Holy Trinity Church
- passed between himself and the Rev. G. D. St. Quintin. It appeared that the Bishop was of the opinion that it would be best to postpone the erection of a church in the extra-parochial place of the Holy Trinity or Dissolved Priory until a Private Act should have been obtained. On the motion of Dr. Greenhill, a memorial to the Bishop was agreed upon, setting forth that there was no necessity for a private Act of Parliament, &c. It was also proposed and carried unanimously that the overseers treat with the Countess Waldegrave for the immediate purchase of the land in the Step Meadow as a site for the proposed church. The Countess had kindly promised to pay for the land. Another meeting was held on the 12th of March - this time at the "Royal Standard" with Dr. Greenhill in the chair. A letter was received from the Bishop in reply to the memorial, which stated that his Lordship was willing to assent to the church being built on the following conditions:- 1st that the patronage be vested in the Bishop; 2nd, that the first incumbent be the Rev. G. D. St. Quintin or someone nominated by him; 3rd, that the district attached to the church may be enlarged hereafter beyond the limits of the said parochial place if the law provide the means of effecting it, with the consent of the Bishop and Incumbent for the time being; 4th, that a suitable maintenance be provided for the Incumbent in the usual way of pew-rents (the remainder of the sittings being subject to a nominal rent of 1s. or a higher rental to be claimable by residents in the district in preference to all others; 5th, a residence house be erected as early as may be found practicable. If the promoters should be willing to proceed on such conditions, the Bishop offered £500, and promised his aid to obtain grants from the Diocesan Association and the Church Building Society. It was resolved by the meeting to accept the conditions.
The founding of this church would have been more properly noticed in the next chapter under the head of Hastings; but as the initiative and correspondence with the Bishop was undertaken by the Rev. G. D. St. Quintin, once the Incumbent of St. Leonards Church, and the promoter of and liberal subscriber to the St Mary Magdalen Church, as well as being a permanent St. Leonards residents, one's thoughts in commencing the account unconsciously drifted from St. Leonards to Hastings, unmindful of the usually observed distinction.
At the date of April 14th, the Queen had contributed £100; the Countess Waldegrave, £1,000; the Bishop, £500; the Rev. G. D. St. Quintin, £500; Mrs. St. Quintin, £10 10s., Miss Quintin, £20; Rev. J. A. Hatchard, £20; E. Vernon Harcourt, £50; F. North M.P., £20; a lady, by Countess Waldegrave, £30; a "thank-offering", £50; Miss F. Clarke, £20; and Rev. H. S. Foyster, £20;- altogether £2,456.
Operations for the church were commenced on Nov. 27th, by the Rev. G. D. St. Quintin breaking ground in the Step Meadow.
