Crewmember John Shaw became very upset after a beer-drinking session with his shipmate Allen Leeds, and stabbed Leeds to death in a drunken rage for "undervaluing" him. Alcohol-related violence is obviously not a new thing. Shaw was court-martialled on board the Anne, and "would suffer death by hanging by the neck at the yardarm" on a sister ship, the Pearl.

The talk was followed by food with a Mediterranean flavour, and a "hands on" session where Peter passed around several objects for people to hold and feel. These included a piece of wood from the Anne, with an explanation of how to preserve old wood found in shipwrecks, part of a grenade (defused, of course!), several small canon, musket and pistol balls, and a large brass cauldron from a ship of the same period.

The fourth event of the "Hands On History" series to be held at SCHC is on June 20 at 7pm and entitled "The Story of the Storaa: A Wartime Warrior." The Storaa was a merchant ship sunk off Hastings in 1943, with a loss of 21 lives. The wreck has been plundered, and so Peter Marsden felt it ought to be preserved as a wargrave. Come and hear the details of his court case against the MOD and the fascinating story of the wartime exploits of this old vessel.

All further details and tickets from SCHC, Rock A Nore Road, Hastings. Tel: 01424 437452.