Noteworthy Events

Often considered a quiet market town, you would be surprised at how much has happened in the Midhurst area over the years!

1552 King Edward VI’s visit to Midhurst

John Gough Nichols FSA wrote about the Progress of King Edward VI in Sussex in a paper that was printed in the Sussex Archaeological Collections Volume X, published in 1858.

1591    Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Midhurst

In magazine 38, Harvey Tordoff explored why a Protestant Queen was visiting a Catholic landowner, Lord Montague

1649    The Midhurst Regicides

Midhurst was a corrupt borough and during the English Civil War, both of the Towns Members of Parliament signed King Charles 1’s death warrant.  In magazine 39 author James Hobson explored the background to this

1703    The great Tsunami of 1703

Local historian, author and artist David Johnstone wrote a fascinating article in magazine 39 describing the tsunami that ripped through Midhurst and Easebourne in 1703

1830    A county cricket match was played in Midhurst

In magazine 33, David Jeater, a volunteer at the Sussex Cricket Museum, recounted the only county cricket match to have been played in Midhurst between Sussex and Surrey

1863    William Shorto’s notebook

William Shorto was a solicitor in Midhurst in the nineteenth century and left a notebook with lots of notes detailing what he thought about the people who lived in Midhurst!  Shorto takes us on a journey in 1863 from house to house and from street to street letting us know who lived there and what he thought of them!  His notebook was published in two instalments, in magazine 35 and magazine 36

1883 Small pox outbreak in Iping

Smallpox ,a deadly and disfiguring disease, was once commonplace across the world, A vaccine was developed in the 1790s by the English physician Edward Jenner, and was in widespread use by the mid-19th century. Vaccinations didn’t grant automatic protection – not all injections seem to have ‘taken’ – but in the case of the Iping outbreak of 1883 it undoubtedly played a major role in saving lives and preventing it spreading further. You can find out more in this article by Dr Ian Friel

1902    Coronation of Edward VII

In magazine 37, local historian Tania Pons wrote about the two different Coronation celebrations that took place in Midhurst and Easebourne to celebrate the coronation of the new monarch

1930    Airship over Midhurst

In magazine 36, local historian Tania Pons wrote about the R100 Airship that flew over Midhurst in 1930

1940    Avro Anson crashing in Minsted

In magazine 35, Ron Jones (with the help of Tania Pons) shared his memory of an Avro Anson crash landing in Minsted  Fortunately no people, cows or sheep were hurt in the incident!

1943    German bombs landing on Midhurst

Thursday 18 February 1943 was arguably the blackest day of the war for Midhurst when a stick of German bombs landed on the town killing three civilians.  Nick Cansfield found out more in an article presented in magazine number 37. 

1951    The Midhurst train crash

Bill Gage explained the story behind the 1951 train crash in magazine 35 with images previously seen from the family of Alaric Charman

1963    The Cuban Missile Crisis

An article appeared in magazine 39 exploring Midhurst’s role in solving the Cuban Missile crisis in 1963

1993    Playing with Fire

In magazine 39, local historian Carol Brinson delved into the archives to find out more about the Midhurst Community play, ‘Playing with Fire’

2026    The Mongol Rally

In magazine 39, The Midhurst Society followed the fortunes of two Easebourne men, Felix Hobbs and George Heroys as they took on the 2026 Mongol Rally with their friend Adam Npble.  Motoring stupidity on a global scale saw our three heroes travel 10,000 miles across inhospitable terrain in Bessie, their 23 year old Nissan Micra which they had bought for the princely sum of £920