Main Page
| Featured Pages | |
|---|---|
| Manuscript Histories | The Brett Manuscripts |
| Transport Routes | Harrow Bridge |
| The Author of Historic Hastings | J. Manwaring Baines (1910-2002) |
| Housing in the town | Named Buildings (407 pages) |
| Personal Histories | Pen Portrait of Hastings 1889 |
| Genealogy | People |
| Local Surnames (209 surnames) | The Breeds Family |
| The Tourist Trade | Beach Photographs through time |
| Images by decade | Hastings during and post-WW2 |
| Help to improve this history | Pages needing more content |
| Featured Place of Worship: | Mount Pleasant Congregational Church |
| Changed Pages: | Recent Changes |
| Support this site: | Support this site |
Initially launched as a mapping site under the 'HistoryMap' domain name, the Historical Hastings Website has since evolved into a wiki-based platform that serves as a valuable research tool. Following this transition, the site still retains its original mapping functionality, which is updated periodically. The site's various categorised sections, such as Farms and Cinemas, incorporate maps that identify the location of features mentioned throughout the site. Please note that the site is run on entirely voluntary funding, and any proceeds from donations or advertisements are solely used for hosting costs.
Whilst based upon a wiki back-end, the site leverages this to provide traceability for any changes and assertions made, in addition to giving fully searchable texts of reference works where permissible by copyrights. The ultimate aim is (if at all possible) to develop this down to individual property/building level providing links to resources either elsewhere on the internet or references to published works, or at the very least - street level. The site is run by one of the administrators of a local history interest group on Facebook Historical Hastings.
In addition to the repository of images in the site (categorised by locality/visible features and many other attributes), the editors and contributors are compiling pages about features as time permits, combining all known works and writings about those features to better understand the local history of Hastings. Several guide-books, together with the Brett Manuscript Histories are also transcribed within this website for local history researchers and others.
As to the site's definition of 'History' - anything of note that has happened in the town, even as recent as yesterday - this all contributes to building a definitive history of the town, even though this means that by definition, the website will never be able to be 'completed'. For example, in terms of the postal service, St Leonards was absorbed into Hastings for postal purposes in 1858, exactly thirty years after the first buildings appeared in St Leonards[1], although the delineation between the two towns in terms of the boundary was at times a heated debate; to which Brett apportions a large number of pages.
Where possible, most features are listed by their modern name, although in some instances this proves impossible, so the most recent known name is utilised. In any event, all names that are known to the editors of relevant pages are linked using re-directs or links within other pages.
Although not local to Hastings & St Leonards, T. B. Brett incorporated contemporaneous reports of the Crimean War including letters home from troops during major actions such as the siege of Sebastopol and Silistra, the battle for Citate, Alma and details of life in the British camps and on board various vessels, and additional notes may be found in Chap. 54 of his ultimate work - the Manuscript Histories of Hastings & St Leonards - a voluminous work that covers a period when St. Leonards was founded and Hastings began to expand to the west of the Priory Bridge.
All visitors are welcome to add or correct information to pages to hopefully form the definitive history of our town, written by the people of the town. Even if you are unfamiliar with Wiki editing, or have something to contribute - even a sentence here or there - it all helps, please make contact via the Historical Hastings Facebook group and the administrator of this site will assist with getting your history published.
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If you have an hour or two to spare and can shed some light on any of the 76 pages needing additional content, you are welcome to come on board as an editor, just browse this list of pages and click the 'edit' button. |
Local people who were born on this day
| Father | Mother | Birth place | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Mary Jemima Cunningham (1772-1850) | Thomas Cunningham (-) | Rachael Seymour (-) |
Local people who died on this day
See all events referenced in this site for this month
References & Notes
- ↑ Brett Manuscript Histories Vol. 7 Chap 59
