In 1854 Gilbert, Bishop of Chichester, granted to the Rector of All Saints, Rev. Charles Foyster, a licence for the performance of services in this building which stands among the famous net sheds on the beach in OId Hastings.
The building was originally erected as a Chapel of Ease to the two Parish Churches of All Saints and St. Clement, in order to serve the fishermen of Hastings, who with their 150 boats formed the main population of the old town.
Until 1884 the sea washed the south wall of the building, but the sea has since receded. The first chaplain was the Rev. Tom Tanner, and he continued his ministry here until his death in 1880.
This stained glass window was installed to celebrate the millennium in 2002.
The church closed in 1939 and was occupied by the army for the duration of the war. The Rev. Leslie Hook tried hard to obtain a lease for the building as a church, which failed due to objections from the Borough Engineer who had plans for demolition to make room for a new road.
Fortunately his plans came to nothing, and after a period as an Ironmonger's store, the building reopened as a museum to the fishing industry in 1956. The south wall was partially demolished to allow a Hastings fishing lugger to be installed in the building. The wall was repaired so effectively that it is hard to believe it was ever dismantled.
There are pictures of this building in my Antique Postcard Album.
Digital photograph
Visitors to this album since June 2003
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