Bibliography - Sussex Record Society
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Marriage Licences at Lewes, 1586-1642, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin, published 1902 (vol. 1, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8348][Lib 8000][Lib 2217] & The Keep [LIB/500377][Lib/504452]   View Online

Sussex Fines, 1190-1248, by L. F. Salzman, published 1903 (vol. 2, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10182][Lib 2218] & The Keep [LIB/500378]   View Online

Post-Mortem Inquisitions, 1558-1583, by L. F. Salzman, published 1904 (vol. 3, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2219] & The Keep [LIB/500379]

Ecclesiastical Returns, 1603; Sussex Poll book, 1705; and others, by Cecil Deedes, W. C. Renshaw and L. F. Salzman, published 1905 (vol. 4, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2220] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

West Sussex Protestation Returns, 1641-1642, by Robert Garraway Rice, published 1905 (vol. 5, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2221][Lib 8004][Lib 8860] & The Keep [LIB/500381]

Marriage Licences at Lewes, 1670-1732, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin, published 1907 (vol. 6, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8005][Lib 2222] & The Keep [LIB/500382][Lib/504453]   View Online

Sussex Fines, 1249-1307, by L. F. Salzman, published 1908 (vol. 7, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8006][Lib 2223] & The Keep [LIB/500383]   View Online

Bishop R. Redes Register, 1307-1415, Part I, by Cecil Deedes, published 1908 (vol. 8, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2224] & The Keep [LIB/500384]

Marriage Licences at Chichester, 1575-1730, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin, published 1909 (vol. 9, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2225][Lib 8008] & The Keep [LIB/500385]

Sussex Subsidies 1296, 1327 & 1332, by Rev. William Hudson, F.S.A., published 1910 (vol. 10, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2226] & The Keep [LIB/500386]

Bishop R. Redes Register, 1307-1415, Part II, by Cecil Deedes, published 1910 (vol. 11, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2227] & The Keep [LIB/500387]

Marriage Licences at Chichester (Deaneries), by Edwin H. W. Dunkin, published 1911 (vol. 12, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2228][Lib 8011] & The Keep [LIB/500388]

Cuckfield Parish Register, 1598-1699, by Walter C. Renshaw, published 1911 (vol. 13, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16660][Lib 2229] & The Keep [LIB/500389] & West Sussex Libraries

Post-Mortem Inquisitions, 1485-1649, by F. W. T. Attree, published 1912 (vol. 14, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2230] & The Keep [LIB/500390]   View Online

Bolney Parish Register, 1541-1812, by Edward Huth, published 1912 (vol. 15, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2231][Lib 8014] & The Keep [LIB/500391]   View Online

Star Chamber Proceedings, Henry VII to Philip and Mary, by Percy C. D. Munday, published 1913 (vol. 16, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2232] & The Keep [LIB/500392]   View Online

Ardingly Parish Register, 1558-1812, by Gerald W. E. Loder, published 1913 (vol. 17, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8016][Lib 2233] & The Keep [LIB/507133] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Angmering Parish Register, 1562-1687, by Edward W. D. Penfold, published 1913 (vol. 18, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2234] & The Keep [LIB/500393][LIB/507825]   View Online

Sussex Manors and Advowsons, etc., 1509-1833, A to L, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin, published 1914 (vol. 19, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8018][Lib 2235][Lib 2236] & The Keep [LIB/500394][Lib/504454]   View Online

Sussex Manors and Advowsons, etc., 1509-1833, M to Z, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin, published 1915 (vol. 20, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8019][Lib 2236] & The Keep [LIB/500395][Lib/504454]   View Online

Horsham Parish Register, 1541-1635, by Robert Garraway Rice, published 1915 (vol. 21, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9959][Lib 8020][Lib 2237] & The Keep [LIB/500396]

Cowfold Parish Register, by Percy S. Godman, published 1916 (vol. 22, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2238]

