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The Hastings and St Leonards Citizens Education Reform League held a big public meeting in the Public Hall, Robertson Street, with attacks on the injustices of the Education Act.
There was a tramcar accident in Queens Road, close to Cornwallis Street. It was a collision between No 14 tram car and a horse and cart belonging to Mr GE Parris, a dairyman, of Stonefield Road. The tram ran into ...
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Death of Henry Hills at his residence, 6 St James Villas, St James Road. He was manager to Messrs Alderton and Keen, an old Hastings firm. He then started his own business as a plumber and decorator at 1 Middle ...
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New Halton School
From the Hastings Mail of 13/01/1906
The renovated old Halton Boys School in Albion Street opened on Monday 8 January. Not being a Hastings Board School, it was funded mainly by the Church Schools Council, supplying £900 of the £1,369. It would accommodate 104, with three ...
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General Election Looms
From the Hastings Observer of From the Hastings Mail of 13/01/1906
The general election taking place on Monday 15 January dominated the two main newspapers, the Mail and Observer. The Mail canvassed very strongly for the sitting Liberal MP Freeman-Thomas, calling on the working men of Hastings to support the Liberal ...
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The Beaconsfield, returning home with the Hastings fishing fleet, was driven onto the rocks and considerably damaged. It happened close to the eastern groyne. It was captained by Mr H Sutton. Those on board were rescued with extreme difficulty.
Du Cros Becomes MP
From the Hastings Observer of From the Hastings Mail of 20/01/1906
Tory candidate Harvey Du Cros was elected as Hastings Member of Parliament in a record poll in the general election on Monday 15 January. He had 4,348 votes, the sitting Liberal MP Mr Freeman Freeman-Thomas 3,935, a majority of ...
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Free Dinner
From the Hastings Mail of 24/01/1906
Between 250 and 300 poor and aged folk were given ample dinner by the Independent Order of Buffaloes at the George Street Market Hall.
Committee Makes Work
From the Hastings Mail of From the Hastings Times of 27/01/1906
Hastings Distress Committee meeting in mid-January: Work on the Elphinstone Road railings would be finished next week. Carpenters working on the Haven bridge were being paid 7d an hour, but this was Corporation work, not that of the Committee. 141 ...
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There were three demonstrations on Monday 22 January. The Tories had a large parade of carriages, traps, motors, two stage coaches and various other vehicles, starting at noon from Warrior Square, going to Bulverhythe, then the Fishmarket and back to ...
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Front Line tramways: The town clerk received a letter from Mr Elston, secretary of the Hastings Tramway Co, pointing out that the company would, with the sanction of the Corporation, proceed to lay the Front Line with an underground system ...
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The start of the Hastings and St Leonards Democratic Association. The Mail said: “For some time past the need of an advanced organisation has been felt by local Democrats and a movement has been started with the object of forming ...
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Hastings licensing sessions: The justices decided to close three more public houses: the Lugger, West Street; the British Hotel, Mercatoria; and the 0ddfellows Arms, Caves Road.
Councillor Dr Gray on 5 February answered Distress Committee critics. He said they found it difficult to find work. They had appealed to every committee of the Council, the Board of Guardians, the education authority and all the landowners throughout ...
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The Mail said: “Democracy Astir - New Organisation for Hastings – Hopeful Speeches: The movement for the organisation of the democratic forces of Hastings and St Leonards has made a decided advance this week. An association has been formed, officers ...
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Mastin Bros, the multi-purpose drapers and clothiers, opened their new premises at Breeds Place after the disastrous fire of December 9th 1904.
The Ore Station extension arbitration case: The brick company claimed £13,000 from the SE Railway. The case concerned the SER’s decision to extend the goods traffic accommodation at Ore, for which it was necessary to acquire four acres of the ...
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Death of Mr William Meadows, Clerk of the Peace and a member of the legal firm of Meadows, Thorpe and Meneer of Hastings, St Leonards and London, at his residence Roslin, 67 Sedlescombe Road South.
Councillor Gray appealed for more funds to the Distress Committee, stating that 382 had received temporary employment but that the balance in hand of £346 would be absorbed in a fortnight, and that the want of employment, especially amongst painters, ...
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Mystery Boat
From the Hastings Mail of 22/02/1906
A mysterious boat was seen floating bottom upwards off Hastings Coastguard Station. Charles Cragg and Edward Lamb rowed out and brought it back to the Coastguard.
There was a meeting at the Brassey Institute on 17 February to reorganise the constitution of the Museum Association after the Hastings Museum had been taken over by the Town Council.
A Hastings Distress Committee meeting in the Town Hall on 19 February moved that in future they could pay the trade union rate of wages to all skilled workmen employed on work which required a better class of labour, to ...
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A further meeting was held, on 21 February, to discuss the establishment of a democratic organisation for Hastings and St Leonards, at the Rainbow Hall, Silverhill. The Chairman was happy at the goodly number of working men present, men who ...
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The tramway company was shortly to introduce a morning and evening service of workmen’s trams at reduced fares.
Prosecution and imprisonment for three months with hard labour for shopkeeper Mr Wall, of Queens Road, for the exposure of indecent postcards.
An inquiry was held into the application of the Hastings Corporation to borrow a further sum of £9,797 in respect of the Brede Valley Water Scheme, and £800 for the erection of workmen’s cottages adjoining the works.
Harvey Du Cros MP had obtained a large local residence: Levetleigh - 35 Brittany Road, on the corner with Dane Road, St Leonards [now replaced by flats]. In the meantime, he was living at 106 Marina, which his son Arthur ...
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A pony attached to a four-wheeled cart bolted down Rock Lane, Ore. John Austin, a builder of Prospect House, Winchelsea Road, Ore, and his daughter were driving to Coghurst Farm. They were thrown out and Mr Austin died from injuries ...
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The newly formed association was gaining strength fast. It condemned the separation of old couples at the Workhouse. It hoped that John Ward, the Labour MP for Stoke on Trent, and Mr FU O’Donnell MA, president of the Democratic League, ...
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Justices declined to grant an application for the transfer of the license of the Ship Inn at Pett to a plot of ground at Fairlight, known as Cliff End.
Death of the fishermen’s blacksmith at his residence, 1 Halloway Place, Old London Road. William Tapp was a blacksmith at Mercer’s Bank, at the bottom of All Saints Street.
The Grand Hotel was in an unfortunate financial position. At it’s annual meeting, the Grand Hotel Company was told depression was bringing about a crisis. A fresh start was to be made on reduced shares. About a month later, in ...
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Tragic death of an unknown foreigner, washed off the steps of a groyne in Denmark Place and drowned in an exceedingly rough sea. An inquest in the Anchor Inn was told that William Marrison, a Coastguard, failed in an heroic ...
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The Hastings smack Mayflower RX 60, captained by Mr W Adams, lying off St Leonards Pier, was bit by a sudden squall which carried away her foremast, and she was severely battered when placed under the lee of the Harbour ...
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Death at the Workhouse of Jimmy Roper who for many years was coxswain of the Hastings lifeboat.
The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new chapel at the Hastings Union Workhouse performed by the Mayor on Saturday 16th.
A stormy vestry meeting took place in the parish of All Saints over the Magdalen Charity and the alleged political use of that charity fund. Charges were made against the Rev PJ Blakeway, with the overseers and several working men, ...
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Windfall to the Hastings Distress Committee: £100 was received from the Queen Alexandra Fund after the local fund had been entirely dispersed. But distress still prevailed in some quarters, Elford Street, off Queens Road, in particular. The Mail of 31 ...
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Resister Jailed
From the Hastings Mail of 24/03/1906
The Rev Edward Joyce was the first Hastings passive resister in prison. The Mail had a special interview on page 5 describing his experiences of six days in Lewes Gaol.
There was stormy criticism of the Magdalen and Lasher Cahrity at the annual vestry meeting in the parish of All Saints, held at All Saints Infants School on 22 March. Several working men, mainly fishermen, led by Mr Mann, condemned ...
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The former town hall in the High Street, built in 1823, was leased to Mr William H Reeves of 43 High Street for 21 years, at £60 pa.
Hospital Scandal
From the Hastings Mail of 31/03/1906
Hastings Hospital scandal: An inquiry was held into the death on 24 March of William Beale, of 5 Gloucester Cottages, Croft Road, whose removal from the East Sussex Hospital when in a critical condition was criticized by the Hastings Guardians. ...
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Death of Mr TB Brett, the famed local historian, at his residence in Norman Road. The funeral was on 9 April in the Cemetery Church. Thomas Brandon Brett was born in George Street on May 30th 1816. His father was ...
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Tree Fossil Found
From the Hastings Mail of 07/04/1906
A fir tree fossil was found on the beach at Rock-a-Nore by a Corporation employee, William Streeter. A representative from South Kensington Museum came to Hastings. A dispute arose over the ownership of it, and Streeter refused to hand in ...
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The first section of the new tram line from the Bopeep Hotel to Bexhill opened to the public on Monday 9 April, just in time for forthcoming Easter. A trial trip took place on the 7th. The service was based ...
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Funeral of Mr RE Bumstead, well known Hastings fisherman.
Boy Drowned
From the Hastings Mail of 14/04/1906
A missing boy, John William Baker, was found drowned in a well in the vicinity of Winchelsea Road, Ore
The fried fish shop at 109 All Saints Street, occupied by Mr J Salmon, was ablaze.
The Town Council on 20 April was prepared to approve the tramway dolter system for the Front Line, instead of self-propelled cars, on being satisfied that the studs would be practically flush with the wood paving so as to cause ...
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Labour MP Coming
From the Hastings Mail of 21/04/1906
There was going to be a visit by Mr John Ward on 25 April, one of the first-ever Labour MPs elected in 1906. Mr Ward was the joint choice of the Labour and Liberal parties in Stoke on Trent, where ...
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Major General Dies
From the Hastings Mail of 21/04/1906
Major General WJ Finch died suddenly in his pew at St Mary Magdalen Church. He resided at Rose Mount, St Leonards.
Glazier Dies
From the Hastings Mail of 21/04/1906
Death of Mr J Glazier who for nearly 50 years carried on a clothier and draper business in High Street.
The Democratic Notes in the Mail said: “The Grammar School has always been a puzzle to me. I have never known the son of a labouring man or a mechanic to be educated there, although I have known the sons ...
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Suicide of an ex-Hastings coal merchant: The body of William Henry Tranter was found in an East Peckham hop garden with two bottles of laudanum by his side.
General Booth, the great leader of the Salvation Army, visited Hastings and spoke to a crowded evening meeting at the Concert Hall, where he was supported by several councillors and other public men.
Death on 21 April of William Ransom, father of the local press. His life story was told on page 2 of the Mail. He died at his residence at 13 Githa Road, Clive Vale. He was the founder and first ...
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The Hastings Democratic League meeting took place on Wednesday 25 April at the Public Hall in Robertson Street. The Mail said it was a telling speech by John Ward MP (the Navvy MP). This mass meeting of the Hastings and ...
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The Mail reported the burning of the steamer Lugano off Hastings. Between 9 and 10 o'clock on Thursday morning (26 April) first news came from a boatman that a large cargo steamer had caught fire and her cargo was blazing ...
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A special meeting was to be called for winding up the Hastings and St Leonards Omnibus Company after the annual meeting at the Queens Hotel.
New Reading Room
From the Hastings Mail of 05/05/1906
A new Reading and Writing Room had been provided by Mr Brewster in the rear of his shop, No 2 Castle Street. The charge for admission was one penny.
A missing man, Mr John Selmes of 56 Red Lake, Ore, was found dead in a large pond at Friars Hill, Guestling. An open verdict was recorded.
Death of Mr Joe Spice, well-known and respected boatman, who for many years carried out his occupation at the Breeds Place slipway.
The SS Lugano departed on Saturday 5 May. She was successfully towed out of her bed of sand after eight days lying between the two harbour arms by the three tugs Helios, Sea Adler and Gebr Wrede. She was anchored ...
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Hastings Corporation was threatened with an action at law by the St Leonards Pier Company in reference to defences of that structure. Extracts from Sir Ralph Littler’s letter as chairman of the St Leonards Pier Company: “Last Autumn your men ...
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Waterless Houses
From the Hastings Mail of 12/05/1906
The Sanitary Committee had a communication from the Democratic League drawing attention to the 15 houses at St Leonards which were without convenience of water. Dr Scarlyn Wilson reported that there were four conveniences for the 15 houses and the ...
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A meeting of the Hastings Democratic League at the Lower Central Hall, Bank Buildings, on 10 May stated that there were over 100 names upon the books, nearly 80 being fully enrolled Democratic League members. “We are as an organisation ...
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The Democratic Notes in the Mail said: The Rector of Ore, the Rev WC Bullock, has recently been one of the principals in a public transaction which illustrates the greed of the Anglican clergy. Some 25 years ago the Ore ...
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Death of Mr Thomas Poole at his residence 2 Exmouth Place, Hastings, for 20 years acting as honorary secretary of the St Clements district of the Hastings and St Leonards Liberal Association.
William Henry Jameson, a chemist of 1 Harold Place, appeared at the Bankruptcy Court.
A meeting took place on 17 May of the delegates appointed by the Trades and Labour Council and the Democratic League at the Clarence Hotel, Middle Street, to consider putting Labour candidates forward at the November municipal elections. It was ...
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The Democratic Notes in the Mail said: The Hastings Observer complains it is not allowed admission to Democratic League meetings. Does it imagine democrats do not know friends from foes?
Suicide by poisoning of Francis Edward Burton, the well-known manager of a firm of auctioneers, Messrs Glazier, of Havelock Road.
Death of Thomas Tutt, aged 51, of 15 Eastern Street, St Leonards, after taking oxalic acid. He was depressed owing to being out of work but had not threatened to take his life. The coroner’s verdict was death from misadventure.
The Distress Committee finished its 1905/6 work with a balance in hand of one shilling and ninepence.
The laying of the foundation stone of the new Church House (hall) in Croft Road, close to St Clements Church, was carried out by the Archdeacon of Lewes. The hall was then in the course of construction.
The Ore Penny Dinner Fund annual meeting was held at Ore Village School. 20,391 dinners were given to the poor children attending Ore Provided Schools last winter.
Two meetings of the Hastings and St Leonards Branch of the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks were held, on 21/2 May. Both were addressed by Mr PC Hoffman, the organiser responsible for the district. He spoke ...
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The Democratic Notes in the Mail asked why should Empire Day be celebrated by a drumhead service in Alexandra Park. There was concern about the promoters’ propaganda on behalf of the National Service League (Alexandra Park bye-laws did not permit ...
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There was a meeting of the Hastings and St Leonards Natural History Society at the Brassey Museum on 22 May. William Beasley MA gave an important lecture on the protection of the Hastings foreshore.
There was a big fire at Ore. Mr Goldup's hay and corn stores were burnt out at 105 Winchelsea Road.
At a meeting of the Hastings Education Committee, scholarship schemes were adopted for boys and girls in connection with the Grammar School and St Helens Preparatory Classes and Pupil Teachers Centre. Mr Macer Wright had a resolution to co-ordinate art ...
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Borough engineer Mr PH Palmer distributed amongst members of the Town Council a significant report on the allegation by the St Leonards Pier Company that the removal of some 90 loads of beach had materially affected the foundations of the ...
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Councillor March, who was instrumental in getting the Hastings Corporation to “snub” the National Service League in Alexandra Park last Sunday week, received a special vote of thanks from the National Democratic League.
Probably the first-ever Labour candidate in the Hastings elections field was to be Mr WW Jones, a plumber by trade.
Successful experiment: The Corporation Band played in Alexandra Park on Whit Sunday, 3 June, to enormous crowds, after a recent decision by the Town Council in favour of Sunday music. The Salvation Army Band also played that day on the ...
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A cyclist was killed by a fall at Baldslow: Frederick Bridgland, a postman of 56 Perth Road, Silverhill, was returning from Westfield with a friend when a small boy ran out in front of him. Mr Bridgland fell on his ...
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Death of Daniel Gibbs at his residence 102 All Saints Street. He was engaged in the fishing industry about 30 years ago and then worked as a coal merchant in All Saints Street. He took on the Dolphin public house ...
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Open air meetings of the National Democratic League took place. These were to be frequently held on Saturday evenings and Sundays. Mr Harry Courtney, a staunch democrat from Brighton, spoke at both meetings, at the yacht stade by the Queens ...
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A new ambulance van was almost complete for the Hastings division of the St John Ambulance Brigade. It was being built by Messrs Davis and Son, coach builders at Battle. It was a horse van, which was a “distinct improvement” ...
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The two local football companies had just merged. The Hastings and St Leonards Football Company and the St Leonards United Football Company had amalgamated to become the Hastings and St Leonards United Football Company Ltd. "At the outset of the ...
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Local medical man Andrew Dunn Turner, of 71 Marina, was accused of unlawfully publishing to Edward Austin a defamatory letter concerning the character of Edith Austin. On July 17 he was sent for trial for publishing false, scandalous, malicious and ...
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Lord Brassey spoke at a public meeting of the National Service League in the Public Hall, Robertson Street.
The Democratic League, the Council and applications for open air meetings in Alexandra Park: At a meeting of the local branch of the National Democratic League at the residence of the secretary F Willard on 12 June, it was stated ...
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The Hastings Omnibus Company should be wound up, an extraordinary general meeting at the Queens Hotel on 14 June decided. Alderman E Bradnam presided, supported by directors Col Blanshard, Ald Glenister and J Prior; plus Cllr Major ST Weston (co ...
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Sunday trams were temporarily shelved by the Council at a meeting on 15 June, despite a petition in favour with 3,650 signatures.
The Democratic Notes in the Mail said: Chair attendants worked from June 4-18, with some attendants working practically 100 hours for the miserable sum of 15s. It is hoped that Councillor Felton Smith, who is a member of the Democratic ...
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Emigrants from Hastings: The Hastings Corps of the Salvation Army had dealt with 7 or 8 cases under their Emigration Scheme, where several distressed families from Hastings were sent out to Canada. Among these emigrants were Mr and Mrs Smith ...
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Death of Mr A Barham at his residence 54 Havelock Road, Hastings. He was apprenticed as a cabinet maker to Nathaniel Bragg in the Old Town. He set up as a cabinet maker at 33 Queens Road. Later he took ...
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A large motor mail van arrived at the Central Post Office. It was to run from London to Hastings and vice versa with the parcel post, commencing on July 2. The vehicle, which is of considerable proportion, was loaded up ...
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The recommendation of the Stonebeach Committee to erect a timber extension to the stone groyne of some 40 feet in length opposite the Royal Oak Hotel, Caroline Place, brought strong protests from the boatmen and watermen along the entire sea ...
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