a new white apron with the word Reform traced upon it in blue ribbon; and, thus attired, I had no difficulty in getting through the sturdy ring of humanity and making my way to a table where my help was at once welcomed by a friendly staff, each of whom had already discovered that to wait upon 21 hungry persons was quite enough for one pair of hands. But I ought to say that the dinner was not actually begun until a second gun had been fired, and a blessing asked at every table, one of the clergymen at the Mayor's table first setting the example.
The beef, mutton, potatoes, and hot plum-puddings were cooked at the bakehouses, hotels, and private houses; and at a proper time were collected by a committee specially appointed for that duty. Good as this arrangement was, it failed in one or two cases, as shewn by the fact that several plum-puddings cooked at the Priory farm were not called for. A few other puddings — perhaps a very few — also missed their way in going to the field. One was seen "walking" over the West Hill in an opposite direction, and another was supposed to have slipped from its "neck-tie" while riding in one of Stevens's vans. Not many days ago, I asked an old St. Leonards resident, who was one of Stevens's drivers in 1832, if the latter supposition was well founded, and his reply was in the affirmative; "for, don't you see," he said "we fellows who did the work couldn't get to the dinner, so 'tis very likely a pudding or two took compassion on us, and stowed themselves away in one corner of the van."
However, with about 350 large joints of meat, 500 puddings, and 80 kilderkins of beer, there was enough for that large dinner pasty, vast as it was; and there were not a few of the still greater host of on-lookers who also managed to get a snack of beef or pudding "just to remember the Reform Dinner." After the company had been bountifully served with their roast beef and plum pudding, and grace after meat had gone the round, the wine glasses on the Mayor's table were charged, and the mugs on the other tables were filled, and toasts were proposed in honour of King William and his Ministers. Drinking and smoking then went on, and the cords being unable to withstand the increased pressure from without, the charmed circle was invaded by an immense, but well behaved throng, who began immediately to participate in the afternoon's amusements. These consisted of jingling matches, treacle-roll bobbing, smoking contests, races for men and women, climbing greased poles, hunting a pig with a greasy, tail, kiss-in-the-ring, dancing, &c.
One of the effective scenes was the sudden appearance of four boys on the top of the triumphal arch, dressed in costumes to represent Earl Grey, Lord John Russell, and two other persons, one of them holding in his hand a roll to represent the Reform Bill. Two of these boys, I understood at the time, were sons of Mr. Alfred Vidler. Another of the novel sights was the Elphinstone galley, mounted on wheels, and drawn through the crowd by means of a rope. On board this boat were four sons of Neptune, attired in striped guernseys and caps, each holding an oar erect. Daddy Neptune himself was also on board, with his gilt trident. He was a fine dark-featured fellow, with a long black beard, in which there was no sham. Had I not been assured that he was really old father Neptune, I should have said that he was a Mr. Dunk, who worked at one time as a stone-mason for Mr. Vennell on the "" and afterwards for Mr. Major Vidler, the afterwards octogenarian, at Pevensey; but, of course, he was Neptune, if only for that day. This was shewn by his godship when he shouted through his speaking-trumpet something after the following strain:—
Hail, hail, ye joyous sons of Britains Isle!
To see you all so happy makes me smile,
At sea we heard a most unusual clatter,
So pulled we in to see what was the matter.
From Parli'ment, I hear you‘ve got Reform;
I'm mighty glad on't; it will do no harm
I have come rom Neptune’s daughter—
That is, we've left awhile the briny water,
To see fair Hastings, and indeed to court her;
And now, your Worship, we should like some porter,
To drink Reform, the King, aud Britain's laws,
And shout three cheers, with hip, hip, hip, hurrahs!
