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The Penny Post Established - St. Leonards Commissioners

The year 1840 was perhaps memorable for nothing so much as for the establishment of the Penny Post with which it was ushered in. I have already given my readers a fair idea of the many inconveniences which were entailed by the varied and comparatively enormous postal rates of the old system, and they will therefore be able to estimate the appreciation with which the boon of postal reform was received. It needs but the remembrance that even in the reign of her present Majesty, it was at one time customary to charge fourpence for the conveyance of a "single" letter over a distance of fifteen miles, with a gradually increasing rate up to 1s. 4 1/2d to remote parts of Scotland, to convince us that of all the benificent (sic) reforms which have contributed to the development of commerce and to the incitement of a thirst for education this was one of the most remarkable. No better proof of this development could be given in a few words than that which is indicated by the following statement. Previous to 1838 there did not exist any reliable account of the number of letters which passed through the Post office, but in 1838, the last complete year before the adoption of the uniform penny rate, the returns supplied to Rowland Hill - in which I had the honour to assist - showed that the chargeable letters delivered in the United Queendom was 76,000,000. On the 10th of January, 1840, when the new system first came into operation, the number was 112,000 for that day alone, or more than four times as many as were ever dispatched on one day at the same period of the years. This was the more remarkable because the arrangements were still incomplete. At the expiration of twelve months, however, the year's transmissions amounted to about two-hundred millions, as against the seventy millions of 1838; and at the present time the letters annually transmitted by the agency of the Post-office are known to be considerably over a thousand millions - a number easily expressed, but difficult to realise.

The routine of the Hastings Post-office prior to 1840, together with a sketch of the general system then in vogue has been described in a preceding chapter, but the following extract from a Treasury Minute of December 26th, 1839, may further elucidate what I there said of the local management of ship-letters, money-letters, &c.

"Their Lordships are pleased to direct that on the 10th of January, 1840, the charge on all letters passing between one part of the United Kingdom and another shall be one penny per single rate, such postage to be prepaid, or charged double on delivery. ... In consequence of the great increase of letters containing coin, the practice heretofore of entering such letters as money-letters will cease on the 1st of January, after which time, parties having occasion to transmit small sums are recommended to make use of the Money-order office, while those who may desire to remit bank notes or drafts payable to bearer, are requested to cut them in halves, sending each half, if possible, by two different posts. ... In consideration of the reduction now made in the postage of ship-letters, and the probable increase of such letters, the ship-master's gratuities will be reduced to 2s. 6d. per 100 for all letters, newspapers and other packets conveyed between one part of the United Kingdom and another. At the same time gratuities of one penny per letter or packet, and one halfpenny per newspaper will be given to the masters of ships trading to the East Indies on the same conditions as those now applying to other ship letters and papers." ... On the use of stamps, their Lordships have fully decided and they will be prepared with the least possible delay.

The postage stamps promised in the Treasury Minute, as well as envelopes, did not come into use until the 6th of May 1849, and being then printed in black, they were neither so good looking nor so easy to cancel as those which were printed in brown, a year later. In 1847 the sheets of stamps were perforated by a machine invented by Mr. Archer, and purchased by the Government for £4,000. Three years later, the 1d. stamp was brought out in bright red, and after thiry (sic) years, familiarity with this stamp, it was superseded, as well as other priced stamps, by a new design. But here I must bring my remarks on the Post-office to a close, merely adding that the death of the grand old patriach (sic), Sir Rowland Hill on the 27th of August 1879 at the age of 84, reminds me that a generation has passed since he won his triumph over official obstructions, and by his well-conceived scheme revolutionized the social intercourse of the world.

It may be recorded for its co-incidence that as the present writer had much to do with preparing the local statistical returns for Rowland Hill in the year 1839, so also he commenced operations in St. Leonards as a pedagogue (and as a bookseller in a very small way) at Market terrace, on the very day that Rowland Hill's Penny-postage system came into operation. Poor as he may be at the present moment, he was even poorer at that time, his stock-in-trade having been purchased with the only ten shillings of which he was possessed. There was no sin in this, and consequently no need for shame; but it may be of sufficient interest to some of his readers to be informed in a few words how it was that his tide of fortune was at so low an ebb. In chapter xxi is described the series of storms in 1839, and the injuries and losses which I sustained aboard ship in my unsuccessful attempt to reach the great land of the west. The situation I previously held in the Post-office had now another occupant, and the nature of my injuries making it desirable that I should employ myself in work that was not too laborious, I conceived the idea of setting up as a private schoolmaster. I was told that such was very much wanted at Ore, where Mr. White, the protegé of the Rev. Dr. Fearon, was not only not competent to teach, but also not sufficiently circumspect in a moral view to be entrusted with a school where boys and girls were under the same roof. I hired a ​building​ in that parish, and in two or three weeks I had as many children as I could well attend to, but the clergyman named rode round to the parents telling them that unless they immediately withdrew their children from my school they should be discarded from the school-club and other parochial privileges. What was even more singular in the opposition with which I was thus confronted was, that, notwithstanding my having previously assisted in the singing at Ore church, and professing to be a churchman, the reverend gentleman was pleased to say he would have no Wesleyans setting up school in his parish. The result was that the parents took their children from me, with tearful regrets, and I at once shifted my quarters to St. Leonards, with greater success. I afterwards felt more sorry for Mr. White than for myself, for he having proved himself guilty of the impropriety of which he had been previously suspected, forfeited even the good opinion of Dr. Fearon, and had to be removed from his scholastic duties. I refer thus much to personal matters to show how, by accidental circumstances I took up my permanent abode in St. Leonards 62 years ago, and how by so long a period of 63 years - despite my inability in other respects - I feel myself in a position to write these historical and biographic sketches.

