A Concise Historical & Topographical Sketch of Hastings, Winchelsea & Rye

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A CONCISE HISTORICAL & TOPOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF HASTINGS, WINCHELSEA, & RYE,

In the Vicinity of those Ancient Towns.

EMBELLISHED WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS, FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS. By

Fred. W. L. Stockdale.

 

LONDON:

PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS,

BY P. M. POWELL, LIBRARY, MARINE PARADE, HASTINGS ; W. CLARKE, NEW BOND-STREET; J. MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET ; E. GREENLAND, FINSBURY-PLACE J AND SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, PATERNOSTER-ROW.
1817 [ 8 ]
W. Wilson, Printer, 4, Greville-Street, London.
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ADDRESS.

HAVING, during the early part of last Summmer, been under the necessity of proceeding to some place in the country, for the recovery of my health, I am extremely happy at having visited a spot so generally and deservedly admired as Hastings; not only as I found my health materially improved, but that I never enjoyed more ample scope for the exercise of my pencil.

Considering the great antiquity of Hastings, and the many interesting and important events connected with it, it is rather surprising that there has not hitherto been any separate historical or topographical account of it published, much less any series of views, pourtraying the beautiful and picturesque scenery with which it abounds.

If my efforts should be approved, I shall feel highly gratified ; at the same time I beg leave to [ 10 ]observe, as my time is nearly wholly occupied with the duties of a laborious official situation, I have merely studied the arts as an amusement, and that I could not possibly have undertaken the present little work, had not that eminent artist, Mr. John Greig, kindly offered to engrave the views for his periodical work, entitled, " The Antiquarian Itinerary," and to furnish me with a limited number of proof impressions of the plates for its embellishment.

For the very laudable manner in which my efforts have been supported, I beg to return my sincere acknowledgments; particularly to the very Rev. Drake Hollingbery, Chancellor of the diocese of Chichester, for the loan of a very interesting manuscript account of the ancient town of Winchelsea.

Hackney, March 1, 1817.
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SUBSCRIBERS.

The Right Honourable the Earl of Ashburnham.
R. M. Barnard, Esq.
Dr. Robert Batty, Fairlight-PIace, near Hastings.
Mr. Barry, Hastings. Mrs. Bewicke, Close-House, Northumberland.
- Bingham, Esq.
William Birnie, Esq. Russell-Square.
Sir William Blizard, Devonshire-Square.
Major-General Sir G. S. Browne.
Miss Brown.
Wastel Briscoe, Esq.
Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Bryce.

The Right Honourable Lord Calthorpe.
The most noble Marquis Camden.
The Countess of Carlisle, Castle Howard, Yorkshire
Mrs. Cazalet.
Lieut.-Col. James Chisholm, Royal African Corps.
The Countess of Claremont.
The Honourable Basil Cochrane, Portman-Square.

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John M. Connell, Esq.
Captain Chester, Royal Artillery.
James Coggan, Esq.
Edwin Dawes, Esq. Winchelsea.
John Dent, Esq. Hertford-Street, MayFair.
William Dent, Esq. Battersea Rise.
Henry Dickinson, Esq.
Mr. William Dickinson.
Miss Edwards.
J. Eliot, Esq.
Charles Eversfield, Esq.
Mrs. Eversfield.
Miss Eversfield.
Charles R. Fenton, Esq.
- Fisher, Esq.
Colonel Fitzgerald.
Major-General Garstin.
James Grant, Esq. Kennington-Lane.
Mr. E. Greenland, Finsbury-Place.
David Gordon, Esq. Dulwich Hill.
Honourable Colonel Harris.
Mr. John Halse.
J. Hirst, Esq.

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Miss Hope.
Miss K. Hope.
Rev. Drake Hollingbery, M. A. Winchelsea.
Sir Abraham Hume, Bart. M. P. for Hastings, Wormleybury, Herts.
- Ironside, Esq.
Miss Johnes.
Mrs. Theo. Jones.
J. H. Kennedy, Esq.
Mr. Kustevan.

C. Langmore, Jun. Esq. Hackney.

John Maberly, Esq. M. P. for Rye, Grosvenor-Square.
Mr. Thomas Mannington.
Mrs. Mascall.
Philip Melvill, Esq. Islington.
Dr. Meyer, Broad-Street.
Pulteney Mein, Esq. Forge Lodge, near Longtown, Cumberland.
Edward Milward, Esq. Hastings.
Miss Milward.
John Morice, Esq.
Major James Mouat.

John Nelson, Esq. Author of the History of Islington.

William O'Neil, Esq.

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George Parkhouse, Esq. Manchester-Buildings.
Mr. P. M. Powell, Library, Marine Parade, Hastings.

Miss Rainsford.
Frederick Reynolds, Esq.
Frederick Reeves, Esq. East Sheen, Surry.
Thomas Rundall, Esq.
Mr. Thomas Rundall, Jun.
George Roebuck, Esq.

Rev. Rule Sarel.
William Lucas Shadwell, Esq. Hastings.
Miss Smith.
Mr. Smith, Lisle-Street, Leicester-Square.
C. B. Stockdale, Esq. R. N.

