1759
Sake Deen Mahomed
Born in 1759 in the Bengal Presidency; later author and entrepreneur.
Read this storyExplore the collection
Echoes of Brighton’s Past Timeline
Explore the people, places and events that have shaped Brighton and Hove. Browse the stories, move through the decades or search by name and subject.
67 stories shown
1770
William ‘Billy’ Waters
Recent naval research points to New York and the 1770s; exact date and early status remain uncertain.
Read this story → 1778
1781
1794
Sake Deen Mahomed
Published The Travels of Dean Mahomet, an early book in English by an Indian author.
Read this story → 1795
George Bridgetower
Salaried member of the Prince of Wales’s private chamber ensemble.
Read this story → 1801
1811
William and Charles Afflick
Charles Afflick, son of William and Elizabeth, was baptised in Brighton.
Read this story → 1812
Billy Waters
A fall from rigging led to the amputation of a leg and the end of his naval career.
Read this story → 1814
Sake Deen Mahomed
Mahomed and his family moved to Brighton and developed shampooing and vapour-bath services.
Read this story → 1821
1823
1830
Brighton abolition campaigners
Public meeting resolved to petition Parliament against colonial slavery.
Read this story → 1851
1856
Henry “Box” Brown
The formerly enslaved abolitionist and showman brought his anti-slavery panorama to Brighton in 1856, using his own escape story to expose the realities of American slavery.
Read this story → 1862
Sarah Forbes Bonetta; James Pinson Labulo Davies
Married in a widely reported Brighton ceremony.
Read this story → 1866
1868
Thomas M. S. Highflyer
Arrived in Britain and was sent to Brighton for care and education.
Read this story → 1870
Thomas M. S. Highflyer
Baptised at his own request, according to his grave inscription.
Read this story → 1870
1878
Rabindranath Tagore
Attended the Brighton Proprietary School briefly during his first stay in England.
Read this story → 1892
1895
Khama III; Sebele I; Bathoen I
The Bechuanaland leaders campaigned in Britain against Cecil Rhodes’s company and visited Brighton.
Read this story → 1903
Henry Willett collection
The c.1825 porcelain figure entered the museum through Henry Willett’s collection.
Read this story → 1904
Zoe Blanche Douet
Zoe Blanche Douet begins nursing training at Brighton’s Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Read this story → 1913
Flora Sassoon
An additional acre bought by Sassoon was opened as part of the public gardens.
Read this story → 1914
Indian Army wounded
Brighton buildings became hospitals for wounded soldiers from undivided India.
Read this story → 1914
53 Hindu and Sikh soldiers
Thirty-seven Hindu and sixteen Sikh soldiers were cremated at the site.
Read this story → 1915
1915
1918
Dr Derwent Hutton Ryder Waldron
Jamaican doctor Derwent Waldron is recorded at 7 Modena Road, Hove.
Read this story → 1921
Princes and people of India
The Maharaja of Patiala unveiled the gift to Brighton.
Read this story → 1921
1921
Brighton Dome and Black performance history
Brighton Dome became a significant venue for Black performers, including the Southern Syncopated Orchestra in 1921 and Paul Robeson in 1936, linking local cultural life with wider Black history.
Read this story → 1921
Southern Syncopated Orchestra
The pioneering Black jazz orchestra brought new sounds to Brighton Dome during a four-week residency in 1921, helping introduce jazz to British audiences.
Read this story → 1925
1936
Princess Aida Desta
Spent five years in Britain after the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.
Read this story → 1941
1946
Pauline Henriques
Became the first Black woman to act on British television, beginning a pioneering career that later included public service and a long connection with Brighton.
Read this story → 1947
Haile Selassie; Princess Aida Desta
Plaque records the Emperor’s gift towards tower repairs in thanks for his granddaughter’s five years in England.
Read this story → 1950
Elaine Humphrey
Came from Jamaica in her late teens to train as a nurse; exact arrival year should be confirmed.
Read this story → 1950s–1970s
Commonwealth nurses and Brighton’s NHS
Nurses from across the Commonwealth helped build Brighton’s NHS after the Second World War, becoming an important part of the city’s social history.
Read this story → 1950
Faith Matyszak-Gander MBE
Arrived in Brighton in 1950 and became a leading Whitehawk community activist, later known as “Mrs Whitehawk”
Read this story → 1955
Regent Dance Hall and Black social life in Brighton
A Brighton venue remembered as an important meeting place for music, dancing and community life, reflecting the experiences of Black residents and visitors in the post-war city.
Read this story → 1960
Shirley Williams; Vilma Clarke
Came from British Guiana/Guyana to train; exact dates need documentation.
Read this story → 1964
1967
1973
1977
John Agard; Grace Nichols
Moved from Guyana to Britain and later made a long-term home in Lewes.
Read this story → 1978
Mandela Hall, University of Sussex
Students campaigned for the University of Sussex to rename a building Mandela Hall, creating a lasting local connection with the anti-apartheid movement and Nelson Mandela’s struggle for freedom.
Read this story → 1980
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Two Uprising Tour concerts are reported for Brighton; retain medium confidence until a venue or tour primary source is cited directly.
Read this story → 1983
Chris Ramsey
Started for Albion in the 2–2 FA Cup Final draw with Manchester United.
Read this story → 1983
1994
Tehmtan Framroze
Served as Mayor of Brighton and is described as the city’s first mayor of colour.
Read this story → 2000
2002
Bert Williams; Sarah Naomi Lee; volunteers
Community organisation formally launched in October 2002.
Read this story → 2002
2006
Jacky Harding
Died aged 45; council recorded a tribute and minute’s silence on 7 December.
Read this story → 2011
Bert Williams
Awarded MBE for voluntary service to Black and minority ethnic communities in Sussex.
Read this story → 2017
2018
Thomas M. S. Highflyer
Community service held 148 years after his death following grave restoration work.
Read this story → 2019
2020
BARCO
Black Anti-Racism Community Organisation formed in response to racial justice uprisings.
Read this story → 2021
2023
2023
2024
Undivided India soldiers
Council and museum partners planned a multi-faith event around the gate’s anniversary.
Read this story →Scroll sideways to see more stories
Jump to a decade
Drag the gold marker to move through the stories.
No matching stories
Try a different word, subject or decade.
There are more stories across Echoes of Brighton’s Past.
Browse all stories →