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New Lads’ Club
From the Hastings News of 03/01/1896
A new Lads' Club and Mission Hall had opened in All Saints Street. It had 57 members, aged 13-20. It started in a year before, in Winding Started.
Harbour Approved
From the Hastings News of 10/01/1896
The Hastings Harbour Commissioners had approved the construction of the harbour works. The harbour was going to cost £120,000 for building and equipment, reported the News of 17 January. On 31 January it said the prospectus had been issued by ...
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Seat Blocks Road
From the Hastings News of 10/01/1896
Hastings Corporation was summoned for obstructing the roadway by erecting a seat in Ashburnham Road, Clive Vale.
A meeting of the newly formed Council of Evangelical Free Churches was held in the Public Hall, Robertson Street, on 10 February.
Stables Fire
From the Hastings News of 21/02/1896
There was a fire in stables in Wellington Mews, between Stonefield Road and Queens Road, on 17 February.
The Early Closing Association Committee meeting recommended certain Wednesday closing at 2pm. This was supported by 10,000 signatures of residents.
"Large crowds gathered round the shop window of Messrs Bruce and Co's Electric Department, 2 York Buildings, on Wednesday evening [19 February], to enjoy the brilliancy and attractiveness of the very fine display of electric apparatus, lamps, etc, placed on ...
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Barnado and Boys
From the Hastings News of 28/02/1896
Dr Barnado and his musical boys appeared at the Royal Concert Hall, Warrior Square, on 24 February.
The new Rock-a-Nore Drill Hall for the 2nd Position Battery of the 2nd Cinque Ports Auxiliary Volunteers opened on Thursday 27 February. The hall was full of volunteers, both artillery and riflemen. The battery started at St Leonards with the ...
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Horse Kills Man
From the Hastings Observer of 29/02/1896
A horse killed a man outside the stables in Rock-a-Nore Road. Charles Hayward, a 69-year old who worked for a horse cart business, patted one of his horses as he was bringing it out of the stables, but the horse ...
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St Matthews Porch
From the Hastings News of 13/03/1896
The dedication of the new porch at St Matthews Church, Silverhill, took place on 9 March.
Seamen Row Ashore
From the Hastings News of 20/03/1896
Arrival off Rock-a-Nore of a strange rowing boat manned by five seamen from the steam collier the Harlow, disabled near the Sovereign Lightship, on 16 March.
A supper took place at Central Hall to celebrate the re-opening of the much improved Central Hall, in Bank Buildings. The hall, which was to be used as an auction mart, was upstairs, above the Hastings News printing offices. The ...
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Loan Exhibition
From the Hastings News of 20/03/1896
The Age of Chivalry loan exhibition opened at the Brassey Institute. A unique collection of valuable relics, on loan, were on show for a fortnight. They included arms and armour, paintings, costumes and textiles. It was organised by the Museum ...
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Home for Children
From the Hastings News of 27/03/1896
The opening of the St Giles Christian Mission Convalescent Home for Children at 113 High Street took place.
Temperance Women
From the Hastings News of 27/03/1896
Lady Henry Somerset, the president of the British Women's Temperance Association, was in St Leonards from 22-24 March.
The Hastings Provident Dispensary was wound up at its annual meeting in the town hall on 30 March. It did not have enough doctors, and there were too many other dispensaries.
Tory Club Opens
From the Hastings News of 10/04/1896
A new Conservative Club opened on 7 April on the West Hill. It occupied a floor of the Granville pub on the corner of St Georges Road and Whitefriars Road.
Mrs Pelly Dies
From the Hastings News of 17/04/1896
Death on 6 April of Mrs Raymond Pelly at Hollington House, daughter of the great philanthropist Mrs Elizabeth Fry, nee Gurney.
New Sanatorium
From the Hastings News of 01/05/1896
A public inquiry was held on 28 April about the £10,700 spending needed for the new sanatorium.
