Postcard of the Month: November 2023
/The paddle steamer visiting the harbour most frequently during this period was the Worthing Belle (featured in the Steam Vessels section of this website), and she seems to have had a similar square black wheelhouse in the same position as in this photograph. However, it was removed at some point and was not as prominent as here. Additionally, the Worthing Belle’s bridge was behind the funnel rather than in front of it, and her funnel was thicker and more upright.
The Worthing Belle
P.S. Princess May?
In this framed photograph, the vessel is departing Littlehampton Harbour sometime before WW1. The printing style suggests it is an early White photograph, probably taken from the top of the lighthouse on the short pier at the entrance. The vessel’s name is not shown and a comparison with many other pictures from my collection has failed to prove her identity.
A picture (not shown here) of P.S. Princess May, visiting Bognor Pier c1901 (found on page 143 of Sussex Beach Trades by Michael Langley [Middleton Press 2010]) shows features corresponding closely to this photograph. Press advertisements of the period record Princess May, operated by the Brighton, Worthing & South Coast Steamboat Co. Ltd., making trips to Worthing and Littlehampton in October 1900 (1/-), and also in July and September 1901. The visit to Bognor Pier would have awaited the installation of suitable piling at the pier head, so would have been after June 1901. This is the basis for my suggested identification.
P.S. Princess May appeared in press reports of an incident at the Naval Review of 1902. On 9th February she was involved in a collision with H.M.Torpedo Boat, Danny, causing damage to the latter vessel which was apparently responsible for the occurrence. The paddle steamer's skipper at the time, Captain James Trenance, was praised by passengers for his skill in minimising the seriousness of the collision by his actions. He was well known to trippers locally for his tenure as skipper of the Worthing Belle between 1901 and 1913. Capt Trenance is featured in the Characters section of this website.