the burtons' st leonards blog
The Christ Church St Leonards House Improvement Society, Ltd.
Recently I noticed houses in Union and Alfred Street with niches in their walls, as if for statues of saints, and wondered about them. They are at nos. 8 and [...]
read moreEvidence for flat conversions and war damage repairs to 1960 on Marina, St Leonards on Sea
This is an unusual type of post. It will obviously be of interest to those on Marina, but may also provide ideas for those researching buildings on other streets. I [...]
read moreSt Leonards in the newspapers, 1847-48
17 June 1847, Brighton Gazette: Mr C.J. Strode gave £10, in addition to bats, balls, and wickets, to the St Leonards club last week, to assist them in carrying out [...]
read more1a West Hill Road, St Leonards on Sea
From the 1880s onwards, planning applications were typically, though not consistently, reported in the local papers a day or two after either being allowed or rejected. Here we have some [...]
read moreThe early days of King Edward Avenue, St Leonards on Sea
It may be thought that little documentation can be found on relatively modern roads, but I found a great deal on a pre World War II road. As it happens, [...]
read moreSt Leonards in the newspapers, 1846-47
18 August 1846, Sussex Advertiser: Samuel Brown, of St Leonards, was committed for three months, in default of payment, under an order of affiliation made by the bench towards the [...]
read moreStephen Putland, merchant, at 7 London Road, St Leonards on Sea
A lengthy pamphlet could be published on the many activities of Stephen Putland, and this account will only cover his occupation of 7 London Road, and his children. At present [...]
read more19 Warrior Gardens, St Leonards on Sea
Warrior Gardens is situated a couple of streets to the north of Warrior Square, and is numbered from no. 1 downhill to no. 23, which is close to Western Road. [...]
read moreThe sanitary inspector condemns 1 St Clements Place, 1923
Mount Pleasant is a row of houses fronting onto a footpath, parallel to Norman Road. The houses face south over the English Channel. Opposite its beginning, which is next to [...]
read moreThe Jinks family of 4 Oban Road, St Leonards on Sea, in World War I
On Remembrance Sunday I am writing about what happened to a single local family in World War I. My main source is the newspaper, extracts from which are given in [...]
read moreSt Leonards in the newspapers, 1845-46
25 December 1845, Brighton Gazette: ST LEONARDS. On Saturday last J.F. Stanford, Esq., of 1, West Ascent, gave a musical soiree at his residence, when he invited the principal resident [...]
read moreThe sale of 2-7 Charles Road, St Leonards on Sea, in 1924
I came across an advert in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 14 June 1924, and it piqued my curiosity for two reasons. I like sales of adjacent houses, as [...]
read moreJoseph Harvey of 53 King’s Road, St Leonards on Sea
I was looking through Pike’s 1901 directory for Hastings and St Leonards when I came across a full-page advertisement for Joseph Harvey’s shop at 53 King’s Road, as shown below. [...]
read moreRichard John Porter, the ‘Antagonist of connubial felicity’
There are a couple of mentions in the local newspapers for Richard John Porter, the proverbial servant who married his late boss’s widow. I came across a case before the [...]
read moreSt Leonards in the newspapers, 1844-45
7 November 1844, Brighton Gazette: DIED. At St Leonards, on Sunday morning, after a very short but severe illness, Mr Edward Chamberlin, second son of Mr William Chamberlin, of the [...]
read moreThe Campbell family and the Railway and Royal public houses in St Leonards on Sea
A year ago I led a pub walk around St Leonards on Sea and afterwards posted here on The pubs of St Leonards: closures in 1905. This post follows two [...]
read more‘An appeal to the charitable’: a distressed master mariner of 7 North Street, St Leonards on Sea
The Hastings and St Leonards Times, 18 January 1884, has the following: AN APPEAL TO THE CHARITABLE. – An appeal is now being made to the public for the purpose [...]
read moreMiss Northway and her boarding house at 52 and 53 Marina
I bought in an old town Hastings shop an old postcard for its view of Marina, looking westward, which states it was taken from St Leonards Pier. This was opposite [...]
read moreSt Leonards in the newspapers, 1843-44
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., [...]
read moreSome notes on St Benedict, 81 Pevensey Road, St Leonards on Sea
The Burtons’ St Leonards Society held today a very enjoyable event in the joined, beautiful gardens of 81 and 83 Pevensey Road in sunny weather. Our host kindly provided tours [...]
read moreAn 1862 property auction in St Leonards on Sea
The 12 July 1862 issue of the St Leonards and Hastings Gazette & Visitors’ Vade Mecum reported on the sale of a ‘block’ of 13 houses and a plot of [...]
read moreThe Matrimonial Causes Act, 1857, and St Leonards on Sea
The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 marked the first step towards making divorce much easier, and also protecting the property of women who were divorced, separated or deserted by their [...]
read moreButlers in St Leonards on Sea in the 1851 census
The following is a list of the men in the 30 March 1851 census for St Leonards on Sea who were described as butlers or equivalents, plus wives who stated [...]
read moreAn 1898 auction of houses and shops on Marina, St Leonards on Sea
I came across this citation in the Hastings and St Leonards Times (HSLT), 23 April 1898: A PROPERTY sale was held by Messrs John and A Bray, at their Auction [...]
read more‘Gone up to bed quite tight’: thefts by servants on West Hill Road, St Leonards, in 1864
This story reflects badly on the servants, but it must be remembered that dutiful and loyal servants are rarely mentioned in newspapers except perhaps on their deaths, or in bequests [...]
read moreAn 1898 auction of houses and shops on Marina
I came across this citation in the Hastings and St Leonards Times (HSLT), 23 April 1898: A PROPERTY sale was held by Messrs John and A Bray, at their Auction [...]
read moreSt Leonards in the newspapers, 1842-43
10 August 1842, The Morning Herald: THE QUEEN’S ST LEONARD’S ARCHERS. – The ANNUAL PRIZE presented by her Majesty will be SHOT FOR on the 17th August (the grand target [...]
read moreAmy Louisa Wolfen, campaigner
The 18 March 1911 issue of the Hastings and St Leonards Observer had the following letter. AGAINST WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE. RESULT OF A POLL OF HASTINGS WOMEN VOTERS. Madame Amy Wolfen, [...]
read moreGeorge William Spice, cab driver
In the 1 February 1947 issue of the Hastings and St Leonards Observer we have the following interesting autobiographical account. Veteran Driver’s memories WHEN BOROUGH HAD ONE MOTOR BUS. Days [...]
read moreThe dramatic rescue of the crew of the J.C. Pfluger in 1891 at St Leonards
There is a dramatic account of the (successful) attempts to rescue the crew, and the captain’s family, from the Pfluger when it ran aground at West Marina, St Leonards on [...]
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