of London, and the builder was Mr. J. Howell, of Hastings. The contract price was £2,243. On the foundation stone was inscribed
To promote the Glory of God
by educating the children of the poor,
according to His Word,
and in the doctrine and discipline of the church
of England
this foundation stone
of the schools in connection with the church
of St. Mary Magdalen
is laid
by the hand of Louisa, Dowager Lady St. John
with the benediction
of the Bishop, Ashurst Turner,
Dec. 17th 1855.
Collections.
In aid of the Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, sermons were preached in St. Leonards Church on Feb. 26th, by the Rev. Thomas Goodwin Hatchard, M. A., rector of Havant, Hampshire. The offertories amounted to £21 2s. 6d.
At the annual meetings for the Church Missionary Society £21 10s. was collected at St. Leonards, and £20 2s. 7d. at Hastings. The dates of the meetings were March 19th & 20.
On the appointed day of Humiliation (Wednesday, March 21st.) nearly all places of business were closed as though it were Sunday. The collections at the churches were £21 2s. 10d. at St. Leonards, for the endowment of National Schools; (text erased) at St. Mary Magdalen, for (text erased); £30 17s. 5d. at St. Mary’s-in-the-Castle, for the schools of the orphans of soldiers and sailors killed in the war; £8 10s. 4d. at St. Clements’ for the local poor; £7 6s. 6d. at Halton for the poor.
Proposed Improvement Association.
For a society under the title of “The Town’s Improvement Association,” a meeting was convened at the Norman Hotel, St. Leonards, on Friday evening, Oct 12th. The chairman (Mr. T. A. Young) in an introductory speech, remarked that it had been said there was no place round the Kentish or Sussex coast equal to Hastings for natural advantages. She was warmly, healthily and beautifully situated; then why should she rank inferior to Brighton? It was because whilst Nature had done so much for her, art had done so little. At the same time art had done much for Brighton and Nature has done but little. The object of the present proposed association was to cultivate and improve on what Nature has so bountifully given, A combination might, perhaps, bring the railways to better terms in the bringing of visitors; and when they came more amusements were wanted. . They (the meeting) were aware that placards had been posted warning people not to come to Hastings; they were also aware that there had been no illness in -