Having referred to the circumstances which changed my connection with St. Leonards from that of a constant visitor to that of a permanent resident, and, thus, as it were, brought back the reader once more from the old town to the new, we will take another peep into the doings of the St. Leonards Commissioners. I described in chap. 21 the arrangements which were made for the purchase and establishment of a fire-engine, although they were not really completed until the beginning of 1840. Among other resolutions passed by the Commissioners at their quarterly meeting on the 30th of March were - "That notices be posted against the practice of firing guns into the gardens from the high ​road​; that Mr. James Beck be refused permission to construct a trap-door in front of 44 Marina; that the Parliamentary Rate Returns be sent to the Mayor (Francis Smith) through the Town Council; and that all rate-defaulters be summoned." At the next meeting the Rating Returns showed a probable nett income of £898 4s. 6d., as compared with £807 in 1836. This, it must be admitted was not a large increase in four years upon the rates of a new town that was said to have sprung into existence as if by magic. The general accounts of the Commissioners at this date had not been examined, in consequence of the illness of Mr. Charles Deudney, but this was not allowed to stand in the way of the usual half-yearly levy of a shilling rate upon household property, and a sixpenny rate upon agricultural holdings. A letter having been received from Messrs. Clement and Hoad's solicitor, suggesting an amicable settlement of a claim for compensation for damage to a fly by the bad ​road​ opposite to the Fountain Inn, the Clerk was ordered to reply that the applicants had no claim whatever upon the Commissioners. Some other resolutions included the abrogation of the services of a Surveyor, the abatement of slaughter-house nuisances, the selection of a site for a Pound, and the appointment of a Pound-keeper. The last-named resolution was carried into effect at the next meeting by the appointment of James Reed, whose duties were also to include the keeping the parade in order, and to assist on the ​road​. Fancy the Belgravia of the South being able to suspend the office of a Surveyor, and to manage its ​road​s, its parades, and its straying cattle with the assistance of one man, and all that by dedicating only half his working hours to the task, and at the economical wage of 7/6 per week! Oh, Hastings, Hastings! What are you thinking about in the year 1881, with your Town Surveyor, Assistant Surveyor, Road Surveyor, Crown Surveyor, District Surveyor, Building-society Surveyors, and no end of ​road​-sweepers and scavengers! Could you not do as St. Leonards once did - discharge your officials, and take on a labourer to work half his time at 7s. 6d. per week? See what a short way it would be to reduce the rates, for which the inhabitants declare now-a-days it is so difficult to make adequate provision! Never mind caring for the visitors; they used to come in greater proportionate numbers, and more from noble or distinguished circles in times of yore, when there were no proper ​road​s, no pier, no swimming baths, no regular drainage, no drinkable water, no public gardens, no park, and "no nothing." There is no harm in saying that even in the year under consideration, there were among the St. Leonards visitors, all at one time, Lady Mildmay, Earl of Fingall, Viscount Sidmouth, Lady Ridley, Viscount and Viscountess Beresford, Sir John Eustace, Dowager Lady Kinnaird, Sir Thos. and Lady Strange, Lady Ynnott, Lord Brougham, Lord Prudhoe, Lord and Lady Worsley, Lady Raffles, Hon. W. Dundas, Hon. Mr. Fitzroy, Sir Harry and Lady Verney, Lady Hope, Admiral Sir W. and Lady Lawford, Lady and Miss Miller, Countess Metaxa and suite, Sir C. Coote and family, sir John and Lady Orde, Sir H. Hernloke, Dowager Baroness de Rothschild, Sir Thos. Anbury, Mr. and Mrs. Brassey and family, Dowager Lady Croft and family, Earl and Countess of Warwick, &c. - A goodly number of aristocratic names, truly, to occupy houses and apartments in the somewhat outre saison month of April. I wonder if Sir Thos. Brassey remembers his visit to St. Leonards in those juvenile days of his!

It was not merely in the matters referred to that the Commissioners displayed their bent of economy. The stone wall just by the National School wanted repairing, and Mr. Towner was to do it for 30s., and the brick-pavement required re-laying on the East Ascent, and Messrs. Hughes and Hunter were to do it for a £5 note. An improvement was also wanted to be effected at the western part of the town, and if the parish authorities would pay £20 towards it, the Commissioners would contribute £10, with the proviso that their chairman inspect the work.

