purely fortuitous coincidence my narrative had reached to the 24th of May, the very day (after a period of 43 years) I was about to describe the 18th birthday anniversary of the Heiress-apparent to the British throne. And now that I am revising the said History, and the longest reigning monarch has nearly completed 60 years of Imperial rule, it is no less a pleasing task to repeat the story of the local celebrations. In 1837, by a statutory provision, the Princess Victoria had been declared of full age, and her uncle (William IV) being then in a feeble condition the thoughts and hopes of our local community were naturally centred upon the royal lady who with her mother, had honoured St. Leonards with a three months' sojourn only two years before. The anniversary was on a Wednesday, and the day in its meteorological conditions was a prototype of that which has since accompanied so many of Her Majesty's public ceremonials, and has thus acquired the name of "Queen's Weather." The morning was ushered in with the ringing of bells and the firing of cannon; and as it had been determined to make the day a holiday, the shops remained unopened throughout. At ten o'clock, people began to crowd in from neighbouring towns and villages, and at an hour later, the school children, to the number of 1,750, assembled in Wellington square, where the Hastings town band - then in the height of its efficiency - was stationed. After being marshalled, with mottoed flags in their ranks and headed by the band and a royal standard, the children moved off in procession round the town. The entire train, which included teachers, parents and others reached from the Pelham Arcade to the top of High street; and with the exception of the chairing of Messrs. Planta and Holland, two months later it was, perhaps, the longest civil procession ever seen in Hastings up to that time. After passing through the principal thoroughfares, the children made the Priory meadow their rendezvous, where the Reform Dinner was held in 1832, and where, on this later occasion, the older folk also assembled, to join in the sports then and there provided. An attractive pavilion had been temporarily erected, from which the children were supplied, each with a glass of wine and a piece of cake. The pavilion was afterwards utilised for dancing. Booths for refreshment were also provided, and the number of persons present was estimated to be ten thousand. In addition to music and dancing the amusements of the day consisted of running-matches, donkey-races, running in sacks, jingling-matches[a]
, treacle-roll bobbings, and other old-fashioned sports, the whole concluding with a magnificent display of fireworks. There was afterwards a ball for the richer folk at the Swan hotel. The refreshments for the children were provided mainly by Mrs. North, Mrs. Milward and other leading ladies of the town; and be it stated, that many aged couples among the poor were recipients of a good dinner sent to them at home.
Such is an outline of the rejoicings at Hastings; and now for a brief account of what took place at St. Leonards. There too, the general aspect was one of pleasure and gaiety, the two towns vieing with each other in their demonstrations of loyalty. At Edlin's (Victoria) hotel an enormous new royal standard was hoisted, whilst in other parts of the town a variety of flags was displayed. The St. Leonards school children, numbering about 200, paraded the town with a band of music and finished their perambulation at the Assembly Rooms, where a substantial dinner was provided for them, supplemented by a small gift of new money and other souvenirs. The children were afterwards marched to the Archery Ground, where they indulged in various games and participated in the distribution of toys. For this treat, as a demonstration of loyalty, the public - and especially the children - were mainly indebted to the generous efforts of Mr. Alfred Burton, Mrs. Wood, the Misses Mackay, the Misses Dynely, the Misses Morley, Lady Lubbock, Capt. Hull, and a few other influential inhabitants. An al fresco dance was arranged for such of the up-grown folk as chose to engage therein, and there was a ball in the evening. Everything passed off happily, and some are still living who remember with animated satisfaction the day when "England's Hope" attained her 18th year.
On the 24th of June (exactly a month after our local communities had celebrated, with so much loyalty, the 18th birthday of the Princess) the royal lady was formally proclaimed throughout the borough as the Queen of the British Empire. The visitors at Hastings and St. Leonards were unusually numerous at the time, as was shown by the books at Diplock's and James's Libraries, as well as at the several hotels knows as Deudney's Marine, Emary's Albion, Edlin's Victoria, Johnson's Conqueror, and Hutchings's South Saxon. Many of such visitors joined the procession, in which also were Dr. Ranking (officiating as Mayor), members and officials of the Corporation, the Coastguards under the command of Capt. Peak, many other inhabitants, and (last as well as least) your humble chronicler. The reading of the proclamation at certain places was received with acclamation and much enthusiasm was evinced. There was one event of the day, however, of a less joyous character, and that was the accident which befel Mr. T. B. Baker, in the evening, by which that well known attorney and public official sustained a fractured leg. The proclamation was after this fashion:
Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign Lord King William the Fourth, of blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria. We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being assisted by his late Majesty's Privy Council, do hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria is now by the death of our late Sovereign, of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lady Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; to whom we do acknowledge faith and constant obedience, with all hearty and humble affection, beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the royal Princess Victoria with long and happy years to reign over us. Given at the Court of Kensington this 20th day of June, 1837. God save the Queen.
