stream at the sea front of Bourne street, Mr, Ginner moved that the hutch be extended to a distance of 40 or 50 yards on to the beach, he at the same time reminding the Council that until the Commissioners had it covered in, the Bourne itself was an open stream down, through the town. But now it was a common drain for the two parishes, and the outfall was an intolerable nuisance, The motion was carried. This meeting may be regarded as having been essentially a sanitary one, the next business being to accede to an application from Mr. Harvey, as the Earl of Chichester’s agent, for the Council to lay down a drain-pipe to extend 220 feet from the parade wall at Pelham place. Then Mr. T. B. Baker, as solicitor to the Board of Guardians, made a statement that in courtesy to the Mayor and Council he wished to inform them that special orders had been received from the Board of Health which the Guardians were. determined to obey. The directions strongly recommended the co-operation of all public bodies for removing nuisances, After a general and irregular conversation, the Council appointed a committee to co-operate with the Guardians, such committee being Messrs. Scrivens, Jeudwine, Stubbs, Hickes and Burfield, The final resolution was, on the motion of Mr, Emary, to appoint _a committee to pull down the Searchers’ office near the site of the Battery and to take legal proceedings against any tenant who refused to give up the property. It is well to note that from 1849 to 1894 — a reversal of the last two figures — the desire to remove nuisances and obstructions, and to improve the sanitary condition of the borough, has been uppermost on the minds of the majority of our local authorities during the 45 years that have thus intervened.
At the September meeting, the preceding resolution re the Bourne-mouth hutch - more commonly called by the fishing folk "Gutsmouth" was put into practical shape by the acceptance of Mr, Hutchinson's tender to complete the extension for £44 19s. 10d. This apparent nicety of calculation, one would think can hardly fail to impress ordinary discernment with its absurdity. In this case, to wit, why not have put on another twopence, and made an even £45.
As the Council meeting in October was fully attended, except by Mr. Kelland, who had died, Mr. Farncomb disqualified, and Aldermen Maw and Moore who had left the town, it may be well to show who were the members then present. They were Mr. A. Burton (mayor), Ald. Scrivens, Couns Deudney, Mann, Putland, Beck, Chamberlin, Peerless, Hutchings, Burfield, A. Amoore, Clement, Stubbs, Ross, Emary, Ginner, Hicks and Harvey, There had been great trouble with the navvies who were at work on the railway, and a resolution was passed at this meeting to give 2/6 to each of twelve men who had rendered assistance to the police at a nocturnal disturbance by the said navvies in the Fishmarket. It was also resolved that drags for saving endangered bathers or for recovery of bodies, be placed at the Rock-a-Nore, at Stratford place, and at the St. Leonards Baths.
The election of new Councillors on the 1st of November, was thought to be one of the most spirited that up to that time had ever taken place, Messrs. Chamberlin and Putland were the outgoing and again candidates for the West Ward, and their opponents were Messrs, Neve and Tree. At the close of the poll, the numbers were for Mr. Chamberlin 118, Neve 96, Putland 95, and Tree 1. In the East Ward the outgoing Councillors were Emary, Jeudwine, Hutchings, and Yates. The only new candidate was T. B. Williams, who was second on the poll, thus causing Yates to be unelected. The official announcement was — Emary 315, Wiliams 294, Jeadwine 263, Hutchings 278, and Yates 264. At a special meeting of the Council on the 16th of November the election of two aldermen wus the only business on the agenda, the resignation of Mr, George Hornby Mew and Mr. George Moore, whose terms of office would expire in 1850, having been accepted. The following four gentlemen were named as candidates for the office:- J. G. Langham, solicitor; Chas Clift, gentleman; Robert Ranking, surgeon; and James Mackness, M. D. The voting was on party lines, the Mayor declining to vote. The two Liberals, Mackness and Clift, were elected by 11 and 10 votes respectively, and the two Conservatives, Ranking and Langham failed to win by their 9 and 8 votes, respectively.
Board of Guardians - Maritime Matters
I will now pass on to notice a few meetings of the Poor-law Guardians, At those meetings it was but a very little of the business that was allowed to become known, and the entire proceedings would, perhaps, have been withheld from the public had not one or two members of the board insisted on making some of them known out of doors. At one of the March meetings Messrs. Kelland, Harvey, Smith, and Foste strongly opposed the system of advertising in newspapers for tenders, alleging that it was an utter waste of money. Mr Ross, however, contended that as a public body it was their duty to advertise, as well for the benefit of the ratepayers as for the support of the local press. There had been some fatal poisoning cases at Guestling by a depraved woman named Geering, an account of which will be given further on, and at a Guardians’ meeting in May, a conversation was engaged in by the members present on the attendance and treatment of Surgeon Pocock in those cases, and a resolution was unanimously carried that as the Medical Officer of No. 3 district of the Union, Mr. Povock did not enjoy the confidence of the Board, that he be requested to resign his appointment. At the next meeting a letter was received from Mr. Pocock in which he declined to resign, whereupon another resolution was passed that the refusal be entered on the minutes, and that his letter, together with a report of his treatment of the Geering family, be sent to the Poor-law Board. At a meeting in June, the Rev, T. Parkin applied for permission to take a three months’ absence in a visit to Devonshire, with the object of getting restored to health, at the same time stating that the Rev. R. G. Barton would officiate at the Union House in his stead. This, as may be supposed, was readily granted. At the same meeting a report was received from the Poor-law Inspector that the House was perfectly clean and the inmates healthy.
