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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Brighton
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(154,000 in 1991)
Town in East Sussex, originally the fishing village of Brightelmston, which began its transformation into England's leading seaside resort with the arrival in 1753 of Dr Richard Russell, author of A Dissertation on the Use of Sea Water in Diseases of the Glands. Under his guidance bathing became fashionable, and soon 'dippers', such as the celebrated Martha Gunn, made a profession of plunging the rich in the waves. Brighton's future was secured when the prince of Wales, the future George IV, moved there in 1783 and soon set about building the *Royal Pavilion.
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From the prince's time there date the Theatre Royal (1807) and the nearby district of narrow streets known as the Lanes. Brighton has been famous for its piers; the Chain Pier, dating from 1823 and destroyed in a storm of 1896, was replaced by the present Palace Pier, while the West Pier was built in 1866. Also on the seafront is the Grand Hotel (1864), the scene of a terrorist attack when the prime minister and cabinet were staying for the Conservative party conference in 1984; during the night of October 11 an IRA bomb demolished part of the building, killing five people.
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The Museum and Art Gallery, housed in a building in a Victorian Moorish style (1871–3, by Philip Lockwood) began with some good paintings, from 17C Dutch and Flemish to 19C English, and much commemorative pottery, given by Henry Willett. It has since extended into many other areas, in particular musical instruments, costume and 20C design.
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