Initiatory work on the proposed Hastings Harbour was now in progress. Stumps driven into the beach indicate the line of possession the Commissioners intended to enclose. Obtrusive stumps, railway lines and many yards of fencing were necessary, plus the ...
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The new Tower Road school was officially opened on Monday 4 May. "The gathering was perhaps the largest ... educational gathering ever held in the borough." It replaced the condemned London Road building, and cost £14,000, a somewhat high price ...
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Steamer Wrecked
From the Hastings News of 08/05/1896
The Seagull steamer just sold to a Londonderry firm was wrecked off the Lizard.
New Steamer
From the Hastings News of 15/05/1896
Mr RR Collard's new steamboat for working from Hastings was the Plymouth Belle.
Gas Inspectors
From the Hastings News of 22/05/1896
Members of the Institute of Gas Engineers inspected the Hastings gas works on 15 May.
Archway to Go
From the Hastings News of 29/05/1896
Hastings Council provisionally agreed to accept the South Eastern Railway Company's terms to demolish the St Andrew's Archway and to erect a new iron bridge. The News of 5 June said the estimated cost was £9,700, with the company paying ...
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Crippled Girls
From the Hastings News of 05/06/1896
The opening of the Seaside Branch of the Cripples' Home for Girls, at 138 Marina, took place on Wednesday 3 June.
The fishing fraternity had objected to their gear being interfered with by the Harbour Commissioners, and to the removal of capstans and net shops. The Town Council on 5 June discussed a report about the harbour works. The Corporation had ...
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Fishermen’s Lives
From the Hastings Observer of 13/06/1896
In a long feature on the Fishermen's Church: "They have their own lives in their own circle, and though they are as kind-hearted, as civil-spoken a section as could be found in the whole borough, they live on, as their ...
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Harbour Piles
From the Hastings News of 26/06/1896
A gantry had been erected for pile-driving work for the new harbour. It was surrounded by crowds of people.
A father of three fell to his death over the cliff near Fairlight Glen as he tried to escape arrest by a police officer on Sunday 21 June. John Towner, 28, a bricklayer of Halton, was one of a dozen ...
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John Feaist, founder of the well-known bakery firm Feaist and Co, died on 20 June at his home, 91 Priory Road, aged 72. He was born at Plumpton, the son of a farm labourer. He started as an apprentice miller, ...
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The foundation stone was laid by Sir George Williams on Thursday 9 July for the new St Mary-in-the-Castle school in Portland Place. The old boys' school and master's house had been pulled down. The girls had been using a nearby ...
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Beach Chairs
From the Hastings News of 10/07/1896
The Council meeting on 3 July decided to allow chairs to be put up on the beach.
Bye Laws Protest
From the Hastings News of 17/07/1896
A protest meeting was held at the George Street Market Hall on Wednesday 15 July opposing new bye laws submitted for dealing with street hawkers, beach preachers, advertising, flags etc.
New Post Office
From the Hastings News of 31/07/1896
A new post office had opened at St Helens, in the shop of Mr E Wilson at Homefield Terrace. [It was to remain there, close to the school.]
Harbour Testimony
From the Hastings News of 31/07/1896
Richard Idenden was to have a public testimonial in recognition of his promotion and services in the Hastings harbour scheme.
On 4 August Thomas Waters, a veteran of the Crimean War, died in Hastings workhouse.
The extension of the Harbour Works area restricts the space for fishing boats. A large tract of shingly beach was now fenced in with hoarding and tenterhook wire lines, reducing the numbers of fishing boats considerably. A locomotive would haul ...
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Trade Union Banner
From the Hastings News of 14/08/1896
Members of the Hastings and St Leonards Branch of the Navvies', Bricklayers', Labourers' and General Labourers' Union, plus several members of the Hastings Building Trades and Labour Council, with many friends etc, spent a "merry time" on Monday 10 August ...