There were some other classic representations personified by "Trimmer" Breach in a carriage drawn by goats with gilded horns, and "Pop" Gurr in another vehicle, but I cannot remember what these were. There is a great deal more however, that I can remember, for the whole scene is almost as fresh to my mental sight as though it were but a day, instead of 63 years since the event took place; yet as I have written this almost exclusively from memory, should it occur to any one of the few persons still living who participated in the Reform. dinner rejoicings, that I have stated anything erroneous, I shall be pleased to receive correction. I will say, however — and I hope without egotism - that the late George Scrivens, Esq., in calling attention to my narrative when it was first published, declared that its accuracy was evidence of a marvellous memory.
After the first appearance of the foregoing narrative "A Chairman at the Reform Dinner," whilé complimenting me for presenting a "generally true picture," thought that my estimate of ten or twelve thousand persons present during the day was much too low. His own estimate was nearer twenty thousand. My correspondent, however, misread my words. I said such number was computed to be present at one o'clock. For aught I know, his own estimate of 20,000 during the day may have been near the mark. Of course there were not 20,000 inhabitants at that time, but, as I stated, people came by thousands from the adjacent towns and villages. The census of the previous year showed the population of St. Leonards (which embraced the parishes of St. Leonards and St. Mary Magdalen) to be 1,300; and the population of Hastings to be 10,231. It is clearly certain, then, that if there were 20,000 persons present at that grand fete, nearly or quite one half of them were non-residents of the borough. Equally certain it is that the nearly 6,000 persons who dined together on that occasion constituted a very large proportion of the inhabitants. I may mention, incidentally, that the cost of taking the census for the parish of St. Leonards in 1831, was a very moderate one, namely 26s. 2d. to Mr. John Phillips as Vestry Clerk, and’ 30s. to the overseers and assistants. As regarded the destiny of the large flag which was presented to the town by the inhabitants of Holy Trinity I was not able to give "a chairman" any information, but I expressed ‘a hope that if it was still in existence it might be exhibited, if only as a curiosity; or, if it had been purposely madé away with, some one would be good enough to let the subscribers or their descendants know how, when and where.
As a last word in connection with the Reform Dinner, I may mention that the Borough Members (Messrs. North and Warre) who were present at the dinner, and also sat in the first Reform Parliament, gave a ball at the Swan Hotel, on the 18th of December following, at which there were 600 persons present. Fancy six hundred persons attempting to dance in the Swan Assembly Room when it was even smaller than it was when it disappeared a few years ago in the demolition of the hotel to make way for new property. I have seen many crowded meetings in that ancient hostelry during more than half a century, but I do not remember ever seeing such a "happy crush" as that of the Election Ball of 1832.
The Assembly Rooms - A Brilliant Season
Quadrilles — which about that time were first introduced to the Hastings people by the late Joseph Hart — were out of the question; but the country-dance went merrily on in the ball-room, in the ante-room, and even on the stair-landing. Of course there were many disciples of Terpsichore, but there were many who had not previously paid their devotions to the dancing deity. Yet all went merry as a marriage bell:
For those there danced who never danced before,
And those who always danced danced all the more.
Seeing that the invitations to the ball were so numerous, and that they applied to St. Leonards as well as to Hastings, and knowing as everybody did that the Swan room was incapable of accommodating half the number, it was freely expressed that the better plan would have been to hold the ball both at the Hastings and at the St. Leonards Assembly Rooms, and thus divide the party for their greater convenience. Perhaps the existing jealousy in other matters between the two towns might have ruled for a contrary decision. The St. Leonards suite of rooms were not only much more elegant than the old Swan room, but also in every way much better adapted for a ball of that magnitude.
Of late years the rooms have undergone considerable alteration for the purpose of meeting new wants, and probably with the additional object of realising a more adequate return for their cost and maintenance than the revenue which had been derived from them as assembly-rooms and club-rooms. When the baths on the parade were abolished, it was felt that other baths should be provided within a reasonable distance of the old ones, and the happy thought occurred that they might be constructed in the crypt beneath the large hall and spacious anterooms without detriment to the latter; also that an excellent tepid swimming bath might be prepared at the same time. This was done and an efficient manager and swimming -
