Introduction
Brett's History of Hastings & St. Leonards
Commencing with 1828, the birth-year of the latter town, but embracing, also, many apsects of earlier years.
Introduction
The inception of the following History is due to the casual meeting of an old friend, who reminded the writer that the first of March, 1878, was the 50th anniversary of the founding of St. Leonards, and who also expressed a hope that the epoch was such as to be worthy of a Jubilee retrospect in the St. Leonards Gazette. The editor of that journal, acting upon his friend's suggeston, immediately commenced what he intended to be a mere scamper over the historic field, which lay within the range of fifty years, and thus present to his readers, only a brief review of the period. It was soon discovered, however, that the interest of the public had been sufficiently evoked to render necessary an enlargement of the original idea. The articles were first written under the nom de plume of "St Leonardensis" and were entitled "The Jubilee of St. Leonards." Next followed the inducement to incorporate therewith the History of Hastings, but with equal concurrence of dates; leaving the earlier history of the older town to be dealt with at some other time, or in some other form.
During the forty year's existence of the Gazette, the one man, who was proprietor, editor, reporter, compositor, pressman and general -
