agement of the Marine Hotel. And this reminds me that during the intermediate period of the two fatal cases of burning, Mr. Deudney also died suddenly, although from a different cause. On Thursday, Dec. 28th, Mr. Deudney went to Fairlight, and on his return at eventide he drank a glass of porter, and almost immediately complained of being unwell. He retired to bed, and expressed an opinion that he should not live more than three hours. His presentiment was fully realised, for his death took place within the time named. Previously to taking the Marine Hotel, Mr. Deudney was a farmer at Ditchling in which business he was I believe, succeeded by his brother Thomas; but during the elections of 1835 and '37 his hotel was frequently used by the Conservative party, and he thus became an associative unit of that body. He was one of a family of fourteen, the late Alderman Robert Deudney being his youngest brother. The names of the family were - Stephen (who died young), John (who went to America), George (who followed a maritime profession), William (a miller), Thomas (a farmer), Arthur (the hotel-keeper), Charles (a merchant, to whom was married a Miss Fagg), Robert (farmer and alderman), Jane (who died when a young woman), Harriett (who died at an advanced age), Charlotte (who married a Mr. Smith), and three other sisters who were respectively Mrs. Wenham, Mrs. Arkcoll and Mrs. Falconer. Lengthy memories of this family have been given in connection with the "Brooks of Bexhill and Hastings," Historico-Biographic Vol III., pp 145 to 206.
Although the reminiscences of 1837 are still far from being exhausted, I will only refer to one more chain of incidents which links the present with the past. On Tuesday, July 13th, 1880, whilst I am writing, the death of Mr. Pierce Egan is announced as having occurred at his residence, Lee, Kent; and I am reminded by that event that in 1837, when only 22 years of age Mr. Egan published his historical novels of "Robin Hood" and "Wat Tyler." The young author had been trained for an artist, and was no less talented as a painter than as a writer. He was thus enabled to illustrate his own literary productions. I was at that time receiving lessons in landscape drawing and water color (sic) painting at the hands of Mr. Varley, who was then at Hastings, and who, I suppose by way of encouragement, was pleased to reckon me among one of his most apt pupils. It was in this way that the name of Mr. Pierce Egan was brought under my notice as one that was sure to make its mark in the world. The opinion thus expressed by Mr. Egan's admirer has been fully borne out in the career of the gentleman whose death has just taken place. Not only has he published many popular works of fiction and illustrated them with etchings and drawings from his own pencil, but he has also joined the artistic staff of the Illustrated London News, when in 1842 that new venture by Mr. Ingram took the world by surprise, and induced the late Mr. Walter Inskipp, an architect, then residing in St. Leonards, to exclaim "It's a wonderful production, but it never can succeed on account of the expense." Well, it did succeed, and Mr. Pierce Egan continued to supply it with sporting and theatrical subjects for several years. But to return to Mr. Varley, he was, as I have said, staying at Hastings, and in the then not unfashionable portion of All Saints street. It is another of those many coincidences or accidental associations which have haunted me through life that at the present moment a thin partition wall only separates me from the drawing-room of a lady whose relatives gave to Mr. Varley what may be termed his first start in life as an artist. He was at the time an errand boy in the office of some solicitors, who having noticed his propensity to make the premises about with sketches in pencil or chalk, came to the conclusion that the boy was likely to become a genius, and that therefore something ought to be done for him. That something was done; and, as it proved, with successful results. It is a further coincidence that during Mr. Varley's visit to Hastings, another celebrated artist, Mr. Hunt, was residing within pistol-shot distance of him, namely at "East-cliff house," a dwelling that was originally built for Mr. Capel, the eccentric Shakesperian commentator. I more than once accompanied the little deformed Mr. Hunt to his abode on occasions of his annual visits to Hastings, and I not only saw his finished and unfinished sketches of local objects, but I also had an opportunity of seeing the huge mulberry tree which was said to be an offshoot of Shakespeare's at Stratford-on-Avon, and planted by Garrick when on a visit to Edward Capel, at Hastings. From this tree in the garden of East-hill house, were taken some cuttings at a later date, one of which was planted in the late Mr. Wrenn's garden, near the Ebenezer Chapel, and another in the Garden of Mr. Glaisher near the Bourne. Mr. Wrenn's tree suffered considerable damage by the hurricane a few years ago which blew down several of the venerable elms at the old entrance to Hastings, whilst that which belonged to Mr. Glaisher appears to have been destroyed to make room for some new houses. During the years 1827 to 1829 my own dormitory, in a house at "Wood's Row," was in close proximity to this splendid mulberry tree in Glaisher's garden, and as at a certain season its foliage and its ripe fruit obstructed the view from my window, it was quite easy work to modify the obstruction by opening the casement, putting forth the hand, and removing some of the luscious looking fruit de noir. Whether the temptation to do so was amenable to resistance shall be left as a topic for my readers themselves to discuss. And now if only to show the favouritism which has been bestowed on Hastings by some of the most talented delineators of Nature, I will mention the name of another noted artist who was at Hastings contemporaneously with the visits of Hunt and Garley. For several years Mr. Prout resided at 57 George street, and with whose son I was on terms of friendship. It may be stated that on the north side of George street at that time there were several pleasant gardens or avenues with trees and shrubs adorning the houses to which they were attached, but whose sites have since been unsurped (sic) by the all-conquering invasion of bricks and morter (sic). One of these pleasant approaches was that in front of 56 and 57 George street, the residences of Mrs. Phillips and Mr. Prout; another was the lawn and garden of surgeon Duke, adjoining Burdett place; and a third was that at Mount House, where the octogenarian Penfolds resided. But I must here stay my pen or I shall be drawn into reminiscences of the Manningtons, the Dunns, the Lavenders, the Whyborns, the Bayleys, the Badcocks, Yeoman Roffe, "Granny Page" "Old Dame Bodle," and many other ancient people of that locality. I will therefore close these recollections of byegone worthies of the pencil and the brush with an opportune reference to a living artist whose acquaintance, quite by "excellent," as Tom Cladpole would say, I have made to day. Like myself, this gentleman is engaged in connecting Hastings "past and present," but whilst my engagement is scriptorial, Mons. Pellegrin's is pictorial, and whilst mine is of a common-place character, his is of the order of classic art. That gentleman has over a dozen sketches of Hastings - some finished and some on the easel - upon which my ravished vision has been permitted to hold high festival. These pictures, done in oil, are exquisite specimens of art, and comprise, as it were, nearly a century's progress in the condition of Hastings. There are also some which are connected with the conquest of Hastings and of England by William the Conqueror. My enquiry elicited the assurance that the finishing touch would be given to these subjects in a week or two; and it occurs to me that some of them will be worthy of the "Town Association's" notice.
I now close this lengthy chapter with a summary of such transactions of the Town Council as have not hitherto been noticed.
In August it was resolved that the Mayor (Dr. MacCabe) and Councillor Foster be a committee to enquire into the circumstances of Rock Fair, with a view to it being abolished or to render it more useful and profitable to the town without interfering with rational amusements. In September, for the purpose of economy, it was resolved that the police be reduced by two men. In November it was ordered that the request of the Rev. J. G. Foyster to remove the canopy over the Mayor's seat be complied with, and that the Corporation seats be turned, so as to face the new pulpit.
