William Wareham

William Wareham was one of the three outstanding local postcard publishers from Littlehampton in the early 1900s, along with John White and Frank Spry.

His biographical details on the website Sussex Postcards chart his publishing history, revealing that he arrived in Littlehampton in 1892 to open a stationers shop and bookstore in Beach Road, very close to the White premises.

By 1905 he was selling postcards, probably from his own photographs. His early cards were printed by Hartmann of Saxony, others later in Britain. According to the Sussex Postcards website, the latter probably included the Arun Series which, although they didn't carry his name, often used scenes from real photographic (RP) postcards which did.

Subjects of his cards included scenes from beyond Littlehampton, but he clearly had a great interest in the harbour and its traffic. Many boat trips featured, departing from the harbourside landing. Presumably these cards were then sold to the customers on their return. Some are pre WW1 and show the Norfolk and other craft, but it is the 1920s and the Britannia fleet which are commonly seen.

An album of shipping pictures that was collected by the late Eric Benham includes a selection of Wareham cards and an enclosed note by Eric recorded that Wareham purchased the original Britannia in 1919, when it became the first Littlehampton launch licensed by the Board of Trade to take trips to sea.

William Wareham was a principal correspondent for the Littlehampton Gazette at this time. His photographs appeared both in the newspaper and in the local guidebooks as did those of Spry and White. One example by Wareham features the Black Rabbit, published in the Homeland Guide of the early 1920s.

The motor launch business thrived, and by the time he died in 1933 there were four launches carrying the Britannia name. As well as trip boats, they were also employed in towing larger craft in and out of harbour, and even as rescue craft.

OUTWARD BOUND, by William Wareham