Friends of Hastings Cemetery

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 31 January 1925, continued: Death of Mr. P. H. Palmer

… As a Borough Engineer, Mr. Palmer was recognised as an authority upon municipal building and constructive work.  He was, as stated above, the Borough Engineer for 36 years, during which time works which were of tremendous importance to the town were carried out under his direction. About six months ago Mr. Palmer asked to be relieved of some of the arduous duties of his office, and on July 5th last year the Council decided to appoint him as from December 31st, Consulting Engineer in regard to all matters pertaining to the office of borough engineer and water engineer.  Mr. Palmer, a month later, found that his health would not permit him to continue any longer in the office of borough engineer, and he forwarded his resignation.

Hastings owes to Mr. Palmer a debt of gratitude which it never could have repaid.  He it was who saved the Hastings foreshore, and provided for the thousands of annual visitors a golden strip of beach, golden in more ways than one.

The groyning schemes which Mr. Palmer undertook were entirely successful, and instead of a drop from the promenade to the beach of 30ft. at some places, there is now less than 10ft.

The work of sea defence was one of Mr. Palmer's constant tasks, and it can be said that he never allowed the sea to beat him.

To give a list the various works undertaken by Mr. Palmer would be impossible, they varied from the construction of reservoirs to ornamental ponds, from cliff walls to laying out public gardens, and from the reclamation of marsh land to the construction of arterial roads.  In the latter respect it will be remembered that the new arterial road from the top end of the St. Helen's Park-road through to Silverhill was constructed under Mr. Palmer's direction.  The White Rock Gardens provides an example of Mr. Palmer's skill in beautifying and improving the town.

Good advice often goes unheeded, and Mr. Palmer knew only too well the difficulty of convincing the sceptics.  Over twenty years ago he advised  the Town Council to go to the Downs near Eastbourne for their water if they were to have a supply which would last for all time.  The Council would not listen. T o-day there is in preparation a Bill to give the Corporation powers to go into the chalk area near Eastbourne.

Mr. Palmer saved ratepayers many thousands of pounds by utilising the collection of rubbish from ash-bins for an extensive system of water-pumping, supplying the railway company, electricity generating station and other large undertakings.  The Brede waterworks were constructed under Mr. Palmer's direction, and he also planned the town's drainage and sewerage.

One of the most important sections of the department which occupied a great amount of Mr. Palmer's time was the housing schemes.  The Barley Lane, Rectory, Eversley Road, and Hollington sites were all laid out by him according to the most up-to-date methods.  Mr Palmer's work on the Hastings Corporation Act of 1924 was signally successful, including as it did plans and estimates for works which will cost about half a million pounds.  The schemes included a new road along the front from White Rock to the Fishmarket, a new arterial road at Ore, new water borings, and other minor matters.

He was, of course, responsible for the schemes in the Act of 1900 and the previous Water Bill.  The late Borough Engineer was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, of which he had been president, and he was also at one time in his career President of the Association of Water Engineers, and President of the Sanitary Institute Congress.  He was also a Fellow of the Sanitary Institute.

Perhaps a side of Mr. Palmer's life which few people knew about was his generosity to anyone in distress.  There was not an occasion upon which he was approached in vain for some charitable purpose.  He was a brother of the St. Leonards Lodge of Freemasons, and was P.P.G. Supt. for the Sussex Province.

APPRECIATION. Prof. E. R. Matthews, M.imtC.E, forwards the following:— The passing away of my late chief reminds me of nine years' service under Mr. Philip H. Palmer, M.I.C.E.  He was an expert on matters relating to " Coast Protection," and "Waterworks Engineering," and was looked up to by his colleagues as one of the most experienced municipal engineers in this country. L am proud to have served (in my younger days) under such a distinguished engineer.

PRESENTATIONS WHICH WERE to have been made

Mr. Palmer, unfortunately, did not live to receive two important recognitions of his services to the town, and expressions of esteem by his colleagues.  One of these was an inscribed vellum which The Town Council had given instructions to be prepared.  The other was a presentation, for which a substantial sum had been collected by the staff of the Borough Accountant's Office.  The gift was to have been presented within the next few days.