Bopeep Fair and "Old England Bank" - Rating the Brighton Railway
I begin the year, as usual, with a list of Commissioners and parochial officers, the first-named being Major Jeffries, Alfred Burton, Capt. Davies, C. H. Southall, Thomas Brown, Samuel Chester, sen., Decimus Burton, Robert Deudney, and one or two others.
The St. Leonards parish officers were John Painter and Robert Eldridge, overseers; Edward Farncomb and Robert Deudney, surveyors of highways; Wm Noon and Newton Parks, assessors for the inbounds; Edward Farncomb and Richard Lamb, assessors for the outbounds, and John Phillips, vestry clerk.
The officers for the parish of St. Mary Magdalen were Edward Mitchell and Chas. Ni eve, overseers; John Austin and George Voysey, surveyors; C. V. Levett and William Noon, assessors.
The Borough Members were Robert Hollond and Musgrave Brisco, and the Borough Mayor, till November, was John Hornby Maw.
The Commissioners’ Clerk having renewed an application to the Gas Company for a better supply under a threat of taking steps to enforce the due performance of the contract, a letter was received at a meeting of the board to the effect that the Company were willing to abide by the decision of any person experienced in gas-work as to whether they were fulfilling their contract. At the same meeting a letter was received from the Town-Clerk of Hastings, suggesting to the Commissioners the propriety of extending the period of lighting, as a means of preventing accidents. No motion was made on the contents of either communication, but some of the members thought that the reply of the Company and the unasked-for suggestion of the Council arriving at the same time, indicated evasion on the one part and collusion on the other. Such a thought was perhaps not unnatural as springing out of the coincidence; but as touching the Gas Company it is quite possible that their secured monopoly made them no more liberal to their customers in those days than they have been during the years that have since expired. Perhaps the Commissioners were of opinion that it behoved them to be liberal, despite what they held to be something less than liberal on the part of the Gas Company; and so, when Mr. Wellsted wanted a York-stone pavement in front of his house next the “Fountain” in lieu of the one of bricks, he was told that the Commissioners would allow him £3 5s. towards the expense. Seeing that Mr. Wellsted’s house at that time stood right away from the direct line of public traffic, the offer would seem to be by no means illiberal. But it should be stated that very considerable improvements were then being made in that neighbourhood, some portion of which had hitherto been a veritable slough of despond. Mr, Putland had attended a committee meeting and had suggested the desirability of improving the road from the Fountain (Marina) to the Brighton Railway Company’s proposed bridge at Bopeep, which he thought the Company might do at a comparatively small expense. Mr. Briggs, as solicitor to the Company, was written to, but did not deem it expedient to reply. The Commissioners, however, before the year was out, effected such alterations and improvements within their own jurisdiction as the new railway traffic had rendered necessary. They raised the road opposite to the Fountain so as to place it on a level with the heightened road between the western entrance of the town and the railway station, and widened the more eastern portion that led to the West Marina, which then extended only to 116, now known as 127. The expense of this, together with that of extending the drains, was party borne by the town and partly by Mr. Burton. In consequence also of the new traffic from the railway the Commissioners caused six additional lamps to be erected beyond the one at 105 Marina, which until then was the most western, The work of improvement did not even stop there; as, in consequence of raising and widening the road, it was felt to be necessary to raise also the kerb and footpath between the Sussex Hotel and 71 Marina — that is to say on the space which has since been filled in by the palatial residences numbered 72 to 109. The narrow parade — which now lies buried beneath one of the best esplanades on the coast — was also somewhat improved by being levelled up from its then inconvenient slope. Farther eastward on the parade there was a confectioner’s shop in the occupation of W. M. Eldridge, the said shop being now rented by Whittaker as a reading-room. As this shop in 1846 could not be approached by a direct path from the Hotel side of the road, and visitors were inconvenienced thereby, the iron railing was readjusted and an opening effected, which remains to this day. A further reference to the parade is made in some resolutions which the Commissioners passed in 1846, and to quote which will bring some familiar names to the recollection of many elderly inhabitants, although their possessors have all gone hence to be no more seen of men. “Resolved that James Reed’s services on the parade be discontinued, and that Thomas Crouch be employed permanently now that Dabney is no longer capable of working either on the parades or the roads. Also that Walter Carey be appointed coal meter in addition to John Peerless and John French.”
