his own desire or because he occasionally underwent a flagellation with a skimmer at the hands of his wife, it is not within my knowledge to say; but the term, I am told, was only resented as an offence when it was apparently intended as such, or when, from some other cause there was an exuberance of ill-temper. At such a time he would indulge in the use of expletives while he took snuff, either as a stimulant or a sedative, from the same box as that which was used by the man against whom he was expressing his displeasure. But if there was eccentricity in the character of this well-known riding-master, there was also much geniality. This latter qualification sometimes stood him in good stead; as, for instance, when having the laugh of his companions turned against him for an error of 100 years in computing some historical event, he coolly advised them to restrain their hilarity; "for, don’t you see," he said, "I was within one" — meaning, of course, one century.
Among the many local events for which the year 1833 was noted may be mentioned the establishing of the Queen’s Royal St. Leonards Archers; or, as they were then styled, "The Society of St. Leonards Archers." The first meeting of members was on the 12th of August, and the place of meeting was what has since been known as the Archery Gardens. This now pretty spot was partly formed by Nature and partly by the hand of man. It was originally the site of a military encampment; and it has been stated that at the beginning of the present century, during our wars with France, an attempt was made to impose upon the enemy’s cruisers in the Channel by putting up a greater number of tents than the actual requirement, thus exhibiting a fictitious array of military force. Previously to conversion to its present use the site of the Archery Gardens was a brick-field. The founder of St. Leonards granted the use of the ground to the Society at a nominal rent, and although during the early meetings of the members the appearance of the place was somewhat bare and rugged, in a very few years - mainly under the superintendence of the late Misses Mackay — the gardens presented a rich foliage, a spacious lawn, and all that could make them attractive and beautiful. At the first meeting were instituted the two ivory Challenge Bugles and the two Honorary Enamelled Badges, designed to represent the crest of Mr. Burton, in compliment to him as the founder of St. Leonards, and to his family as the leading promoters of the Society. During the first year of the Society’s formation two lads, named respectively Edward Smith and Edward Hook, were employed to pick up the arrows for some of the lady members; and, as a simple act of generosity, they were presented with a bow and arrow by one of those ladies. As might have been expected, the two boys were not long ere they tried their skill in Archery; but, as might not have been so readily imagined, there elapsed only a brief additional period before they discovered that much smaller things than targets could be hit by juvenile archers. "Fire away !" shouted one of the youngsters, and "Fire away it was." The archer twanged his bow; and, as though he were a Robin Hood, bent on killing his man, he lodged the arrow in the centre of his companion’s forehead. The wound was not serious, but the mark was sufficiently indelible to be a lasting attestation of the year in which was founded "The Society of St. Leonards Archers." I shall notice the Archery Society again and again as I proceed with my history, and especially when I am dilating upon the events of 1834.
I had it in my thoughts to state that, coeval with the establishment of the St. Leonards Archers, was the instituting of the St. Leonards Commissioners. But such a statement would not have been strictly accurate, as the latter body first commenced operations a year earlier. Those who have followed this History will remember that it has already been stated that Mr. Burton obtained, in '32, an Act for the Improvement of the Town of St. Leonards. It would have been more in chronological order to have then described the time and place, when and where, the Commissioners appointed under that Act held their first meeting. My memory and my notes did not, however, sufficiently serve me just then, but I have subsequently obtained from another source the information that was needed.
The first meeting, it appears, was at the Conqueror Hotel, and on the 18th of June, the very day on which was subsequently held a meeting at the Town Hall to decide upon the Reform Dinner. The new Commissioners were twenty in number, and their names were Messrs. J. Burton, H. W. Browne, Col. Jeffries, R. Deudney, R. Shepherd, J. Wells, H. Stapleden, T. Thorne, J. Rock, T. J. Breeds, Howard Elphinstone, B. Homan, E. Farncomb, W. Norsworthy, W. Waghorne, E. Smith, G. Ditch, H. Hook, W. F. Ditch and C. H. Southall. When the Act of Parliament was read over, six of the Commissioners pro tem., declined to make the legal declaration — some of them, probably, on the ground of their being excluded by a clause in such Act from taking contracts under the Commission. The persons who thus withdrew were Messrs. Brown, Shepherd, Smith, Hook, Southall and W.F. Ditch. I am not aware that Mr. Southall gave any reason for declining to serve on the Commissioner’s Board, but I remember that, many years afterwards, his reason for refusing to serve on the Hastings Council Board was — "I don’t want to, don’t mean to, and they can’t make me, because I am a Government officer." The joke of this was in the fact that Mr. Southall had previously served as a Councilman, and did not discover his disqualification as a postmaster until his re-election was opposed by the better prospects of another candidate.
To the list of old inhabitants who have died since I began my historical and anecdotal sketches in 1876, must be added the name of Francis Smith, Esq., a Justice of the Peace, and a partner in the late banking firm of Messrs. Smith, Hilder, Scrivens and Co., of Hastings. It would be out of place here to review the life of Mr. Smith, but as the death of that gentleman had occurred just at the time when I was about to connect his name with the early history of St. Leonards, I cannot do other than allude to his demise with a feeling of regret. Mr. Smith was a gentleman of quiet demeanour, but of friendly and cheerful disposition; and many there are, I have no doubt, in whose remembrance the deceased gentleman will hold a place of affection. Although not a native of Hastings, Mr. Smith had made the town his home for fifty or sixty years. That it had been over half a century may be gathered from a conversation which I had with him while witnessing the destructive effects of one of those abnormally high tides hich occurred in 1875 and '76. That conversation may be epitomised thus :—
Mr. Surry. "This is a grand sight; an awfully grand sight! You, of course, do not remember such a tide and such destruction of property."
