This story has been preserved by a manuscript believed to have been uncovered in a town chest. 

Hundreds of years ago, an almightly feud raged between two prominent families on the South Coast, spearheaded by the Earl de Warrene and Lord of Pevensey. A common reason for family feuds at this time was over business, war or cowardice. 

Lord of Pevensey led his men into battle, but the Earl de Warrene's men stood firm. Pevensey, who was stood on higher ground had the vantage and drove his foe down the hill - holding his axe ready to kill…

Watching from the safety of a castle, the Earl's wife witnessed her husband in danger and in a panic held their newborn son to the sky and begged for St Nicholas to spare his life…
 

St Nicholas, famed for being the patron saint of an assortment of groups such as sailors, merchants, pawnbrokers and even those wrongly in danger. 

She pleaded with the sky that if her husband's life was spared, their son would journey to Byzantine and perform a spiritual deed and would not marry until this was complete. 

Years passed, the newborn was now a man, ready to wed the beautiful Lady Edona but he had yet to complete his mother's vow. 

He travelled to Byzantine on a wonderous ship, reaching his destination and performing the deed. A year or so later, there were murmurs in the town of a ship spotted in the distance. The Earl and Lady Edona were thrilled and ran to the hills to watch the men's triumphant return. 

But tragedy struck…

As the ship neared Brighton, it became snagged in nearby rocks, keeled to one side and sank. A devastated Lady Edona fell to her knees, watching her beloved sink beneath the waves. 

Out of the hundreds of men on the ship, one ship hand was the only survivor. 

Earl de Warrene died a few years later and St Nicholas Church was built in his honour. Lady Edona lies buried under a cross at the entrance to the church, in the same location she stood that fateful night… 

If you find yourself on the beachfront on May 17th, look to the horizon for you may see the Ghost Ship make its return…