Sussex Fines, 1308-1509, by L. F. Salzman, published 1916 (vol. 23, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2239] & The Keep [LIB/500397]   View Online

East Grinstead Parish Register, 1558-1662, by R. P. Crawfurd, published 1917 (vol. 24, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2240][Lib 8023]

Marriage Licences at Lewes, 1772-1837, A to L, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin and E. W. D. Penfold, published 1917 (vol. 25, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2241][Lib 8024] & The Keep [LIB/500398][Lib/504456]

Marriage Licences at Lewes, 1772-1837, M to Z, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin and E. W. D. Penfold, published 1919 (vol. 26, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2242][Lib 8025] & The Keep [LIB/500399]

Preston Court Rolls, by Charles Thomas-Stanford, published 1921 (vol. 27, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2243] & The Keep [LIB/500400] & West Sussex Libraries

Sussex Apprentices and Masters, 1710 to 1752, by Robert Garraway Rice, published 1924 (vol. 28, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2244] & The Keep [LIB/500401]   View Online

Abstract of Sussex Deeds and Documents, by Walter Budgen, published 1924 (vol. 29, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2245] & The Keep [LIB/500402]

Glynde Parish Register, 1558-1812, by L. F. Salzman, published 1924 (vol. 30, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2246][Lib 11858][Lib 8029]

Thirteen Custumnals of the Sussex Manors of the Bishop of Chichester, by W. D. Peckham, published 1925 (vol. 31, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2247] & The Keep [LIB/500403]

Sussex Marriage Licences, Chichester, 1731-1774, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin and D. Macleod, published 1926 (vol. 32, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2248][Lib 8031] & The Keep [LIB/500404]

Sussex Inquisitions, by Mary S. Holgate, published 1927 (vol. 33, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2249][Lib 8032] & The Keep [LIB/500405][Lib/504457]

The Book of John Rowe, 1622, edited by Walter H. Godfrey, published 1928 (vol. 34, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2250] & The Keep [LIB/500406] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Marriage Licences, Chichester, 1775-1800, by Edwin H. W. Dunkin and D. Macleod, published 1929 (vol. 35, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2251] & The Keep [LIB/500407]

Mr. MacLeod and the Record Society are to be congratulated upon the issue of this volume, the Index of which includes the Licenses (1731-1774) in Vol. xxxii, also edited by Mr. MacLeod.
It continues the great work begun by Mr. Dunkin in his life-time of printing all the Sussex Marriage Licenses from the time of Queen Elizabeth down to 1837, which now comprise eight of the Record Society's volumes. These records are invaluable for genealogical purposes, and in some respects these later volumes are of more general interest than those of earlier dates. It is not every family that can connect up with the 16th and 17th centuries, but there must be few old West Sussex families that cannot find someone of their name in this present volume.

Sussex Chantry Records, by John E. Ray, published 1931 (vol. 36, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2252] & The Keep [LIB/500408]

Hastings Rape Records, by Elinor J. Courthope and Beryl E. R. Formoy, published 1933 (vol. 37, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2253] & The Keep [LIB/500409]

Chartulary of Lewes Priory, Part I, by L. F. Salzman, published 1933 (vol. 38, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2254] & The Keep [LIB/504458][Lib/500410]

