Death of popular Eastbourne historian

Lawrence Stevens, who was born in Eastbourne and the younger of two sons of the local saddler Jack and his wife Ivy, died earlier this month.

Mr Stevens went to school in Milton Road where he first developed an interest in palaeontology, watermills and classical music.

He met his late wife Pat in 1958 and they married in 1963 at St Saviours Church. The couple went on to have a daughter in 1964, Cecilia, who assisted them with their local endeavours until she left home to train as a nurse.

Cecilia said as freelance photographers, her parents’ house contained many colour slides and photographs related to local events and archaeological excavations.

After undertaking his first excavation in 1961 to find an 18th century postmill opposite Friston Pond, Mr Stevens became one of the founder members of the Eastbourne and District Preservation Society and helped save Polegate Winddmill from being demolished to make way for housing.

Cecilia said the windmill remained central to her father’s activities and up to his death he was still available to undertake guided tours of the landmark and was the Clerk of Works – his knowledge of the mill being key to renovation decisions.

He also contributed to various committees and societies in and around Eastbourne and at the time of his death Mr Stevens was the president of Eastbourne

Natural History & Archaeological Society.

During the early 1970s Mr Stevens undertook his master saddler qualification and his family say he was very proud that he was able to use the title and participated in the Michelham Priory exhibitions of guilds and crafts.

He ran the saddlery in Crown Street and residents remember customers coming to the shop and horses being measured in the patch of grass opposite the shop.

Cecilia said her father’s biggest excavation was that carried out in Old Town looking for Jesus House opposite St Mary’s Church. It started in 1977 and finally finished in 1984. Thousands of artefacts were excavated in the remains of cess pits and seven wells along with many interesting foundations.

Many archaeologists – both amateur and professional – report that their interest was developed by knowing the Stevens family. Professor Martin Bell and Dr Mike Allen both say their initial interest was encouraged and supported by Lawrence and Pat, who died in 2017.

Cecilia said, “In more recent years his shop had become the place to go for local history information and long chats about archaeology and local family connections. Some customers may well have felt that their purchases were less important to him than sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for history.”

A spokesperson at Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeological Society said, “Lawrence’s expertise and enthusiasm for all things to do with local history and archaeology will be greatly missed.”

Mr Stevens’ friend and Heritage Eastbourne manager Jo Seaman said, “The shop was the heart of Lawrence and Pat’s operations and entering its wonderfully aromatic confines was never going to be a brief visit. A quick ‘pop in’ would frequently end up being an hour or so of chatting, planning and lively discussion – often interrupted by slightly bemused customers after leather repairs, feed or eggs.

“These chats with Lawrence started in 2006 when I became involved with the Eastbourne Museum Collections. He and Pat helped me settle in to the town and the local heritage community. He encouraged, educated and debated with me.

“In time I was regarded as part of the Eastbourne ‘set up’ and he would frequently speak to me about people and projects that I had never known or been part of as if I had been there with him. Since then I am very happy to say that Lawrence and I became friends, not always agreeing with each other, but always wanting to hear the other’s opinion and respecting it. It was wonderful to be at his 80th birthday party last year and the turnout showed just how respected and liked he was.

“At sad times like this we will hear about what an incredible chap Lawrence was, how encouraging, helpful, knowledgeable and astute – all of which are very true. But for me it was Lawrence’s wit, wicked sense of humour and sometimes outright mischievousness that will always make me smile. You just have to look back at some of his letters to the Eastbourne Herald to see that he did not suffer foolish thought and to be on the end of a Lawrence chastisement was not something to be envied.

“I want to say ‘thank you Lawrence’ for keeping me going in the tough times, for making me laugh, for helping me to understand Eastbourne and most of all for being a good friend.”

It is suggested that anyone wishing to make a donation in Mr Stevens’ memory should support the Eastbourne Natural History & Archaeological Society and any monies collected will be used specifically to support a local excavation of Willingdon Mill – an opportunity, Cecilia said, Mr Stevens would be delighted by.