Erith’s historic past 4
I think it is a tragic waste that Erith does not make more of it’s history. The wonderful people who have kept Erith Museum going know only too well that there is much to interest us if only it was all brought together. With this in mind I accepted an invitation from the British Library to a viewing of their exhibition “Henry VIII – Man and Monarch” which was fascinating.
As local historians will know Erith played a part during the reign of Henry VIII (1509 – 47) . Henry is believed to have spent a night here on his way to France . Part of his naval dockyard was founded at Erith, and his famous warship, Henri Grace à Dieu or ‘Great Harry’, was fitted out here in 1515.
Erith has a rich and varied history that is rarely discussed or celebrated. There is a fascinating history of smuggling in the 17th and 18th century, as well as the more recently uncovered role in the East India Companies trading and I am sure that many people moving to the area do not realise that the reason there are roads around the “pom pom ” area called Friday and Crusoe is because the real life mariner Alexander Selkirk ( upon whom Robinson Crusoe was based ) came back to UK after his shipwreck arriving at Erith on 14 October 1711.
I think Erith deserves a permanent building to house a visitors and education centre to celebrate the history or Erith and the river and I will be campaigning to make that happen.
