Mary Wheatland and the Bathing Machines

Recently I have been privileged to be invited into a number of local infant and junior schools to talk to the pupils about local history. The exciting part of these visits has been the enquiring minds that these pupils have with regard to their locality. For some their interest has been encouraged by parents and for others by teachers who are interested in the subject.

One of the major topics discussed at each school has been Mary Wheatland and the bathing machines that were available to visitors at any seaside resort; therefore I thought this week we should take a look at these bathing machines, the people who supplied the service and those who used the machines.

Scarborough was the first seaside resort to have the bathing machines for general use in 1735. King George III used bathing machines in Weymouth during 1789 and Queen Victoria had her own machine, at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Both of these bathing machines are on display in their respective museums. Whilst we may believe that bathing machines were of one particular design, it is true that they were all of

wooden construction, with steps, small windows and were pulled into the water by a horse. However there were infacy many different designs, ranging from those for Royalty to those basic machines which were to be seen on the majority of beaches. Some of the early reports talk of the bathing machines being toys of the rich with the 'less-well off continuing to bathe naked on unfashionable parts of the beach.'

When I became interested in bathing machines I researched the Internet to see if these machines existed anywhere else in the world. I was surprised to find pictures and descriptions from as far afield as Southern Ireland to Uruguay, Ostend to Australia. Some of the continental machines were quite ornate and some even had a member of staff stood outside the door. As far as the Australian machines are concerned, I have not as yet found any link with the UK, but feel that it may have been a traveller from this country who arrived on a beach and found no such machine in which they could change into their swimming costumes and decided to introduce them to Australia. However many of the pictures from Australia show an additional item, that of a small fence around the front of the machines. This was apparently known as a 'shark guard!' I must be honest, I would not wish to swim in shark invested waters, with or without a guard.

Returning to Bognor, the town was lucky to have two proprietors of machines on our seafront Mary Wheatland and Frederick Jenkins.

Mary Wheatland was born in 1835 in Aldingbourne and moved to Bognor and eventually married in 1857. There is an interesting newspaper article from 1864 which reports that Mary had been employed by Mrs. Mills and a Mrs. Pipson since she was 14 years of age, it then continues that Mary 'begs to inform the Ladies and Public generally visiting this town that she is now engaged by Joseph Ragless, whose machines are situated near the Beach Inn where she will pay every attention to those who may favour her with their support.'

Mary Wheatland has been the only Bognor personality to be immortalised on postcards, of which there were many produced. W.P. Marsh, the famous Bognor photographer, produced one such postcard. This card had a copy of an article which discussed 'Bognor's mermaid' when she was 72 years of age. This article reported, 'a little old woman stands on the parade of Bognor looking out to sea. She is clad in a rough blue serge costume on the bodice of which two lifesaving medals are pinned.

A battered sailor hat, bearing her name in gold letters, is tied under her chin with black ribbons. The weather beaten face is crumpled up into a network of smiles.' This is certainly the view seen in all the photographs of this lady.

 But what of the bathing machines that could be seen drawn up on the back of the shingle on the beach either side of the Pier. To the east of the Pier were those belonging to Mary and many of the pictures clearly show swimming costumes and towels available for hire, laid on the wall of the promenade drying out. The children I have met recently were quite intrigued as to why anyone should want, or have need to hire a costume, as most of them seemed to have in excess of two bathing costumes. These children also could not really understand that many of the children who used these machines would perhaps only come to the seaside one day a year hence the need for hiring a costume. A far cry from the trips that our children today have to the beach, or even their trips aboard.

On the west side of the Pier we had Frederick Jenkins who built his machines at his yard in Longford Road in 1905.
Frederick also had machines at the end of West St., and a third site at the east end of the parade opposite Clarence Road. During the winter months his machines were stored in a field at Shripney and would be repainted in blue and white stripes each summer. The horses used by Frederick were named Major, Beauty and Lion and they were stabled in

Longford Road. The ticket office beside the pier would open for the summer from the 1st June each year.

Recently I received a letter from a gentleman who could recall his time on the beach in his youth, however one section tells us that 'one day, with friends I had a swim and then returned to the bathing machine to dress. Then there was a bang on the door and a voice called out, 'Hold tight' A horse then pulled us up to the shingle.'

Whilst I was researching bathing machines I went on holiday to Belgium and was very surprised to find that their 100 cent bank note contained a sketch of a bathing machine. This was part of a new series of bank notes in the 1990s. This particular note was to pay tribute to James Ensor, an Ostend painter, at the turn of the last century. Of course with the introduction of the Euro I suppose this note will now be destined to one or two copies in Museums. During the 1950's there was a Guinness advertisement that included a sketch on bathing machines, complete with a small poem as part of their advertising campaign.

Bathing machines are also used by the Bognor Local History Society as their advertising logo, which can be found on badges and some of the other souvenirs that are on sale today in their Museum in the High Street. There you will find more information on this seaside phonemum.

A bathing machine was on display in September 2000 during the 'Sands of Time' weekend.

This particular machine had been renovated in Eastbourne and it is thought may have been from a design by Frederick Jenkins who had arrived in Bognor from Eastbourne. It is possible that this bathing machine will return to Sands of Time again this year. I hope therefore that the children I have met this year will be able to view and experience the shape and size of these very historic 'bathing contraptions.'

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