Little East St & Wellington St oposite it at more or less either ends. It was a car park until recently but is now being developed. Seev http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm?lat=50.874654455115845&lon=0.012280553171519466&gz=17&oz=9>=1
It is the bald bit just off centre on the photo, near Amb Stn on the map. Pete
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Many thanks Pete
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Hello again Bryan, I checkedout the 1891 cens, James Bunce is at 12 Little East Street (127 is the schedule number rather than the address) the house is still there:
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/JillontheA272/12LittleEastStLewes.jpg)
and this is the whole row, just to put it in context:
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/JillontheA272/LittleEastStLewes.jpg)
Part of the prison site is now indeed being built on, all steel girders & fenced off, but tound the corner in Lancaster St next to the ambulance stationis a small gateway and part of the old wall:
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/JillontheA272/OldwallLewexNavalPrisonsiteLancaste.jpg)
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Dear Jill
That was kind of you, it was very nice to see where my old granny used to live. The funny thing is when she got married they went to live in London. After the death of husband she had a place in Flood Street in London, now Magret Thatcher lives there how times have changed.
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My pleasure, there's always something interesting to see in Lewes, and I had no idea about the prison until you asked here, when I worked in Lewes I used to park in the carpark where it once stood.
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Once again Jill many thanks