St. Andrew's (Quadrangle) Chapel

From Historical Hastings

This chapel, also known as St. Andrew's Chapel[1] at numbers 4 & 6 West Hill Road was opened in 1828 with the first preacher being the Rev. Joseph Wood[2]. The Hastings & St Leonards Observer gives the founding date as being around 1836 however. From local news reporting, there was some involvement of a Mr. Smith (ex-organist at Croft Chapel) around 1835-6[1].

The preacher originally resided in Eden Villa and the chapel could be entered by a doorway in the partition wall leading to the pulpit. The main, public, entrance to the chapel was at the east end with a large doorway up some steps from the street. An additional door led to a private residence, with the chapel to the left of this. It was capable of seating three to four hundred people. Having been constructed from stone quarried on the site, the chapel was fairly plain from the outside other than a worked cornice[1]. The chapel however reportedly suffered throughout its brief usage from financial issues.

Other than the Rev. Wood, the Rev. Wells also preached here, then around 1840 the Rev. Sydney Widdrington, an Episcopalian took over the running of the church. The Rev. Widdrington was also ministering at St Leonards Church. During 1851, Brett refers to the chapel as having been dedicated to St. Andrew[3] The final incumbent was the Rev. Abercrombie Lockhart Gordon[4], who was described as not being particularly amiable[1].

The chapel briefly re-opened in 1863 as a Presbyterian chapel, but this would not have appeared to survive for long[5], possibly due to further financial difficulties.

The final closure of the chapel was not far behind. Having laid empty for a number of years, the building was finally purchased by the Rev. J. W. Tottenham, who converted it into residences

References & Notes

  1. a b c d British Newspaper Archive Hastings & St. Leonards Observer 20 August 1887 Pg. 0007
  2. Brett's Manuscript History of Hastings and St Leonards Vol 1
  3. Brett Manuscript Histories Vol. 4 Chap. 15
  4. Scotland, Marriages, 18th Dec 1842 Record Held by Scotland, Marriages, 1561-1910. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
  5. Brett's Gazette Aug. 29 1863