Friends of Hastings Cemetery

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 30 January 1926

INVALID CHILDREN. BENEFITED VISIT TO ST. LEONARDS CONVALESCENT HOME.

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 20 May 1882

The St. Leonards Convalescent Home for Poor Children was established in 1869 Stanhope-place. The founder was Miss Giesler, who afterwards became the wife of the Rev. F. E. Newton, a curate the St. Leonards Parish Church. The accommodation was at that time limited to a dozen children, who were taken from different parts of the United Kingdom, but especially from London.

In 1871, or about that time, the Home was shifted from Stanhope-place to Western-road, the premises now occupied.  Until 1878 the Institution was managed entirely by Mrs. Newton; the responsibility was great and the work of arduous character, therefore, we should say, that lady was not sorry when, in 1878, the management of the Home came under the direction of a local Committee.  It was soon clear that the two houses in Western-road were not nearly large enough to meet the requirements, so numerous were the applications which were made for admission.  The question of a new building was thoroughly discussed, and in a short time the owner of the Eversfield Estate was applied to for a piece of land on which to erect a new Home.  This was granted, three-quarters of an acre of ground being secured for 500 years at a rental of £1 per annum.  Building operations were proceeded with as rapidly as possible, and the place is now finished.

……….  The buildings are now fast approaching completion, have ample accommodation provided for 25 children of each sex in the wings, and for several more in the central block should such be required.

There is also infirmary accommodation provided, so that isolation may be effected should any care of isolation occur. ……… A small covered playground for the use of the boys in bad weather is also available." Mr. Charles Hughes is the builder, and Messrs. Fowler and Hill, of London and St. Leonards, the architects.  The cost of the building will, we believe, be about £7,000, and of this sum nearly £1,000 has yet to be subscribed. We know the public has many demands upon its liberality; still, we cannot think that there will be the slightest difficulty getting this comparatively small sum made up, and especially when the excellent nature of the work carried on considered. By the subscription list we find that there have been two anonymous contributions to the building fund, one of £1,000 and another of £500.  Mr. D. McDougall has also subscribed £1,003, and Mrs. Henry Austen £450.  The majority of the Worshipful Companies " in London have likewise sent donations.

One of Mr. Womersley's questions at the meeting on Friday was, "Is the Institution a local one?"  It is decidedly local, although children from a distance are taken in, more particularly from London.  The Home is only for poor children.  Girls are received from four to sixteen years of age, and boys from four to fourteen ; except under very special circumstances, this rule not broken.  There is no limit as to the time the inmates are to stay in the House, for it is provided that they shall remain there as long as the medical officers and the Committee consider advisable for their recovery.  One of the rules states that, "Children who are suffering from any contagious malady, labouring under any form of disease requiring active treatment, subject to fits, crippled, or otherwise helpless, cannot be admitted."  From the last annual report, we gather that during the year 308 children received the benefits of the Institution, and of this number 215 were from London.  A large amount of the subscriptions, however, also come from the Metropolis, and last August the Home was awarded the sum of £33 15s. from the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund.  In all other respects the Institution is of purely local character.

THIS ENCLOSURE BELONGS

TO THE

Children's Convalescet Home

WEST HILL ROAD ST LEONARDS ON SEA

Photos taken in 1991 - only the top of this still shows and the memorial stone has disappeared though it was extant, but illegible in 2012/

EE K05

In
Memory of
Henry Tibble
Aged 12 Years
Died January 18th 1888

James Russell
Aged 8 Years
Died January 2nd 1889

Florence Wollard
Died March 7th 1892
Aged 15 [?]

See also Amy Wolfen for nine years matron of the Poor Children's Convalescent Home.