who walked about the church in service time, with a cane in his hand, to "Whack the little boys Who in church-time made a noise. "
I have a water-colour drawing of this house, by Mr. J. H. Maw, once Mayor of Hastings, who very kindly gave it me.
Another old house stood in Russell Court. A spectator looking towards George Street would see on the farther side a row of houses, some three or four of which stood back from the street, and had flower gardens, &c. , in their front. These were called " Burdett Place." In the house at the intersection of the court with George Street, on the right-hand side, lived a Mr. John Russell, a baker, famous for making good bread and capital sea-biscuits. In the next house, on the right-hand side, lived a fisherman, Ben Dabney, and his wife, with a son and daughter. The daughter's name was Jemima ; in process of time she got married, and her husband's name was George. The whole of the family were somewhat deaf, and consequently they spoke to each other sufficiently loud for the neighbours to hear. One evening George had gone to bed early, and left his spouse up with instructions to call him should the weather improve and be fit for him to go to sea, he being a fisherman, and the weather being somewhat unfavourable. Towards midnight the following dialogue was heard : -
