Curiosities
A three-pound splintered cannon-shot was dug up on the West hill, near the Castle that had evidently been buried a good many years.
A marvellously Little Man, said to be even more diminutive than the renowned Tom Thumb, exhibited himself at the King's Head Inn, for a small payment.
A Large Badger, which is quite a rarity in this locality, was discovered near Ore Place on the 16th of May.
A Conger Eel, caught off Hastings, was exhibited at Mr. Stace's fishmonger's shop, in Castle street. It measured 6½ feet in length, 2 feet in circumference, and weighed 60lbs.
A Flint Arrow-head, a human jaw-bone, some teeth and other human bones, were discovered near the Look-out on the East hill. It was also in this year (1854) that Mr. Ross caused the excavations on the East hill which resulted in discoveries of great archaeological interest described on page 66.
A Monster Shark, 9½ feet in length, and weighing over 5cwts., was accidentally caught in Rye Bay, by one of the small fishing-boats of Hastings, on the 3rd of September, while drifting for mackerel. The monster had got entangled during the night, and in its struggles had rolled the net so tightly round its body as to cause it to be drowned in its own element.
An Important Discovery was made during the drainage operations at the conjunction of George street and High street. The workmen came upon the remains of some old and strong masonry, consisting of blue-stone and mortar, and was about six feet in width. After removing sufficient to carry the drain from George street to John street, they carried the drain along the top for several yards, when it was found that the discovered masonry diverged at right angles to the north. It was probably a part of the ancient draw-bridge, the existence of which was once proved by the conveyance of a house near it. A copper groat of Henry VIII. was also found near the wall.
A Curious Freak was witnessed on the 28th of January, when a cow that was being driven in George street, darted through the opening between the Albion and 11 Marine parade. The front door of the latter being open, her cowship unceremoniously entered, to the consternation of the inmates, who were at breakfast in the kitchen. She was just commencing to descend the kitchen stairs, when, being confronted by the master of the house, she would have faced about to get out if there had been room to turn. At length, the drivers who had lost the cow, came and backed her out, the only mento of her visit being a soiled floor and some horn-marks on the walls.
A Curiosity in its way would be Mr. Thwaites's annual show of 50 lambs at his butcher's shop in Commercial Road, which this year took place on Friday and Saturday, 25th and 26th of July, and all sold before the arrival of Sunday.
A Curious Occurrence also, was the return from Australia, of Thomas Collins, son of Mr. Collins of the Castle booking-office, who, after leaving home had not been heard of for some years, and had been given up as lost.
