Mr William Hardinge Hastings was a somewhat controvertial figure in in Sidmouth. He ran the Manor Estate from shortly after JEH Balfour became Lord of the Manor in 1884, and stayed on until his death many years afterwards. He was Estate Manager ( or Manor Steward) for around 40 years in total.
Whenever the Sidmouth Urban District Council and Major Hastings came in contact there was always the likelihood that sparks would fly. Even when he served on the Council his first priority was always the Manor.
As well as his position at the Manor he was a member of the Sidmouth Volunteers and wrote a history of them. Published in 1908
In one of the Devonshire Directories he was described thus

In 1910 he was Scout Master, and a director of the Victoria Hotel. In 1902 he was a Director of The Sidmouth Baths Company. He had his finger in almost every pie in Sidmouth, one way or another.
He was a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters, Court Sid Vale No 4,071; active in the Sidmouth British Legion and the Founder of the Sidmouth Golf Club
He died in 1932 and his estate was reported as follows

The report of his death in the Western Morning News and Daily Gazette describes him as ‘A man of iron nerve and a great personality.’ (Others might have described him as of intractible opinions and great stubborness, if newspaper reports over the years are to be trusted.) It goes on to say that ‘His was the dominating mind that developed the place (Sidmouth) from an old-fashioned, unknown place to a modern and widely-known resort.’
He was born in 1856 in Almonbury, Huddersfield, trained and worked as a Solicitor in his home area, and then worked for a short period in London before coming to Sidmouth in 1885 when appointed as Estate Manager to the Manor. During 1914 he was appointed Military Representative at Sidmouth and through his work on the Tribunal secured many recruits for the Forces.
His wife, Grace Leslie ( nee Taylor) came from Cupar, Fife, and predeceased him in 1930. She too was prominent within the town especially in the Women’s British Legion and was a ‘keen educationalist’ according to her Obituary, during the War she was very active within the Red Cross. In her will she left advice for her daughters.






His son Leslie (born 1888) has a memorial plaque in the Parish Church but his death occured in Iraq in 1916 so his remains lie there. He was Captain Leslie Hastings of the 102nd Grenadiers, Indian Army.
His two daughters survived him. Margery Anna (born 1891, died Harrow 1971) Lorna Grace Macmillan (born 1896, died Sidmouth 1950)

