Ernest Shackleton’s Eastbourne
Connections
Alan Smith
I
t is 100 years since the famous rescue
‘of his men by Ernest Shackleton in
August 1916, but despite his Eastbourne
connections there does not appear to be a
report of the fact in the local papers.1
What are Ernest Shackleton’s connections with Eastbourne? There are several
books about the life of Shackleton but
very little is said in them about
Eastbourne, although there is sufficient
to indicate that he visited the town at
least twice before he and his family
moved to Milnthorpe Road around
1916–17. This article is not intended to
describe the various voyages, etc. of
Shackleton, but of his connections with
Eastbourne.
In 1907, his planned voyage to the
South Pole on the Nimrod was partly
sponsored by Elizabeth DawsonLambton who is reported to have lived in
Eastbourne. I have not found an address
for her but the reports in the local papers
suggest that she may have been living at
Hill Crest, Dalton Road, where Mr Aden
Beresford lived. The Eastbourne Gazette
says that he was Elizabeth’s cousin,
although the Eastbourne Chronicle simply
says friend. Elizabeth Dawson-Lambton
is described in the Eastbourne Chronicle
as ‘One of the most liberal subscribers to
the expedition and it was because of this
fact that Shackleton visited Eastbourne’.
Another conflict between the Gazette and
Chronicle is the day of the visit, but in
this case it is obvious that the Chronicle is
correct for they report on 3 August 1907
that the ship visited on the Tuesday,
whereas the Gazette reporting on the 7th
says Thursday (which, since the
Chronicle had already reported the visit,
is incorrect). The ship was intended to
arrive in the morning of the 2nd but did
not arrive until 6.45 when Miss DawsonLambton, Mr Beresford and family, Mr
CH Evill, Mr and Mrs Swinford and Mr
JC Jones, CB, and family visited the ship
before it sailed at around 7.45 the same
evening. Within the list of visitors was
another connection with Ernest
Shackleton in that Mr and Mrs Swinford
were ‘Lieut. Shackleton’s cousins’,
Swinford being the maiden name of his
wife’s mother.2 It is possible that all the
visitors had a connection with the family
or the voyage but I am unable to find
such for the other visitors: Mr CH Evill
(possibly the Evill, Chas. Hy., JP, of 1
Grange Gardens) and Mr JC Jones, CB
(who is not in the directory).
In 1914, prior to his second voyage to
the South Pole, Ernest Shackleton again
visited Eastbourne on the Endurance.
Although he met his family, who were
staying in Eastbourne, it would appear
that this was not the main purpose of the
visit. The date of his visit was 4 August
1914 and he had landed to discover the
latest developments regarding the
ultimatum that had been sent to
Germany and which had expired at
midnight Berlin time. Roland Huntford
in his biography Shackleton says that
Shackleton’s wife, Emily, and family had
moved to Eastbourne (suggesting they
had bought a house here) but the Gazette
says they were staying in Eastbourne.
There are no entries for them in the
directories for this year and I have not
found them mentioned in the
fashionable visitors’ lists. It is possible
that they were staying with their cousins.
During the visit, Shackleton visited the
Grand Hotel where he drew some plans
on the back of a hotel napkin.3
The Shackletons made a more positive
connection with Eastbourne when they
moved to 14 Milnthorpe Road, but again
there is doubt as to when. Several sites
detailing the blue plaque4 which was
erected to commemorate their stay says
1916, whereas other websites say 1917,5
the year that Ernest returned from the
South Pole.
Although the family lived in
Eastbourne, Sir Ernest did not stay often
and then only to relax from his life in
London and to ‘keep up appearances’.
Apparently Shackleton would get restless
and would soon leave for London,
phoning or writing to Emily while away.
Roland Huntford says that Emily knew
that she was only one of three women in
Shackleton’s life, the others being
Rosalind Chetwynd, who became an
actress under the name of Rosa Lynd,
and Janet Stancomb-Wills who would
‘lend’ him money. A further possible
mistress, Hope Paterson, is mentioned in
an article in the Daily Mail of 11
November 2011, when a collection of
lovers’ keepsakes was found in a family
attic. Shackleton apparently named
Mount Hope after her.
