Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 15 September 2023: 1953 The Perfect Storm - The East Coast Floods of 1953 by Michelle Savage

On the night of Saturday 31 January/1 February a 1000 mile stretch of the British coastline was flooded. 32,000 people were evacuated; 307 drowned and many livestock were killed. 40,000 acres in Essex flooded.The deep depression started 29 January in the Atlantic, with hurricane winds, striking north-west Scotland first, when 136 people drowned in HM Princess Victoria. The storm turned south-east with water being funnelled down the north sea, eventually to the Thames, coinciding with a spring tide. We were shown several maps to illustrate the path of the storm. The coast was inundated; road, rail and telephones were cut off.

Michelle focused on how the floods affected Thurrock and the aftermath. At 11.20pm a lookout at Tilbury Fort spotted water coming over the sea wall. Police and PLA were alerted at 11.40. At midnight Grays police saw that the river was only a foot below the sea wall, when Scotland Yard was sent a message about the exceptionally high tide. By 12.15 water engulfed Shell Refinery. Fobbing farm was under water.

Next area to be hit was Tilbury which was wholly flooded. Tilbury Fort staff were evacuated to the World 's End pub and ship moorings were loosened to help them survive. At 1am the tide continued to Tilbury town, including the sewage works, with raw sewage contaminating the water. Residents were awakened by banging on their doors, alerting them to the floods. Furniture was taken upstairs. The whole of the town and docks were flooded, including 2500 houses and the fire station.

Purfleet was also badly affected and were warned at 1am. Van den Berghs & Jurgens, Thames Board Mills, Esso and the railway were all under water. Reels of paper from the board mills were swept away and employees scrabbled to higher ground.

Aftermath: The spreading water caused chaos, but only one death was reported in Thurrock, an old lady trapped in her downstairs toilet. Thurrock was therefore let off lightly, although various industries suffered, also animals. Shell Haven, Tilbury town and Purfleet were affected, but Canvey Island was worst hit. Public services were out of action, including gas and telephone lines. Many people volunteered to help - too many in some cases. The gap where the sea walls were breached at Purfleet needed to be closed. Van den Berghs closed the breach with sandbags and rubble. Their sports club was used to set up an emergency food unit by the Ministry of Food. They gave out 2000 meals a day, which was pretty amazing.

They awaited the next high tide on 12 February. Meanwhile water was pumped out of the area. The problem at Tilbury was 6000 people who were homeless, so relief centres were set up. On 3 February The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret visited Tilbury and on 13 February Queen Elizabeth II also visited Tilbury. Relief centres were set up. Military lorries helped and they also used boats from the boating pool in Grays. The Red Cross and St John Ambulance staff helped; it was a huge effort and local businesses helped too, offering special discounts to flood victims for new floor covering etc. Most people helped. It was a huge operation to clean up. The RAF were drafted in and provided heaters to dry out houses, known as Windy Willies. All houses had to be checked by gas and electric companies also water boards before being occupied again.

Several bulletins were issued re food and where help was available. 6oz of sweets were given to children at the rest centres, at a time when they were still on ration. The RSPCA collected stray animals for collection later. Records were kept of rest centre numbers and two weeks later some had left, with all families back home by 21 February. On 7 March the last rest centre closed.

There are tapes of people 's recollections in the museum. Michelle played a recording of a woman who travelled to Tilbury, offering to take in flood victims and housed a family for some time.

Why was there no warning? There had been neglect of coastal defences over the years, with only the minimum of work done. It was not until after midnight when the disaster became apparent. People were in their beds, with all communications cut off. Roads and railways were flooded. The Coroner 's report stated that was no adequate working system for coastal defences. In the 1960s satellite imaging helped with forecasts and in 1982 the Thames Barrier was built, opened by the late Queen in 1984.

The future? Rising sea levels due to climate change and challenging storms. Even King Canute could not control the waves - the power of the sea cannot be controlled by man.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 20 October 2023: Local History Archives by Joseph Coope

At our October meeting Grays librarian Joseph Cooper gave us a comprehensive view of all the collections available in the Local Studies section of Grays library, including maps, documents, pamphlets, souvenirs and booklets etc. stored in the archive.

