Military Figure. Remembered as the captain of the coal brig "The Surprise," which took King Charles II into exile. The inscription reads: "Captain Nicholas Tettersell, through whose prudence, valour and loyalty Charles the Second King of England and after he had escaped the sword of his merciless rebels and his fforces received a fatall overthrow at Worcester Sept 3 1651 was ffaithfully preserved and conveyed into Ffrance, departed this life the 26th. day of July 1674. Approved ffaith honour and loyalty, In this cold clay he hath now tane up his station, At once preserved ye church the Crowne and nation, When Charles ye Greate was nothing but a breath, This valiant soule slept between him and death, Usurpers threats nor tyrant rebells froune, Could not affraight his duty to the Crowne, Which glorious Act of his for Church and State, Eight Princes in one day doth Gratulate, Professing all to him in debt to bee, As all the World are to his Memory, Since each could not reward his worth have given, Hee now receivest from the King of Heaven, In the same chest one jewell more you have, The partener of his vertues bed and grave. Susanna his wife, who decesed ye 1th. day of May 1679, To whose pioiis memory and his owne honour Nicholas, theire only Son and heir, inheriter of his Ffathers virtues, hath payd his last duty in this monument 1676. Here also lyeth interred the body of Captain Nicholas Tettersell, his son, who departed this life the fourth of the calends of October 1701 in the 57th. year of his age." Charles reached Brighthelmstone, as Brighton was then known, on the 14th. October, and stayed at the George Inn, on the site of the present King's Head in West Street. His supporter, Colonel Gunter, arranged his flight with a merchant named Francis Mansell, and the "Surprise" left Shoreham harbour the next morning, with the pretence that it was going to sell coal on the Isle of Wight. Tettersell was paid £60 for this, although some sources claim that he raised the price to £200 once he realised what his "cargo" was. Just before they reached France, the King, along with Henry Wilmot (later the Earl of Rochester) was put into a cock-boat, manned by the brig's mate, a Quaker named Carver, who carried Charles ashore on his back at Fecamp, near Rouen. Tettersell is thought to have purchased the Old Ship Inn and to have ended his days as the High Constable of Brighthelmstone.