Captain James Trenance - Skipper of the P.S. Worthing Belle

The Trenance family, originally from Cornwall, included a number of master mariners, some with Sussex connections. James commanded the Worthing Belle from 1901 to 1913, while his older brother, John, was Pier Master of Brighton's West Pier and then the Palace Pier during the early 1900s.

The Worthing Belle was a regular visitor to the Arun at Littlehampton, as well as many other piers along the south coast, so James Trenance would have been well known to day trippers. For more on the ship, see Steam Vessels in the Vessels section of this website.

During WW1, as a member of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) with the rank of Temporary Lieutenant, James served in command of the Paddle Minesweeper Snowden and later Paddle Minesweeper Goodwood. He was awarded the DSC during his war service and was demobbed in 1919.