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George Thorpe Dies
From the Hastings News of 21/08/1896
The four-times mayor and prominent local businessman George Archibald Thorpe JP died on 16 August at his residence, High Croft, Ore. He was born 5 September 1825 in Battle, the son of a shoemaker. At age 19 he came to ...
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Aussie Cricket
From the Hastings News of 11/09/1896
The Australians played the South of England at the Hastings Cricket Festival, on 10 September.
The captain of the Hastings steamer Bonnie Princess, William Hurdman, was charged on 10 September with overloading on 17 August. He sailed from Hastings Pier to Dungeness with 901 passengers, 247 more than allowed. He was fined £10 plus a ...
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A presentation was made to Councillor Idenden, chairman of the Hastings Harbour Commissioners for his endeavours. On 16 March, 12 gentlemen were formed into a Board of Commissioners, composed of four representatives from the fishing industry, four from the Chamber ...
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Hospital Parade
From the Hastings News of 18/09/1896
The Hastings Friendly Societies took part in a street parade for the hospitals, on Monday 14 August.
Tough Bye Laws
From the Hastings News of 18/09/1896
The bye laws were upheld, and those who protested against the obstruction of the thoroughfare at Eversfield Place during the recent carnival were fined.
A new laboratory for the Hastings School of Science and Art opened at 42 George Street on 11 September. The two large upstairs rooms had been the Literary Institute. The funding of £200-£300 came from the Corporation, from the grant ...
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Both Piers Damaged
From the Hastings News of 09/10/1896
There was gale damage to St Leonards Pier on 6 October. The remaining portion of the timber landing stage was smashed to pieces and washed away, causing timber to be driven into Hastings Pier, damaging its ironwork structure.
There was a disturbance at the Harbour Works on Thursday 22 October. The removal of beach to the west of the western breakwater caused a large hole that upset the fishermen. A conference took place at the harbour office, but ...
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The Corporation discussed three schemes for opening up the Old Town with a proposed new thoroughfare, ie, the widening of the Bourne, High Street or All Saints Street.
Borough Boundaries
From the Hastings News of 23/10/1896
At special meeting of Ore Parish, the proposal to extend the borough boundaries was unanimously carried.
Parliament Bills
From the Hastings News of 20/11/1896
Two notices appeared in the News re bills to be published in the next session of parliament. One was the Harbour Bill to obtain sanction for the construction of a sea wall or embankment. The other was for the construction ...
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There was major disappointment amongst all local Freemasons when a promised royal visit was cancelled at the last moment. Many ceremonies, displays and elaborate engagements had been prepared for the visit to the borough on Wednesday 26 November 1896 of ...
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South-Eastern Railway on 1 December placed on their Hastings service via Tunbridge Wells a "finely appointed and easy-moving vestibule train. ... On no other line in Great Britain is there a train to be compared to it for luxury in ...
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Harbour Inquiry
From the Hastings News of 04/12/1896
An inquiry was held on 27 November at the Palace Hotel, White Rock, over the difference between the fishermen and the harbour contractors about the movement of beach from the foreshore.
Storm Damage
From the Hastings News of 11/12/1896
There was a storm on Saturday 5 December which slightly damaged the harbour work. The sea ran into West Street and reached underground cellars in George Street. The fishing boat William, belonging to William Fullager, sustained serious damage.
Tramway Opposed
From the Hastings News of 11/12/1896
At a Council meeting on 4 December, councillors opposed a tramway along the seafront. The believed it would 'ruin the town' and were prepared to spend ratepayers money in opposing the acheme. They considered there was insufficient room for ...
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A special meeting of the Council on 18 December came out in favour of extending the borough boundaries. The Council in Committee had produced a report recommending the extension, taking in the villages of Ore and Hollington, plus parts of ...
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Cecil Ince resigned as the Liberal Party candidate in parliamentary elections for Hastings. His Roman Catholicism was seen as losing necessary crucial support from influential electors.