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Dec
A new chancel of St Johns Church was opened.
New Lifeboat
From the Hastings News of 07/01/1881
The new Hastings lifeboat the Charles Arkcoll arrived on Friday 31 December, and the old boat, the Ellen Goodman, was taken to London the same day.
A Council meeting threw out a proposal to examine the cost of using electricity to power street lighting rather than gas. Electric lights had first come into large-scale use in 1879 and by 1881 were in use in most cities. ...
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Disease in Town
From the Hastings News of 14/01/1881
There was a widespread foot and mouth disease, so the borough became a restricted area for the movement of cattle. The restrictions were removed at the end of March.
Charities Inquiry
From the Hastings News of 14/01/1881
On 13 January, a public inquiry was held into the working of the Magdalen and Lashers charities. One of HM Inspectors of Charities held the inquiry in the Market Hall in George Street. He examined the on-going argument about whether ...
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Library Opens
From the Hastings News of 21/01/1881
A free reference library for all the people of Hastings was opened on the ground floor of the Brassey Institute in Claremont on Saturday 15 January. The library was a gift to the town from Mr Thomas Brassey MP. A ...
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Memorial Window
From the Hastings News of 21/01/1881
A memorial window was unveiled in All Saints Church to the late Edmund Field.
Severe Snowstorm
From the Hastings News of 21/01/1881
Tuesday 18 January saw the most severe snowstorm in Hastings for many years. It snowed non-stop for 24 hours and many roads were blocked and services disrupted.
Sea Damage
From the Hastings News of 11/02/1881
A Council meeting heard complaints about sea damage to Denmark Place and Caroline Place.
Spa Water
From the Hastings News of 11/02/1881
The Council meeting on 3 February gave permission to Mr A McKenzie to pipe spa water from the chalybeate spring [on the north-west corner of St Helens Road and St Helens Park Road] into town. The proposal had been supported ...
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Terrible Gale
From the Hastings News of 11/02/1881
There was a terrific gale on 7 February. A house being built in Clive Vale was destroyed, and there was further damage to groynes near Denmark Place. The Rye dandy Ann was at the landing place at the bottom of ...
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Railway Appeal
From the Hastings News of 11/02/1881
The Court of Appeal on 5 February gave judgement on the legal dispute over the condition of the Hastings railway station and other facilities, being South Eastern Railway Company vs Hastings Council and the Railway Commissioners [but the result is ...
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Roughs at Ore
From the Hastings News of 11/02/1881
A deputation of Ore tradesmen complained to Hastings magistrates bench on 5 February about "the repeated annoyance to which they are subjected by the roughs who congregate in the chief thoroughfare at night". A draper, Mr Neve, said "a sad ...
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Holy Trinity Debt
From the Hastings Observer of 12/02/1881
An appeal had recently been launched following the discovery that there was still a debt of £660 on the purchase of the site of the Holy Trinity Church in Robertson Street. The land had been bought from the Crown for ...
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New Chapel
From the Hastings News of 18/02/1881
The foundation stone of the new Wesleyan school chapel on the corner of Upper Park Road and Bohemia Road was laid on 16 February. The News of 8 July said the chapel "in this fast-growing neighbourhood" opened on 6 July. ...
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Gas Explosion
From the Hastings News of 25/02/1881
There was a fatal gas explosion at Penryn Lodge, Halton, a servants' refuge, killing a 26-year old woman.
More Roads
From the Hastings News of 11/03/1881
The Council on 4 March sanctioned new roads on the Cornwallis Park Estate, to the north of the bridge the Estate would soon start building over the railway [to be Linton Road bridge]. The News of 10 June said they ...
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Inskipp Dies
From the Hastings News of 25/03/1881
Frederick Inskipp died on 22 March, aged 72. He was the first clerk to the Poor Law Guardians and the workhouse, from its start in April 1837 until he retired in August 1880. He was succeeded by his son Arthur.
The Council agreed to create a new road from the junction of Waterworks Road and Stonefield Road up to planned site of the Grammar School, on the Milward Estate. [Later named Nelson Road.]
The Council meeting on 1 April heard that the £15,000 which had been borrowed to build the new town hall was not enough, and that an application had to be made to the Treasury for another £5,000 to pay for ...
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New Groynes
From the Hastings News of 13/05/1881
Work began on a new groyne at Marine Parade. A new wooden groyne was proposed for Rock-a-Nore.
