for his chance, the other raised himself for a look and fell overboard. His companion hearing the splash turned to his help with one of the oars, which the other grasped till he could lay hold of the boat. But on getting in he pulled the side of the boat under water, and if his companion had not had the presence of mind to throw himself back to equipoise the little craft, they might have both been drowned. The luckless wight was so benumbed by wet and cold as to be unabled to row. They however reached St. Leonards with safety.
A Runaway. On the 27th of April as four ladies (daughters of the Rev. W. W. Hume) were driving a light carriage through Warrior square, the horse took fright and threw them out, but the harm they received was a few bruises. The animal then rapidly ran along on the pavement at Eversfield place, and although one or two children in charge of nurses fell down in their haste to get away, no material harm resulted.
A Fractured Leg happened to a gentleman residing at 49 Marina, on Sunday evening, Sept. 9th by his falling backward over the parade wall whilst looking up at the sky (The Hastings accidents are described in the next chapter).
Robberies and other Occurrences.
Some live ducks and fowls were stolen on Sunday night, Oct 28th, from Mr. Price’s, in Gensing road; also from Mr. Smith’s in the St. Leonards Caves. On the same Sunday night, two legs of pork and a leg of mutton were stolen from the Hastings Market. On one night in November, a sheep belonging to butcher Waghorne, of Castle street was killed, skinned and carried off by some unknown thief from Mr. Troupe’s field near Warrior square.
The Martello Towers were at this time undergoing repairs, preparatory to their being mounted with heavy guns, those in this district being entrusted to John Howell, a local builder.
Newspapers. The Act for legallising(sic) unstamped newspapers came into operation on the 30th of June, when the Hastings and St. Leonards Penny Press, a monthly publication, was transformed into the Hastings and St. Leonards Gazette, published weekly. It existed for 42 years.
The Flower Show. The first of the year’s Horticultural Show took place in the St. Leonards Subscription Garden on the 3rd of July, the exhibits being good and the day remarkably fine.
Troops en Route. On the 29th of March, 597 rank and file of the Queen’s Own Staffordshire Militia, with 21 officers, 49 women, 16 children and 24 infants passed through Hastings and St. Leonards per railway, from Dover to Portsmouth, en route for Malta.
Mr. Charles Blake of St. Leonards exhibited a model of an ingenious invention to prevent the disastrous effects in a collision of vessels at sea.
Interesting Discovery. On the 30th of Aug. while Mr. John Howell’s men were excavating earth on the west side of Warrior Square, they found a quantity of broken pottery, and about 40 old coins, supposed to be Roman.
