ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH

1855 / 1900 and the HMS Brazen Memorial

By Laurie Stonehouse and Graham Amy

The following pictures show one of Newhaven's oldest buildings, St Michael's church from the 12th century. The first image is a very old engraving from 1855; the memorial for HMS Brazen which foundered off Newhaven in 1800 is clearly visible in the grounds of the church. The next three photographs are from the turn of the last century. I have included a recent picture which shows that very little has changed over the years to this structure.

Photo:HMS Brazen memorial / St Michael's Church / Old Rectory / Workhouse - Engraving from 1855

HMS Brazen memorial / St Michael's Church / Old Rectory / Workhouse - Engraving from 1855

Private collection of G Amy

Photo:View from Church Hill - 1900

View from Church Hill - 1900

Private collection of G Amy

Photo:View from Meeching Rise - 1900

View from Meeching Rise - 1900

Private collection of G Amy

Photo:Inside the church - 1900

Inside the church - 1900

Private collection of G Amy

Photo:St Michaels Church - 2009

St Michaels Church - 2009

Laurie Stonehouse

Photo:HMS Brazen memorial

HMS Brazen memorial

Laurie Stonehouse

Photo:HMS Brazen memorial words

HMS Brazen memorial words

Laurie Stonehouse

This page was added by Laurie Stonehouse on 22/10/2009.
Comments about this page

I can remember going to the church in our school dinner break to look for smuggler's passages.

From Southdown School in Church Hill? Andy - Editor

By Reigna Mitchell
On 12/07/2009

Copies of the top card (1855 engraving) are available at the museum. It was part of a set produced by Grainger the chemist. The Historical Society had them reprinted as cards in the days when the fort had a number of small craft shops etc. This is the only one still available, although we are trying to get a reprint done.
The story within the Hanson family is that the coach in the foregound is Louisa Hanson on her annual visit to the memorial; married and widowed by the age of 20 she lived to 102

By Pete
On 13/07/2009

I have so many happy memories of Newhaven, where I lived from 1989 to 1995. I loved St Michael's and made many wonderful friends there.

By maggie davis
On 03/01/2010

Very strange to see the comment about smugglers' passages. The Old Rectory (where I lived as a boy) had a well of enormous depth (144ft 6 ins : I helped measure it). It was completely dry. My sister and I conjectured that a passage might lead from its base to the old house in the middle of town, called "Saxonholme" (recently demolished I believe.) Saxonholme did have the remains of a passage leading from its cellar in the direction of the Rectory - old Mrs Summerhayes once showed it to me, and it had collapsed a little way in. Probably just a fanciful idea, but just possibly there was something in it.

By Tony Evans
On 06/08/2010

In the second picture from the top (dated: 1900) there is no sign of the Lychgate. Surely it's as old as that.

By Doug Hall
On 12/09/2014
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