HASTINGS and ST. LEONARD'S-ON-SEA
HASTINQ-S, the chief of the Cinque Ports, is a popular seaside eighteen councillors, and for municipal purposes is divided
resort, munieipal, lJarliamentary and county borough, into six wards ; the Corporation also act as the urban sani�
market and union town and head of a petty l'lessional dh�ision tary authority. The borough has a commission of the peace,
and county court di~trict, with a railway station, and is near a separate court of quarter sessions and a police force.
the eastern ex:tremity of Sussex, being the chief town of the Under the provisions of the Local Go>'ernment Act, 1888,
rape which takes its name, in the Eastern division of the it was declared a county borough for certain purposes.
county, rural deanery of Hastings (first division), archdea- This modern watering place consists of the towns of Hast-
conry of Lewes and diocese of Chichester, situated in 50�34' ings and St. Leonard's-on-Sea, and comprises a frontage
N. lat. and 0�37' E. long. and distant from London about towards the sea of 5 miles, its width varying from oneeighth.
63 miles by road and 74 by railway, through Lewes, by the of a mile to a mile and a half: it is a great resort for invalids
London, Brighton and South Coast railway, but only 6o by and is much frequented by visitors for sea bathing on account
the line through Sevenoaks by the South Eastern railway, of its warm and sheltered aspect, ensuring it a milder climate
both lines coming to the same station; and it is 24 miles east in the winter than that of many other watering places; its
from Brighton, 17~ north-east from Eastbourne, 26! east exemption from damp and mist, its cooler atmosphere in
from Lewes, 28 south-east from Tunbridge Wells and 26! summer and the smallness of its daily range of temperature
south-west from Ashford. Of the authentic history of Hast- compared with that of other places, besides the beauty of
ings, prior to the I Ith century, little is known and this more its surrounding scenery, add to its attractions..
or less conjecturally. The Roman remains on East Hill The old town is situated in a valley between two high hills,
seems to indicate it as the probable site of a Roman station; known as the East and West cliffs, and runs along the sea-
and some authors contend that the castle was originally a shore, at the base of a range of steep hills, which protect
Roman fortress, repaired by the Conqueror; however that it in a considerable degree from the north and north-east
may be, it seems certain that Hastings can lay claim to winds.
a considerable antiquity, for in .A.D. 792, Hastings and The more modern portion commences about the middle of
Pevensey, with their marshes, are named as having been the sea front., and from this point an unbroken frontage of
given by Berodalbus, one of Offa's chieftains, to the monas- handsome houses runs westward ; all this portion is popu-
tery of St. Denis. In the reign of Athelstan, A.D. 924, the larly known as St. Leonard's, although St. Leonard's proper
place possessed a mint, which it maintained until the time is but a small district at the westernmost end, once a
of William Rufus; in 1090 the bishops and nobles assembled separate township and post town, ruled by a body of Com-
at the castle by order of the King, who in 1094 collected here missioners, but now wholly included under the same local
a large army, as did Henry I. in 1101 ; in the reign of government as Hastings.
Richard IL the town was pillaged and burnt and after its The pier is an elegant structure of iron, erected by a com-
r.:lbuilding was divided into two parishes.
pany at a cost of �32,000; it is 920 feet in length and 40
Hastings formerly returned two members to Parliament, feet in width, and at the south or seaward end is a pavilion
but under the pro>isions of the Redistribution of Seats Act, 120 feet in length by 8o in breadth and holding 2,000 people;
1885/' the number was reduced to one. The Parliamentary here an excellent band, numbering 16 performers, p'ays
Borough considerably exceeds the Municipal Borough in ex- three times daily during August, September and October,
tent. The latter, controlled until 1834 by a bailiff or mayor under the direction of Dr. Abram, when there are vocal and
and jurats, is now governed by a mayor, six aldermen and instrumental concerts, variety and dramatic entertainments
