Friends of Hastings Cemetery

He built the mansions from 104 - 109 Marina at a cost of £50,000, intended to attract the nobility and a good class of visitor.  Hatchard contracted with Hughes & Hunter, builders, for the purchase of the house, then in the course of erection, for £2600 on 30 April 1860; the freehold was owned by Arthur Burton, son of the founder of Burton St Leonards.he purchase was partly financed by a mortgage of 97 Marina and of JAH's leasehold residence at 58 Marina, which he had purchased from the Rev George Darby St Quintin (whom he had succeeded as perpetual curate of St Leonards two years earlier) in 1855. The house was perhaps serving as the parsonage

The documents produced to support the mortgage enable the titles of both properties to be traced back to the conveyance of the St Leonards estate by the trustees of the Eversfield settlement to James Burton in 1828

The 1871 Census finds him living at 97 Marina, with his wife Harriet and 3 servants, a butler, housemaid and a cook.  He built stables for this house in Aug.1871

By 1881 he and Harriet were at 107 Marina, where he lived for the rest of his life, now with 2 footmen, a cook, 2 housemaids and a kitchen maid.   In 1891 John and Harriet shared the house with Harriet’s 57 year old daughter Cecilia from her first marriage, and Cecilia’s husband John R Pearson, [died 1910 - EE H33] a major and a JP.  They also had a cook, parlour maid, housemaid and a kitchen maid.

The Reverend Hatchard took part in public life, was a member of the St Leonards Commissioners, an active supporter of St Leonards schools, a life member of the Mechanics Institution, a patron of medical charities, one of the founders of St Leonards regatta and a supporter of the Rowing club.

As a shareholder in the Railway Companies he worked to improve the railway locally, and also worked to advertise the town.

His obituary described him as having a masterful temperament with determination and courage that he couldn't always keep in hand, and makes reference to his involvement in "the Water Question of 1875-6 when his attitude towards the Corporation brought about some lamentable and much regretted incidents."  It mentions his house being "surrounded by a howling and angry mob of ignorant partisans"

There had been some criticism in the Medical Press about the quantity and quality of the water supply in Hastings, claiming that illness had been caused.  The Corporation was endeavouring to find new supplies but land owners were not always co-operative and they were worried that the publicity would harm Hastings' reputation as a watering place.

It appears that the Rev Hatchard had been critical and when someone said that he would ruin

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Rev. John & Harriet Hatchard continued