Hotel, Pelham Place (then kept by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pope Hutchings), as her residence. She occupied a suite of rooms at the east end of the Hotel until she left for Chislehurst. The Empress, as we now know, never forgot the chivalrous way in which Col. Sir John Burgoyne came to her assistance in the time of stress and danger. It was stated in the newspaper reports of her death that she had remembered him in her last will. The Royal Marine Hotel was on the site now occupied by the Cinema de Luxe, and as stated elsewhere, I personally dispersed the contents of the hotel by auction prior to its demolition.
THE BIRTH OF ROBERTSON STREET.
It may be interesting to my readers to record that this street, the principal business thoroughfare in Hastings, is one of the youngest. After the clearing of the "America Ground" (fully described in pages 210 to 220) it was in 1850 that Robertson Street was commenced, and the occupiers in 1852 were as follows :
Nos. 1, 2 and 3, had no building thereon ; No. 4 occupied by Polhill, a Pork Butcher; No. 5, by Robinson Funnell, Tea Dealer and Provision Merchant from High Street ; No. 6, by Prideaux and Co. ; No. 7 by James Smith, Perfumer ; No. 8, not built ; No. 9, Edward Pierce, Circulating Library; No. 10, not built; No. 11, Thomas Weeks, Tailor and James Kenyon, Railway and Commercial Hotel No. 12, Thomas Griffin, News Vendor; No. 13, Henry Hibling, Boot and Shoe Retailer, and James Meadows, Fruiterer and Seedsman; No. 14, John Lye, Linen Draper; No. 15, Thomas Jager, Childbed Linen Warehouse ; No. 16, William Wakeman, Chemist ; No. 17, George Curling Hope, Berlin Wool Warehouse ; No. 18, Ebenezer Dobell, Jeweller ; Nos. 19 to 23, not built ; No. 24, Royal Standard, George Lindfield (now the Sussex Wine Stores) ; No. 25, this space is occupied by the opening to the back of Robertson Terrace. Nos. 26 to 37, not built. The above are on the Sea side of the street, and now covered by smaller Shops to Judge's corner. No. 38, now Bateman's, Occulist, was Diplock's Library, commenced in 1853 ; Nos. 39 to 52, not built ; Mr. James Notcutt, Draper, who is still living, seems to have come from 60, George Street to Robertson Street, about 1852, but I am not sure of the number.
The site of Robertson Street was used as a Rope Walk (see view page 213, and Plan on page 211). Carlisle Parade was also commenced in 1850. The first stone of Holy Trinity Church was laid in 1857.
So far as I know, Ebenezer Dobell's business is still carried on by his sons, but Mr. James Notcutt is the only one living of the first occupants of Robertson Street. It may therefore be said that to the birth of this important street we are indebted to His Majesty's Department of Woods and Forests and to the late -
