Monthly Archives: March 2025

13, April 2025 – 4pm – A tour of Regency England food ‘Turn Back Time’ @ Royal Victoria Hotel, TN38 0BD. Non-members £5, Members free

The talk will begin at 4pm sharp on Sunday April 13th, 2025, in the Burton Room of the Royal Victoria Hotel, TN38 0BD. Members free entry, non members £5 entry.  A talk given by chef & writer, Ian Dowding, called ‘Turn Back Time’, he will take us on an informative journey around the food enjoyed by different […]

Who’s the Daddy ? A question of paternity from 1850

In Victorian times ratepayers had to pay for maintaining the inmates in the local union workhouse. They had every incentive to save money by avoiding this, so magistrates, invariably ratepayers themselves, would “remove” those in need of assistance, and not entitled to live in the parish, to their home parish, whether they were already in […]

Notes on St Austin’s Croft, 28 Boscobel Road

The Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 7 December 1895, mentions the granting of planning permission for a detached villa, Plot no. 28, Boscobel Road, Mr F. Cruttenden, owner, per Mr P.H. Tree, architect. The permission was from the previous day and is numbered DH/C/6/1/5806 at The Keep, Falmer. Philip Henry Tree (1848-1922), born on nearby […]

The sad story of Charlotte Sargent

The Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 25 October 1879, gave a long account of a case before two magistrates sitting on the Hastings Bench. The following is only a summary, with some quotations. It was later stated that the accused was 13 years old. Charlotte Sargent, a ‘respectably dressed young girl’, was charged with stealing […]

Gensing Manor, 19 Dane Road

Hastings Council gave permission on the 3 February 2025 to planning application HS/FA/23/00871 for Gensing Manor, 19 Dane Road, for ‘Alterations and extension to existing building to create 20 apartments, together with associated access, landscaping and car parking.’ An extension in a similar style will be built onto the back. The Argus has an article […]