The problem could well be exacerbated by the strong local dialect at that time if the priest at the church came from outside the area resulting in some pretty weird spellings.
My cousin lives at St Leonards on Sea which is just to the west of Hastings and her half brother is a retired priest now living in Hastings and who acts as locum priest at the churches there when the regular incumbent is on leave etc. - he finds the local 'dialect' or sayings hard to understand after his life working both abroad and in places well to the north of this area. The local fishermen and their families were and still are close knit communities drawn together by the dangers of their occupation plus, on occasions, the secrecy entailed in smuggling.
At least one of my ancestors there was definitely involved in that 'trade' and another in the mid 1800s was rumoured to get some of his supplies of spirits in a similar fashion. At one time he employed a lad with a pony and trap to take 'tired' customers home at closing time which I think was quite enterprising of him and probably encouraged 'just one more for the road' as they were certain of getting home and not falling down drunk somewhere.
