America Ground.

The America Ground - 1800 - 1849

The growth of Hastings as a Seaside resort (the health-craze for sea bathing and drinking brought the first visitors) from the end of the 18th Century, and particularly between 1815 and the mid 1820`s, (Fig 1.) produced a demand for property and land that forced the town to expand westward out of the Bourne Valley and into the Priory Valley. The development of  Pelham Crescent by the architect Joseph Kaye for the Earl of Chichester (started 1820) and James Burton`s new St. Leonards, (started 1828) necessitated importing a large workforce for the necessary construction work, who it was reported “took possession without leave, licence, or interference, and built houses, shanties, warehouses, and other erections, for which they paid no rent or consideration - a ‘No Mans Land` and independent of any law or order, and, who when challenged hoisted the American Flag, very much a symbol of independence at that time,[1] on an area of  the Foreshore.

Fig 1.  Table of Population of Hastings 1801 - 1901. (Sussex Census Returns)

** Holy Trinity - The decline in population in 1841 is caused by the removal of houses built on derelict land which was taken possession of by the Crown.

This 8 acres of foreshore now covered by 195 buildings with well over 1000 inhabitants, was first occupied at the beginning of the 19th Century by an enterprising group of local tradesmen.  They developed the area into a sort of colony with its own shops, houses and businesses including a coach factory and two rope walks each of 120-150 fathoms in length, used by Messrs. Thwaites & Co. and Messrs. Breeds & Co. for the making of rope.    The earliest recorded inhabitants of the America Ground being Thomas Page and John Prior in 1806. They were listed as  resident in an old Hulk, now in two tenements, formerly the Brig named Polymina.[2]

This so called America Ground - “an area of land occupying a space of nearly a quarter of a mile in length and 500 yards in width, which from its situation and appearance was without doubt, formerly part of the sea shore, but, by the accumulation of the shingle, the sea has gradually receded, leaving the ground in question waste, and for very many years totally unproductive,”[3] was claimed by the Crown following an inquiry at the George Hotel, Battle on 6th Dec. 1827 as to the legal ownership.    The Crown then completed a detailed survey of the Ground  before offering a 7 year ground lease at relatively small rents to those who claimed to own property there, after which the ground was to be cleared - only four such leases were taken out, 3 by the same family of Breeds.

The ground was duly cleared of all buildings and inhabitants by Christmas 1835 and then stood empty for the next 15 years apart from the Rock Fair (July 26-27th) and the occasional cricket match, and became known as the `Derelict’ or `Waste Lands`.

A wealthy London Merchant, Patrick Francis Robertson, leased the ground from the Crown for a period of ninety nine years at an annual rent of £500.    Mr. Robertson who later twice became a member of Parliament for Hastings had great visions for the development of the town as a seaside resort, as, in addition  to the America Ground, he visualized erecting buildings all along the sea-front to the west as far as Warrior Square, and attempted to form a partnership with Charles Eversfield[4] and Decimus Burton [5]- unfortunately to no avail.

Patrick Robertson developed the ground himself and it became the focal point of Hastings Sea front in the Golden Years of the English Seaside Resorts; and is still being developed as part of the A259 Coast Road.  

Select Bibliography

Baines, J.Manwaring, Historic Hastings,2nd ed, Hastings, F.J.Parsons, Ltd., 1963

Cousins,Henry, Hastings of Bygone Days and the Present, Hastings, F.J.Parsons, Observer Office, 1910.

Diplock, William, The Handbook for Hastings & St Leonards, Hastings, Wm Diplock, London, Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1845.

Funnell, Barry, The America Ground, Notes from a lecture, Old Hastings Preservation Society, 1982

Jefferys, James B, Retail Trading in Britain 1850 - 1950, 1954, Cambridge University Press

Moss, W.G, The History and antiquities of the town and port of Hastings, illustrated by a series of engravings, from original drawings by W.G.Moss, draughtsman to His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Kennington, W.G.Moss, 1824.

Pike, Pikes Guide to Hastings & St. Leonards, 1873

Salzman, L.F, Hastings, S.P.C.K, 1921, (The Story of the English Towns)

How the Railways came to Hastings, Hastings Area Local Studies Project