Celebrating Hampshire Historians

East, Robert

c.1818 - 29 September 1901, probate 20 November 1901

Born in London, by occupation he was a ‘collector of inland revenue’ (1901 census). Often quoted is his enormous compilation of 828 pages of local records, Extracts from Records in the possession of the Municipal Corporation of the Borough of Portsmouth, published by the Corporation in 1891. There were appendices on a ‘serious dispute’ amongst councillors in the early 1700s and various state papers concerning the Dockyard.

In fact, this was a second edition that followed the first of 1881-4, which ran to 567 pages. It had been compiled by East, already in his 60s, jointly with Alderman Richard John Murrell (born c. 1837, a brewer), who unfortunately died (28 April 1884) just before it was published in 1884. A 140-page supplement with translations of the town’s charters by East followed in 1886.

Alderman Richard John Murrell, Portsmouth Museums

Sources

• Portsmouth Encyclopedia Online


• British Library Catalogue


• Hampshire Telegraph, 5 October 1901

Contribution to county’s history

He produced a valuable work of reference in the early days of local history.

Relevant published works

• Richard J. Murrell and Robert East, Extracts from Records in the possession of the Municipal Corporation of the Borough of Portsmouth; and from other documents relating thereto. [With plans.], 1881-84, 567 pages

• Robert East, Extracts from Records in the possession of the Municipal Corporation of the Borough of Portsmouth ... A new and enlarged edition, 2ed., 1891, 828 pages

Critical Comments

No attempt was made to comment on the extracts.

Other Comments

Probably as much as a work of history, the Extracts was a tool for councillors in their considerations of the town’s legal and other commitments.

Both the 1891 and 1884 editions are available online

Contributor

Barry Shurlock, 14 October 2025

Keywords

Portsmouth, Portsmouth Corporation, town charters

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