Lot 1228: William Roxby Beverley (Richmond 1811-1889 Hampstead)

William Roxby Beverley (Richmond 1811-1889 Hampstead)
The Old Wooden Pier, Newhaven, East Sussex
signed 'W R Beverley' (lower left)
pencil, watercolour and bodycolour with touches of gum arabic and with scratching out
13¼ x 27 in. (33.7 x 68.6 cm.)

In 1731 Parliament passed an act to allow the repair of the piers at Meeching (now Newhaven), and to clean and enlarge the harbour. This work was still ongoing by the mid-19th century when Beverley executed the present watercolour. During the 18th century the harbour at Newhaven was considered to be one of the safest harbours along the south coast and in the early part of the century the town provided a base for merchants to trade goods. A decline in trade towards the end of the century resulted in the decay of the old wooden piers that protected the harbour, but this was rectified by a licence granted by the Treasury reinstating Newhaven as a central trading point along the south coast. By the time Beverley visited the town it had been revived with new warehouses being built, the church of St Michael enlarged, and the port redeveloped, including the reconstruction of a number of the old piers.