As handwriting is often unclear, all name transcriptions below are indicative only.
When accuracy is important, the original documents should be consulted.
PRO (Public Record Office) documents are at The National Archives, Kew.

The company was set up in 1863 as the result of the destruction of a Russian bath on West Hill. We know about the fire, the setting up of the company, and the tenders received by the Directors for building their new Turkish bath from 'Brett's History', a multi-volume manuscript work to be found in the Hastings Local History Library. (See the enlarged image, with transcribed text)

From the Manuscript history of
Hastings and St Leonards
by Thomas Brandon Brett

Whether Brett was misinformed, or whether he was writing pour encourager les autres, his suggestion that a considerable number of shares were at once taken up is probably an exaggeration; it seems likely that barely one quarter of the shares had been subscribed. This would have given the company a capital of £750 leaving an estimated £1750 to borrow. Thus, the repayments and interest to be earned from the use of the baths would certainly have contributed to the company's early demise.

TNA: PRO: BT31 41610/47278 All unfootnoted information is taken from this file.

1863 Memorandum of Association: 8 December
Objects include: purchase, building, setting up Turkish Baths
Capital: £3,000 divided into 120 shares of £25
Subscribers:
Burton, Decimus (4 shares) Architect
Dorman, James (2 shares) Librarian
Garsden, Charles Henry (2 shares) House agent
Maggs, Samuel Blount (2 shares) Chemist
Thomas, Horace (2 shares) Chemist
and 7 others

1866 Registered Office: 48 Marina
Average number of shareholders: 27

1869 Extraordinary Meeting: Voluntary Winding up (3 November)
Liquidator: George Voysey

This page last updated 26 February 2023