Owing to illness there was a change to our speaker this month. Reepham WI members enjoyed a presentation by Helen Murray who, on a previous visit, spoke about her forebears’ summer house, Newhaven Court in Cromer.
At Helen’s first book signing in October 2022 her cousin gifted her a leather journal, with the inscriptions “Cromer” and “J.M.S.” on the cover. This book, dated 1883/4, contained sketches of daily life on Cromer beach. Given Helen’s earlier “detective” work, her quest for further information about the artist was ignited.
By coincidence, another copy of the sketch book came up for auction which Helen later procured. This edition was annotated by a previous owner with clues as to the surname of the artist and also of the folk featured in the sketches.
By painstaking research, Helen determined the paintings were done by Juliet Seebohm, the granddaughter of a German immigrant, of Quaker stock. Juliet, her parents and siblings spent summer holidays with their cousins, the Barclays – members of the “Cromer Set”. In those days, Cromer was a genteel “fishing port” frequented by wealthy families such as the aforementioned Barclays and the Gurneys, Hoares among others.
During the summer of 1883, when Juliet was in her 20s, she spent time capturing, through her exquisite drawings, the activities of working folk and visitors alike.
Helen’s book, Fishermen, Bathers and Beach Folk, contains comprehensive historic detail. The most fascinating anecdotes were about “Old Billy”, a well-known local crab fisherman who, despite having “clubfoot” and not being able to swim, up to his 80s gave swimming lessons to youngsters, as well as goat and donkey rides on the beach.
Another standout was Lucy Miller, an entrepreneurial lady, who owned a number of bathing machines. Women, wearing cumbersome crinolines, were relieved on hot summer days to rent a bathing machine in which they changed into hired (wool!) bathing costumes, before the contraption was wheeled out into the sea for a refreshing dip.
Other fascinating characters touched on in the book are Professor Vinogradoff, an academic, the sailor Mayes Brothers and fisherman Gilbert “Leather” Rook, as well as giving an insight into Victorian life in what is still a popular seaside town.
Reepham WI’s next meeting will be held at St Michael’s, Reepham at 7.30 pm on Thursday 10 April – a week earlier than usual – with a talk by Peter Goodrum on 250 years of Jarrolds.
Dee Taylor