This website, created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

ROBBERY AT THE SCHOOL

Valerie Martin copyright 1999.

First published in the Findon News in January 2001.

One winter’s morning the Gun Inn narrowly missed being burgled. The date was Sunday the 11th January, 1835 when an unpleasant robbery was committed right in the centre of Findon during the Morning Service at St. John the Baptist Church.  I suspect that the thief thought the villagers would be absent from their dwellings at this time on a Sabbath.

The obviously dubious character was first noticed persistently knocking at the back entrance of the property at the foot of School Hill now known as the Village House Hotel.   When the door was not answered, he was observed suspiciously bending down and having the audacity to peer through the keyhole. Finally he placed his ear to the door to listen to see if he could hear any movement within.   

Something, or someone, seems to have deterred the snooper because he then purposefully walked up the hill and skirted the Gun Inn (or perhaps the inn showed too much sign of activity to be trespassed). He lingered at the School House, where the new establishment at this time catered for thirty-one boys and fifty-six girls.

The raider proceeded to enter by an insecure window and being undisturbed he rummaged around making a thorough search.  He stole watches and slipped them into his pocket and also parcelled up clothing belonging to the master and mistress of the school.  Unfortunately for him, he was seen departing with his questionably large packages of goods. 

The intruder promptly made off in all haste to the top of the hill and over Long Furlong heading westwards, hotly pursued all the while.    After a desperate chase he was at last apprehended and taken into custody at nearby Arundel.