Maritime Matters
A curiosity, the time of year considered, was a successful haul of mackerel about New Year's Day, off Plymouth, by a score of Hastings boats. They caught from 100 to 200 each on the first occasion of casting their nets, whilst two brothers — James and George White — caught 800 and 300, respectively, the first realising £80, and the second £16. A third brother — William White — also had a fortunate haul.
On the 10th of January a new fishing smack, built for Mr. Blacklock, of Lydd, was launched from Mr. Winter's yard, which was formerly the site of Boykett Breeds’s mercantile warehouses, and is now the site of the Brassey Institute and Observer office. The boat was not able to put to sea immediately, there being a strong westerly gale in progress, which on the following day veered to N.W. and caused a high tide. During that gale the sloop Phœnix, with a general cargo for Hastings, snapped her cable while riding at anchor at Dungeness and drifted down upon the Diana Grace, bound for London, The collision caused the sloop to sink but her crew got hastily on board the schooner, which was also found to be filling and sinking. The two crews then took to their boats, and were picked up by a French lugger, which put them ashore at Newhaven. The sailors lost all they possessed, and the Hastings tradesmen were also serious losers, the cargo of the Phœnix not being insured.
On the 28th of February, the Fairy, after discharging her cargo, and putting again to sea, got on to the Pier rocks, from which it was floated without sustaining much damage, before the arrival of a strong on-coming gale.
Not so fortunate was the Black Diamond, collier, of Hastings; for, on coming out of Shoreham harbour, she was struck by a heavy wave, which swept four men and boy overboard. Three of the men managed to get on board again, but the other man was drowned. The boy, named Hook, hung on the boom until exhausted, and then fell into the sea, to be no more seen. The drowned man, aged 37, was the husband of a woman who lost her first husband in a similar manner. Tassell’s body was found some days later, by the sagacity of a dog, in the sands at Hove. and was brought home for interment.
A Hastings fishing-boat safely rode out the same gale while lying at anchor in Pevensey Bay.
My readers may judge somewhat of the amount of coasting trade at Hastings and St. Leonards in 1849, by the following departures of vessels on the third of March:- The Maria Theodosia (Coppard, master), sailed for Ghent; Lamburn (Woodgate), Hastings (Piper), John Weavel (Picknell), and Queen Victoria (Young), all for the northern collieries; Speedwell (Malls), for Newhaven; and St. Leonards (Lingham) for London.
Connected with the last-named vessel, the following story is told:— Two young men being desirous of enjoying a trip on the water without exhausting the muscular energies, besought Capt. Linghan to give them a tow. The captain complied and the boat’s painter was secured to the stern of the sloop. The young heroes sat in a delighted mood with their being able to glide along so smoothly and so easily, but after awhile they began to think of the necessity of returning. They, therefore, desired their friend to allow them not to be any further an impediment to the sloop’s progress. Capt. Linghams however, declined to believe that his young friend, were any burthen(sic) either to himself or his vessel, and was happy to confer additional favours by allowing the larger and the smaller craft to remain attached, Getting alarmed at the rapidly increasing distance between them and the port, the young men cut the rope and thus severed the friendly connection they themselves had solicited. On reaching home, after a much longer absence and a harder pull than they intended, they declared that never would they again ask for a similar favour from an outward bound captain.
On the day immediately preceding the one here mentioned, the Hastings schooner London (sailed by Diprose, who in his retirement lived and died in St. Leonards) left Hartlepool, was driven back by a furious gale, and was towed into Hartlepool the next morning by two steam tugs, she having lost her anchor, cable and main-boom.
On the 25th of March, those persons who had spare time on their hands were interested in witnessing the beaching and unloading of the following six vessels:- The Rock Scorpion (Capt. Phillips), from Newcastle; Queen Victoria (Young), from Seaham; the John Weavel (Picknel)), from the same place; the St, Leonards (Linghem), from London; the William Pitt (Watson), from London; and the Planta (Rummery), from Seaham. There was a still greater maritime bustle and landsmen’s curiosity between the 25th and 29th of May, with the arrival of 18 vessels and the departure of three others, Their names and those of their captains were Burtield Brothers (Piper), from Newcastle; the London (Deeprose), from ditto; Harmony (Riordean), from Newport; Peri (Pope), also from Newport; Favourite (Sargent), from Goole; St. Leonards (Lingham), from London; Happy Return (Bayley), from Newcastle; John Weavel (Picknell), from ditto; Fairy (Piper) and Perseverance (Winter), from Blyth; Rock Scorpion (Phillips), from ditto; another Perseverance (Lumming), from London; Lamburn (Woodgate) and Caroline (Allen), from Hartlepool; Mary and Theodosia (Coppard), from Boston; Hastings (Piper), from Seaham; Wiliam Pitt (Watson), and Phœnix (Palmer), from London; Pelican (Phillips) sailed for the north; Industry (Warner). for London; and the Surah, for Bayonne. These vessels were separately freighted with coal, iron, stone, timber, guano, oats, ashes, and general merchandize.