T. B. Brett.— "I certainly do not remember so much havoc among what may be regarded as well-built houses, because until within a comparatively few years there was not such property to be destroyed; but I well enough remember the much higher tide of 1824, when some of the Hastings fishing-boats were dragged up into High street and All Saints’ street; when the huts, pig-pounds, bakehouses, &c., were scattered pell-mell in the Rope-Walk; and when, unable to pass on foot through the flood at York Buildings, I, with others, paid four-pence to be drawn in a waggon to the top of the Priory Bridge, there to see the wreckage float over the Priory Brooks to where are now the Gasworks."
Mr. Smith.— "Dear me! I had quite forgotten that very high tide; but now you speak of it, I remember being carried over the Priory Bridge myself, on a big man’s shoulders. How very curious that you, a younger man than I, should bring such an event so vividly to my recollection."
T. B. Brett.— "And the big man who thus carried you safely over the bridge, I believe, was ‘Tring’ Brazier; for, he was the man who afterwards boasted of having earned 16s. on that occasion by carrying people over the Priory Bridge."
St. Leonards Commissioners and their transactions
I could enumerate some good and generous actions in the career of Mr. Francis Smith, and I could refer to an instance of Christmas merry-making at Torfield House, in which Mr. Smith was the leading spirit and myself an accidental guest; but I must be turning to my more immediate subject. I have already described the first meeting and composition of the board of St. Leonards Improvement Commissioners, and it is for me now to say that Mr Francis Smith was appointed at that meeting to the office of banker. That was 67 years ago, and Mr. Smith was then 31 years of age. It was in the month of July, 1832, that the first sum of money — £250 — was ordered to be placed in the banker’s hands. It was a portion of the £3,000 which had been lent to the Commissioners by Mr. Middleton, of the Inner Temple, on a mortgage of the rates. The disposal of two other portions of such £3,000 was in this wise. A sum of £750 was to be paid to Messrs. Burton and Fraser, as expenses in obtaining the Act of Parliament, and £2,000: was to be handed to Mr. Burton, as part-payment of £7,026 for expenses incurred by that gentleman on works for the town. There was a clause in the Act for that purpose, and the several items for reimbursement were as here subjoined :—
| £ | s. | d. | |||
| Roads | ... | ... | 1551 | 3 | 9 |
| Paving | ... | ... | 2814 | 16 | 8 |
| Sewers | ... | ... | 750 | 9 | 2 |
| Sea-walls | ... | ... | 1480 | 13 | 4 |
| Groyne | ... | ... | 113 | 12 | 6 |
| East-ascent | wall, | &c. | 111 | 4 | 9¼ |
| West do. | do. | ... | 96 | 9 | 8 |
| Materials | in store | ... | 108 | 5 | 4 |
| £7,026 | 15 | 2¼ |
In these figures it will be seen that the £2,000 was but a comparatively small instalment of Mr. Burton’s reimbursement, but it was all that was in the Commissioners' power to vote. The town was yet young, and, maybe, capitalists were not quite assured of a safe investment in its rating capabilities. Advertisements had been inserted in the London and County newspapers for the hire of £10,000, but Mr. Middleton’s offer of £3,000 was the only one received. It was therefore arranged that the rates should be mortgaged to Mr. Burton to the extent of £4,000 at 5 per cent., and that the remainder of his claim should be paid as soon as a sufficient sum could be obtained and other requirements would permit. Now that a governing body had been incorporated, the affairs of the town began to assume a much more practical shape, and the public began to evince more confidence. As already stated, £250 had been placed in Mr. Smith’s hands for immediate necessities, and to this was soon added £500 which Mr. Greenough had offered to lend on mortgage. In the course of a few months, the Commissioners effected another mortgage for £1,000 which had been offered them by Major Naylor. Perhaps I ought to say in justice to Mr. Burton, that his reimbursement claim of £7,026 was duly examined and found correct by a committee specially appointed by the town, with Capt. (afterwards Major) Jeffries as their chairman. Also that Mr. Burton waived his claim to a certain amount of interest computed up to a given time from the passing of the Improvement Act.
I have stated that six of the Commissioners first nominated declined to be enrolled; and as their places had to be immediately filled, a meeting of ratepayers was called and six other gentlemen were elected. These were Dr. Burton, and Messrs. Wood, Milsted, Stapleton, E. Honiss and B. P. Smith. The following business was then transacted without further delay :—
Meetings to be held quarterly in Oct., Jan., April and July. Mr. George Fraser to be Clerk, at a salary of £30 per year. Mr. Tom Leave to be surveyor at a yearly salary of £10, and to be collector of rates, at a commission of 24 per cent., he offering himself and Mr. George Scott as sureties for £300. Mr. Peerless to be collector of coal duties, and Mr. B. Homan to be his surety for £200. The commission to be 24 per cent. on a duty of 3s. per chaldron for coals and 1s. for coke; such duties to be collected weekly from retail dealers and monthly from wholesale. Mr. Burton to have the selection of a beadle at 16s. per week, and to retain 4s. a week for a place of residence. Henry Harmer to be beadle, and to have a hat from Mr. Phillips, at a cost of 23s.; also to be provided with a great coat and a truncheon. A drain-pipe to be laid down by Mr. Carey on the east side of the Library. A sewer to be laid down by Mr. Putland for the houses 59 to 64 Marina, at a cost of £35. A sewer to be put down for 14 and 15 Undercliff by Jas. Funnell, at a cost of £35. Homan and Scott, vice Edward Smith, to channel the East Ascent and to pave two footpaths -
