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Tenements and Tenants in the Manor of Brede

183 HIn the following week six large boxes of letters were landed at Hastings, which had been brought by the ship Antilla from Port Adelaide, thus showing also that the conveyance of letters and newspapers by private ship between England and foreign countries had not ceased. The frequent arrival at Hastings of mails from ab​road​ was described by the present writer when detailing his experience of post-office work in 1839. This one fact will call to the minds of my fellow-townsmen who are surviving the period referred to how changed, among other mutable things, is the present aspect of the borough, with its four primary and several subsiduary(sic) post-offices, its sorting-houses, its receiving offices, its numerous pillar-boxes, its penny post, its book-post, its parcel post, its savings bank, its life-insurance and.its telegraphic work — how different, I say — to the solitary post-office, in 1889, with its one postmaster, its one post-clerk, and its three letter-carriers, At that time the Sunday work was the heaviest of any other day in the week, and large freights of ship-letters might be landed at any inconvenient part of the week or the day, and the same have to be counted, paid for, stamped and despatched to the head office in London.

Another week’s arrival of shipping was that of the second in August, which consisted of the following familiar names: the Phoenix, Palmer; the Milward, Fisher; the Hastings, Piper; the Lamburn, Woodgate; the Pelican, Phillips; the London, Deeprose; the Perseverance, Winter; the Thwaites, Picknell; the Queen Victoria, Young; the Rock Scorpion, Phillips; and the Mary and Theodosia, Coppard. The heroic conduct of the last named master, skipper or captain, as he was variously called, in rescuing or captain, as he was variously called, in rescuing the crew of a wrecked schooner in a violent gale, has has been before described, and is here passingly noticed in connection with his name merely as a reminder of an act of bravery performed by himself and a boy in a beat twelve feet in length only. This successful feat was a parallel case with that of Grace Darling and her father.

The shipping arrivals above enumerated, selected almost at random, and a few dates only given, are nevertheless sufficient to show in contrast with present conditions how entirely the system has changed, and how the mercantile marine of Hastings has departed.

I have seen as many as eleven vessels unloading on the beach at one time — seven at the Fishmarket, one at the Priory, two at the Saxon slipway, and one at the West Maria. My readers may picture to themselves the lively scene thus formed, with bogey-fires at yard arms, blazing fires on the beach, and horses and carts moving in all directions.

I have already referred to the interesting paper read by Mr. W. Durrant Cooper at the meeting of the Archeological Society on the 3rd of June, and have reproduced the principal features of that excellent paper. I will now add some additional particulars some of which were touched upon by Mr. Cooper, and some of which have been derived from other sources The title of Mr. Cooper's paper, as before explained, was ”On the Descent of the Castle, Rape and Honour of Hastings,” in which the essayest(sic) stated that the patronage of the church of All Saints and St. Clement's belonged to the Abbey of Fiscamp, and that a large portion of the land in those parishes, both in and near the town formed also a portion of the manor of Brede, which were likewise part of the - possessions of the Abbey of Fiscamp. The tenements within the town still holden of that manor extend from what was once Mr. Amoore’s at the S. W. corner of Court-house street (adjoining High street, and formerly known as the Maidenhead Inn, where the adjourned Courts-baron for Brede were usually held), and eastward, along the south side of Court-house street, including the new gaol [now police station] into All Saints street to the Great Meadow on the Minnis Rock. Also the Tottye lands (now spelt Totteigh) together with the Grange formed a part of the Brede Manor. The said Tottye lands included what is now the town reservoir near to which, previous to the year 1560, resided John and Margerie Averye, a farmer or husbandman and his wife, both of whom died in that year. Another account of the local pertainings of the Manor of Brede (vide Diplock's Handbook and Sussex Archeological Collections) describes them thus: “The possessions of the Abbey extended from the old Town Hall in Court-house street, southward along Bourne street, thence northward of John street to the corner of High street [which would be along the inside of the old town wall if it means the bottom corner of High street] thence by the Maidenhead Inn (now Mr. Amoore’s) to the Swan Lane, then by Church street to the pathway from the Croft to High street; and then taking in the S. E side of that street,along Court-house street to the old Town Hall.”