The Sussex Record Society has again put the students of Sussex history under a heavy debt of gratitude. It has undertaken the publication of the Chartulary of the Priory of St. Pancras, Lewes, as far as it concerns Sussex. The first volume is now published (Vol xxxviii of the Society's series) and the rest will be published in a further volume next year.
The Chartulary is amongst the Cottonian MSS. (Vespasian F.xv) in the British Museum. The Sussex portion has been edited and translated by Mr. L. F. Salzman, F.S.A., whose ability to deal with such an exacting task is recognised throughout the world of the learned. His work has been aided by the tireless labour and ability of the Rev. W. Budgen, F.S.A., Hon. Sec. of the S.R.S., in supplying the index.
All those who have studied the history of Sussex know that many of the earliest references to places in the County are to be found in the Charters of the three first Earls of Warenne. For the first time these Charters are given together in full, with many others as contained in the Chartulary. The original charters, in many cases, still exist in the Public Record Office. The date of the Chartulary is 1444, but existing originals go back as far as 1095 (Ancient Deeds AA. 463).
It may be as well to put on record that many of these originals were contained in the collection called 'Chapter House, Misc. Books ; B.5/5,' so called from having been kept in the Chapter House at Westminster. This is the reference given by Sir George Duckett in S.A.C. xxxv, 3, and also by Mr. Round in S.A.C. xl, 58. This book has since been cut up and the charters catalogued individually (see also S.A.C. lxv, 196).
A list of all the existing charters referred to in the body of the Chartulary is placed at the commencement of the volume, and footnotes giving variants, etc., make the whole a scholarly as well as an invaluable production.
The volume has been most cordially received by all members of the S.R.S. No doubt a full review will appear in the next volume of S.A.C. and in the meantime we advise our readers to hasten to secure a copy of a most valuable record.

The Buckhurst Terrier, 1597-1598, by Ernest Straker, published 1933 (vol. 39, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2255][Lib 8038] & The Keep [LIB/500411] & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The Buckhurst Terrier, though known to and quoted by the Rev. R. W. Sackville-West (afterwards Lord Buckhurst) in his "Historical Notices of Withyham" (London, 1857), and also to the Rev. C. N. Sutton, who used it in his "Historical Notes of Withyham, Hartfield and Ashdown Forest" (Tunbridge Wells, 1902), had been missing for nearly a generation.
The former Stoneland Lodge, now called Buckhurst House, built in 1743, has undergone many changes. The recess of a disused door in the library had been fitted with shelves, but during the tenancy of the late Mr. Robert Benson, about 1905, a wall-covering was carried over this recess, and by some carelessness the Terrier and other books were covered up by it. At the end of the tenancy, in March, 1931, this covering was removed and the Terrier recovered.
Earl De La Warr, whose property it is, has very kindly given permission to the publication of an epitome by the Sussex Record Society.
The Terrier gives a remarkably complete survey of a large area in North-East Sussex, comprising the greater part of the parishes of Hartfield and Withyham, together with much land in East Grinstead and other parishes bordering on Ashdown Forest, as it was in the closing years of the reign of Elizabeth. The date of compilation, as stated on the title page, is the 39th and 40th years of that reign, i.e. between 17th November, 1596, and 16th November, 1598, but the date of the last lease entered is 8th June, 1599.

Another interesting volume has been published by the Sussex Record Society. It consists of the Buckhurst Terrier, the property of Earl De La Warr, who has kindly given permission for this publication to be made.
The Terrier is a full manorial account of some 17 manors in the Rape of Pevensey and mostly in the immediate neighbourhood of Ashdown Forest. The survey was made by Thomas Marshall for Sir Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (1536-1608), a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth and one of the most prominent men of his time. He was created Earl of Dorset in 1604.
The Terrier is in excellent preservation, notwithstanding that it was lost for a considerable time behind some panelling in Buckhurst House. It is invaluable to those who are studying the history of the neighbourhood, besides being a first-rate example of its own class. A special feature of interest is the series of 40 maps covering the areas of the manors.
The whole Terrier has been epitomised by Mr. Ernest Straker, F.S.A., and most carefully edited by him. He gives an excellent Introduction dealing with the family of Sackville, the previous history of the manors recorded and a full account of the Terrier itself. He has taken endless pains in producing an accurate condensation of a very valuable source of the history of the large part of Sussex covered by the Manors.
Both he and the Society are to be congratulated on the volume.

