However, I have to confirm that Vincent, the borough’s marine engineer from 1732 until 1752, had no responsibility for either of today’s Old Pier or Lighthouse Pier. During the 1730s, Vincent built only an extension or spur to the Great Pier, as it was then called, and even then the plan of it was designed by his predecessor, William Lellam.

Later, in 1739, Vincent cut a gap or Pet Hole to separate the end of the old pier from his spur to allow better scouring of the inner harbour. He died in 1755.

In 1800 Vincent’s detached spur was washed away by a great storm and then replaced between 1804 and 1806 by the stone pier on which the first lighthouse was built in the latter year.

So the distinguished engineers William Lellam, John Smeaton and William Chapman, who were chiefly responsible for the construction of Scarborough’s older harbour works, remain entirely unremembered, whereas William Vincent received entirely undeserved credit for pier(s) which he never built. And Vincent even has a Scarborough street named after him!

Still, I suppose we are stuck with Vincent’s Pier, just as Scarborians are now forever unable to divest themselves of Oliver’s Mount, which is even more misleading, and Oliver’s Heights, which is merely preposterous.

In final fairness to Vincent, he did supervise the construction for the first sea staith or wall to protect the Spaw and cut back the ‘Spaw Cliff’ behind it which endangered the wells after the ‘earthquake’ of 1737 had buried them.

Dr Jack Binns

Chatsworth Gardens

Scarborough