• Members of the Boniface family fought successfully at the Battle of Waterloo against the french dictator Napoleon Bonaparte and his army

• A mother (Mrs.George Boniface, 1778 - 1869) whose maiden name was Lucy Verrall had a son (Edward Boniface b.1813) that married another Lucy Verrall (1818 - 1893), who was a blood relation of hers.

• William Boniface (born about 1851) was killed by lightning at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne

• Family legend has it that in ancient times the Bonifaces were involved in the lucrative business of smuggling, punishable by death at that time. The Lamb Inn had connections with the smuggling industry and has underground tunnels, relic of the time when smugglers once connected this famous hostelry with the old Parsonage attached to St.Mary's Church next door. The passages are still there but have collapsed in places.

  
  
  The Lamb Inn, built 1180
  

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• There was a very heroic rescue at sea by the crew of the Eastbourne Lifeboat (including 'Old Tom' Boniface and his kin. read more about it...

• Old Tom was a volunteer bodyguard for the Salvation Army when it was under terrible persecution in 1890 - 92. read more about it...

• During World War One all six of Old Tom and Elizabeth's surviving sons served England faithfully in the navy (mostly) or army, as did his five sons-in-law and one grandson. To distinguish this occasion they were presented a 'Roll of Honour. click here to view it.

• Will Boniface was killed at sea in a terrible ordeal in 1918, and his mother had a dream about it the night before.

It was the sea that claimed the life of Old Tom and Elizabeth's third oldest son, William. During WWI while on leave from the Royal Navy, (he was a Chief Petty Officer), he and a friend were in an open boat on the English Channel and they were caught in a storm. A destroyer responded to their distress rockets, and his friend jumped to the safety of the destroyer, but when Will attempted to jump a huge wave jammed the two vessels together, crushing poor Will and his body was never found. The night before, his mother Elizabeth had a dream. She dreamt of a horseman, riding up from the depths of the sea, onto the beach at Eastbourne and saying, "Will Bonny, where's Will Bonny? I'm looking for Will Bonny!"

• Our Bonifaces had hands on involvement in the building of the mighty Eastbourne Lighthouse.

• For well over a century the Boniface/Allchorn (same family) boat cruises have served the public at the seaside

The Boniface Pleasure Boats, over a century ago...

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The Allchorn Boats, in the 1990's...

• Grace Kate Boniface survived a murder attempt during a 'customised swimming lesson' from her soon to be ex-boyfriend, at Langney Pond, Eastbourne c1900.