Chartulary of Lewes Priory, Part II, by L. F. Salzman, published 1935 (vol. 40, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8039][Lib 2256] & The Keep [LIB/504459][Lib/500412]

Transcripts of Sussex Wills, Volume I, by the late R. Garraway Rice, F.S.A. and edited by Walter H. Godfrey, F.S.A. , published 1935 (vol. 41, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2257] & The Keep [LIB/500417] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Transcripts of Sussex Wills, Volume II, by the late R. Garraway Rice, F.S.A. and edited by Walter H. Godfrey, F.S.A. , published 1938 (vol. 42, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2258] & The Keep [LIB/500418] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Transcripts of Sussex Wills, Volume III, by the late R. Garraway Rice, F.S.A. and edited by Walter H. Godfrey, F.S.A. , published 1939 (vol. 43, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2259] & The Keep [LIB/500419] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Records of the Barony and Honour of the Rape of Lewes, by Arnold J. Taylor, published 1940 (vol. 44, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2260] & The Keep [LIB/500420] & West Sussex Libraries

In this volume Mr. Taylor has brought together a number of records bearing upon the administration of the jurisdiction exercised by the Lords of the Rape of Lewes. The main record, published by kind permission of the Duke of Norfolk, is a series of Court Rolls of the Barony covering the period from June, 1265, to August, 1266; these are printed in the original Latin. There then follow in an English translation, Extracts from Court Rolls of about 100 years later and two Account Rolls of the Barony, and finally a number of Inquisitions and Extents, 1265-1300, concerning lands within the Rape. The nearness in date of the early series of rolls to the culmination of the Barons' War at the Battle of Lewes (1264) is brought out by two references to the war, one (p.23) to a prisoner of the Earl (de Warenne) in his castle at Reigate "because he was against him in the time of the trouble in the kingdom," and the other (p.26) referring to 25 sheep belonging to the Chaplain of Hamsey which were in the custody of the Earl at Brittelmeston, because they were seized by the Earl's men "in the time of the war."
Besides the usual Index of Names and Places, the volume has a useful Index Rerum which, in addition to serving to some extent as a glossary to the Latin portion of the rolls, draws attention to many points of interest. For example, one notices the variety of articles that were from time to time seized as security for a defendant's appearance to answer the claim made against him. In one such case (p.26) a hatchet, a hauberk, and a trivet were taken, and in another, a pick, a hoe and a spade, but more frequently the distraint was made upon farm stock.

Transcripts of Sussex Wills, Volume IV, by the late R. Garraway Rice, F.S.A. and edited by Walter H. Godfrey, F.S.A. , published 1941 (vol. 45, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2261] & The Keep [LIB/500421] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Chichester Cathedral Chartulary, by W. D. Peckham, published 1942 (vol. 46, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2262]

Survey of Robertsbridge Manor, by Raymond H. D'Elboux, published 1946 (vol. 47, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2263] & The Keep [LIB/500423]

The Town Book of Lewes, 1542-1701, edited by L. F. Salzman, published 1947 (vol. 48, 143 pp., Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8048][Lib 2264] & The Keep [LIB/500424] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Churchwardens Presentments, Part I, Archdeaconry of Chichester, by Hilda Johnstone, published 1949 (vol. 49, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2265] & The Keep [LIB/500425]

Churchwardens Presentments, Part II, Archdeaconry of Lewes, by Hilda Johnstone, published 1950 (vol. 50, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2266] & The Keep [LIB/500426][Lib/504460]

Sussex Views from the Burrell Collection 1776-1791, edited by Walter H. Godfrey and L. F. Salzman, published 1951 (Jubilee volume, xxii + 191 plates, Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450521 & ISBN-13: 9780854450527) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 5580][Lib 14469] & The Keep [LIB/504472][Lib/500472] & R.I.B.A. Library & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

