27 July 1843, Brighton Gazette:
WEST CLIFF COTTAGE, ST LEONARDS ON SEA. MISS LANDER, with the assistance of first-rate Masters, and a resident French Teacher, intends, on Monday, 31st inst., TO OPEN AN ESTABLISHMENT FOR EIGHT YOUNG LADIES, at West Cliff Cottage. – Cards of terms and further particulars may be had by applying to Miss Lander, at the above address. The highest references can be given [Probably on what is now West Hill Road, but at the time called West Cliff].
16 September 1843, Northampton Herald:
Same day [7 September], at Anstey, Alfred Burton, of St Leonards on Sea, Esq., to Anna Delicia, second daughter of the late Henry C. Adams, of Anstey Hall, in the county of Warwick, Esq.
12 October 1843, The Morning Herald:
HASTINGS and ST LEONARD’S ON SEA, at the lowest fares, and by very much the quickest route. – The RELIANCE, very superior conveyance, by railway to Staplehurst, leaves the BELLE SAUVAGE, Ludgate-hill, every morning (Sunday excepted), at a quarter before Eleven o’clock. Fares, 11s outside; and 18s inside.
NELSON, EMARY and Co., Proprietors.
HASTINGS, by turnpike-road, morning at Ten o’clock as usual.
31 October 1843, Sussex Advertiser:
MAGISTRATES’ SITTINGS. Sarah Waters, a young girl and a cripple, appeared to swear a child to Samuel Bell, carpenter, St Leonard’s. He did not appear, but the girl said she belonged to Hollington, in which parish her mother resided; she had lived 17 months with Samuel Bell.
Mr Ticehurst said, they had to claim 24s for past maintenance, and 2s 6d per week in future, which was awarded by the Magistrates against the defendant [The 1841 census lists Samuel Bell, 35, carpenter, at an unnumbered address at Marina. In the 1851 census he was at 9 London Road, age 48, born Devon, with wife Sarah, 40, straw bonnet maker, born Somerset – and son James, 15, carpenter, born St Leonards, and “son in law” [stepson] Robert Reed, 17, blacksmith, born St Clements. Bell had married Sarah Reed in 1848 in Hastings. If she was 40 in 1851 she was hardly a young girl in 1843].
11 November 1843, The Morning Advertiser:
PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. C. Deudney and R. Deudney, Gensing, Sussex, and St Leonard’s on Sea, Sussex, farmers and graziers, brick-makers, and coal-merchants [R. Deudney was Robert Deudney, who in the 1841 census was a 35-year-old yeoman at Gensing Farm. The 1843 Parliamentary electoral register has him as of Gensing, St Mary Magdalen, occupier of land at Great and Little Gensing farms and Smith’s farm. He was agent to the Eversfield Estate].
29 February 1844, Brighton Gazette:
ST LEONARDS. Lady Howden gave a dinner party on Thursday last. The company included Lord and Lady Radstock, the Misses Waldegrave, the Hon. General and Miss Meade, and Captain Byrd [A frequent visitor to St Leonards, Lady Howden was staying at 35 Marina].
Countess Metaxa gave a dinner party at 63, Marina, on Tuesday [This was Selina Jane Rancliffe née Barrow (1814-1869), who in 1841 had married Gian-Battista Metaxa, 7th Count Metaxa, who was born in Cephalonia, Greece. They lived at Cheltenham].
26 March 1844, Sussex Advertiser:
PUTLAND v. TROUP (A Special Jury.)
F.P. Rock, Esq., one of the jury, upon taking the book to be sworn, wished to know whether being, as a Roman Catholic, deprived of his civil rights in other respects, he was eligible to serve the office of juror ?
Mr Baron Alderson: How can you be so foolish ? I cannot think how a man can make such a goose of himself. Don’t be such a goose.
