This denote the pillary clouds which rise in the south-west some hours or days before a coming storm. All this is spoken with an accent resembling the " gobbling of a turkey with a sore throat." " Var b'ze gwain ?" " Down de Priory, will ye goo?" "No, I vaunt." " Vy vaunt ye?" " Cos I vaunt, and dat's vy. "Law is 'laa.'" To get rid of something you are better without, is to " git shet of it." This language has probably been derived from much intercourse with the French Fishermen at sea, and brought down from father to son.
GEORGE STREET.
George Street, now quite a brisk business thoroughfare, between the Priory and the Bourne Valley, was probably not known or called by this name until the beginning of the 19th Century. Built outside the town wall it sprang into existence about the middle of the 17th Century and the locality was known as the "Suburbs." The site is briefly alluded to in Barry's Guide of 1797. In describing the town it states (p.41), " At the bottom of the hill (referring to Old London Road), you enter a pleasant shady lane, on each side of which are tall spreading trees, whose branches in the summer form an impenetrable arch, through which you enter the town, consisting of two parallel streets of considerable length, running nearly north and south, and opening to the sea, with several lesser ones intersected by gardens, and a suburb, which extends along the beach."
This description is repeated in his 4th edition published and dated 1815. No mention is made of " George Street " until Powell published his Guide with a directory of the Lodging Houses," dated 1819, where he mentions only 14 houses, including his own residence there. The late Mr. John Banks wrote " that he remembered George Street with only 14 houses, with the road lower than the side walks, where you went up steps at one end and down steps at the other." Such was George Street a century ago. The only Inns mentioned are the "Anchor" and the "Hastings Arms."
The writer and the late Mr. T. B. Brett had some correspondence in 1902 as to the origin of the name of George Street. It had been stated it was derived from Prince George of Cumberland, who laid the foundation stone of the Market Hall in 1833, while others attributed it to George's Hill or St. George's Hill (a former name for the East Hill). Neither of us believed in these theories. The writer afterwards found a title deed of some property dated May 23rd, 1827, wherein " By Indentures of Lease and release of this date the release made between Edward Milward and others, and George Jackson of the sale of the site of a public house formerly situate at the eastern of George Street in the parish of St. Clement in Hastings and called the George Inn," where Messrs. Pearch and Simmonds shop is now, No. 73, and we came to the conclusion that this house gave the name to George Street. Owners of property in George Street might discover a more definite clue in their title deeds.
