PREFACE THE word 'bygone' is a comparative term, and may be suggestive of widely divergent thoughts. By some the events of a past generation will be the prominent idea conveyed to the mind; others will be disposed to go back to the earliest historic records. For the latter our knowledge of Eastbourne is not always so abundant as we could desire; but when we come to the later history of the place, and more particularly to the development of modern Eastbourne, the subject widens out considerably. It will be apparent to all that the book is primarily intended for the general reader rather than for the antiquary. It has been my aim to connect the various facts chronologically as far as possible, though it has been exceedingly difficult at times to prevent overlapping. Scraps of information gathered from many old inhabitants have been incorporated in the book, and it is hoped that a fair idea of the place-its people, its occupations, its government, in a word its life-may be gained from its pages. It has not always been possible to give the authority quoted, but, as a rule, I have endeavoured to do this; and though every statement has been verified, as far as practicable, errors may have occasionally arisen: these will be forgiven, I am sure, by the generous reader. The book is larger than I had expected when it was first taken in hand, and though it may be said there is nothing but what might be found in the history of any parish, it will be admitted, I think, that, so far as Eastbourne is concerned, the ground covered is, to a large extent, new. In the preparation of the section relating to the Early History of Eastbourne I have received valuable assistance from the Rev. WILLIAM HUDSON, F.S.A., to whom I am specially indebted for much of the information relating to the Eastbourne Manors; while the Rev. Canon GOODWYN has furnished me with various details from the oldest existing Parish Account Book and Registers. My best thanks are also due to Mr. Councillor ROWE and the other Overseers for allowing me to search the old Vestry Books and Papers, without which it would have been impossible to present such incidents of the local government of the parish as are given. Through the courtesy of Mr. MICHELL WHITLEY and of Messrs. DRAKE and LEE, the Solicitors to the Gilbert Estate, I am able to reproduce the Map of Eastbourne drawn by Mr. WILLIAM FIGG in the early part of the last century. In the preparation of this for publication great assistance has been rendered by Mr. CARLOS CRISFORD. To Mr. GEORGE R. SIMS, who has written a Brief Account of his Schoolboy Days at Eastbourne; to Mr. W. RUSKIN BUTTERFIELD and Mr. W. H. HUDSON (author of 'Nature in Downland'), for revising the Notes on the section relating to Rare Birds; to the Rev. HILDERIC FRIEND (author of 'Flowers and Flower-lore'), who has contributed the article on the Flora of Eastbourne: Past and Present; and to Mr. H. G. F. SPURRELL, for his interesting paper on Snakes, my best |