Liberal Rooms
From the Hastings News of 13/05/1881
New club rooms for the St Leonards branch of the Liberal Party were opened at 40 Gensing Road. The party had rented the second floor and spent bout £100 on it.
Brassey Fire
From the Hastings News of 13/05/1881
A fire at the Normanhurst mansion, north of Catsfield, home of Mr Brassey, was discovered before too much damage was done.
No 1 High Street and adjacent property were purchased some months before by Coventry Patmore, of the Mansion, High Street, in order to build a new Roman Catholic church in memory of his late wife. Since then a portion of ...
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Workhouse Lock-ups
From the Hastings News of 20/05/1881
The Workhouse Board of Guardians released figures at their 19 May meeting showing the number of 'confinements' - people being forcibly detained inside the workhouse for not meeting its rules - over the previous decade: 1871, 20; 1872, 21; 1873, ...
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Windmill for Sale
From the Hastings Chronicle of 25/05/1881
The Jenner's Lane windmill at Ore failed to sell at an auction. And advert in the Chronicle of 25 May described it as a "valuable and desirable flour mill property" built about 22 years ago. In the parish of Guestling, ...
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An advert in the Chronicle said the wooden pavilion (25 ft by 15 ft) and shed (28 ft by 14 ft) standing on the Ore Cricket Club Ground were to be sold by auction on 30 May. Also on sale ...
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The Mount Pleasant School for infants was opened on Monday 23 May. The News said: "During the past five years it is probable that no locality in the whole borough has made such rapid strides in regard to building operations ...
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Brassey Knighted
From the Hastings News of 27/05/1881
Mr Thomas Brassey, the Liberal MP, was made a KCB - Knight Commander of the Bath - in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
The 1st Cinque Ports Rifles Volunteers went under canvas for a week in Beauport Park.
Opera House
From the Hastings News of 10/06/1881
A new 'opera house' was being built in Queens Road, by Mr Rodda. [It was to be the Gaiety Theatre; it opened on 2 August 1882].
There was a fire in the grocery shop of Mr EW Rubie in All Saints Street. The warehouse was gutted.
The Council agreed to buy a sunshine recorder, to be installed in the grounds of the Castle.
New Stations
From the Hastings News of 22/07/1881
The chairman of the South Eastern Railway Company and other senior officials carried out a major tour of the borough. They were examining the request made by West Hill residents at a big public meeting on 21 June to ...
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King Visits
From the Hastings News of 22/07/1881
The king of the Sandwich Islands, King Kaluka, visited the Brasseys and was shown some of the town on 17 May.
New Hospital
From the Hastings News of 19/08/1881
Plans for the new Buchanan Cottage Hospital were published in Building News. It was about to be erected on the corner of Springfield Road and London Road, on a site kindly given by Mr CG Eversfield.
New Lifeboat House
From the Hastings News of 26/08/1881
The architect of the RNLI visited Hastings and discussed with the borough how to improve the site of the new lifeboat house. It was to be built in East Parade, partly on the site of the former Custom House, the ...
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Gale and High Tide
From the Hastings News of 26/08/1881
A severe gale and unusually high tides on Thursday 25 August and there was serious damage to the sea wall at Caroline Place and Beach Terrace, endangering the foundations of one of two of the Terrace houses.
Thomas Ross Dies
From the Hastings News of 02/09/1881
The well-known former councillor, mayor, JP and archaeologist Thomas Ross died on 30 August, aged 72.
The new Municipal Buildings (town hall) in Queens Road were officially opened at 1pm on Wednesday 7 September. "Municipal and magisterial affairs will now be carried on with more comfort in a centrally situated position," said the News of 9 ...
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Fishermen Petition
From the Hastings News of 09/09/1881
A petition was sent from the fishermen to the Board of Trade concerning the poor state of the beach and Council interference. A Council meeting discussed extending the parade wall east as far as the Queens Head in East Beach ...
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A drinking fountain, made of polished brown granite, was set up in memory of James Burton, the founder of St Leonards. It was erected in the grounds of the Misses Wood in Gloucester Lodge, at the top of Quarry ...
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More Groynes
From the Hastings News of 14/10/1881
New groynes were to be erected opposite Pelham Crescent and Castle Street.
A new plan was published for the Fishmarket area, opposite the bottom of the High Street.
Hurricane-force winds drove a sailing vessel onto the rocks near the Haddocks Coastguard Station, Fairlight Cove, at 5.30 on the morning of Sunday 18 December. The barque was wrecked and seven men were killed. The German barque Sacitta was outward ...
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