Southend Timeline

Southend United Formed - Southend United was formed on 19th May 1906 in the Blue Boar Pub on Victoria Avenue, the first fully professional football club in the town.  Their home ground had already been agreed to be Roots Hall, which although it would change over the years remains their current ground for now anyway.

First Mayor Dies - Thomas Dowsett dies in 1906.  He was elected the first Mayor of Southend on 9th November 1892.  Dowsett invested in the town not only with his time but with his money too; Almshouses, among his many projects, still exist in Chelmsford Avenue to this day.  He was given the honour of a burial in the town's main church, St John the Baptist Church.

As a lasting legacy and in memory of the first Mayor £1,000 was paid to the Victoria Hospital in Warrior Square to build a children's ward.

Military Land Purchased - 1,760 acres of foreshore at Shoeburyness, was purchased in 1906 for the use as ranges for the military.

New Library Opens - Southend thanks to the Andrew Carnegie Trust gained a brand new library when it was formally opened on 24th July 1906 by Sir Horace Brooks Marshall Kt.  The site today is of course Southend Central Museum opened in 1981 for its historical purpose.

Palmeira Arches Open for Business - This very popular location for a sit in the sun watching the world go by opened in 1906.  Originally built as 17 arches for a mixed use of boat storage, cafe's and toilets.  Today they are primarily cafe's, enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.

 Southend Carnival Founded Since its foundation in 1906, it is estimated the carnival, which was initially set up to raise money for the Southend Victoria Cottage Hospital, in Warrior Square, has invested more than £1million into the community.  The first, 1906 parade was merely an offshoot of a much bigger occasion, the Leigh Regatta.

New Bowling Club in Westcliff -  The Essex County Bowling Club, opened in 1906 with two fine greens in Imperial Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, with a club house and a large pavilion.  The club originally set out in 1901 in Chalkwell Park where a single green existed on the site of the current memorial garden.  The club was inaugurated in 1906 by the Mayor of Southend by bowling the first jack.

Liberal This Time - Southend since 1885 had always been considered a Tory stronghold, but this year was things changed a little with the Liberals gaining an impressive win securing just over two thousand votes. the winner was Rowland Whitehead  This one and only time was a blip in a long and continual blue vote.  Read about this unusual day in Southend politics here.