Here is the modern version
Billy Butlin bought the West Clacton Estate to start building his 2nd Holiday Camp.
Clacton Council granted coat of arms
Lew Stone was chosen to appear with his band for the week's grand opening spectacular
| 420,000 B.C. |
Stone-age people set up camp, at Clacton (now lost beneath the waves due to coastal erosion). This was in the Interglacial stage (a major division of the Pleistocene epoch, which occurred from 1,600,000 to 10,000 years ago) |
| 5000 B.C. | Clactonian tools, early flake instruments dating
back to the early Interglacial stage, get their name from the area. |
| 500 AD. | Saxons under their leader Clacc from whom the town gets its name set up residence, Clacc Inga Ton (the Village of Clacc's People) |
| 900 B.C. | The 'Catuvellauni' (Celts) set up a village inland, on site of Great Clacton. |
| 1000 | The "Claccingtune" a tithe introduced by the Church to contribute two seaman towards a ships crew. |
| 1056 | In the Doomsday Book, it was recorded that 'Clachintuna' was part of a Manor belonging to the Bishops of London. |
| 1108 | Richard de Belmeis becames Bishop of London and establishes St. John's Church in Great Clacton |
| 1100's | Midsummer Fair established on 29th June, runs for 600 years, until abolished in 1872 |
| 1539 | Abbot of St.Osyths surrenders all Lands to his King. Henry VIII hands over the land to Thomas Cromwell |
| 1545 | Henry VIII appoints himself Lord of Manor's of Great and Little Clacton and Cann Hall after execution of Thomas Cromwell |
| 1553-1558 | 1st Lord Darcy (Thomas Darcy) buys controls most of the land that used to belong to the King. He was Baron Darcy of Chiche, Essex and Lord Chamberlin to the King |
| 1532-81 | 2nd Lord John Darcy |
| 1565-1640 | Lord Thomas Darcy changed title to 1st Earl Rivers |
| 1645-1832 | Smugglers Headquarters in Great Clacton, Many Tunnels are said to exist between the St John's church and The Ship Inn as well as other places. One runs from the North side of the church towards St. John's square. Others are reputed to run from the Ship's Inn, Geddy Hall (Home of the Webb family), the Queen's head and at Eaglehurst, a house in Valley Road. The Smugglers were a rough lot sometimes taking captive the Revenue men captive while they completed their work of loading cargo from the unguarded beach at Clacton and storing it, ready for "Gentleman" to transport it to London. The nearest barracks was Colchester and in those days it took a good time to travel to Clacton by Horse or on Foot. By which time the cargos would have disappeared. Clacton Beach was also situated between two noxious marshes Little Clacton to the East and Jaywick to the West. |
| 1603-54 | John Savage appointed 2nd Earl Rivers |
| 1628-94 | Thomas Savage 3rd Earl Rivers |
| 1660-1712 | Richard Savage 4th Earl Rivers |
| 1743 | Frederick Nassau, current Lord of the Manor dies |
| 1717-81 | William Henry Nassau Lord of the Manor |
| 1771-1845 | Frederick Nassau Lord of the Manor of St. Osyth's |
| 1812
|
Guns delivered to the Martello Towers built in the last 4 years. Three Towers were erected in Clacton and Three in Little Holland as the beach it guarded was deemed ideal for invasion. They remained Crown Property until 1904 which led to their preservation, whilst the Three in little Holland were knocked down. |
| 7 December 1830 | Luddites smash up farm machinery in Local farms. 1,000 locals had to put down the riot. |
| 1824 | Ship Inn at Great Clacton advertises a 'bathing machine' on Clacton Beach. These were boxes on wheels which were towed out to the sea, where the occupant could dip their bodies in the sea water, before changing back into thier clothes and bieng towed back to the shore. They therefore did not have to ruin thier clothes getting across the beach. |
| 1864 | Trust owning Sea Side House farm including Clacton Beach for last 50 years sells Land to Peter Bruff. |
| 1866
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Peter Bruff sought, and was granted, powers by Parliament to extend his railway to Clacton-on-Sea, with a new station just 50 yards from the cliffs, and to build a pier so that paddle steamers could visit his new resort. |
| July 1870 | Peter Bruff negotiated a deal on Clacton Beach as it was then known, to obtain the finance to build the pier to provide a staging point for the London to Ipswich steamer, from the owners of the Woolwich Steam Packet Company. |
| 18 July 1871 | The pier was finished after 5 years of construction. |
| 24 July 1872 | Royal Hotel opened. Here is the modern version |
| 1872 | Bruff laid down covenants, which covered matters such as fencing, drainage, paving and lighting to those developers to which he sold seaside plots of land. This created the 'modern' layout still present in the town. |
| 1881 | The census showed a total population of 651 in Clacton on Sea |
| 1882 | The Railway eventually arrived in Clacton as a spur from the London-Thorpe-Ipswich
Line, bringing in lots of day-trippers from London. |
| 1884 | First election of Clacton's town council. |
| 1893 | Clacton 'Gaps' filled in by Clacton Council after purchasing the whole seafront. |
| 1901 | Census showed a total population of had reached 7,456 |
| 1904 | In September The War Office launch a suprise 'Mock Invasion' with 150,000 troops landing from boats amongst the amazed bathers and pierrot performers |
| 1911 | Archaeologist, J. Hazzledine Warren discovers a wooden spear, dating back some 250,000 years, is the oldest known man-made wooden artefact found anywhere in the world. |
| 1911 | Census showed a total population of had reached just under 10,000 |
| 30th April 1914 | Winston Churchill, War time Prime Minister, lands in a seaplane for repairs on Clacton-on-sea beach. He rests in the Royal Hotel while waiting for a replacement |
| 1914 | The Band Pavilion and Veenetian Bridge opened. |
| 1920's | Frank Steadman starts developing Jay 'Wick' Farm as a Housing Estate. |
| 1928 | The West Cliff Theatre was built in the town. It still runs regular shows which change at least once a week for the entertainment of tourists and residents |
| 1931 | Princess Theatre (also the Town Hall was opened) |
| 1937 | Butlin's Holiday Camp arrived. Billy Butlin bought the West Clacton Estate to start building his 2nd Holiday Camp. |
| 1938
|
Clacton Council granted coat of arms |
| 1938 | Butlin opend the Holiday Camp, the format was unique in providing everything for one price, accomodation, food and entertainment within one place. There was therefore no reason to leave the camp for an entire week Lew Stone was chosen to appear with his band for the week's grand opening spectacular |
| 1939-45 | Butlin's taken over by army as a prisoner of war camp, later converted to an army camp. Much of Clacton-on-sea's coastline was fortified with barbed wire and machine guns. It was also mined to prevent a possible invasion, which continued until 1945. Clacton was also listed as a restricted area, which required a special pass to visit |
| 1958. | Cliff Richard and The Drifters are playing a four week residency at Butlin's Holiday Camp in Clacton. At the same time Cliff's first single, "Move It" starts to climb the chart, It gets to number 2. For Pictures click here | 1958. | Roy Hudd in stars as a Butlin Red Coat at Clacton-on-sea. He has also given his help in keeping the West Cliff Theatre going. His shows still grace the town. |
| Easter1964 | The infamous 'Mods' and 'Rockers' riot takes place on Clacton Seafront |
| 1983 | The closure of Butlin's Holiday Camp. The Town started to decline into day-tripper trade, rather than week long holidays. It has now been replaced by a Coach Park and Housing Estate next to the Martello Tower. |
| 2000 | Clacton-on-sea Web Site started to revitalize the area. |