220 Local History
The great Arundel pong By local historian Mark Phillips towns to have their own soap factory before the accessibility of improved transport made it more cost effective to produce it in large factories. However, there is no question over the disgusting aroma that could often be smelled throughout the town, especially by visitors who were unaccustomed to it. The Arundel soap works was set up beside the river Arun c1812, by 26year-old William EverBuilding along Fitzalan Road. The site of the old Soap Factory shed. Around 1816, I was somewhat amused to find the following William married Martha Sale and they set up clipping in my library, of a letter to the editor of the home along the shipyard, on the opposite side of West Sussex Gazette on September 10, 1868: the river. ‘Sir, On two or three occasions lately the town has They had several children, some of whom died been visited by a smell, so poisonous and offen- quite young, but it was the youngest child, George sive as to seriously affect the health of several Thomas, who took an interest and started workpersons. Such a smell came over us on Monday ing at the factory. By 1861, George had taken night last. The inhabitants were obliged to close over the management of the whole business. their windows; and many, to escape from it, posiCirca 1856 George married Emily Watkins and tively walked some distance from their houses! they set up home in 33 Tarrant Street, next to the I am told that this obnoxious smell arises from United Reformed church. They lived a comfortacertain boiling of refuse matter with acids. I am ble life with George even becoming Mayor of Arnot positive as to the exact cause; but I really undel in 1875. think that, as the borough of Arundel is proud in The respect for this honoured position appeared the possession of a Mayor and Corporation, the to calm down many of the locals who used to nuisance should be at once put down. It would complain every time the wind blew from the not be tolerated for a moment in any wellsouth, dispersing the obnoxious odour from the regulated town in England. Let it be done at once, factory around the parish. or I’m off! – Yours respectfully, A. Visitor By the end of the 1800s, George was finding it The overwhelming smell was something that a lot, although not all, locals had become, well, increasingly difficult to compete with the large not exactly used to, but perhaps somewhat industrial soap factories in the north of the countolerant of. It came from the Tallow Chandler try and in 1903, he took the decision to close and soap manufacturer, known locally as Ever- the factory. sheds Soap works.
This was located on the outskirts of the town over in South Marshes (Fitzalan Road), later to become the depot of Arundel Borough Council. Mr or Mrs A Visitor were quite wrong on one point, it was in fact quite common at the time for small
However, the Eversheds continued to produce soap at a factory in Shoreham for many more years until it finally closed in 1954. The last soap bar produced in the Arundel factory is now with the Arundel Museum.
Credit - 2002 article by Mary Barber