At the same meeting of the Board, Mr. Bannister attended on behalf of Mr. Robert Hollond, M.P., for permission to put down private drains from two houses of his in Mercatoria, out of the limits of the Commissioners’ Act, the same to communicate with the main sewer within their jurisdiction, I happen to know that the two houses in question were built and occupied by the late Thomas Towner, one of the earliest settlers in St. Leonards, but it does not become me to say how it was that the said houses - small in size and humble in appearance - became the property of a Member of Parliament. The application to the Commissioners was, however, complied with under certain conditions, as was also a similar application from the Misses Dyneley who purposed building a house above North Lodge which was also outside of the Board’s jurisdiction. At the same meeting was accepted an offer of Mr. Decimus Burton to construct a drain from Mazehill house northward to his own new house, Mazehill Cottage, on condition that he be paid proportionately for the outlay when other houses in that part of the town became available for rating. This was but one of many instances of that gentleman’s proposals to ease the liabilities of the Commissioners, whose exchequer was never too full, and whose borrowing powers were limited.
The vestry meetings for the St. Leonards parish continued to be held during 1846 at the “New England Bank” — so well known to the frequenters of Bopeep Fair and to the soldiers at the Bopeep Barracks, as well as to many who attended the annual races, — whose site had not yet given place to the station of the Brighton and Hastings Railway Company. Its doom had been pronounced, however, even before the 27th of June, when the railway was opened as far as Bulverhithe; but ere that work was accomplished, the overseers and parishioners signalised their last meeting in the old hostelry by levying rates against the newcomer. The meeting was held on the 11th of November, when it was resolved "That the Railway Company be rated from Bulverhithe parish to the arch over the road, 888 yards, and at Bopeep 110 yards — 110 being within the Corporation, and 473 yards in the outbounds — at the rate of £450 per mile. The rates then agreed upon were a poor-rate at 3d.,a borough rate at 3d., a highway-rate at 6d., and a county rate at 8d. These rates were, of course, independent of the Commissioners’ rate at 1s. in the pound for the half year.
The accompanying sketch is a fair representation of the old house and its adjuncts, except that the swinging sign and post are too far in the background and the tea-room, so-called, looms too large on the higher ground leading over the hill to the Filsham Valley where was the race-course.
The vestry meetings for the St. Mary Magdalen parish during the same year were no fewer than eight in number, and were variously held at the “South Saxon,” the ‘Horse and Groom,” the “Anchor” and the “Albert.” Rating matters would naturally occupy much attention at these parish meetings, and here it may be stated that some contention having arisen as to whether two new houses erected for Mr. Wastel Brisco should be rated to St. Michael’s parish or to St. Mary Magdalen’s, it was resolved “ That the two new houses in dispute, belonging to Wastel Brisco, in the new London road, be assessed for all rates to this parish in the futute.’ The two houses in question, if my memory is not at fault, were first named 1 and 2 St. Michael’s place, but now known as Dorset place. The rates levied for the Magdalen parish were much the same as those for St. Leonards, except that the property outside the jurisdiction of the St. Leonards Commissioners was not assessed for what was familiarly known as the two-shilling[1]s improvement rate. Mr. Everett was the rate-collecter(sic), and the ways and means by which he was to enforce payment of rates and arrears was almost the sole business of two entire meetings; the only other transaction being a resolution that the chairman (Mr, W. Chamberlin) write to Mr. Wood, of Lewes, for his promised payment of rates for the Saxon Hotel. Mr. Wood was then the proprietor of the house, the business of which, after Mr. H. P. Hutchings’s want of success, was being conducted by Mr. Gabriel V. Daniel. One large item of expense to the non-incorporated portion of the parish was that of lighting and watering the roads where there was not property enough for an equivalent rating, and by way of minimizing such expenses, -
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