At the close of April and the beginning of May, an immense number of mackerel were caught in small boats close to the shore. William "Archdeacon" Gallop secured 6,500 at one haul.
On the 2nd of June another great quantity of the same kind of fish swam into the nets, but the nets on this occasion were chiefly kettle, i.e. kiddle nets, and the places of capture were mainly in the vicinity of Lydd. But so cheap were the fish when brought to Hastings as to be purchased by the lessee of the Priory farm for manure.
On the 2nd of July the ship Brazilan landed passengers from Ceylon, an event the like of which was less rare in earlier times.
It should be apropos to notice here the annual regatta, but, without entering into details, be it said that the aquatic sports came off with considerable eclat. The day was magnificent, the sailers with their sailors each "walked the waters like a thing of life," the oarsmen rowed with becoming pluck, the ladies were in an agreeable mood, the gentlemen were not wanting in attention, partisans were enthusiastic, Capt. Jones’s yacht was freely at the disposal of parties on pleasure bent, our old friend "Jimmy" Roper, the ex-smuggler, was umpire, and the entire amusement was much to the satisfaction of all who were present.
On the 28th of September, at the beginning of a week's gales and flooding rains, the Hastings collier Lamburn reached Hartlepool, after colliding with the Elizabeth White, of Whitby, which latter vessel foundered. The Lamburn was in ballast and scudding before the gale, but was able to take on board the crew of the sinking vessel.
A more agreeable piece of intelligence was that on the 22nd of October — namely, that four Hastings’ boats had carried into Yarmouth thirteen lasts of herrings, and sold them at the rate of £6 per last.
On the 1st of November or thereabout, the brig Ant, after unloading, was got off while the sea was breaking over the parade. She was driven, however, on to the Pier rocks, but by good management of pilot Morfee and his assistants, she was released from her peril without any apparent damage.
Another Hastings Morfee, named George, was master of the Jane, which, on the 21st of November, landed a cargo of potatoes from Flanders, consigned to Messrs. Hutchinson and Thwaites.
By a strong gale on the 6th of December, the schooner Lord Hill, built at Sunderland 39 years previously and thoroughly repaired this year, was wrecked on the Hastings beach to the extent of losing her rudder, breaking her stern-post, starting some planks, and carrying away some of her bulwarks.
The sloop Phœnix which on the 11th of January was sunk off Dungeness, was afterwards raised, together with her cargo which consisted mainly of port and spirits. She was taken to Newhaven to undergo repairs.
There are two other items pertaining to the Hastings sailing craft, one of which was that on Valentine's day, a Hastings boat caught 3,000 mackerel, and sold them at Brighton for £24, and the other was that "damages" were awarded to the owners of The Thwaites, a Hastings vessel, which was run into by the brig Shamrock, off Dungeness, on the 4th of November, 1848.
I will close the maritime casualties and occurrences of 1849. with a few words about the "Ariel" lifeboat. For some time after this was built it was kept in the "Condemned Hole" at the back of Beach Cottages (now Beach terrace) and was frequently exercised by an unpaid crew. Its life-saving service, however, seemed never to be required, and in its neglected state it lay for a long time on ground near to where is now Trinity Church. This was its position in the summer of 1849, some of its woodwork crumbling into dust, and the boat itself with no one to man it. in case of need, and no one to look after it. But before the end of the year, Mr.William Scrivens took the boat in hand for restoration, and afterwards wrote to the Town Council to the effect that as he had expended upon it the sum of £22 12s. 9d., he hoped to be reimbursed from the proceeds of the sale. The Council referred the matter to the original subscribers.
Letters respecting the price of coal and the means of importation having appeared in the local papers during the last two or three weeks, it may interest the writers of those letters to know that for six years prior to the year at present under consideration the Hastings imports were as follows:—In 1843 the amount imported (excluding fractions) was 11,538 tons; in 1844, it was 10.622 tons; in 1846, it rose to 13,736 tons; in 1846, it again fell to 10,108 tons; in 1847, 1t rose to 12,953 tons; and in 1848, the importation was again slightly less, namely, 37 tons. As these amounts were all sea-borne importations, it is thus seen how employed were many of the vessels whose names and those of their captains have been previously stated.