In this latter description one would be led to suppose that the Maidenhead Inn was 57 High street, late Amoore’s, but now Stanger’s, instead of 45 High street, adjoining which was the grocery and chandlery stores carried on by Mr. William Amoore (1810 to 1822) before he succeeded to his mother’s premises lower down at 57. If from the latter quoted description the words “ thence by the Maidenhead Inn (now Mr, Amoore’s) ” be omitted, and thence by Mr. Amoore’s to the Swan Lane be substituted, the directions will be more clear and correct, In my early days there was a passage where now is Mr. Stanger’s (late Amoore’s) private door, which led down to the ”Willing Land” (afterwards Winding Lane and Winding street) partly enclosed by the old town wall; but the above description of the Abbot’s land could hardly mean to cross from the lower corner of High street, through that enclosed space to the ancient Maidenhead at an angle formed by High street and Court-house street, and then back to the Swan Lane, and after going round St. Clement's Church, down to the Maidenhead again. Leaving, however, the further elucidation of the seeming incongruity for a future opportunity, I will now add that in 1861 the ruins of a Norman crypt, belonging to a chapel or grange, were uncovered in High street, nearly opposite to the Town Hall, and on a site which was part of the property of the Abbot of Fiscamp, or Fécamp For the information of visitors and strangers it may be said that Hastings was once fortified on the south by a stone wall 1200 feet in length, portions of which still exist in George street, John street and Bourne street. Ingress and egress were obtained through the Drawbridge gate at the foot of High street, Bourne gate at the lower end of Bourne street, and Pulpit gate at the foot of All Saints street. On the south or sea side of the said wall were the Suburbs, and on the land side were the two principal thoroughfares, Market street (now High street) and Fisher street (now All Saints street).

The following is a list of tenements and tenants said to have been holden of the Manor of Brede at the period to which this history has reached :—