The first Grays library opened in the High Street in 1893 and soon proved to be too small. Funds were obtained from Andrew Carnegie to build a new library on land donated by Charles Seabrooke and Harry Astley in Orsett Road in 1903. This too became too small, so a new building, now known as Thameside, was erected and opened on the site in 1972, incorporating the library. Every library has to have a research facility. If all libraries closed the National Archives and British Library would take collections, preserving our heritage. Our old, cross-referenced card index on the first floor is still available, although not up to date.

Joseph said some of the open access documents are being re-located into closed access; this is a treasure trove. The archives show books acquired from the 1970s, together with the annual reports from the chief librarians showing how they helped to expand the collections. The Local Studies also have Yellow Pages, Palmer's School journals, Kelly's trade directories, a complete set of Essex Countryside magazines, together with in-house magazines from local employers, including the Port of London Authority and Unilever. Various old newspapers are in the archive and Joseph read out some of the funny items. There are handwritten books, including articles by the Rev. Hayes, complete with church drawings. Poetry books are also there, including some poems by Randal Bingley — one of which was read out at the meeting. The local studies library also has novels by local residents and many photographs, i ncluding those of the erection of the first Dartford Tunnel, now 60 years on. There is a large collection of maps, including Ordnance Survey, some of which are not on the National Library of Scotland website. There are also reports of Local events, and Essex ballads, some of which were hilarious, Books include those on the Peasants' Revolt and even one on Essex Privies, providing a nostalgic trip down the garden path. New acquisitions include Essex Rock, and the DP World project.

Over the years, despite the invention of television etc. reading has continued, which the library still promotes. It plays a vital role in fostering awareness and local identity., seeking to collect history as it happens, for future generations, welcoming contributions on historical research and still needing volunteers. This was a very informative talk, showing how varied the local studies archives are - well worth a visit.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 17 November 2023: Gordon Steele VC, A Life on the Thames and at Sea by Mark Rowland

At our November meeting Mark Rowland gave us a very detailed and interesting talk on the life of Gordon Steele, VC. He was born in Exeter in 1891 and followed his father Henry and brothers into the Royal Navy. His father retired in 1903 and was appointed captain of TS Cornwall at Purfleet, where 200 boys were trained. Gordon attended Palmer's School and joined the T.S. Worcester for officer training as well as seamanship and left in 1909. He was apprenticed with P & O and joined the RN reserve, serving on four ships. He was a midshipman when war broke out and became a sub-lieutenant. Gordon had further training for war service, including torpedoes. He an illustrious career, serving on HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow, engaged in the Battle of Jutland, and was given command of Q ships in late 1918.

In January 1915 he was appointed to HMS Antwerp, and later transferred to the Baralong, armed with 12-pounder guns. Disguised as a merchant ship with an American flag it cruised the Irish Sea. During this time the Lusitania had been sunk and the Baralong was on her way to find survivors of the White Star Line SS Arabic. They came across the German submarine U-27 which was firing into the British steamer Nicosian and ran up a signal flag indicating rescue. The Germans allowed the freighter's crew and passengers to board lifeboats, and prepared to sink the freighter. The Baralong's commanding officer Herbert then ordered shooting and the U-27 sank; all the crew went down except for the gun crew who were then fired at, with no Germans surviving. The Nicosian was towed to Avonmouth; the Baralong's crew were told to keep quiet, but some were appalled by what had happened, no proper enquiry taking place. Gordon was promoted to Lieutenant on the E22, responsible for torpedo firing. After the armistice was signed he came back to Portsmouth.

After WW1 he continued his service on coastal motorboats and when the British and French joined in the Russian civil war he was sent to various ports in the Baltic, second in command of the Motorboat No.88. With the aid of several maps Mark gave a detailed account of the Kronstadt Harbour battle in August 1919. The RAF squadron carried out a nearby bombing raid as a distraction. His commanding officer had been shot dead and the vessel thrown off course. Steele took the wheel and torpedoed their target, the Russian battleship Andrei Pervozanni and under difficult circumstances, obscured by smoke and under heavy fire, also manoeuvred to torpedo the Petropavlovsk. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry and coolness under fire and was one of the guards of honour at the burial of the Unknown Soldier in 1920.