William Thorpe, Esq. Hastings.
Thomas Trew, Esq. Buckingham-Street, Strand.

Mr. Upton.
Mr. John Urquhart, Kennington-Square.
Mr. Andrew Urquhart.

Colonel Walsham.
Miss Whitear.
Thomas White, Esq.
Edward White, Esq.
W. Woolnoth, Islington.

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HASTINGS.

The town of Hastings, in Sussex, which is the chief of the Cinque Ports, is most delightfully situated in a valley upon the sea-coast, sixty-four miles from London, near the eastern extremity of the county, and surrounded on all sides except the south, with high cliffs and hills which renders it, particularly to invalids, one of the most healthy places in the kingdom. It principally consists of two parallel streets, High-Street and All-Saints-Street, divided by a small stream called the Bourne, which runs into the sea. Within the last five years, owing to the great influx of company at Hastings, during the summer season, and the high repute it bears as a watering-place, a very handsome row of houses has been built in a field called the Croft, running parallel [ 16 ]

 

[ 17 ]of the reign of Henry the Third, the Cinque Ports fitted out forty ships, under the command of Hubert de Burgho, (Warden of those Ports, and Governor of Dover Castle,) which putting to sea, came up with and engaged eighty sail of French ships, which were coming to aid Louis, the French king's son, when after a furious engagement on both sides, several of the enemy's ships were captured, and the remainder sunk or dispersed.

It was this, and other important services rendered by the Ports' fleet, which no doubt procured them the many honors and privileges they did at that time, and still enjoy ; among others, the barons of the Cinque Ports have the honor of supporting the canopies over the King and Queen, at their coronation, which afterwards become the property of the Ports, and of dining with their Majesties on that occasion; but many of these privileges, owing to their absurdity, have now become almost obsolete.

During the reign of Richard the Third, anno 1377, Hastings was burned by the French ; and when rebuilt, was separated into three parishes, St. Clements, All Saints, and St. Mary in the Castle, with churches only to the two former, and which, about fifty years ago, were united into one rectory. The town of Hastings had formerly two other churches, St. Michaels and St. George, and an hospital dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, but not any certain accounts are to be traced concerning them, except that St. George's stood in a field upon the Eastern Hill, some small remains of which were removed many years ago. The present churches, St. Clements and All Saints, are both very ancient fabrics, though it is uncertain when they were built, as no account is [ 18 ]
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[ 21 ]her coronation, and on the roof of the belfrey is still preserved the twelve signs of the zodiac, in tolerable preservation.

The Town Hall or Court House, under which is the Market-place, was, according to the inscription in the front of it, erected in the year 1700, at the expense of John Pultney and Peter Gott, esquires, then representatives in parliament for Hastings. In it is a shield bearing the arms of France, brought from Quebec, and which was presented to the corporation by General James Murray, who spent the latter days of his life at his seat called Beauport, in the parish of Westfield, near Hastings, after having endured the hardships and fatigue of many years active service.

Proceeding westward of the town, the first object which attracts the attention of the Antiquary, is the remains of a very large and ancient Castle, situated on a lofty rocky cliff, and which, viewed from the beach, has a very majestic and awful appearance.

Time, which brings the mighty low,
And level lays the lofty brow.
Has seen this broken pile complete.
Big with the vanity of state.

It resembles, in shape, nearly two sides of an oblique spherical triangle with the points rounded off; the base or south side next the sea, completing the triangle, is formed by a perpendicular craggy cliff, near 400 feet in length, and from its inaccessible height, must have rendered any attack on that side fruitless. The east side is quite a plain wall, measuring near 300 feet, and without tower or any other defence. The side adjoining, facing the north-west, is near 400 feet; and the [ 22 ]whole area encloses about an acre and a quarter. The walls, which are now fast mouldering to decay, are composed chiefly of flint and stone, and in thickness near eight feet. The entrance gateway, long since demolished, stood near the angle on the north side ; and not far from its scite, westward, are the remains of a small tower and salley port; the former encloses a circular flight of steps ; a little farther on there is also the ruins of a square tower, with traces of two ditches, near sixty feet deep, and upwards of 100 broad, and which, no doubt, originally terminated with the entrance gateway of the castle.

At what period, or by whom this venerable structure was erected, does not appear either from the works of Leland, Camden, or any other eminent writers who have treated of the topographical antiquities of this county, but from the situation in which it is built, being peculiarly advantageous to the ancient mode of fortification, it is likely that some sort of fortress existed at this place, before that which is reported to have been constructed by the Danish pirates, under Hastings their leader ; which conjecture derives much support from a passage in the chronicles of Dover monastery, inserted in Leland's Collectania ; " That when Arviragus threw off the Roman yoke, he. fortified those places which were most convenient for their invasion, vz. Richborougb, Walmere, Dover and Hastings."

From the History of Canterbury, written by Eadmer, and published by the learned John Selden, it appears that in the year 1090, almost the whole of the bishops and nobles of England were assembled by royal authority, at Hastings Castle, to pay personal homage to King William the Second, previous to his departure for Normandy. Very little more is [ 23 ]
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