Mrs. Morton [43 High street] previously Burbidge, Woodhams, Wooll, Amoore, Carley, and originally the ”Maidenhead Inn”, at the junction of High street and Court-house street.
C. J. Pears [4 Court-house street] previously James Tinman, James Ryall, and widow Deeprose.
Henry Enefer, messuage and brewhouse [probably in Wellington Court, behind the King’s Head Inn] formerly Sargent’s, late Bean’s, and previously Diplock’s.
George Phillips [probably 95 High street ] house and garden, formerly Tebay’s, late Breeds's.
Henry Bishop, a tenement, late Lintott’s and formerly Toule’s [Henry Bishop at that date resided at 4 High street]
Rev. J. G Foyster, two houses and garden [106 and 106½ High street] late Thorpe’s and previously Rev W. Whitear’s.
Willian, Scrivens formerly the “Three Partridges,” late Wimtred Cossum’s and previously Mrs Cossum’s [probably 113 High street, built-in 1721].
Mary Thatcher, house and garden in St. Clement’s and a tenement in Fisher [All Saint’s] street [the latter possibly All Saints’ Cottage ].
Maria Wilmott [widow of Dr. Robert Wilmott] formerly Humphrey’s, afterwards Hall’s, then Cossum’s [and intermediately, Mrs. Witham’s and John Knight’s, No. 6 High street].
C. J. Jeudwine, part of tenement in All Saints, late Mrs. Arrow’s, deceased, and since Perry's [part of 117 All Saints street, the reputed birth-site of Sir Cloudeslev Shovell]
George Smith, the other part of the foregoing tenement.
Richard Harman, two parts of tenements, formerly Pollard’sa nd since Tolhurst’s [probably in All Saints].
T. Breeds’s Trustees, tenement near the Bourne, in St. Clement’s, late Tutt’s, formerly Meudows; and land in All Saints, formerly Wickham’s, Jugith Wood, part of ”Chequers” [now Cinque Port Arms] in All Saint’s street, late James Nash's
Thomas Simmons, part of Chequers, late Dean's.[The tenements which constituted the original Chequers, were afterwards 104 (Normans), 105 (Cinque Port Arms), 106 (Nash’s) and 107 (Peggy Dean’s, then Simmons's), This property in the 17th century belonged to Capt. William Parker, of the family of Lord Morley and Monteagle, who was a jurat and several times Mayor of Hastings.
John Wimble, house and garden in All Saints, late George Robinson's.
H. Wickham, land in All Saints’ parish.
Mrs. ”Walls” [Wallis. widow of William Blyvers, Esq] late Wickham’s, part of Great Meadow, 18 acres on Minnis Rock. Mr. Wallis died in 1842 and Mrs Wallis in 1858. Their ages were 76 and 83 respectively, and their remains were interred at All Saints.
Brooklands, near the Water Mill, in the parish of St. Mary-in-the Castle.
Tenement, late Lucy’s, and previously Purple’s.
The Stone House in St. Clement’s.
Part of Cliff house lands, in All Saints parish, late Carswell’s [Probably Rocklands as now named, which, together with “Pindars,“ was in the possession of the Carswells for some years before 1760.
Joseph Kaye, land adjoining The Grange, part of 7 acres, late Frederick North’s. [Clive Vale].
F. North, lands called The Grange, 8 acres, in All Saints; and 7 acres adjoining.
Hastings Commissioners, 2 acres of land in All Saints, late Edward Ward's, part of Totty Lands [now the Reservoir].
Countess of Waldegrave, 30 acres of Totty Lands, in All Saints, late Collier’s and before Austin’s [described in 1751 as Austin’s Field].
A piece of land, hitherto called Cumbersome Hill {Probably the steep hill between Rocklands and Ecclesbourne, at one time owned by Edward Milward, and a portion of it occupied by Lavender’s strawberry gardens.
Agnes Bournefield. a parcel of Totty lands, 14 acres, late Collier's, in St. Clement's [? All Saints]. Miss M. A. Gordon, Tutty Lands, All Saints.
Rev. — Sheepshanks, 22 acres Totty Lands, late Ward’s, [Mr, Collier Ward died at his residence, North Lodge, now the Hydropathic Establishment on the 8th of August, 1827, and his remains were taken to Sandhurst, for interment].
Joseph Brown, late Wickham’s.
William Ditch, late Wickham’s.
Henry Eaton, late Wickham’s.
Horace Martin, formerly Wickham’s.
Laura Robinson, late James Winter’s, formerly Wickham’s. 5
George Jackson, formerly Wickham’s, late William Boys, and since Routlege. [Mr. Jackson a retired draper, died at High Wickham, Dec. 22nd, 1861. and his wife Sarah. Jan. 27th, 1861. Their ages were 76 and 67, respectively.
Philip Kent, formerly Wickham’s, late Harper’s, part of Great Meadow, also formerly Wickham’s, afterwards Nash’s, and late Pierce.
Phipps, formerly Wickham's, late Hamp’s, and part of Great Meadow, in All Saints. [ George Hamp was a notorious ”body-snatcher” who robbed the Hastings graves of their dead. He, at the age of 73, and his wife at the age of 58, died within a few days of each other in October, 1827.]
The nine tenants last mentioned were those at High Wickham, a range of detached and semi-detached houses, erected for Humphrey Wickham, who accumulated the ways and means as a butcher in High street.

