 As with many towns and villages in Sussex and Kent, close proximity to the Continent made the trade of smuggling a lucrative and popular business.In 1845 the railway was extended from Shoreham to Worthing, linking the town by rail with London and the railway network.On November 25, 1850 eleven local fishermen were drowned as they set out from the town's beach to save the crew of the barque the "Lalla Rookh", a trading vessel of around 700 tons.