To mark the passage of fifty years during which the Sussex Record Society has published fifty scholarly volumes containing records and documents relating to the County this Society has exuberated into a Jubilee Volume which is sure to appeal to the general public.
Probably for the first time no less that 191 most attractive drawings selected from the Burrell Collections are reproduced between the covers of one volume. And a most delightful collection they make. All are eighteenth century drawings by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm and James Lambert, who have given us the most fascinating views of the parish churches, mansion houses, castles and historic ruins as they stood in their day, with a few views of Sussex towns and villages such as Eastbourne, Hastings, Jevington and Rotherfield.
Appropriately enough to the occasion the introduction to this volume by Mr. L. F. Salzman gives in brief outline the story, of the Sussex Record Society from the summer of 1900 when its formation was first mooted to the present day, From this story emerges the fact, which if it is not a record is none the less notable, that Mr. Salzman took his place as a member of the first council of the Society elected in February 1901 and has continued to serve on the council ever since, being now one of its two literary directors, and in that capacity he has been largely responsible for this charming Jubilee Volume.
On this occasion the Society has relaxed its rule and non-members can purchase a copy of this volume on application to the Assistant Secretary of the Sussex Record Society at Barbican House, Lewes, for £2 12s. 6d., and it may be said that any who may buy this book may congratulate himself on having obtained a striking collection of eighteenth century views most admirably reproduced. The Society may well congratulate itself on this work and on its fine series of publications, regularly and punctually produced in spite of steadily rising costs of printing. Perhaps the Sussex Archaeological Society may also admit to some pride and satisfaction in the work of the Society of which it is the parent.

Record of Deputations of Gamekeepers, edited by L. F. Salzman, published 1951 (vol. 51, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2267] & The Keep [LIB/500427][Lib/504461] & West Sussex Libraries

Although the Registrations started under a Statute of 1710, yet Sussex has only two Volumes starting from 1781. The entries in these were transcribed in full by the late Canon Penfold whose sad death prevented his completing the work which was finished and edited by Mr. Salzman. The Record is in the nature of a Catalogue but will be of interest to all persons desirous of tracing the ownership of "Manors" - a word which as Mr. Salzman points out is given for this purpose a wide meaning and even includes large estates with no Manorial rights.

Chapter Acts, Chichester, 1472-1544, by Walter D. Peckham, published 1952 (vol. 52, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2268] & The Keep [LIB/500428][Lib/504462]

This is a most interesting volume and (as is only to be expected from his name) most carefully and accurately edited. Apart from its historic facts there are interesting accounts of installations and enthronements of Deans and Bishops and presents to placate those in high places in the State.

The Manor of Etchingham cum Salehurst, by Sylvanus P. Vivian, published 1953 (vol. 53, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2269] & The Keep [LIB/504463][Lib/500429]

This is a transcript of the Survey of the Manor made in 1597 collated with two rentals of 1658 & 1659; a book of Court Rolls 1742-1865; and a set of maps dating from the first half of the 19th century; with a lucid and exhaustive commentary and explanation by the Editor. The volume is especially noticeable for the very helpful set of maps taken from the current Ordnance Survey on which the Editor has (after being at great pains first to identify them) marked by verge lines and reference numbers the parcels mentioned in the Survey. The Volume is a delight and should be in the hands of everyone interested not only in manorial customs rents and incidents, but also in genealogy and in the topography of this part of the County and evolution of its Place-names.

Quarter Sessions Order Book, 1642-1649, by Brian C. Redwood, published 1954 (vol. 54, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2270] & The Keep [LIB/500431][Lib/504464]

