Departure from Original Designs - The Princess Sophia of Gloucester
The block of mansions immediately westward of West Villa, numbered 58 to 6, was erected in 1831. The architecture of this addition appears to have been an after conception, the exterior differing considerably from the original design, as did also that of the Library and Baths. Views of the said original designs will be shown further on. A second and similar portion further westward - between which and the first portion the church was being erected - was made available in 1832 for another seven houses, constituting 65 to 72 Marina. Among the houses also built in 1831 was Park House, Quarry hill, which was first named Thatched Cottage, and was occupied by a gentleman of the name of Bullock, and many years later, for a long period, by the Rev. Charles Oak. It may be mentioned by the way, that a considerable portion of the Quarry-hill road, leading up by Quarry Castle and Allegria, was cut through the solid rock. It was here, some years before the commencement of St. Leonards, that I gathered primroses from under the prickly heath; not conjecturing, even in my wildest day-dream, of ever seeing it as forming part of a magnificent town, or of seeing Royalty take up its abode at that very spot. The Princess Sophia of Gloucester arrived at St. Leonards on the 18th of August 1831, and began to occupy what has since been known as Gloucester Lodge. Her Royal Highness had sojourned at Bohemia Mansion, Hastings, the previous year, arriving there on the 6th of May, and taking her departure on the 26th of July. She had expressed herself delighted with the place and promised as soon as possible to again visit either Hastings or St. Leonards. The promise was duly observed. On the day immediately preceding Princess Sophia's visit to St. Leonards, the united Hastings and St. Leonards Regatta took place, under the stewardship of H. B. Curteis, Esq. and Howard Elphinstone Esq. At the same time that the Princess took up her abode at the North Villa, Mr. Burton, the founder of St. Leonards, removed from North Villa to Allegria. Some of the inhabitants used to say that Mr. Burton's removal to his new house was signalised by a display of fireworks in the Subscription Gardens, but the fact is self-apparent that the fireworks were in honour of the royal visitor, whose residence, as well as that of Mr. Burton overlooked the gardens.
The above view taken from the front of what was afterwards Maze Hill, in 1831, represents Allegria, Thatched Cottace (afterwards Park House), North Cottage (afterwards Winterbourne), Gloucester Lodge and the Clock House. In the foreground is the Princess Sophia of Gloucester going to the new house in which she resided, and which was named after her. Her R. H. arrived on the 18th of August 1831
Laying the first stone of the church - Roasting an ox on the parade
Exactly a month after the arrival of the Princess, namely Sept. 8th, Her Royal Highness laid the foundation stone of the St. Leonards Church, which being the Coronation Day of William IV. and Queen Adelaide, the double event was celebrated with a dinner, on which occasion an ox was roasted and other modes of rejoicing were adopted.
On that day the ox was roasted on the parade in front of the cliff where now stands the St. Leonards Church. Some brick-work was "run up" to form the fire-place and in front of this on a huge spit was placed the unjointed animal, with its legs, head and body intact. It was kept revolving by means of two rectangular levers, the "turnspits" being an adult male biped at each end. The man who basted the meat was a carpenter, named Bishop, who afterwards boasted that he received more than one half-crown from ladies for permitting them just once to apply the ladle for the honour of the thing. The heat from this improvised kitchener was intense, as I happened to know being allowed, along with another youth, to "take a spell" at the winch. I have no doubt that the distinguished honour of thus temporarily relieving one of the turnspits was duly appreciated both by myself and my companion. I had previously seen the ox with its gilded horns, its skinned legs and its white, un-poll-axed head, heralded by Trumpeter Hyland from the slaughter-house, to the shop of Mr. Mercer Waghorne, in Castle street. I had seen it there lying in state for a day or two, and I had taken a boyish interest in an object, the like of which I had read about, but on which I had never before feasted my vision. It is not in the nature of things for every ox to be honoured as this was, and this shall be my reason for adding a few more particulars of that which was both the "Beauty and the Beast". It was what was termed a grizzle, and its estimated weight was ninety stone. It was purchased of Mr. Christopher Thorpe, of Fairlight, and the price paid for it was £19. On account of a misunderstanding, the carcass was not sent to St. Leonards at the proper time, and at one o'clock in the morning Edward Gould was sent to fetch it. Being unable to arouse the butcher from his slumbers, the messenger, with assistance, took down the shutters and helped himself. There were no police in those days, and after replacing the shutters without molestation, he carted away the beast in the dripping-pan, which had been specially made for the occasion.
It may be imagined what wild surmises and intense fears haunted the butcher when he found the proud morsel taken way, and how readily he forgave the burglar when he discovered the object of his search in warm quarters at St. Leonards. Dinner-time came, and as I had been a recipient of high honours in the appointment to the office of Turnspit pro. tem., so I was also permitted to revel in the felicity of tasting the greatly overdone and underdone meat, as well as the more enjoyable plum pudding which followed in due course. Perhaps they were partaken of with greater zest in consequence of the concord of sweet sounds which soothed my savage breast when the Hastings Band played the "Roast Beef of Old England". The dinner-booth was erected somewhere in front of what is now 57 Marina, the mansion first erected and the one which, a few years later, was occupied by her present Majesty and her royal mother. Whether the company in the booth was too big for me, or I was too big for the company, the reader will be able to judge -
