On a moderate calculation, Hine must have brought into the town more than one hundred thousand persons, and that without an accident: a circumstance which, in its day, was as beneficial to Brighton as is now the proverbially high character for safety, convenience, and civility of the London and Brighton Railway. Amongst the celebrities of the day whom Hine was accustomed to bring down, were Mathews, in his “prime and bang-up,” who used invariably to borrow the huge box-coat of seven capes; Munden; Lieutenant or Jack Bannister; Quick, another famous actor; “Squire” Thornton, of Clapham; Rev. Rowland Hill; and many noblemen of the Court of George IV. Most of these men are, of course, like Hine himself, “dead and past away.” Some few passengers, however, who have travelled by the “Union” and “Alert,” and who have “booked” in East Street by Miss Hine,—the honest old coachman’s daughter and sister of Mr. H. G. Hine, the artist whose works adorn much of the illustrated literature of the present day,—still survive; others must have had the name made familiar to them by hearing their fathers and grandfathers talking of the famous coaches and coachmen of Brighton.
In the height of Brighton coaching times, Castle Square upon the departure and arrival of the coaches,—but more especially at noon, when from the “Blue,” the “Red,” “Snow’s,” and the “Age” offices, the “crack” whips, the elite of passengers, and the best “blood” on the road, started at the striking of the Pavilion clock,—was thronged with company to witness a most animating and animated scene. Of coaching nothing now remains at Brighton but the parcels’ booking office of the Railway Company, originally the “Red” and subsequently the “Blue” coach office.
By a singular inadvertence the word “Company” was omitted in the original Act of the Brighton Railway, so that the Directors of it were of the London and Brighton Railway, and not Railway Company. The amalgamation of the Eastern and Western branches, under more recent Acts, has constituted the whole scheme in connexion with the mainline, the London, Brighton, and South-Coast Railway Company.
As early as 1825 the construction of a railway between Brighton and London was contemplated; but it was not till 1835 that the subject was entertained with earnestness. Five schemes were then propounded, known by the names of the different engineers who projected them, namely: Stephenson’s, Rennie’s, Gibbs’s, and Cundy’s; and the South-Eastern. The first scheme was most favourably received; and in September of that year, at a public meeting of the inhabitants of Brighton, a resolution was passed requesting the Borough Members to support its adoption in Parliament. Upon reconsideration, the inhabitants were impressed with the idea that they had been too precipitate; as the Terminus of Stephenson’s line, being immediately to the west of Brighton, would only favour that special district, instead of being beneficial to the town in general; they therefore reversed their decision in favour of Bennie’s, or the Direct Line. The public mind being thus fickle, the other competitors anticipating that there was yet a chance for them, pressed forward their suit, resulting in a severe contest, which gave promise of a great expenditure of money, with no line at all; as, protracted by the accumulation of oppositions, the Session of Parliament for 1837, was about to terminate without its sanction to either project. The interposition of Government determined the business; a military engineer, Captain Alderton, was deputed to investigate and report upon the merits of the several lines, and his conclusion was, “That the Direct Line is the best line between London and Brighton.” That line, then, was accordingly adopted, and on the 8th July, 1837, the Bill for its construction received the Royal assent, with this clause attached, “That the total capital of £1,800,000 be raised by the subscribers to the several lines in the following proportions:—The Direct line—Bennie’s,—£550,000; Stephenson’s, £550,000; Cundy’s, £100,000; South-Eastern, £330,000; and Gibbs’s, £70,000.” The various contracts for the formation of the line were soon entered into, and on the 4th of February, 1839, Mr. Alfred Morris laid the first permanent rail of the line, at Hassock’s Gate, Mr. Samuel Thornton being the contractor, and Mr. T. H. Statham the resident engineer.
On the 11th of May, 1840, the first six miles of the western branch, to Shoreham, was opened; on the 25th of March, 1841, the main-line from London to Hayward’s Heath, within fifteen miles of Brighton, was opened; and on Tuesday, September 21st, 1841, the whole of the line of railway from Brighton to London, was opened with some little ceremony and great rejoicing, the first trip—from Brighton to London—being performed in two hours and a quarter; leaving Brighton at 6.45 and arriving at London Bridge Terminus about 9. From time to time other additions, as branches from the main trunk, have been added, affording facilities for travelling to most parts of the kingdom south of the metropolis.
The handsome building of Italian style, which constitutes the Brighton Terminus, is the design of Mr. Mocatta; and the original sheds attached to the Terminus were designed by Mr. Rastrick, whose remains, under a massive granite monument, are deposited in the Extra-Mural Cemetery, Lewes Road. The Railway is considered a passenger and pleasure line, and, during the Summer season, excursion trains make important items in the traffic returns, as the line is in the direct route from London to Paris, via Newhaven and Dieppe, and at the various stations throughout the line villa residences are the retreats of the families of the London merchants who diurnally travel to and from their places of business.