Gordon stayed in the navy, specialising in anti-submarine work. His last appointment was to HMS Cornwall again. He was on half pay in 1929 to HMS Worcester and in 1938 the Cutty Sark was brought from Falmouth, moored alongside the Worcester. Steele was made an Honorary Captain in 1939 and in WW2 he was brought back as commander in charge of submarine defences in the Clyde. In Grays it was the end of the Worcester, in poor repair. It was replaced by the Exmouth, no longer used for training children. Gordon Steel retired at the age of 55 and died in 1981, aged 89, after a full and adventurous life.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 15 December: Christmas meeting and Social

For the first time in three years, the winter weather allowed our Christmas meeting to go ahead. We enjoyed food, drink and a local history quiz based on the TV programme 'Only Connect'.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 19 January : Susan Yates

At our January meeting our Chairman Susan Yates's talk entitled Grace 250 was intriguing. The mystery was solved when she gave us a very interesting and well-illustrated account of the life of the Rev. John Newton, author of Amazing Grace, penned 250 years ago. John Newton was born in Wapping in 1725, the son of William, a sea captain. He attended a local Independent Chapel with his mother Elizabeth, who sadly died in 1732. His father then married Thomasina Cox of Marshfoot House, Aveley. She was the daughter of William Cox, subtenant of Aveley Manor who is buried in the chancel of St Michael's Church. John was sent to a boarding school, then went to sea with his father, aged only 11 years, logging six voyages.

In his youth he was a hellraiser but was press-ganged into the Royal Navy on his way to Jamaica. He served as midshipman on HMS Harwich, hating the Navy and tried to desert. He was humiliated when this resulted in flogging and demotion. Whilst the Harwich was on its way to India John transferred to a slave ship bound for West Africa. He did not get on with his fellow crew and in 1745 he was left in Sierra Leone with a slave trader Amos Clowe who gave him to his wife Princess Peye, when he was badly treated and abused. In 1748 his father's friend found him and he returned to England aboard the 'Greyhound'. This was when John experienced his religious awakening. The ship was holed in a storm off Donegal and Newton prayed for the mercy of God, the ship making port in Lough Swilly. This third near death experience may have been the beginning of Newton's conversion or return to God, feeling that he was saved for something special. He had survived being thrown from a horse and later saved from drowning when he was late in meeting friends at Purfleet to row out and view a ship moored there, so they left without him. Their boat struck an underwater object and sank with total loss of life. He now began his religious studies and gave up liquor, swearing and gambling.

He found work as first mate on the 'Brownlow' bound for the West Indies, returning to England in 1750 when he married Mary Catlett at Rochester. He captained three slave ships, investing money in the slave trade. He suffered a stroke in 1754, which ended his seafaring career. The following year he gained employment as a tax collector in Liverpool. He studied in earnest for the priesthood and was accepted in 1764, ordained as a curate in Olney, Buckinghamshire. He served there for 15 years, swelling the congregation with his sermons. There is a stained glass window in the church in his memory. Whilst in Olney he met William Cowper and they wrote hymns together. John also wrote 'Faith's 'Review and Expectation' in 1773, now known as 'Amazing Grace'.

Whilst at Olney William Wilberforce MP, sought his advice and Newton persuaded him to stay on in Parliament, helping him found the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Newton left Olney in 1779 and became rector of St Mary Woolnoth, London, where he became involved with the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. In 1892 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the Princeton University. John remained at St Mary Woolnoth until he died on 21 December 1807 aged 82, being buried next to his wife Mary. Two plaques have been erected in his name ‐ one in Liverpool (where his life as a slave trader is not mentioned) and one at Purfleet.

