ments in the St. Leonards delivery be sent to the Secretary of the General Post-Office and a copy of such letter be sent to the Mayor of Hastings. This, as will be seen further on was a most exciting subject and the occasion of much ill-feeling between the two towns.
Vestry Meetings (St Leonards)
At the Easter Vestry (March 27th) the following were the appointments: Overseers - Richard Gausden & John Peerless. Asstt Overseer - Wm. Payne (£10 a year) Assessors - Emile Grosslob & John Carey Highway Surveyors - Jas. Mann & Wm. Draper Special Constables - Aaron Ford & John Fuller Vestry Clerk - John Phillips. There were 12 persons present, and a poor rate at 5d. for the outbound was resolved upon. - At the meeting on May the only transaction was to require a bond of £100 for the Assistant Overseer. - At a meeting on July 30th only three were present to propose a poor-rate at 3d. - At a meeting on Oct 1st, a poor-rate at 4d. and a highway-rate at 1½d were passed and a commmittee consisting of Messrs. A. Burton, R. Gausden, J. Peerless, J. Carey, J. Mann, W. Hatchman and W. Draper, appointed to revise assessments.
Vestry Meetings - (St. Mary Magdalen)
The first meeting for the parish was on the 5th of February when a poor rate at 4d. was levied and a resolution was passed to give the assistant overseer an additional £20. There were 14 parishioners present. - At the Easter vestry, the appointments were:- Overseers' - Joseph Hadden Job and Henry Chandler. Assessors of Property and Assessed taxes - George Roberts & John Kenwood. Vestry Clerk - William Pain Beecham. Eighteen persons attached their signatures to the minute book, among whom were Robert Deudney (chairman), Charles Cope, Joseph Boston and Thos. B. Brett. - At this meeting the chairman gave over to the parish officials a vestry and account book, commencing June, 1762 and ending 27th of Feb, 1830. This book had been in the possession of the Deudneys, as overseers or co-overseers for three generations. The meeting was held at the Commercial Inn. - The next meeting was held at the Albert Inn on the 25th of June, when there were 9 persons present, and a poor rate at 6d. was passed. - The next meeting, on the 1st of October, was that of the Assessment Committee, when 13 ratepayers were present. - The same number attended the meeting on December, 16th, with Mr. Boston presiding. A poor rate was then levied at 6d. in the £, having risen from 3d. to 4d., and from 4d. to 6d., at which last named figure it afterwards continued for several years.
