of poaching, but that they were accidentally thwarted in their design.
Demands and daring attitude of agricultural labourers.
Be that as it may, the labourers of after assembling by appointment, went now to the farmers and landowners of the neighbourhood and desired them to meet at Stone Link next morning, and there agree upon the rate of wages they were prepared to pay in future. The morning came and as early as 5 o'clock the said labourers proceeded to the Superintendent of the Workhouse, named Sims, and told him his time was come, and that he must immediately quit the parish. They then put a halter round his neck and led him to Pett, where they took refreshments, and then went on to Stone Link where the farmers were already assembled. Such was the prevailing terrorism, that it was felt to be prudent to accede to the labourer's demands to any extent that might be within the bounds of reason. A higher scale had been adopted by the Guestling farmers, and, after some debate, the same scale was unanimously agreed to. This decision put the men in good humour, and they promised to protect the property within the parish and neighbourhood from injury. That they performed their promise may well be doubted after the next year's events are narrated.
The burning of agricultural produce still continued in the neighbourhood of Hastings and in other parts of the country, and on the 6th of December, a stack of barley was burnt to the ground at Eastbourne, which had it occurred later at night, might have ignited several other stacks close by. The owner of the property was Mr. Moses Fielder, who, two year later, was married to Miss Sarah Ann Brook, of Bexhill.
At this time, Hastings was beginning to be better than ever supplied with stage coaches to London and elsewhere as a means of conveyance, though not without its dangers, that was mostly very pleasant at times other than the winter, when, if amidst frost and snow, a seat on the outside did not often afford a theme for rejoicing. This brings to mind that on the 7th of November, a female passenger to London while on the coach asked a person who sat next to her to kindly support her, as she felt exceedingly faint. At the stopping place, a glass of wine was procured for her, but shortly after, she sank down, a silent corpse.
From coaches to roads is but a step, both figuratively and practically, and that step may be taken in the notice of a meeting which took place at Sedlescomb (sic), with Mr W. F Lamb in the chair, for the purpose of opening up the interior of Kent by forming a new road from Hastings and St. Leonards to commence at the Harrow and to pass through Westfield and Sedlescomb(sic) to Cripp's Corner in the parish of Ewhurst, thus giving access to Bodiam, Maidstone, Chatham, Strood &c. £2,000 was declared ready to be advanced, but as the expenses were estimated at double that amount, it was deemed advisable to defer the application to Parliament in the ensuing spring.
The Corporation claims disputed; correspondence thereon
Among the many changes sought to be effected in 1830 was an enlargement of the powers of the Commissioners. At their monthly meeting on the 18th of October with Mr. North as chairman, and a presence of 40 members, the committee appointed at a previous meeting submitted their report, which stated that it was expedient to apply to Parliament for an amended Act with clauses for supplying the town with water, for the erection of a market, for building groynes and for carrying with effect such other improvements as might be considered necessary. It was ordered that Mr. Walter Inskipp be employed to draw up plans for the formation of reservoirs, laying down pipes &c., but as no money could be taken from the Commissioner's funds to defray the expense of applying to Parliament, Mr. North promised a donation of £5 towards that object, and before the meeting closed, the additional promises reached a total of £52. At the December meeting, the proposed application to Parliament was fully discussed, and a list of houses necessary to be scheduled for widening the public thoroughfares was submitted, from which were struck out two or three houses near the Battery (including the Bank) that had been scheduled at a previous meeting. Then followed a piquant correspondence in the columns of the Iris, which journal as before stated was first published on the 23rd of October in 1830. There can be no obliquity in discerning the acerbity with which such correspondence abounds, but without a little preliminary explanation the motive on provocative of such is not so apparent. The proposal of the Commissioners to remove the property known as Beach Cottages and adjoining shipwright's yard. Most of this property was built before the year 1818, and as upon a site that had been frequently washed by the sea at spring tides, the same being claimed by the Corporation as stonebeach -
