plans had been adopted, he had no doubt much expense would have been saved. He believed it would cost £250 a year to maintain a wooden groyne. The Rock-a-Nore groyne, built 9 years ago, cost £900, and a considerable sum had been spent to keep it in repair. Neighbouring towns were spending large sums on improvements, and if we wished visitors to come to Hastings, it was necessary to assist Nature a little. We had delightful walks and romantic scenery and it needed but the spending a little money to make Hastings one of the most favourite watering places in the Kingdom. As to the proposed new stone groyne, the clerk was of the opinion that it could not be built. Mr Thwaites, in reply, said a farthing[1] in the £ would realise £40, which would not be sufficient, but when they considered the £22 reduced interest paid by the Commissioners, a halfpenny rate would be enough to discharge the interest on the parade wall and stone groyne. They would also be making 280 feet of new ground, which might be let in plots at £10 a year, and although that would go to the Town Council, it would relieve the rates. There was a life-boat, but it could not be used in times of danger, because there were no means of launching it, but the groyne would much facilitate that operation. The Clerk then read the opinion of Sir W. Follett that no groyne, jetty or pier could be erected under the provisions of their Act except for the accumulation of beach and the protection of the town. Mr. Richardson declared the report to be the most "unfounded" one he had ever heard read, whereupon a warm discussion ensued between Messrs. Catley, Laugham, Wingfield Thwaites and others. Mr. Harvey contended that such a scheme would cripple their funds. They were only permitted to borrow to the extent of £12,000 and they had already incurred a debt of £9,500. Mr. Catley thought the present groyne could be repaired and lengthened at a small expense. Then amidst much confusion and disorder, a motion by Mr. Harvey was carried that the Surveyor inspect the existing groyne and estimate the expense of lengthening it 70 feet. It was then reported that the parade wall had been completed at a cost of about £607. The subscriptions had amounted to £157, and £29 10s had been obtained by the sale of old rails. The contract price was £418, but work had been done that was not in the contract.
It will have been seen in the foregoing report of a Town Council meeting that the Commissioners offered to give over to that body the groyne which had caused so much discussion.
Among the noted marriages of the year was that of the present Duchess of Cleveland of Battle Abbey, to her first husband, Lord Dalmeny, and the event is here noticed because her second husband, Lord Harry Vane was elected in 1859 to represent Hastings in Parliament, and who continued thus till 1864 when he took the title of Duke of Cleveland. His surviving Duchess (nee Lady Wilhemina Stanhope) was in early life one of the prettiest and cleverest maidens of society circles and was chosen by the Queen as one of the train-bearers at her coronation and one of the bridesmaids at her wedding. It hardly needs to be added that the talented Duchess is the mother of Lord Roseberry.
I will conclude the records of 1843, as I have those of several previous years, with a list of deaths, ages and places of interment, so far as I know them, and in alphabetical order.
Amoore, Walter Rix, nearly 3 years, All Saints.
Breach, Martha, wife of Geo. Halton.
Barton, Capt., R.N., 53g St. Mary’s.
Browne, Catherine Sophia 12, St. Leonards.
Bristow, Frances, 19, St. Leonards.
Crowhurst, John, 7, Bexhill.
Cruttenden, Henrys alias Duke, 83, Bexhill.
Close, Mary, widow of Rev. H J., 89, St.Mary's.
Chandler, Geo. Thos., 6 mos., St. Leonards.
Cris, Caroline, 24, St. Leonards.
Chipper, Mary, 24,St. Leonards.
Chipper, George, 4 months, St. Leonards.
Deering, Christopher, 59, St. Leonards.
Dawa, Elizabeth, 72, Bexhill.
Dunk, Jane, wife of David, 69, St. Mary's.
Dobson, Edward, 26, St. Mary’s
Fairway, Samuel, 83, Bexhill.
Fothergill, Hannah, relict of Rev. H., 64, St.Mary's.
Gallop, Henry, 14 mos.,St. Leonards.
Gallop, Emily, 3, St. Leonards.
Hyland, Samuel, 46, St. Leonards.
Harmer, Johr, 2 weeks,St. Leonards.
Jones, Mary Franzes, 32, St. Leonards.
Kirk, Eliza Jane, 3, St. Leonards.
Lancelot, Harry, 4, St. Leonards.
Mould, Charles Thomas, 9 mos., St. Leonards.
McCowen, George, 6, St. Leonards.
Mitten, Mary, 64, wife of Joseph, Bexhill.
Matthis, Richard, 88, Bexhill.
Norman, Edmund, 60, St. Mary’s.
Price, Elizabeth, 14, St. Leonards.
Pain, James, 4 months, St. Leonards.
Phillips, Jane, dau. of G, and A., All Saints.
Quaife, Wm, Edward, 9 mos., St. Leonards.
Rich, Mary, 84 January, Bexhill.
Shoesmith, Hannah, 70, Bexhill.
Towner, Jane, 60, St. Leonards.
Trim, Sarah, 42, St. Leonards.
Tapp, Frederick, 35, St. Leonards.
Thwaites, Jane, wife of Wm., 43, St, Mary's.
Turpin, Jane, 23, St. Mary’s.
Thorpe, Thomasine, 18, dau, of B. & M, Fairlight.
Weller, isthor, 15, St. Leonards.
Whittaker, Ann, 36, St. Leonards.
Wenham, Elizabeth, 55, All Saints.
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