As in the present year of grace, 1891, the Whit-Monday procession of the Hastings benefit clubs has been revived after a lapse of several years, it may be interesting to the members of those societies as well as to some other townspeople to reproduce, in a condensed form, the proceedings of the Whit-Monday festival of 1848. The Whit-Monday of that year fell on a day four weeks later than the one of the present year, the actual date being June 12th. The usual scene of preparation and bustle was observed at the hour of ten in the morning, when the Friendly Society (now defunct) was getting into processional order at the Swan Hotel (the venerable hostelry now also non-existent), the Manchester Unity forming its ranks at the King’s Head, and the Benevolent Society (now non-est) similarly preparing at the Anchor. The roll-call was gone through, the banners were poised, the ranks were formed, the bands in the foreground of the societies struck up their merry strains, and the triple phalanx, with flags, scarves, wands, rosettes, and other regalia marched in one long and grand procession round the upper districts of the old town to the St. Clement's Church, where a sermon was preached by the Rector. At half-past one the crowd debouched from the sacred pile, the procession re-formed, the bells rang out their sonorous peals, and the music resumed its inspiriting quick-step. Once more on the march, the long procession wended its way westward between lines of spectators, and on its return performed certain evolutions in which each division in turn opened its ranks to allow the others to pass through to the separate rendezvous from which it set out. Then were banners furled, the club-rooms entered, and positions chosen as a preliminary to the catering for which keen appetites were all expectant. Thus ensconced, the Societies’ members were not sorry that they had gained shelter from an electrical storm that was seen to be hastening to overtake them. It has been noticed as a curious circumstance that notwithstanding the movable character of the Whitsuntide Festival, it had been attended by thunderstorms on an average of about three times in four. On that particular occasion, whilst the procession was en route, the clouds in the south grew dark — as they are now doing on the Monday afternoon in which I am writing - and moved ominously northward as though turned from their course by an east wind. Forked lightning quivered on the horizon, thunder detonations in the distance became audible, and rain was seen to be falling heavily over the Channel. This continued from about two until four o’clock, at which latter hour the darkness was as great as though the 12th of June had exchanged with the 21st of December. Following this were repeated flashes of vivid lightning, accompanied by reverberations of thunder and torrents of rain which flooded the streets and drenched those of the holiday folk who happened to be out of reach of shelter. The latter condition was particularly the case with such as indiscreetly ventured in the face of a threatened storm to go out for a sail in the “British Lion” and the ”Emerald” pleasure-yachts. The cutomary(sic) dance on the East Hill was abandoned, and the Sunday school children had to forego their amusements and refreshments.

The Friendly Society, establised(sic) in 1815, held its 33rd anniversary at the Swan Hotel, and among the dinner party in the crowded Assembly-room, there were, as honorary member, R Hollond (Borough Member), Dr. MacCabe (Hon. Physician), Alderman G. Scrivens, W. D, Lucas-Shadwell, and W. D. Cooper. All these gentlemen made after-dinner speeches, the one by Mr. Scrivens being the most important, as bearing upon the local Society in particular, and the European society in general. He remarked that it might be truly said we lived in troublous times,and although our own lot was cast in quiet parts, it was to be feared that the great continental disturbances would produce some reaction in our own country, notwithstanding the conscientious loyalty which distinguished every true Englishman.

As regarded the Friendly Society, whose anniversary thev were celebrating, he was glad to find that it had no fewer than 356 members and a financial stock amounting to £3,570. He hoped to continue an honorary member as long as he lived. That Mr. Scrivens would have so continued there is no room for doubt; but, unfortunately for the Society, he outlived it, the club itself having become defunct, notwithstanding its large amount of funds and its promise of enduring vitality. Mr. Scrivens also outlived the other honorary members named above, but he did not quite survive the ancient hostelry in which he had addressed more meetings than the one here referred to, and which said house, as the Swan, after an existence of 300 years or more, has given place to structural erections of a totally different character. The younger club, known as the Benevolent Society, held its anniversary festival) in the Market Hall, built in 1833, on the site of the inn known as the Rose and Crown, which was bequeathed to the late Thomas Dunn and his heirs by Richard Roffe, a great uncle of the present writer. The chair and the vice-chair at the festival under notice were respectively, filled by Mr. William Amoore, jun., and Mr. John Inskipp. “ Brett’s St. Leonards Band,” to quote a newspaper report, ”played some lively airs in good style, and thereby contributed greatly to the pleasure of the assembled guests.” A gratifying balance sheet was produced, the amount of stock being £1,160, after a disbursement of £60 to sick members, whilst an addition of 20 new members was registered during the year. In its report of this festive gathering the Hastings News remarked— ”A gentleman who sat next us could not help observing what a contrast was manifested between the members of this society, composed as it mainly is of industrious fishermen, and those discontented parties in London and other places, herding together for the purpose of disturbing the peace, and adding wretchedness to a state already approaching to misery.” [A great depression in commercial circles was one of the serious consequences of such disturbance.] ”And, certainly,” the News added, ”we could not help being forcibly struck with the justness of the remark. Here was all harmony, benevolence and good-will, each one striving to administer to his neighbour’s happiness. . . These remarks we have been induced to make because at the present time the ill-affected would lead us to believe that 4 desire to handle pikes and guns per184 H-