The following references from the Hastings Watch Committee’s correspondence are taken from catalogue entries of documents at The Keep, Falmer. The date is followed by the document reference and then the full catalogue entry. I have not looked at the actual documents, but even with the brief quotations cited they tell a vivid story. I have also added a few newspaper references that I found.
The Saxon Hotel mentioned was at 13 Grand Parade, at the bottom of London Road, now occupied at the ground floor (in rebuilt premises from about 1905) by the Bonjour café. A chemist, Robert Hempsted (his name is spelt in various ways) was at the opposite corner, 14 Grand Parade. The Colonnades mentioned could be the West, East or South Colonnades, all further west, near the Royal Victoria Hotel. The church mentioned is of course St Leonards, further west still, with its curate in 1845 the Rev. James Murray.
30 May 1844, Brighton Gazette
TOWN HALL, THURSDAY, MAY 23. Present. – DR MCCABE (Mayor), F. SMITH, Esq., Dr RANKING, and Mr DUKE.
TAVENOR V TALBOT. – This was also a case of assault, in which blows were exchanged, on the defendant’s being ordered to move on from a corner near the Saxon Hotel, where his loitering about had become a nuisance. He was fined £2 and costs; and in default was committed to prison for one month.
The Rev. Mr Sumner, Mr Smith, Mr Southall, Mr Deudney, Mr Noon, and Mr Hutchings (of St Leonards) appeared to complain of this nuisance.
The Rev. Mr Sumner addressed the Bench, stating that some very low characters were in the habit of congregating at this corner, and insulting almost every one that passed – often using very obscene language. He had himself been insulted by them; and he had come to the decision, with several others, of calling in the strong arm of the law to put down such disgraceful conduct.
The Mayor assured Mr Sumner that should any case of this nature be brought before him again, the offenders should be punished with the utmost severity [The Sussex Advertiser, 28 May, states that the plaintiff Tavenor was the bookkeeper of the Coach office at the Saxon Hotel].
19 February 1845 (DH/B/136/296)
Letter from the Rev James Murray to Mr [? George Cresswell] Murton complaining about the ‘constant assemblage men and boys at the corner of ‘The Saxon Hotel and Saxon House, whose conduct is most disgraceful’ and the ‘similar collections of ill behaved men and boys under the Colonnades on Sunday evenings whose conduct and language are so improper as to prevent families from walking along the flag-way on their return from church’.
21 February 1845 (DH/B/136/297)
Memorial from visitors and inhabitants (53 signatures, not listed in catalogue entry) living in the west ward to the Watch Committee complaining about the ‘number of persons of bad character standing loitering about on the foot pavement at the corner near ‘The Saxon Hotel’ and at other places and obstructing the footpaths and by their disgusting language and personal observations, particularly on females’.
20 November 1851 (DH/B/136/489)
Memorial (signed by 22 inhabitants of Grand Parade and London Road, not listed in catalogue entry) to the Hastings Watch Committee concerning the ‘great and serious nuisance caused by persons congregating and loitering on the public footpath on the Grand Parade and London Road, and particularly those adjoining to the ‘Saxon Hotel’ and ‘Saxon House’ and premises adjoining, such persons being in the constant habit of using profane and obscene language… smoking and spitting in front of our premises’.
5 March 1852 (DH/B/136/494)
Letter from Robert Hempstead, 14 Grand Parade, St Leonards to the Hastings Watch Committee complaining that the nuisance adjoining the ‘Saxon Hotel’ and ‘Saxon House’ continues unabated.
16 March 1852, Sussex Advertiser
In a case before the Bench four young men, aged from 17 to 21, were charged with obstructing pedestrians on the sidewalk at the bottom of London Road, at the corners of the Saxon Hotel and Mr Hempsted’s house. The Watch Committee could not fix the offence on any parties before. PC Waters observed and wrote down what was said from the Saxon Hotel. ‘He saw the four defendants and some others whom he did not know, standing round in a lump. Several persons went off the foot-pavement; the language used was very bad.’ Also ‘Some time ago there was a caution posted at this corner, but from the beastly words that were written on it, it was taken down again. Witness [PC Waters] read some of the notes of the language used: it was of an obscene nature.’ They were fined 1s each and 12s costs, or one week’s imprisonment.
24 January 1857, Sussex Express
ABUSIVE LANGUAGE. – Inspector Battersby summoned a man named CHARLES RUSSELL, by order of the Watch Committee, for having used obscene and abusive language to one of the constables, at the corner of the South Saxon Hotel, on Sunday, the 11th instant.
Defendant did not deny the charge, and had nothing to say in extenuation.
Letters were read from Mr Vaughan, proprietor of the South Saxon Hotel, and Mr Hampstead, chemist, complaining of the congregating of idle men and boys at the corner of their houses, and the filthy language made use of.
The bench expressed their determination to punish all cases brought before them, and fined defendant 20s, or one month’s imprisonment.
Some might wonder if the nuisance ever ended…
More gritty historical detail re St Leonards, thank you.