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Hastings, the principal of the "cinque-ports", and a borough and market town, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the rape of Hastings, county of Sussex, including the parishes of Hastings, All Saints, St. Clement and "containing, exclusive of that part of the parish of St. Mary in the Castle which is in the hundred of Baldslow, 6085 inhabitants. This place, which is of great antiquity, attained considerable importance during the Saxon Heptarchy, and is generally supposed to have derived its name from Hastings, a noted Danish pirate, contemporary with Alfred the Great, who erected a fortress here to secure the retreat of his party after having pillaged the neighbouring country. In 924, Athelstan established a mint at this place, of which some notice occurs in Domesday-book; and William the Conqueror, on his landing at Pevensey, repaired the castle and took up his station in this town, whence he marched to meet Harold, whom he defeated in that decisive battle to which Hastings has given name, but which was fought at the distance of eight mi. from the town, on a spot on which he subsequently built the abbey of Battel. Of the castle, which was erected on a high hill to the west of the present town, there are still extensive remains, consisting of a considerable portion of the outer wall, in which are parts of two towers and gateways of Norman architecture, and the foundation of the keep, surrounded by a broad and deep fosse, with vestiges of a draw-bridge and other fortifications. Within, the walls have been cleared from the rubbish, which for more than two centuries had nearly concealed them, and thus have been discovered the remains of the church and conventual buildings of a free college, for a dean and seven prebendaries, probably founded by Henry de Eu, in the reign of Henry I., and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin: at the dissolution, the revenue of the deanery was rated at £20 per annum, and that of the prebends, collectively, at £41. 13. 5. The collegiate church is one hundred and ten feet in length, and adjoining it are the remains of the parish church of St. Mary in the Castle, the chapter-house, and the prebendal buildings, forming an interesting mass of ruins, which have been recently enclosed by the Earl of Chichester. Numerous Saxon coins, fragments of columns, pottery, and other relics of antiquity, have been discovered on the spot. In the reign of Richard I., a priory of Black canons was founded here by Walter BRICET, of which the church and other buildings having been destroyed by the encroachments of the sea, Sir John PELHAM, in the reign of Henry IV., gave the brethren lands at Warbilton, for the foundation of a church and monastery, which were finally erected near the town, and of which, at the dissolution, the revenue was £57. 19. By charter of William the Conqueror, this town, together with Hythe, was added to the three previously incorporated ports of Sandwich, Dovor, and Romney, being invested with peculiar privileges; and in the time of Edward I. it was rated at twenty-one ships, with twenty-one mariners in each, for the service of the king for fourteen days, at its own charge: it soon became, and has ever since been considered, the principal of the cinque-ports. In 1377, Hastings was burnt by the French, who made a descent upon this part of the coast; but it was soon afterwards rebuilt." (Lewis)
Hastings is 4.89 mi. northeast of Catsfield where there are additional Combs-Thatcher records.
All Saints, Hastings
1 Sep 1560 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: William COMBE and Agnes LAYSHER, d/o Thomas (Source: Vital Records Index, British Isles, Marriages, FHL Number 1067171, 1559-1689) SW: LASHER
3 Feb 1565 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Christened: Thomas COMBES, s/o William COMBES. (IGI entry, Ba: 8509831 39, So: 1395987 EN, source not yet viewed)
17 Oct 1568 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Christened: William COMBE, s/o William (IGI, Ba: 8509831 39, So: 1395987, film not read)
7 Jul 1578 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: William COMBES and Ellen LUCKETT (wife previously married) (Source: Vital Records Index, British Isles, FHL Number 1067171, 1559-1689)
Note: The earlier marriage record of the bride not yet located.
27 Aug 1592 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: John COOMBS and Joane LUCKETT (Source: Vital Records Index, British Isles, FHL Number 1067171, 1559-1689)
27 Jul 1629 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: George THATCHER and Margret SYLVESTER (FamilySearch.Org)
1 Nov 1629 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Christened: George THATCHER, s/o George THATCHER (FamilySearch.Org)
16 Jan 1630 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: John PARKER and Marye COMBES (Source: Vital Records Index, British Isles, FHL Number 1067171, 1559-1689)
1 Jun 1634 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Christened: George THATCHER, s/o George THATCHER (FamilySearch.Org) Note: The 1st George probably died young; see Nov 1629 above)
10 Aug 1645 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: Wilham COUMBES and Ann SARGENT (Source: Vital Records Index, British Isles, FHL Number 1067171, 1559-1689)
1 Dec 1668 All Saints, Hastings, Sussex, England. Married: Henry COOMES and Alice CHAPMAN (Source: Vital Records Index, British Isles, FHL Number 1067171, 1559-1689)
20 Feb 1564 Saint Clements, Hastings, Sussex. Married: Wm COOMBE and Eliz. MARCHALL (IGI entry, Ba: E041241, So: 504415, source not yet viewed). SW: William Elizabeth MARSHALL
6 Jan 1570 Saint Clements, Hastings, Sussex. Christened: John COOMBES, s/o Wm [William] COOMBES (IGI entry, Ba: C041241, So: 504415, Pr: 0933365, source not yet viewed).
21 Jan 1635 St. Clements, Hastings, Sussex, England Marriage: Thomas MEADOWS and Frances SARGEANT.
Note: All records have not been extracted from these sources, and film not yet read.