He had lived long enough to see the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, although it was not until 1833 when all British Empire slaves were freed. Only the slave owners were compensated, the government borrowing £20m to do so, not being finally paid back until 2015.

Susan ended the amazing story of Rev. John Newton's life by playing Amazing Grace, some members singing along.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 16 February: Mary Anning (who sold sea shells by the sea shore) by John Matthews

At our February meeting John Matthews gave us a very detailed and interesting illustrated talk on the life of Mary Anning, a fossil hunter and palaeontologist. In Shakespeare's time no one questioned origins. The bible shows God created heaven and earth. Everything that existed was created at a point in time. In the 17th century James Usher, Archbishop of Omagh calculated that creation took place on the early evening of 22 October 4004 BC, using best available evidence, e.g. the bible.

In the 18th century geologists proposed that new land came into existence as a result of catastrophes such as volcanoes and floods. James Hutton, the father of geology, said everyday things such as erosion by wind and rain produce changes (uniformitarianism). He saw no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end and maybe no creation. He proposed that the earth was at least 60,000 years old, not 6,000 as Usher had calculated.

Mary Anning was born in Lyme Regis in 1799, daughter of a cabinet maker. She always carried a hammer and bag for fossils, searching the beach, accompanied by her dog. Mary sold the curios she found, which we now call fossils, to tourists. An ichthysoraurus head was found by her brother Joseph; Mary was 12 and subsequently found the rest. Ten years later she found a plesiosaurus, the first time anyone had found one.

Scientists needed hree-dimension examples. Mary learned how to remove the surrounding stone. Large fossils were found in pieces and had to be re-assembled. She began to teach herself about anatomy by reading scientific papers. She became an expert and spoke to academics. Mary had a good eye for fossils and illustrated her finds, helping with sales. We can still recognise fossils today from her drawings.

Fossil finding was an erratic occupation. Some years Mary had no income but was supported by the Geological Society. Later the government was persuaded to give her a small annuity.

She did not publish any papers, but sent a letter to the Magazine of Natural History, on curved teeth part of which was published. There were very few professional women scientists at the time

Mary Anning died in 1847. There is a stained glass window in the church, a very rare dedication to a working class woman. There was a fulsome obituary at a meeting of the Geological Society. Various books have been written and now a species is named after her, even up to 2015. A plaque and statue remember her, erected in 2010. It is estimated that more has been written about her, other than Charles Darwin. Like Wallace, she was well known in her lifetime but has since been forgotten.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 15 March: A History of Garden Gnomes by Twigs Way

In March we welcomed back Dr Twigs Way, this time illustrating the history of the garden gnome. When asked to write a new book, she decided on gnomes and was even consulted on historic creditability by Walt Disney, when he made his film entitled Gnomeo and Juliet.

Their history is unexpected: known as dwarfs in Europe, gnomes in the UK, a history of mythical folk. The Romans were responsible for putting statues in gardens etc., in bronze or ceramic; also placed in the house, their role being looking after the family. One was Priapus, a fertility god, not tasteful. In the renaissance there was a range of statues in gardens, normalised and painted in garish colours, with some decidedly rude. They were made of lead and melted down when they became unfashionable.

There were grotesque figures, some 3 feet tall, modelled on real life, i.e. punch, playing musical instruments etc. They fell out of favour in the 18th/19th century and were replaced with porcelain, such as Crown Derby. They were the first figures to be put into gardens as gnomes. Tomte figures had red hats – they were almost fairies, or elves, quite a mix. Mineral miners thought dwarfs brought luck and money for several centuries. They had tall, pointy hats, padded, for safety, carrying lamps etc.

Gnomes were carved like Black Forest items. They were put in houses in the 19th century, brought back from Germany as souvenirs, shown with matchbox holders, place cards etc. Sir Charles Edmund Isham first brought them back and put them in the garden instead of the home. At the time alpine planting was popular; Isham made a huge rockery in the 1850s, putting small figures on it to give scale, including those in porcelain. There were rave reviews, with gnomes mentioned. In the late 19th century there were 17 manufacturers of garden gnomes, hand painted of moulded ceramic and were expensive. A 1920 illustration showed how various they were, now shown in realistic settings with watering cans etc. They represented relaxation and were very detailed, even in lead.

