hello all

 it has been mentioned  that some of you might be interested in my family history.  That some would like to know the story behind this edifice in Rye Sussex That is why i am adding this today

Rye wasn't the tourist town it is today when the Procter's first arrived
it was filthy disgusting and degrading. read the court papers of the time and see what people of Rye were being tried for. Theft , drunkeness and i fear to say copulation with animals Yes i can hear the cries of anquish from here but the 1700's were terrible. There is also reports of teams of men spending days clearing the streets of horse and human dung which was feet thick in places. illness was rife, despite their being an abundance of doctors. The death rate was high among the smugglers and sailors that had turned Rye into a cesspit of humanity.

Despite or because of this men with cash to spend and the desire to make more were drawn to the town. One being my 7x grandfather. Thomas Procter who arrived circa 1720. He soon made a a name for himself, arriving on the customs cutter the Amelia from either further down the coast or from Yorkshire (the jury is still out on which departure point it was.) He was to marry the daughter of the Amelia's owner and captains Nathaniel Pigrim, a rich local man who was mayor numerous times.

Unfortunately Thomas's wife Elizabeth and their daughter also Elizabeth died less than 10 years after their marriage. Disease took them both within months of each other, but Thomas married again and that marriage bore eight children, all but three died in childhood or infancy. Of the three that survived the two daughters Martha and Susan married local lads and had families of their own while Nathaniel would do very nicely thank you.

Thomas for reasons unknown tried his hand at many trades before becoming a brewer. he bought land and became pretty successful. eventually buying a house on the top of the hill near the Church and close to Mermaid Street. many of you will know that name as it is where the local Hawkhurst smuggling gang hung out when in town. Thomas and his family would have seen them, would have heard them, perhaps he even helped them who can say certainly Thomas's fortunes increased rapidly.        

 So  much so that around 1730-40 he had built the building pictured the Tower remains in the garden of what became his family home in West Street. a story exists in Rye that Thomas built the tower to spy on his errant wife while she went to meet her love. A nice story but totally wrong, no Procter would waste money on such a thing the wife would be simply disposed of one way or another. possibly it was built to watch out for smugglers or customs officers or more likely as an urban oast house a means for Thomas to dry his grain.

 Whatever the reason the family remained there for many generations until the house wa sold but that is another tale if anyone is interested.