Jann
After doing considerable research into the America Ground at Hastings and doing my University papers on the same topic - I came across a load of information hand written in the BRETT Manuscripts in the Hastings Library.
These are the notes that I made at the time:
The Brett Manuscripts by T W Brett (Unpublished)
in Hasting Public Library
General Note on the Manuscripts:- It all begun in March 1878, 50 years after the birth of St Leonards, and during the 40 years existence of the Gazette the one man who was proprietor, editor, reporter, compositer, preesman and general manager, contributed two or more columns weekly of history, biography, and reminiscence from his 83 years of existence. First published in March 1878 by T.W. Brett.
Page 254 - 1842 Death of Mr Edward Towner, aged 65, one of 13 children of the late Thomas Towner who with a portion of his family came from Seaford on the 29th May 1828 and located himself in Duleys cottage at the eastern end of the Rope walk - now the site of the Queens Hotel.
Thomas Towner was a builder and one of his first contracts in this neighbourhood was to convert the cabinet making workshops of Mr W.H.Honiss (where now stands the Holy Trinity Church) into the Blacksmiths Arms Public House. He was later with his eldest sons engaged in the construction of property at St Leonards including the Assembly Rooms, lower portion of East Ascent, Central portion of Mercatoria, North West corner of Lavatoria where he occupied one of them and brought the remainder of his family from Seaford. Towner like Woolger, is a very old name at Seaford, and work of reconstruction or conversion to which Mr Towner was entrusted in the parish of Holy Trinity was for a member of the well known and numerous family of Woolger of Seaford.
Hope that helps in your research
Chris in 1066