Sir Frank Crisp was the second person to bring gnomes back to England — an eccentric and wealthy. His Friar Park garden had even larger rock gardens than Isham, modelled on the Matterhorn. The house was once owned by George Harrison, he himself has been depicted as a gnome — maybe the most famous of all gnomes.

In the early 20th century gnomes were found in country house gardens and used by interior designers. In WW1 German units had gnomes as mascots. Their popularity continued between the wars, then were out of fashion. After WW2 concrete was used to make our own gnomes, of poorer quality. They were Disney figures, e.g, Snow White and fairy tales. Nowadays all gnomes have the 'dwarfs' faces. In the 1950s they were made for rockeries, found in public gardens at seaside resorts.

Female gnomes were also made and the 1970s saw plastic and resin ones. We now have a kitsch gnome revival, even America having them, using old German moulds. So, what is a gnome? They are small, colourful, some shown with garden implements, etc., even naughty gnomes, undressed. Gnomes are cuddly, but also represent the occult and spiritualism Their appearance has changed over the years and are now more humanlike with a childish look, like a baby with a beard.

Recently there has been a spate of gnome-napping, with roaming gnomes appearing on websites. The RHS Chelsea flower show finally allowed gnomes in 2013. Dr Twigs Way gave us a hilarious romp through the history of the gnome. We now have a love/hate relationship with them — just a bit of fun.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 19 April: The AGM followed by Ian Mercer - Essex Rocks

Following on from our AGM Ian Mercer, a retired geologist and teacher gave us a fascinating talk on Essex Rocks. His powerpoint presentation showed various maps and charts and his display of artefacts told of the journey Essex has made from being in the South Pole, arriving to where we are today over millions of years.

Studying geology gives us clues as to how the landscape evolved, such as why a hill or valley is there and the type and relationship of rocks. Seabeds also give us clues about the past, including fossils. Our Essex landscape now looks like a series of steps, called heaths. In the past volcanoes happened, deserts and jungles evolved, also ice age rivers.

500 million years ago Essex was a shallow sea with sediments, near the South Pole. Continental drift shifts land a long way around the planet; pieces broke off land masses, forming Australia etc. We were part of Avolovia. Fifty million years later we are now mid ocean, with no plant life on land. Avolovia slowly drifted north, nearing the equator. Then we crunched into the Laurentia continent. Mountain chains formed, sands and river mud in Essex being squeezed to form hard rocks, e.g. slate – there is no coal, gas or oil under Essex. The hard rock gradually wore down, but we still headed north and crossed the equator over 300 million years ago. Tropical jungle was flanked by a coal forest swamp. Essex became part of a desert, with still no plants. Storms spread rocks and sediment across plains, the ancient slate later stayed. After another 100 million years warm seas spread and Essex was part of a large tropical island infested with dinosaurs; by then there were pine trees and palms. The sea came and the remains were swept away, so Essex has no dinosaur fossils. Coming forward another 100 million years and the sea flooded and hardened to powdery limescale (chalk), containing fossils. This provided silica, later quartz, and Purfleet still shows bands of silica and flint. The land tilted and millions of flints were eroded out, forming gravel layers across Essex. Fifty-six million years ago there was extreme global warming, affected by ground water, and flint pebbles crystalised into pebbles.

After a few million years muddy rivers deposited clay, when we were still tropical. There is London clay in most of Essex and you can find things like sharks’ teeth and remains of plants. New volcanoes spewed out vast amounts of volcanic ash. Later still fine sand (bagshot) was spread across Essex and lands continued to rise. A 38km thick crust protects us and we even have sarsen and pudding stones in Essex.