On the same day that the Queen was proclaimed, her uncle Ernest took his departure for Hanover, there to possess himself of a crown which had hitherto been united to that of England from the accession of George I. in 1712. It will be observed that the Proclamation makes no mention of Hanover, and for the reason that by the laws of Hanover that Kingdom falls not to a female in the line of succession. At the death of William IV., therefore the crown of Hanover passed to his brother the Duke of Cumberland, who, with his family, had a six months' sojourn at Hastings, in 1833. It next descended to Prince George of Cumberland, the blind youth who laid the foundation-stone of the Hastings Market, and who was ultimately deposed by the German Kaiser. Subsequently dying, the blind King left a son (the Duke of Cumberland) and two daughters (the Princess Frederica and the Princess Mary of Cumberland). And after the prayer in the Proclamation "to bless the Royal Princess Victoria with long and happy years to reign over us" had been granted, that same Victoria gave the required consent to her cousin's daughter, Frederica of Hanover, to marry a German Baron, and then provided them with a beautiful cottage at Osborne, wherein to reside.
The circumstances under which VICTORIA ascended the throne were such as could not fail to obtain for her a full measure of sympathy. For a girl of eighteen years, who had theretofore lived in comparative seclusion, to be called upon at once to act of important a part in the affairs of the nation, was fitted to excite a feeling of solicitude in every considerate and sensitive mind. It was said that previously to such event the youthful Princess had on several occasions exhibited a deep sensibility of the responsible prospect which was opening up before her When, however, this prospect merged into realization, she met the numerous persons holding high estate in the realm with a becoming, not to say, dignified, bearing' and delivered her first address to her subjects with great propriety and self-possession. Of course like all such addresses of the Sovereign, it was the work of her responsible advisers, and it reflected quite naturally the complexion of their own policy. But in addition to that, Her Majesty expressed a hope in the Divine guidance, and a resolution to "maintain the Reformed Religion as by law established." Then there was a generous recognition of the valued acts and good intentions of Her Majesty's predecessor in the following words :- "I esteem it a peculiar advantage that I succeed to a Sovereign whose constant regards for the rights and liberties of his subjects, and whose desires to promote the amelioration of the laws and institutions of the country, have rendered his name the object of general attachment and veneration."
It may not be altogether a supererogation to remind my younger readers that Queen Victoria is descended, on her mother's side, from John Frederick, surnamed the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony, who, having taken arms against the Emperor Charles V. and fallen after the battle of Weilburg into the hands of that Sovereign, was detained in prison till his death, which occurred in 1554, after seven years of distressing captivity. This Prince left two sons, John Frederick, founder of the old line of Saxe Gotha, and John William, with whom commenced the line of Weimar. The marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Kent was first performed at Cobourg in May, 1818, and again at Kew in July of the same year. A few weeks later they returned to the continent and resided at Amorbach, the residence of the Duchess's first husband (the Prince of Leiningen) who left his widow in the occupation of the Palace and in the guardianship of their only son. The Duchess acceded to the wish of the Duke to return to England, where Victoria was born only seven months before the Duke's lamented death. Her Majesty, therefore, can have no recollection of her father.
The Queen did not disturb the Administration then in office, as some of our local quidnuncs declared she would do; forgetting, as they must have done, that a statute was passed in the reign of George III. that the Legislature should not be dissolved by the mere demise of a King or Queen, but that the Lord High Steward for the time being should attend the Lords and Commons within 24 hours after the death of a monarch and administer the oaths of allegiance, supremacy and abjuration to the Speaker, Lord Chancellor, and the members of both Houses; and that the Parliament thus constituted should continue for six months, unless previously dissolved by the new Sovereign. Queen Victoria therefore met her Parliament a week after the interment (sic) of her uncle, and never was a Sovereign received throughout the entire procession with greater enthusiasm. After the royal speech had been delivered, however, the young Queen, by the advice of her Ministers, exercised her privilege, and immediately prorogued Parliament with a view to an early dissolution. As it was not deemed desirable to proceed with any further legislation until a new Parliament had been called, the sitting members were not again called together as might have been -
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