Hobby Horse racing round the Level formed an attraction to the fashionable company that, daily, on horseback and in good old-fashioned and aristocratic hammerclothed coach-box and powder-bewigged coachmen and footmened family carriages, thronged Morris’s Royal Repository: for that great toy-mart and favourite lounge really had regal patronage, especially from William and Adelaide, who were frequently extensive purchasers. His Majesty, upon one occasion, when Duke of Clarence, was struck, while there, with the entrance of three ladies in the garb of Quakers; and as the two eldest were looking over some articles of peculiar attraction, His Royal Highness addressed himself to the youngest, who was about fourteen, and said, “So, I see that thou art not above the vanities of this gay world.” The fair young Friend said nothing; but the matron, under whose care she was, gave a look more expressive than words. The Duke felt it; and immediately purchasing a handsome work-basket, respectfully asked the eldest lady’s permission to present it to her daughter. The answer was mild, but laconic. “She will receive it, and thank thee, friend.” The basket was accordingly taken, with the same courtesy as given; and thus the matter ended.
During the prosperity of the Repository, which had a fame for the bows and arrows which it supplied, archery was much in vogue, the Archery Club having their rendezvous in the Queen’s Park, which is situate on the south-west acclivity of the Race Hill, and is approached by an entrance that abruptly terminates Park Street, contiguous to the German Spa. This Park, which is between sixty and seventy acres in extent, was formed in 1825, by Mr. Thomas Attree, whose Italian villa, designed by the late Sir Charles Barry, crowns its northern summit.
Various as have been the attractions offered for the entertainment of visitors, the meed of their success and duration has preponderated in favour of those projected in the vicinity of the sea, which is the main feature of attraction to Brighton, that commands an uninterrupted marine drive and promenade along its whole three miles’ frontage. The promenade was of small dimensions at its commencement, and originated with the owners of property between Cannon Place and Preston Street, Mr. Pocock, coal merchant, at its east extreme, and Mr. Robison, of Regency House, at the west end,—the promoters of the undertaking,—superintending its construction. Its position was in about the middle of the present carriage-way, which from time to time has been widened to accommodate the increased traffic. The original seats upon the Esplanade—for so from its commencement has the walk been called,—bore the names of the houses in front of which they were erected; but the Commissioners of the Town, in the plenitude of their wisdom, perceiving the improvement which would be effected by extending the walk, took the control of it into their own hands; and earth from the excavations made for the erection of the Places, Squares, and Streets adjacent, being abundant, in a very short space of time the promenade was continued to the extreme point of the parish, much to the discomfiture of the owners of boats and bathing machines, who were accustomed, for safety, to haul up their property upon the Wharf that stood, protected by a strongly-built brick wall to the south, immediately off the bottom of Regency Square, whereon, when it was known as Belle-Vue Field, stood a large capstan, that was used by means of a small tunnel under the road—through which a hawser passed,—to haul up vessels upon the Deals, ship-ways that were fixed there for repairing moderately sized craft.
Not unfrequent sights at this spot were severed capacious boats of slight build, which had been captured from smugglers, who had had the temerity to try a cargo there; as forty years since, and even more recently, contraband ventures were of very common occurrence. The last successful “run” in broad daylight took place about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, July 19th, 1821, at the bottom of Ship Street, while the Custom House Officers were attracted to the Level to witness the Coronation sports. The working party had assembled in the Old Ship Yard, and at a signal given, by way of the Gap 300 kegs of Hollands were slung and off before the few persons present, who remained in the town, could comprehend the scene. Most of the cargo was, as usual, conveyed inland, where the readiest means were offered for its concealment and disposal. Captured smugglers were, at that period, put on board the Hound revenue cutter, Captain Butler commander, which was stationed off Brighton, and a smuggler chase by her was frequently a very exciting scene from the shore. Men who embarked in the hazardous enterprise were frequently missing; but whether their lives were sacrificed or they had been captured and shipped off in the Royal Navy, upon foreign service, a considerable lapse of time and a combination of circumstances only determined. One of the most desperate of a noted gang in the neighbourhood of Brighton was David Scales, who, on the night of November 7th, 1796, while going, with many more, over the hill to Patcham, heavily laden, was overtaken by excise officers and soldiers. The smugglers fled in all directions; a riding officer, as such persons were called, gave chase to Scales, who was likewise on horseback, and called upon him to surrender his booty, which he refused to do. The officer knew that Scales was too good a man for him, they having tried it before; so he shot Daniel through the head.