We are in the middle of a long ice age, when climate oscillates, caused by continental drift, with 100,000 years per oscillation, between warm and very cold, ocean currents cooling the planet. Glacial rock debris was brought by the ice sheet. Mammoths roamed and there were layers of dust deposits. The glaciers brought mashed up rocks etc., called glacial till, including topsoil for growing plants. When warming took place floods caused gravels to spread, forming a 'staircase' across Essex. At that time the Thames ran through north Essex. There are still remnants of riverbeds at the top of hills, Langdon Hills being an example. Essex people left tools etc. behind. Coombe rocks can be found in the Tesco warehouse pit at Purfleet with flint fragments from 300,000 years ago.

Geology is still going on, for example the 1894 and 1931 earthquakes, with land slipping into the sea. We continue to alter the landscape, using clay, cement and gravel for building. Thanks to HS1 we have a complete record of Essex geology: slate, sandstone, gault clay, chalk, Thanet sand and London Clay. Ian Mercer’s lecture opened our eyes to what is around us, shaped over millions of years.

Thurrock Local History Society Meeting: 17 May: Victorian Esplanades in Southend by Georgina Phillips

At our May meeting Georgina Phillips, a tour guide, gave us a talk on Victorian Escapades in Southend. It was named because it was at the south end of Prittlewell, a Saxon settlement. Just a line of cottages in the 1500s, oysters were discovered in the 1700s. There were stagecoaches to Southend and in 1791 the Grand Terrace was built, renamed Royal Terrace after a royal visit in 1804. Queen Caroline and Princess Charlotte stayed for three months. However, there were indiscretions and a gentleman was found in Queen Caroline's bedroom.

In 1806 Southend was described as a resort of note in the national press, bringing in even more visitors. Originally it was thought drinking seawater was good for the skin, but later realised it was being in the sea that gave health benefits.

Men used to bathe naked in Victorian times, ladies having long costumes, with bathing machines to change in coming into use — Southend had 200. Ladies and gentlemen bathed separately. As there were long queues to use the bathing huts some men took to changing under a mackintosh and were known as the mackintosh bathers. Ladies swooned and complained. The men were fined 3 shillings, with the by-law only being repealed in 1952.

By 1819 steamers were coming from London. As they could not get close, fishermen gave ladies piggybacks for 1 shilling to take them to the shore. The pier started to be developed in 1829/30, wooden, but later built of iron. Early photos show donkey chairs and goat carts for transport in 1844. In 1856 the railway came, the station being built far from the Royal Terrace, as the owner objected. At this time the High Street was being developed, London day trippers bringing a raucous lifestyle and leaving a mess. In 1870 there were horse drawn trams and by 1899 they were electric, the first in England.

In 1896 the Alexandra Theatre burnt down and would have cost £25,000 to rebuild. The owner went bankrupt and committed suicide. A Trinity Fair was held at Rayleigh, but there was much pick-pocketing, prostitution and gypsies coming from the surrounding areas. In 1899 it was abolished after complaints. However, it has now been revived.

Charabancs arrived in 1905/6, when there were donkey rides from the Castle Hotel. Moving pictures arrived, the first film showing a horse and carriage driving towards the audience. Many fainted and had to be dragged out by their ankles.

Nelson Street was posh, with the first individual shops. Slogans encouraged people to come; Mr Ray was a dentist and Mr Curry a hairdresser. Strawberry sellers etc. shouted their wares. There was a shrubbery area known as Happy Valley in Victorian times where bands played, later known as Never Never Land, and had wishing wells etc. 1925 saw the first buses to Grays.

Georgina also told us of some characters, including Dompa Horner who carried out sewage disposal, dug graves, was a rat catcher and grew vegetables on his allotment. He limped and was called 'Slip Slop' after his sewage pails overspilled.

In 1840 Frederick Nolan, the vicar of St Mary's church. rang the bells at 5am. He agreed to change the times after objections from parishioners, but the bell ringers didn't agree, climbing up the bell tower, but the vicar shot at them. The bell ringers were arrested and bound over. They sang rude songs and the vicar's effigy is still burned on 5th November.

In 1933 Al Capone's car was displayed at the Kursaal, photos of it still being on display. His car was shipped back to the USA, as it contained ammunition.

This was an insight of earlier times and it is a shame that today the Kursaal lies derelict and the carnival is no more.