Jenny Lind in Old Town

[patrickvic]

Can anybody tell me when the Jenny Lind public house in the High Street, was opened ? in the 1800's ?

[Terry]

I don't know about the original pub, but world famous Swedish Singer Jenny Lind "The Swedish Nightingale" lived in Hastings for a short while in the 1800s. The original pub was bombed during WW2, but without the tragic conequences and loss of life that the nearby Swan Inn suffered. The pub that stands there now was built after the war, 1947 I think, but I may be wrong about that date. It's possible that the original pub once had a different name as many pubs have changed their names over the years, The Carlisle was originally known as the Pelham Arms.

[Terry]

Got it! an extract from the Hastings Chronicle statea: 1950 December

The Jenny Lind pub in the High Street reopens, having been rebuilt since it was wrecked by a bomb on May 23 1943. It becomes famous in 1959 when the British heavyweight boxing champion Don Cockell takes the license.

[david_russell]

The Jenny Lind opened in 1850 on the site of the Bell dating from 1613. But the site was not continuously a pub from that time. Also, where is the evidence that Jenny Lind lived in Hastings ?

[patvick]

Jenny Lind stayed for a while in a friends house in Edward Road,St.Leonards while having a short break..The house which was unique was offered to the local museum shortly after the war but the offer was not taken up..More information on this is available from the Local History section at the Museum..
I believe she sang at St.Clements which was why the pub was named after her..

[david_russell]

Thanks Patrick.

Do you have any sources/references for the Edward Road house or the singer in St Clements please ?

[patvick]

I did get some information from the Local History Museum.apparently this was the home of an owner of a famous London restuarant.later the home of Frankforte-Moore the author,and in the 1980's the home of Fiona Pitt-Kethley..sadly she and her mother were unable to keep it up and later a dealer took out some of the fittings.An article in the Observer dated Sept.12,1985 states that she,Jenny Lind, was rumoured to have sung in St.Clements..Dyer and Overton who advertised number 11 for sale in 1939? stated that a carved oak door was previously owned by J.L.It seems that the restuarant owner was a friend of J.L. and in this particular year she did spend a lot of time on the South Coast mostly in the Brighton area..