Lowestoft Timeline
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The Domesday Book gives Lothuwistoft village a population of some 16 households in three families, with ten smallholders and three slaves. -
The Black Death arrived in Lowestoft devastating the population.The national accepted average for deaths in England is somewhere around 60%. Info on Lowestoft is very limited -
Christopher Saxton map showed Easton Ness as the most easterly point of Great Britain. Over the next decades, the action of the sea caused the salient to migrate north, to Lowestoft Ness. -
The Trinity Brethren took responsibility for the Lowestoft Light, originally erected by a private individual named Bushell. There were two candle lights on the Ness foreshore. -
Two elderly Lowestoft women, Rose Cullender and Amy Denny, were tried for witchcraft at Bury St Edmunds Assizes, having been accused by their neighbours. -
The naval Battle of Lowestoft in June 1665 was the first of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. Held 40 miles (64 km) off the coast, it was a clear victory for the English over the Dutch. -
1670's The Lowestoft Lights were re-built again. A few years previously John Clayton had erected a coal-light a couple of miles north at Corton.
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1676 Samuel Pepys was elected a Master of the Trinity Brethren, and immediately sanctioned a new Lowestoft lighthouse. -
1685 A sea survey by Greenville Collins showed the Standford Channel just off-shore (the name eventually contracted to the Stanford Channel).
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1706 the remaining Low Light ceased operation, possibly because "...the sea overwhelmed it..." (p97 Lights of East Anglia by Neville Long, 1983)
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When a fish-house, in the southern part of the town, was entirely washed away, and another fish-house and barn were so exceedingly damaged, as to make it necessary to have them taken down. -
On this day King George 11 was rescued from the sea on Lowestoft beach in 1737. -
Lowestoft Porcelain Factory, between 1757 and 1802, was in production for longer than any English soft-paste porcelain manufacturer other than Royal Worcester and Royal Crown Derby, producing domes -
Huge storm. On the coast between Yarmouth and Southwold thirty ships and 200 lives were lost. Eighteen vessels washed up on Lowestoft beaches. -
1778 A 'spangle light' was tested for one night on Lowestoft Low Light by several Trinity Elders sailing out to sea. The design was never permanently used.
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1796 High Light fitted with "eleven Argand burners set in the focus of silvered reflectors" (p102 Lights of East Anglia by Neville Long, 1983)
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1832 Low Light rebuilt with brick foundation to stop it falling into the sea
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1832 Pakefield Lighthouse (red light) built to help navigate through the channel between the Barnard and Newcombe Sands. The station was made of brick.
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1850 Pakefield Light House moved to Kessingland because the channel had shifted. The Pakefield LH tower is still there, in the holiday centre. The light was finally extinguished in 1864.
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As the sandbanks shifted and Pakefield lighthouse was declared redundant and closed in 1864.
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1867 A completely new Lowestoft Low Light, made of wrought iron. It was designed to be moveable. -
Designed by John Louth Clemence the Editor of Ths LANCET. But of course there are many persons who cannot afford to pay a guinea; for them the provident dispensary affords -
1872 - 74 The present High Light was built. It had a new optical revolving light, flashing at half-minute intervals.
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1881 Low Light now also flashes. And had to be moved 80 yards inland, because of erosion.
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T. E. THIRTLE, GENERAL AND FURNISHING IRON-MONGER, AND BELLHANGER,45, HIGH STREET, LOWESTOFT. -
Early in 1903 construction started of the Tramway from Florence Road in Pakefield to Yarmouth Road in north Lowestoft.
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22nd July 1903 Grand opening of the Tramway. Once the system was up and running, there was a seven minute service in operation. 165,900 passengers were carried in the first two weeks.
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In the autumn of 1908 a hydroplane of the two-plane variety was tried with success on the Norfolk Broads, and over 20 miles per hour was reached with only 12 H.P. Surprise -
This postcard is amazingly franked 31st July 1914, just four days before Britain declared war . The message reads "Having a [illegible] time here. -
1914 - 1918 First World War eventually meant that Lowestoft Corporation Transport trams women drivers, inspectors and conductors were introduced -
The 620 ft (189 metres) Zeppelin L5, captained by Alois Boecker, was heard near Dunwich on the night of 15 to 16 April. -
Lowestoft was bombarded by the German Navy on 24 April 1916 in conjunction with the Easter Rising. -
Zeppelin was shot down over the sea near Lowestoft, the date of which coming close to the moment when Robert Leckie arrived at the station and yet to make his mark and be known as one of “the Zeppe -
1920 - The Corporation installed poles and span wires were erected for trolleybuses. But the overhead wires were never installed, and trolley buses never graced our streets.
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1927 The first Corporation bus service was introduced, along the seafront. The redundant trolleybus poles were used for street lighting.
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1928 The bus service was extended to other areas, and in 1929 it was introduced along the route of the tramway.
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1930 The Corporation saw the spark was failing, and decided to abandon the tram system -
1931 8th May saw the last ever Lowestoft tram service, driven by the oldest driver who had been with the service since 1903. In almost 28 years the trams had carried around 80 million passengers, a
