pointed to Jesse Turner, a sawyer, the stone-beach that he had built his house on at the west end of what is now Pelham Street, on payment of £30. They further granted to Thos. Jas. Breeds, the ground at the east end of Castle Street on which he had placed a coach office and billiard room, on payment of £50. Also for £20, was granted the waste beach on which a workshop was built between the Chalk-road and the Priory water (now Pelham Street), then occupied by Thos. Beaney, and afterwards the property of Joshua Huggett. To Samuel Satterley was granted, on payment of £5, a piece of stonebeach at the back of a small tenement of his at the N. W. end of West Street; whilst to Samuel Nash was granted on payment of 20/ a year a piece adjoining the Priory Water, which, in 1822, he had permission to enclose as a vacant ground attachment to some houses known as Kentish buildings, but whereon he had since erected a dwelling without permission, he to occupy the same as a tenant for the said 20/ a year. This was what is now a part of the ornamental enclosure in Harold Place. In the same year, Mr. George Clements was allowed to put down a footpath round his house and adjoining the Cutter Inn on payment of 1/ a year, whilst for a payment of 2/ a year, Mr. Thos. Jas. Breeds was permitted to make two openings in The Stade for passing casks into the cellars of the Queens Head Inn.
Having alluded to the poaching, and incendiarism that were so rife in 1830, it should be added that a meeting was held at the Town Hall on the 10th of November for discussing the proprietry of forming a volunteer Night Watch for the protection of the town. The Mayor (F. North) presided, and resolutions were passed to the effect that all persons willing to serve, under the direction of the Commissioners for the better security of the town or to find a substitute for the same were to enter their names on a list that would be prepared, that John Pollard Crouch would take the list round for subscribers; and a committee should be formed of Messrs.W. Thorpe, W. Bishop, J. B. Baker, J. G. Shorter, J. Townshend, J. Breeds, J. Emary, G. Duke, J. Chapman, R. Godlee and J. Hannay. The Night Watch was soon established for the three parishes of St. Clements, All Saints and St. Mary-in-the-Castle, and a certain number went out regularly each night, thus giving greater confidence of security both to visitors and inhabitants. Upwards of 260 persons enrolled themselves for this duty, or to find substitutes for the same, twelve of whom under a superintendent were to patrol the thoroughfares during the winter every night from 11 p.m. till 5 a.m. Only five months elapsed after the meeting for forming the night watch, when a second public meeting was convened to arrange for the relief of the working classes who were known to be in indigent circumstances.
My next item is in connection with Bohemia. It was on the 27th of Feb. 1830 that at a vestry meeting held at the Horse and Groom, St. Leonards a poor rate at 2/ in the £ was agreed upon, the Bohemia Land, then in possession of Boykett Breeds, being assessed at £65, and the mansion, tenanted by H. Bonham Esq. M. P. for Rye assessed at £90. It has been shown that Mr Bonham died soon after the above date and it was on the 6th of May that the Princess Sophia of Gloucester and suite came there to reside advisedly for two months, but her Royal Highness was so delighted with Hastings and its neighbourhood as to prolong her stay for twelve weeks, notwithstanding that the horses attached to her carriage had a fall while descending the road over the Pelham Arcade, she visited the Fishponds, Battle Abbey and other places of interest, witnessed the launching of vessels, was entertained by persons of distinction and took drives to St. Leonards where she promised to reside for a time if she lived to pay another visit to the locality.
The annexed view is that of Bohemia, together with portions of the Priory Buildings, Wellington Square, Meadow Cottages &c. at the time when the mansion at Bohemia was occupied by her Royal Highness.
