, the whole of that coast being in a state of great excitement in consequence of the proceedings of smugglers, who had not long before had an affray with the coastguard in which one of the latter was killed and others wounded. After an hour's rest and refreshment, the men were divided into parties, under officers, and directed to patrol the beach for [many][a] miles. This continued with good effect for 6 weeks, no smugglers being met with the whole time."
The tragic events here related not only determined some who are named in the "Last of a Family of Smugglers" to have nothing more to do with, but also determined the more daring sprint of Thomas Ranger from continuing the traffic with the avidity and frequency that had characterised his previous movements. However his exploits during 1833 where somewhat few and far between, he having settled down more steadily to his trade of boot-making, at which he was regarded as a superior workman. He, however, had still a vested interest in the now rapidly declining traffic, and it may be that he had some share in the loss of 120 tubs which on the 19th or 20th of March were seized by the crew of a revenue cutter and deposited in the Hastings Custom-house. But, as a set-off to that miscarriage, there was, I believe, a successful run near Bexhill, the exact date of which I am unable to give. In this affair one of Ranger’s comrades — one, I mean, at the fatal conflict near Fairlight — was pursued by Sergeant Hutton, on horseback, and was told that if he did not surrender, his pursuer would shout him. The smuggler, too, was armed with a pistol, but was careful not to use it except as a dernier resort.
Thinking that such emergency had not arrived, he, instead of using the pistol, picked up a stone from the beach and threw it at the officer's head. The missile so completely stunned the sergeant that he fell from his horse as though he had been deprived of life. The smuggler then seizing his opportunity, took a knife from his pocket and cut the horse's saddle, straps, so that when Hutton recovered consciousness and began to remount he again fell back, and had the displeasure of seeing his antagonist making off beyond the reach of capture. On another occasion R. C. - for those are the initials of this intrepid smuggler — walked from Hastings to Dungeness Point, to convey instructions for signalling a boat, and on the next night he was found at Beachy Head on a similar errand; thus walking over sixty miles within twenty-four hours. As Sergeant Hutton and R. C. were both domiciled in the Ropewalk (now Carlisle parade) — the former in the Priory watch house and the latter in a house having a boat, keel upwards, for a roof — they were anything but strangers to each other; and it is more than possible that this knowledge of each other was not obliterated even when their opposite callings brought them into unpleasant collision. Poor Sergeant Hutton! Methinks I see his stalwart figure now as it was familiar to me ere it was lain in a suicide’s grave at the Croft Chapel burial-ground. Why were our local records so often burdened with deaths by their own hands, of those whose duty it was to guard the coast against the clandestine importation of undutied goods? Was it the mental strain begotten of fear lest their persistent vigilance should fail in its object, or was it from a feeling akin to remorse for having been, at the call of duty, an unwilling agent in the deaths of others? These questions are suggestive, but are not easily answered. The very year under consideration was not a barren one in this respect; for on the 31st of May a preventiveman named Terry hanged himself in the Fish-ponds wood. As already intimated, however, the year was comparatively barren of ventures.
It was in 1838 - the year still under review — that there was a week of bell-ringing, gun-firing and flag-flying, from the 24th to the 31st of May. Does the reader imagine that because the writer's birthday-anniversary happened to return on one of those days there was one iota of enthusiasm the more ? Not a bit of it! This poor, hard-working, but un-miserable scribe has been permitted to see eighty revolutions of his so-called natal day, and has never kept one of them in any special manner. No,no! The rejoicings of that week had nothing to do with any plebian whose sire and grandsires happened to be natives of Hastings. They were really and truly in honour of the birthdays — real or kept — of the Princess Victoria, Prince George of Cumberland, King William the Fourth, and the Princess Sophia of Gloucester. Prince George, with his father and mother (Duke and Duchess of Cumberland), had left Hastings a fortnight previously, after a six-months’ sojourn at 5 and 6 Breeds place; the mother of the Princess Victoria (Duchess of Kent) had visited Hastings some time before; and the Princess Sophia had also resided at Hastings. Hence, the somewhat exceptional prolongation of loyal feeling in 1833. Were I to add to the above royal names a list of other distinguished persons who resided at, or visited Hastings, from 70 to 80 years ago, it is probable that the idea entertained by many of the younger members of our community that Hastings was a mere fishing illage, half a century since, would receive considerable modification. I am prepared to show that in proportion to population there never has been greater gaiety, more amusements for the “Upper Ten,” or more Court and fashionable patronage in Hastings than at the period referred to. Let me just enumerate a few of the great names as they almost promiscuously occur to me. These were (in addition to those already cited) Prince Leopold, the Princess Feodore, the Duke and Duchess of St. Alban’s, Prince George of Cambridge, the Dowager Duchess of Richmond, the Baroness Howe (with her costly chariot-and-four, the rival of Mrs. Camac’s ornate equipage), Sir Wathen Waller, Lord Chesterfield, the Marquis of Cornwallis, Lady Byron, the Earl of Chichester, Sir Astley Cooper, Sir Robert Stopford, the Earl of Sheffield, etc. I grant you, good reader, that within the last sixty years Hastings has made rapid strides in the march of improvement, and has grown to comparatively huge proportions, but I cannot let you lay the soothing unction to your soul that at any time during the Nineteenth Century this Ancient Cinque Port has been exclusively monopolised by fisher-folk, or that Hastings has been unroyal, unloyal or unfashionable until within the last forty years.
At the commencement of the year, the Duke, Duchess and Prince George of Cumberland were continuing their stay at 5 and 6 Breeds place, in consequence of which a new royal standard was daily to be seen at mast-high on the Castle. Among the charities dispensed by the Duke were £20 worth of coal to the poor and £10 to the Free Dispensary. On the 6th of February Prince George (now Duke) of Cambridge arrived on a visit to his uncle and aunt. On Easter Monday (April 8th) his cousin, Prince George of Cumberland, although blind, proceeded to the launch of a Government cutter of 6 guns, from Ransom and Ridley's Shipyard, and there named the vessel after himself, the "Prince George". It is a noteworthy circumstance that Henry Phillips - Capt. Phillips, as he was usually called, after retiring from the service - first sailed in this cutter, and 56 years later, died where he had lived, at nearly the exact spot from where the cutter was launched. Nineteen days after naming the vessel at the launch, Prince George, attended by Dr. Wilmott and Sir Wathen Waller, laid the foundation stone of the new market in George Street. He was preceded by the Mayor, Corporation and Commissioners, the procession being headed by the Town Band. There was a great concourse of people to witness the operation of H. R. Highness, who hoped the market would be attended with benefit, while he also wished prosperity to the town.
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