The family continued to live in
Eastbourne and in 1921 Shackleton
made his last visit to the town aboard the
Quest prior to leaving for a further voyage
to the South Pole. When the Quest
arrived off Eastbourne there was a heavy
swell that prevented the ship pulling
alongside the pier and so Shackleton was
brought ashore by the Eastbourne
Lifeboat. He was later to say that ‘The
Quest is ready to bump the ice, but it is
not ready to bump Eastbourne Pier!’ On
this occasion there were as many as 500
visitors to the ship. These included
Alderman Edward Duke, Mayor, who
was photographed by the Gazette talking
to Lady Shackleton. The proceeds from
the visits to the Quest were donated to
the local branch of the RNLI. The
Eastbourne Division of the Girl Guides,
of which Lady Shackleton was Divisional
Commissioner, presented Sir Ernest with
a prismatic compass as a token of
affection and goodwill. A poem ‘To Sir
Ernest Shackleton’ by WJ Wenham
appeared in the Chronicle for 13 August
1921.
Unfortunately, Shackleton suffered
from a heart seizure and died on 5
January 1922 and although the Gazette
reports that his body was to be returned
to England for burial, he was buried in
Grytviken Cemetery, South Georgia, at
his wife’s request. It was not long after
this that the family moved out of
Eastbourne. The Gazette ran a large
obituary in their 1 February 1922 issue
where the three photographs that
appeared in their report of the visit of the
Quest in August 1921 were reproduced.
Among the messages of condolence
reported in the Gazette of 1 February
1922 was that of the Mayor, Alderman
Duke, which said ‘I hasten to express my
heartfelt sympathy with you in the great
loss you have sustained by the death of
your husband, which is reported in today’s papers. You have the deep
sympathy, I am sure, not only of all the
inhabitants of Eastbourne, but of the
British Empire and of the civilised world.
This may be some source of comfort to
you in your unexpected and sad
bereavement.’ The obituary appearing in
the Eastbourne Chronicle appears to have
kept to a short piece.6
Notes
1. Although I have read through the
microfiche copies of both the
Eastbourne Gazette and Eastbourne
Chronicle for the period of August to
December 1916, I was unable to find
any report. It is possible that I have
missed the reports and since some
pages/parts of pages, are not clear it is possible that I missed the headline.
2. There are two Swinfords listed in the 1907 directory: Captain T Francis Swinford
at Minster Lodge, Grassington Road, and A Swinford at Corrie Lodge, Silverdale
Road. I have been unable to clarify which of these is the cousin.
3. From http://www.grandeastbourne.com/140-years-of-the-Grand.
4. The first to be erected in Eastbourne.
5. Including http://www.southlondonguide.co.uk/sydenham/Shackleton.htm.
6. As in 1 above, it is possible that I have missed a larger item.
Picture sources, in order of appearance
Sir Ernest Shackleton – Eastbourne Gazette, 10 August 1922.
‘The Nimrod at Eastbourne’ – Eastbourne Chronicle, 3 August 1907.
Shackleton aboard the Endeavour – Eastbourne Gazette, 5 August 1914.
Blue Plaque – appears on several sites but copied from
http://openplaques.org/plaques/1185.
‘The Quest at Eastbourne’ – Eastbourne Gazette, 17 August 1921. (The same picture
appeared in 1922 with the date of the visit given as 17 August rather than 14
August.)
Alderman Duke talking to Lady Shackleton – Eastbourne Gazette, 1 February 1922.
(The picture had appeared with ‘The Quest at Eastbourne’ in 1921 with the
caption ‘The Mayor talking to Lady Shackleton on the Bridge’.)
Family photograph – Eastbourne Gazette, 17 August 1921 (copy appearing in 1
February 1922).
‘To Sir Ernest Shackleton’ – Eastbourne Chronicle, 13 August 1921.
Sources
Eastbourne Gazette, dates as noted above.
Eastbourne Chronicle, dates as noted above.
Roland Huntford, Shackleton, Abacus History 1985.
Websites, as noted above and various others to confirm details.