September had now arrived, and as the gas-lamps had been unlighted during the summer, the Commissioners would now be able to afford a resumption of public lights for the winter. Money was coming in from the summoned ratepayers some in lump sums, like the £3 14s. from the landlord of the Fountain, and some in dribblets, like that from Miss Ranger, who, according to a bi-yearly custom, solicited relief from a moiety of her rates. Never mind! Those who had not "stumped up" after being once sued, were to be re-sued, and the interest on bonds was to be paid as soon as the receipts admitted of it. One fortunate circumstance for the Commissioners was the less abnormal action of the sea than in some previous years, thus causing a less outlay of money for repairs to the parade walls. The only expense for defences in 1840 seems to have been for a little re-jointing here-and-there with cement, and the repair of a raddle groyne. The business, therefore, at the last quarterly meeting of that year was almost confined to the making a new rate, ordering the beaching of Caves ​road​ for 30s., and payment to Thos. Towner for putting up poles near the Fountain Inn, to prevent people falling into a hollow between the raised Marina ​road​ and Caves ​road​, which was frequently filled with sea-water at spring tides.

It must not be inferred, however, from what is here stated that "Old Davy" was entirely quiescent. He occasionally engaged in a wild gambol, and while he was in one of these moods on the 23rd of January, he enlarged the breaches previously formed in the walls of the Eversfield parade, which was out of the Commissioners' jurisdiction. There was a succession of gales from Monday the 19th to Sunday the 25th, but on the intermediate Friday the wind assumed a hurricane type, with lightning and thunder, beneath which the ground appeared to shake as with an earthquake.

"The wind is as iron that rings,
The foam-heads loosen and flee,
It swells, and welters and swings
The pulse of the tide of the sea."

The most lamentable occurrence of that stormy week was the wreck at St. Leonards of the French vessel, Augusté, and her crew of ten persons. At daybreak on Sunday morning a vessel was seen off Galley hill, keel upwards, and floating towards the shore. It afterwards struck the rocks, and in a short time the beach was strewed with the casks of wine and brandy of which the cargo mainly consisted. The wreck drifted about three miles to a point opposite St. Leonards, where the water left her. Means were immediately taken by Mr. Harman, of Hastings, and a gang of workmen to secure the vessel with cables made fast to anchors fixed in the carriage ​road​. As the remainder of the cargo washed out of the hold it was secured, and taken, some to the Custom-house and some to Breeds's warehouse. The vessel was of a schooner rig, about 170 tons, nearly new, and commanded by Capt. Winheart. The belief is that she was blown over on Saturday night by a squall, and that the captain and crew perished.

Associated with the above sad tale of the sea was one of the greatest fires that had occurred in Hastings for many years, the description of which is given in chapter XXIV. In that chapter also is described the fire which was discovered at Mr. Hollond's residence, on the 22nd of October, two months after the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Hollond at the Allegria. In previous references to the movements of the then Liberal Representative, I omitted all mention of Mrs. Hollond, and for the simple reason that there was no such Mrs. Hollond until the 18th of March, on which day our respected Member exchanged the state of "single blessedness" for the silken bonds of matrimony. This change in his domestic condition was not effected in the borough which he represented but Hastings and St. Leonards were, nevertheless, en fete on that occasion. The auspicious morn was ushered in by a peal from the bells of St. Clement's Church, which was repeated at intervals during the day. On boats and flag-staffs colours of every kind and flags of every device were displayed; and, for the nonce, party feeling was put entirely aside. In the evening the streets resounded with the strains of the Hastings Old Band, as it played, never more heartily, the "Wedding Day" and other lively airs! The marriage took place at Stanmore, near London, and on that occasion the village was in joyful commotion. Dressed in their Sunday best the people crowded to the church to witness the marriage of their friend and patron, Miss Ellen Julia Teed, the only child of the resident magistrate. It was said that a gayer village scene could not well have been witnessed, the neighbours seeming to vie with each other in their outward demonstrations of esteem and gratitude to one from whom they had received many tokens of kindness. A long line of carriages conveyed the bridal party to the church where an avenue was formed by the school-children, who sang a hymn composed for the occasion by the curate. After the religious rites had been performed, nearly fifty persons sat down to a splendid dejeuner, and among the guests were the following persons known at Hastings:- The Rt. Hon. J. and Mrs. Planta, Col. and Mrs. Tennant, Mr. Orm, Mr. W. M. James, Mr. Walter Prideaux, and Mr. W. D. Cooper. After breakfast Mr. and Mrs Hollond proceeded to Paris, leaving behind them presents for the poor and a repast for the children. "Wedding at the Hall," on this occasion was everybody's own, and all rejoiced because they knew the virtues of their benefactress, and could testify that the conventional formalities of modern times had not on this occasion interfered with the heart's free tribute.