Mr Rock was then sworn… [A juror was withdrawn, and the case was thus removed out of court. Troup was James Troup, who was prominent in trying to develop Warrior Square, and who was involved in much litigation with Eversfield and Manser among others. The Religious Disabilities Act of 1846 removed the last civil restrictions on Catholics and Dissenters, although there were still restrictions at Oxford and Cambridge universities until 1871. The case was about Putland being attacked in handbills by Troup. Putland was a coal merchant and surveyor. Troup was formerly a watchmaker and jeweller, but was now retired. In November last Putland stood for the town council and a handbill alleged that he was unfit as he had not paid up a balance due to the parish of St Mary Magdalen of which parish in 1837 he was surveyor. James Mitchell Pearce, assistant to Mr Southall, printer at St Leonards, gave evidence. 200 bills were printed for 160 burgesses. After some of the bills were delivered Mr Southall stopped them. Joseph Shaw, working for Mr Southall, delivered some of the bills. John Austin of St Leonards, builder, had lived in the neighbourhood for 27 years and in St Leonards for 6 or 7 years. He was surveyor for the highways of St Mary Magdalen. Acquainted with James Harman, tailor, and Stephen Putland, coal merchant, who in 1836-37 were surveyors of the highways of St Mary Magdalen. In 1838-39 plaintiff again appointed, with Charles Deudney].
21 June 1844, page 2167 London Gazette:
Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors. [Order to vest in the provisional assignee the estates of the following persons] James William Oakley, late of the Horse and Groom Inn, Saint Leonard’s on the Sea, Hastings, Sussex, licensed victualler. – In the Gaol of Hastings [The 22 Apr 1845 issue, page 1249, says dividends of six pence farthing in the pound were paid to the creditors of same, No. 65934C. This was about 2.5% of the amount owed].
27 June 1844, Brighton Gazette:
ST LEONARDS.
THE ANNIVERSARY OF HER MAJESTY’S ACCESSION. – On Thursday last demonstrations of our loyalty were given by a fête to the children of the National Schools, as it is always desirable, by noticing the recurrence of any royal anniversary, to foster in their minds love and obedience towards their Queen. The procession, preceded by a band of music, with flags and lanterns displayed, was a pleasing sight, and creditable to the state of the schools. The feast was given in the Assembly Rooms, which was kindly lent by Mr Burton, and the fare was neither scanty not homely – some hundred pounds weight of cake, &c., with tea, in which, to judge by the hearty cheering and the strenuous voices raised in the National Anthem, Her Majesty’s health was drank with as much sincerity as by any of the assemblies whose cheers perhaps, at a more fashionable hour, were given in a more aristocratic and harmonious tone; throughout the room, however, which was thronged by visitors, the chorus was universal. Grace being sang, the Rev. J. Murray addressed the children in a short but expressive speech, enforcing the duty of being loyal and obedient subjects, that the occasion should not be forgotten in the treat. Each child then received, in the adjoining room, a gift according to class; and the poor were allowed to take the remains of the feast [National Schools were Anglican. The school at the time was probably at St Clements Place next to Mercatoria. A report of the same occasion ‘from another correspondent’ adds some details: the band was Elford’s, they had paraded through the town, the meal consisted of plum cake, buns and biscuits, there were 220 children. Besides the loyal cheers for the Queen, there were also ‘3 times 3’ cheers for ‘The Master and Mistress’ and for ‘The Ladies and Gentlemen’].
On Wednesday last a general meeting of the Queen’s St Leonards Archers took place. The morning was showery, but the weather clearing, visitors congregated, and the day was most favourable for the archers.
On Monday last a poor man, named Weller, in the employ of Mr Smith, of the St Leonard’s caves, was excavating sand, when a large mass fell upon him, producing a most severe comminuted fracture of the bones of both legs, besides other bodily injury. Mr Gilbert, surgeon, speedily went to his assistance; and, having skilfully secured the lower extremities, to prevent any motion of the injured parts, kindly took charge of him to the St Leonards Infirmary, where we are happy to hear that he is doing favorably. The poor man bears an excellent character, and has a wife and three young children depending on his industry.
Mr Elford’s band commenced playing for the season on the Parade, on Tuesday evening last. It is reported that we shall have two bands this season, on account of the railway [this remark is presumably because it had been suggested that a railway be built from Brighton to St Leonards, but it had not been built].