Born in Hastings

When my parents and their first four children (of whom I am the second eldest) emigrated to Australia we took with us the knowledge all the children had been born in Hastings.

I was totally disconcerted when during a visit, my elder sister told me that the last time she visited the area with my Father he had said we were born in Bexhill. (Personally, I think she may have got this wrong, and he actually said St Leonards, but we will never know now.) This made no sense to me, as my Mother told me I had been born in Warwick Deeping’s home, and I used to think that I was predestined to be a writer (a writer yes, but not published!)

This sent us scurrying, initially, to our birth certificates; my sister in Queensland and me in Hastings. I had already established that our two younger brothers had been born in Hastings so although thrown, I wasn’t totally despairing!

My sister’s certificate told her she was born at 143 Marina – in the County of Hastings. Further exploration by me revealed at the time this was a Nursing Home run by the misses Fleming & Spencer.

My birth certificate said “Oaklands” St Helen’s Park Road (the road in which we lived before going abroad) also in the County of Hastings. It may seem odd, but I was genuinely relieved, it had been quite discombobulating to my sense of self when there was a doubt about where I was born, and the story my Mother had told me.

Oaklands no longer exists but was above Hillside Road and I was able to establish that Warwick Deeping’s father, a doctor, had lived there. Cross checking the dates it seemed likely that it had been left to Warwick Deeping and was probably empty at the time that he offered it for use as a Nursing Home, because of the fear of bombs dropping on the Marina.

And now, from Gerald Brodribb’s ‘Hastings and Men of Letters’ I find “….Warwick Deeping (1877 – 1950), who in his medical student days lived at his father’s house at “Oaklands” St. Helen’s Park….” (p.34)

So as I used to tell my schoolmates in far away Hobart, I am indeed ‘, and very happy to be so, a poor girl from Hastings’.

Since this exploration into family history I have travelled further, and now know that our Great grandfather, James Henry Smith, was living in Hastings as early as 1901, at which time he was a commercial traveller in spirits. There is a James Smith listed as licensee of the Highland Inn, Boscobel Road, St Leonards from 1904 - 1906 but I can't at the moment positively identify him. [see below for proof - 21/10/2015] From 1910 – 1917 he was licensee of The Jenny Lind in the High Street. And thereby hangs another tale! He was caught serving a lance-corporal at four in the afternoon – good for him was my initial thought, but alas, he tried to bribe the policeman and subsequently lost his licence. Or so David Russell says. (Author - Pubs of Hastings and St Leonards) You can read the complete tale here, and make your own judgement. Our Great grandmother was Alice Elizabeth Smith, they are both buried at Hastings Borough Cemetery on the Ridge, but there is no memorial.

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 09 September 1905

SMITH - CHARLTON. A very pretty wedding was celebrated a few days ago at St. Clement’s Church by the Vicar- The contracting parties were Mr. Sydney James, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Smith, of the Highlands Hotel, West Hill, St. Leonards, grandson of Mr. J. Smith. Yateley, Hants, and Eva Templeton, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charlton, of Clive Vale, Hastings. The bride was given away her father.

The bridesmaids were Miss Mabel Charlton, sister of the bride. Miss Donovan, and Miss Ivy Donovan, cousin of the bridegroom. Mr. Douglas Smith, brother of the bridegroom. acted as best man. After leaving the church the guests were invited to a reception at the bride’s house. The wedding cake was a beautiful large two tier cake, very artistically ornamented. After the reception the wedding party were invited to recherche luncheon at the Highlands Hotel. After the luncheon the bride and bridegroom started for their honeymoon in the Isle Wight.

The bridegroom, at the outbreak of the Boer War, answered his country's call, and went to South Africa, joined the Cape Mounted Rifles, and served with them over three years to the end of the War.

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After James left the Jenny Lind he is listed at living at 1 Cornwallis Gardens (where our Grandparents lived from sometime in the 1940's until their deaths).In 1934 he is living at 48a Cornwallis Gardens (where a John H Smith was living in 1932 - a relation or a coincidence?)

Our maternal Grandfather, Douglas Joseph Smith, served in France and his lungs were damaged by mustard gas. In later years he used to go to the French Alps for his health. In 1911 he was managing a Photographer’s shop – there were several in the High Street, but currently I don’t know if it was one of these or elsewhere. Hastings has been home for many photographers over the years. (http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/HASTINGSdirAB.htm ) After some years running a shop at 44 High Street, selling baby carriages and phonographs, he had a photographic studio, Douglas Studio.

Our Grandmother, Elsie Irene Cottew, was born in Herne Bay and apparently was descended from Flemish lace makers. Elsie was a domestic help with an ironmonger's family at 5 Elms Buildings, Eastbourne. The Elms Buildings attracted photographers for some strange reason. Rudolph Vieler lived at Number 19, Leighton operated at Number 16 and Cooper at Number 18. Maybe Douglas met Elsie while visiting one of these photographers. (Thanks to Rendel Williams, of Sussex Postcards, for the information on Elms Buildings occupants. ) They were both cremated and ashes scattered in the Rose Garden at the cemetery on The Ridge.