This volume has been produced in conjunction with the County Council Record Committees of East and West Sussex, and but for his untimely death would have been edited by Mr. B. Campbell Cooke, the former County Archivist. As it is, Mr. B. C. Redwood is to be congratulated for his careful editing of most interesting material, and for a well prepared introduction. We also welcome the collaboration between our Sister Society and the Local Authority.
The Order Book contains much information with regard to the criminal business of the Court; and, in addition, there are many entries relating to its administrative work, such as the Poor Law, rates for charitable purposes, and for the repair of highways, bridges and clappers (" a raised footpath, often of wood, alongside portions of road liable to flooding " - this fine onomatopoeic word is not recorded in Parish's Sussex Dialect - Lewes 1875.) The Order Book is not, therefore, merely of interest to the legal historian, but also contains much of value to the genealogist, the topographer and the general reader. The late use of Wogham in 1648/9 for Offham in Hamsey is worth noting.
It is to be hoped that further material from the Order Book will be published. There is, for example, a note of a footway going from Withyham to Frant across Robins Croft, with a reference to the proceedings at Easter Sittings, 1652. Robins Croft is not noted in S.P.N., and the full proceedings in 1652 might throw light on a footway which may well long since have been lost.

Ministers Accounts of the Manor of Petworth, 1347-1353, by L. F. Salzman, published 1955 (vol. 55, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2271] & The Keep [LIB/500432][LIB/504465]

Lay Subsidy Rolls, 1524-1525, by Julian Cornwall, published 1957 (vol. 56, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2272] & The Keep [LIB/504466][Lib/500433]   View Online

Custumals of Sussex Manors of the Archbishop of Canterbury, 1285-1330, by B. C. Redwood and A. E. Wilson, published 1958 (vol. 57, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2273] & The Keep [LIB/500434][Lib/504467]

Chapter Acts, Chichester, 1545-1642, by Walter D. Peckham, published 1959 (vol. 58, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8058][Lib 2274] & The Keep [LIB/500435][Lib/504468]

Chartulary of Boxgrove Priory, 12th-14th centuries, by Lindsay Fleming, published 1960 (vol. 59, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2275] & The Keep [LIB/504469][Lib/500436] & West Sussex Libraries

Custumals of the Manors of Laughton, Willingdon and Goring, 1292-1338, by Arthur E. Wilson, published 1962 (vol. 60, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2276] & The Keep [LIB/500437] & West Sussex Libraries

A Catalogue of Sussex Estate and Tithe Award Maps, Part I, 1606-1884, by Francis W. Steer, published 1962 (vol. 61, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2277][Lib 8061] & The Keep [LIB/500438][LIB/504470][LIB/504687] & West Sussex Libraries

It is difficult to estimate the immense amount of time and trouble which must have been expended in producing this volume. Though its title and first impressions may suggest it to be a mere catalogue, yet careful perusal shows it to be a storehouse of information about the physical condition of the County from the mid-17th century onwards and its alteration from time to time at the hands of Man, viz. the numerous schemes of "development" by roads, canals, railways, water-supply, and other works. A good many schemes were abortive and the "Railway mania" around 1845 is notorious (cf: Thackeray's Novel of the Footman who became a Railway King but was ruined in the Crash). But apart from the general history of development there is a vast amount of information as to places which have altered or changed name, bridges which have been made or destroyed, canals (mostly not made) and roads (mostly made). The Introductions are clear, lucid and very informative and the Index is a work of art and has a careful note as to how it should be used.

Minutes of the Common Council of the City of Chichester, 1783-1826, by Francis W. Steer, published 1963 (vol. 62, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2278] & The Keep [LIB/500439][Lib/504471] & West Sussex Libraries

This is an extremely interesting volume showing the working of a small municipal corporation in the days before the Reform Act and very ably edited by Mr. Steer who contributes the useful introduction. The Minutes, though largely formal, throw curious lights on the topography of the City and its customs. The choice of Mayor always lay between two candidates and the "Ballot" was taken by casting coloured balls, one red and the other white, the outgoing Mayor stating which colour was for which candidate. Strangely enough (as Mr. Steer points out) the Candidate to whom the white balls were allotted was invariably elected. That this was not a formality (as in London) is shown by the record of the 24th September 1798 when "Ballots were delivered the white for Drew and the red for Ridge: when collected there were 15 white and 7 red ballots whereupon Drew was declared elected." In those days the Corporation levied no rates and its income was derived from lands houses and dues at Dell Quay. The general impression left is that (except the Recorder who had a deputy) the Members were regular in attendance and careful in the exercise of their duties.

