Plaque to bathing machine operator Mary Wheatland to be unveiled on Bognor Regis seafront

Mary Wheatland, born in Aldingbourne in 1835, was well known for her management of bathing machines on Bognor Regis beach throughout the 19th century. The machines were effectively huts on wheels pulled into the sea by a horse which allowed the user to take a dip without sacrificing their dignity.

The unveiling will take place on Thursday, October 13, on the east side of the pier, near the fisherman’s hut. Mary’s blue plaque will join others dedicated to Irish novelist James Joyce, painter and poet Dante Rossetti, and Bognor Regis town founder Richard Hotham. For a full list of blue plaques in Bognor Regis, visit bognorregistrails.co.uk

Well known to locals for her blue serge coat and straw hat, Mary Wheatland was also famous for saving a number of lives. She was presented with a medal from the Royal Humane Society in 1879 for saving W.P Manly from stormy seas. It’s said Mary, a former swimming instructor, rushed into the sea fully clothed to support Mr Manly until others arrived to bring them both out of the sea. She’s said to have saved more than 30 lives during her time as a bathing machine operator, including five children, who she is said to have brought back to shore one by one.

Representatives from the Royal Humane Society are set to attend the unveiling and the Bognor Regis Heritage Partnership, who are behind the event, say it is open to the public.

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