Hastings Chronicle

The News ran a profile of Messrs Blackman and Hobbs, owners of 23 High Street, where their family business, Upfield and Sons, had been for four years. Their firm, also called the Hastings Engineering Works, were respected engineers, millwrights and heating specialists. Their father-in-law, the late Mr John Upfield, had purchased an old-established millwrighting business at Catsfield in 1849. Alfred Blackman and Frederick Hobbs, his sons-in-law, later became the principals and sole partners. In 1893, having had good business connections in the town for many years, they purchased the lease of the premises and business which Mr CC Potter carried on at 69 George Street [later Barnes’s]. But increased work made it necessary to find larger premises, so they had bought the freehold of 23 High Street, where extensive alterations and large workshops had been built. It was originally a private residence, with garden, where the workshops had been erected. Towards the rear was a steam engine driving the many machines on the premises. “The late Mr Upfield, amongst other work, designed and built Mr William Draper’s wind and steam flour mills at Silverhill; Mr John Hayward’s windmill at Baldslow; the windmills at Ninfield and Dallington, and erected the windmill, with the gearing for driving the pumps, for the Newhaven water supply.” He also worked on the local breweries of Breeds and Co, Burfield and Co, and Hewitt and Co. The younger members of Upfields had carried out many works across east Sussex, including all the machinery, engines etc for the J Draper and Co steam roller flour mills in Bexhill Road, by the railway bridge. They also had contracts to maintain Lord Brassey’s engines, boilers, water supplies, gas etc at Normanhurst. Plus they had set up the concrete-making machinery for the Hastings harbour building works, then taking place. They had also carried out valuable work at the Hastings News printworks. Mr Blackman, who lived at 23 High Street, was a skilled and respected mechanic.