James, jun. Rock
James, jun. Rock
| James, jun. Rock | |||||||||
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| File:Rock, James, jun..jpg | |||||||||
| Residence |
Fairlight, Hastings [1863] St Leonard's-on-Sea [1865] Magdalen Road, St Leonard's-on-Sea [1866] | ||||||||
| Occupation | business | ||||||||
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Contents
Notes
Office Notes
House Notes
Notes From Elsewhere
James Rock, the younger, of Hastings, in the county of Sussex, Carriage Builder, has given the like notice in respect of the invention of improvements in railway carriages. As set forth in his petition recorded in the said office on the 30th day of October 1852.
James Rock junior - Firm’s premises at Stratford Place became home of James Rock jnr from 1841 to 1856. He also took an interest in railway travel, designing carriages to carry up to 100; also modified design of carriage buffers.
He entered politics in 1851 when elected a Hastings councillor; lost his seat the next year, but was re-elected in 1853, becoming an alderman in a tied vote. He was Mayor twice, in 1857 when a welcoming local paper editorial noted ‘his integrity of purpose and aptitude of mental capacity’.and 1863.
He was actively involved in many local institutions and initiatives – the formation of the Permanent Building Society in 1850, the Archery ground and working men’s clubs and mechanics institutes. He was a life member of the Meteorological Society and treasurer of the Philosophical Society. He was said to be “the life and soul” as well as treasurer of the Cinque Port Rifle Volunteer Corps. He was an active contributor to the Sussex Archaeological Society, he also contributed poems to the Hasting News.
James and his wife Helen lived at the Heath, Fairlight Road. After her death he Fairlight in 1863 to ‘Ottley House’, no.1 St John’s Rd, (later no.40 Magdalen Rd). He married Sarah Warner in March 1864, at Islington. This was celebrated with church bells at Hastings. Their first son ‘James Parthenay Rock’, was born in1865; the family had moved to ‘Domons,’ Northiam, where their next three children were also born.
• More information on the family and the business can be found in ‘J Rock to Caffyns Ltd’ by David Renno.
