Collection: Rustington Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The history of the Parish of Rustington was first documented in several books by local historian Mary Taylor in the 1980’s. The research for these books created such a vast amount of material relating to the history of Rustington village that it was suggested that this material should be collected, preserved and made more accessible to the local community. In 1983 the Rustington Heritage Association (RHA) was formed. In 1988 premises were found for an exhibition room at Rustington Parish Council offices. A license was negotiated between the RHA and Rustington Parish Council for the lease of two rooms; one for an exhibition space and one for the RHA’s office and store. The exhibition space was opened to the public by the RHA in September 1989 until it closed in 2007.

  The RHA achieved full Registered Museum status in February 2001 as part of the first national minimum standards scheme. It was subsequently awarded full Accredited Museum status by the MLA in November 2006.

  In 2005 Rustington Parish Council purchased Church Farm Cottages at 76/78 The Street in Rustington, for use as the new premises for a bigger, improved Museum service. It was agreed that Rustington Parish Council would finance the new museum, premises, equipment and staffing and the RHA would retain ownership of the collection. In 2012 Rustington Parish Council expressed a wish to commence collecting for a separate Parish Council Museum collection. In 2013 it was agreed that the RHA would agree to a loan of their existing collection with new acquisitions to be added to the new Rustington Parish Council collection. All items donated to Rustington Museum are now added to the new Parish Council collection.

  Following a successful HLF grant awarded in 2018, the Museum moved into new premises in November 2019. The new space is much better suited to showing the history of Rustington in a cohesive format and includes visitor experiences, such as interactive stations. A temporary exhibition area allows a changing programme of events and a space to hold activities and talks during the day. In the evening, the main gallery has space to host talks. Holding such events was not always possible in the previous building due to lack of space. The Museum shares the building with a Community Hall and the Village Information Centre. Facilities for the storage of the Museum collection remain at the Parish Council offices, though a small store is located on site.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The Rustington Museum Parish Council Collection consists of approximately 328 accession entries at November 2019. The RHA Collection on loan to the Rustington Museum Parish Council Collection consists of approximately 2026 accession entries. The collecting area for Rustington Museum covers the village of Rustington and adjacent villages (not covered by Littlehampton or Worthing Museum’s collection areas). The RHA’s loaned Museum Collection does have items relating to areas outside of this area. This will be looked at as part of the Future Plan due to restricted storage and the on-going relevance of the collections.

  RHA Collection

  RHA Collection (on loan to Rustington Parish Council collection) currently contains approximately 2026 entries in the Accession Register (one entry could contain several items). Not all the collection is recorded on MODES. It features the following areas of note:

  Archaeology

  Approx. 20 items accessioned as of November 2019. Predominantly Romano-British pottery and ceramics and post-medieval materials from the collecting district.

  In the late 1980s and early 1990s the Sussex Archaeological Society oversaw two excavations in Rustington during the construction of the A259 bypass and the adjacent Sainsbury’s store. Some material from these excavations is in the RHA’s Collection. However, as there was no Museum as such in Rustington, many finds were donated to the Littlehampton Museum collection as Rustington was within their collecting area at the time. Rustington Museum’s archaeological collection also includes chance finds and material from field walking and metal detecting.

  Rustington Museum concentrates on finds and material from within the Rustington area. This collecting area was established in agreement with the Archaeological Working Party of the Sussex Museums Group and the County Archaeologists for East and West Sussex.

  Social History

  Approx. 1700 items accessioned in the collection as of November 2019. Items relating to all aspects of the collection not covered by the other categories. It is a large and varied collection relating to general domestic, social, corporate, commercial and occupational life.

  In general, the Social History section covers all historical material that is not specifically covered by another section. It is, therefore, large and varied. There are extensive collections of material relating to domestic, social, corporate, commercial and occupational life. The collections relate primarily to the Rustington area in particular.

  Documents, Archives and Maps

  Approx. 470 items accessioned at November 2019. Collection is presently being organised into to a subject index format and entered onto MODES. Selection of paper documents, ephemera, pamphlets, posters, maps and misc. material relating to Rustington.

  Photographs and Postcards

  Approx. 510 accessioned items on MODES at November 2019. Photographs and postcards of all subjects pertaining to Rustington, its people and the collecting district.

  Fine and Decorative Art (Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Ceramics)

  Approx.15 accessioned items at November 2019. Selection of local scenes on varying media; oil, watercolour, including examples from local artists. Several pieces of local pottery.

  Notable Collection: Count Albert de Belleroche (1864–1944) – lithographs.

  Belleroche was a painter of portraits and genre, and lithographer; influenced by Impressionism. He studied under Carolus-Duran in Paris and shared a studio with John Singer-Sargent in Paris and London. He worked in France until 1911 when he married and settled in England, living first in Hampstead and after 1918 at The Manor House in Rustington, Sussex.

  He died in Nottingham in 1944. Retrospective exhibitions at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 1942, the Salon d’Automne 1947, the Leicester Galleries 1954 (drawings), and Arthur Tooth & Sons 1955 (paintings).

  Textiles / Costumes

  6 items (uniforms and clothes) at November 2019.

  Old Cottage Toy Collection

  18 accessioned Old Cottage Dolls at November 2019

  Rustington Museum Parish Council Collection

  Old Cottage Toy Collection

  21 accessioned dolls at November 2019, made by local cottage industry in Rustington.

  Fine Art

  21 accessioned paintings at November 2019.

  Drawings and lino cuts by Count William de Belleroche, Count Albert de Belleroche’s son and a great friend and biographer of Frank Brangwyn. William de Belleroche was an artist in his own right as well as a promoter of his father’s work.

  Archaeology

  A bulk accession of Archaeology was made in 2016. Not individually listed

  Ephemera and Collectibles

  328 accession register entries at November 2019, which include all of the above.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC