Click Newsletter - May 2015
Copy available for reading in the History House
Foundations for the Visitors’ Centre
Old Hastings Preservation Society was founded in 1952 to promote the permanent preservation of buildings of beauty/historic interest, especially in Hastings & St. Leonards and foster an appreciation of the history of Hastings. We encourage and record research which supports our objectives. Good architecture, design and town planning is encouraged. In 1956 we founded the Hastings Fishermen’s Museum open daily in Rock-a-Nore Road and more recently Hastings History House.
Click Newsletter - May 2015
Copy available for reading in the History House
Foundations for the Visitors’ Centre
Wellington Square
Saturday 2nd May, 2.30 PM
Edward Preston will be conducting a walk at the end of the ceremony.
George MacDonald came to Hastings in 1857 for health reasons and lived at 27 Tackleway in the Old Town. Whilst there he wrote his first prose book entitled "Phantastes". This work was later to inspire the likes of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
George MacDonald and family left Hastings for London in 1858. They were to return some ten years later with a somewhat larger family, now including 11 children. The family lived at Holloway House off Old London Road. Whilst at Holloway House MacDonald completed his book "At the Back of the North Wind"
He took an active interest in local activities and was founder of the Hastings & St Leonards Philosophical Society which was started in 1858 and gave lectures at the Public Hall in Hastings and the Assembly Rooms in St Leonards.
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local/hastings-pier-to-open-in-march-2016-1-6692437
Hastings Pier will not be opening this year as planned, it was announced this morning (Thursday).
Simon Opie, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Hastings Pier Charity, said the attraction will open for business on March 21, 2016.
“Almost all the work will be finished this year but not completed in time to open the pier during any of the traditional seaside trading months.”
The charity has ruled out opening the pier in the winter.
Completion is expected around October this year.
History House
21 Courthouse Street
Come and be inspired by some of the people buried in our cemetery – you may have some surprises!
A small sample:
AH B23 Sir John Kincaid 1787-1862 Fought in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo with the Rifle Brigade; author, and the likely model for Bernard Cornwell’s character Richard Sharpe.
AH L02 George Elphinstone Dalrymple 1826-76 Explorer, settler of N. Queensland, where many places are named after him. Read his story & many others at www.friendsofhastingscemetery.org.uk
AI E26 Tilden Tolhurst sentenced to ten years transportation for stealing a sheep in 1839, he spent the time on a prison hulk Leviathan, at Portsea Town. He also ran a beer shop the ‘Prince of Wales’ in Waterloo Passage.
AJ K22 Mortimer Achill Graf von Schlippenbach was wounded in the Prussian wars 1870-71. He lived in West Hill Road. A most unusual memorial with a life extinguished represented by a downward pointing torch.
AK A24 Rev Charles Lutwidge & family An uncle, aunt & cousin of Lewis Carroll are buried here. Carroll frequently stayed in Hastings with his aunts
BE L02 George Devey 1820 - 1886 He took drawing classes under John Sell Cotman. An introduction to Lord de L'Isle started his career as a country house architect, he worked for the Rothschilds at Mentmore. He designed Fairlight Church. By 1881 he was living at 12 Pelham Crescent where he died.
BF A22 John Harper Narbeth, 1863-1944 Naval Architect Designer of the Dreadnought class battle ship among others. Buried at Cheltenham commemorated on his wife’s memorial here. They lived at 65 Sedlescombe Road South.
CC B1-5 Corry Family Edward and his wife Sarah came from Ireland. He was a ‘Russia’ merchant dealing in iron and copper. Their daughter Mayflower died at the Convent of Our Lady of the Missions in Old London Road Hastings in 1863. Sons - Alfred James was an engineer & Edward junior a barrister. Edward sen. died at 67 Marina, his daughter Sarah died at Fairfield, Boscobel Road. The Alfred Corry Museum, Southwold houses the lifeboat that Alfred endowed.
DB W34-5 Anna M. Whistler 1804-81 Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, married Major George Washington Whistler. In 1842 Tsar Nicholas I appointed him chief engineer for the St Petersburg to Moscow railway, the family moved to Russia where George died. Son James entered West Point while William studied medicine. James, dismissed from West Point in 1854, became an artist. 1862 Anna came to England as housekeeper and agent for him. William followed and sett up practice in London. Anna retired to St Mary’s Terrace, Hastings. William and his wife Helen Ionides are also buried in Hastings cemetery.
DE T39 William Montague Glenister 1828-1894 Chief Constable of Hastings for 37 years, with Tutt he founded the Volunteer Fire Brigade. He invented a first aid tricycle for firemen to use in rescues. A much respected man, his memorial, with Masonic symbolism, was paid for by fellow townsfolk.
DF A52 Charles Sheldon Pearce Woodruffe 1839-1906 Capt RN. Served in the Crimea and against pirates in the South China Sea. He was decorated for his work as a coastguard at Kessingland. He lived at Old Roar House and commanded the local coastguards.
EB G16 & 17 Fishermen’s Plot 1886 Purchased by the Fishermen's Widows and Orphans Fund following the loss of life when the RX 3 “James and Elizabeth” went down in a storm off Dungeness in 1886. Several other fishermen who died tragically are also remembered here.
See more at http://friendsofhastingscemetery.org.uk/
Thursday 16th April
6:00pm
Film Screening: 'Muriel Matters!'
Pay what you can!
Donations to help towards the upkeep of the St. Mary in the Castle are welcome.
by Mrs Gillian Mary Webb (Author), Mr Tom Newton Webb (Editor) - £5.00
Dorothy came from a long line of Blackmans, strong minded, indomitable Sussex men and women who once they set their mind to anything went on until they achieved it. Family always came first. She was a Vicar's wife, mother of three and grandmother of seven. Dorothy was a natural writer with a sharp, enquiring mind. With stubbornness and determination in equal quantities she could move mountains. She led an archaeological dig for over twenty years. She founded the Village Museum and the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire. She was a truly inspirational person to all who met her.
Second edition - Copy available for sale in the History House - £25
Move fast, won’t last long!
‘Muriel Matters!’ at St Mary in the Castle on Thursday 16 April from 6.00pm
More information to follow………
Deaths in 1915:
A linked list of the people so far recorded who gave their lives as a result of World War One (the Great War), who are recorded in the common wield, not in the CWG areas, (apart from a few exceptions) can be found:
Please book our tours via email cellars@winchelsea.com or phone 01797 222629. Private tours for groups of 15 or more can be arranged – again, please email us if this is of interest. Rye Festival tours – please see below and the Rye festival page for the Cellar Tours
DATES AND TIMES FOR 2015 (Provisional) – ALL TOURS ARE AT 11:00 unless otherwise stated:
April: Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th (Easter BH), plus Thur 9th April (NGS Open Gardens, Spring)
May: Sunday 3rd (Spring Bank Holiday), Tues 5th May (Open Gardens in aid of St Michael’s Hospice), Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th May
June: Saturday 6th at 10.30 (NGS Open Gardens, Summer); Mon 8th June (Open Gardens in aid of ARRCC); Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th June
July: Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th July
August: Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th (August Bank Holiday)
September: Rye Festival: 6 tours in September – all tours should be booked via Rye Festival Office. All tours at 11:00 – Dates are tbc
Heritage Open Day: Sat 12th Sept – meet outside the Wesley Chapel, opposite Blackfriars Barn; no charge.
Tour arrangements (except for Heritage Open Day): Please see above for bookings. Note that some cellars have difficult access. Bring a torch and wear sensible shoes. Meet at the Town Well in Castle Street, Winchelsea, location 7 on the map, 10 minutes before start time. Tours last about 1½ hrs.
The recording of memorials in the older section of the Cemetery has been completed and there are now 8,030 entries to be sorted into alphabetical order so that they are easily searchable for researchers.
Guided Cemetery Walks: 2 PM, meet in the Cemetery Car Park
New -
Recent -