The Book of Bartholomew Bolney, 15th century, by Marie Clough, published 1964 (vol. 63, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8063][Lib 2279] & The Keep [LIB/500440] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Rye Shipping Records, 1565-1590, edited by Richard F. Dell, published 1966 (vol. 64, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8064][Lib 2280] & The Keep [LIB/506359][Lib/506616] & West Sussex Libraries

The Sussex Record Society in its forthcoming volume breaks new ground in the field of local history. Who owned, built and financed the shipping of Elizabethan England upon which the maritime greatness of this country was based? What was the daily life of the men who manned the fleet in July, 1588, really like? Rye was an important member of the Cinque Ports and the main cross-channel port of the day. From its extensive records texts have been selected to illustrate every aspect of the maritime life of the community; building and fitting out, hiring and freighting, voyages and profits, conditions of service and the hazards of the mariner's calling from war, piracy and the sea itself. The part played by Rye in the fishing industry is also examined. Two groups of records printed are believed to be unique: the trading accounts of a small merchantman showing the profits of ship ownership as distinct from those of the merchants freighting the ship, and the records of the town's provision of a ship that served in the Channel against the Armada. A contemporary drawing of the variety of shipping in Rye harbour is included.
In addition to the select texts mentioned, the book contains a chronological analysis of shipping movements in the port compiled from the Exchequer Port Books and the parallel series of Local Customs Accounts surviving in the town's archives.
A full introduction to the customs system of Rye and the municipal control of maritime activity is provided, and notes throughout the volume indicate the existence of related documents not included in the text. A special study of ships owned by the town is included. There is a glossary and index.

Cellarers Rolls of Battle Abbey, by Eleanor Searle and Barbara Ross, published 1967 (vol. 65, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2281][Lib 8065] & The Keep [LIB/500441] & West Sussex Libraries

A Catalogue of Sussex Estate and Tithe Award Maps, Part II, 1597-1958, edited by Francis W. Steer, published 1968 (vol. 66, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2282][Lib 3130][Lib 8066] & The Keep [LIB/500442][Lib/504473] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Estate Surveys of the Fitzalan Earls of Arundel, 14th century, by Marie Clough, published 1969 (vol. 67, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2283][Lib 8067] & The Keep [LIB/500443] & West Sussex Libraries

This is a transcription made by courtesy of the Duke of Norfolk of certain Records of the Arundel Estates, viz.: Liber "A" (collated with the almost identical Liber "C") which Miss Clough dates as 1301; and Liber "B" which is a compilation made between 1439 and 1464. The volume must have involved a large amount of tiring time and trouble and is of great interest. It throws light on the Social History giving the holdings of various classes and the rents and services due (surprisingly small having regard to there being no local rates which only started in the 16th century): it also suggests a revision of our ideas as to the social standing of tenants not "free" for we find that the Vicar of Wisborough Green in 1399-1406 was a customary tenant of South Stoke. It provides the topographer with names of hundreds, manors and other districts and of individual holdings. Miss Clough has done her best to identify these but some are too obscure. The Glossary of Place Names is only "Select" ones but it might have been better to include all and to include all the references and all the unidentified places (some of which are omitted).

The Journal of Giles Moore of Horsted Keynes, 1655-1679, edited by Ruth Bird, published 1971 (vol. 68, xix + 356 pp., Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8068][Lib 2284] & The Keep [LIB/500444][Lib/500445] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

The Town Book of Lewes, 1702-1837, edited by Verena Smith, published 1973 (vol. 69, vii + 326 pp., Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2285][Lib 8069] & The Keep [LIB/500446] & West Sussex Libraries

The Town Book of Lewes, 1837-1901, edited by Verena Smith, published 1976 (vol. 70, xiv + 469 pp., Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 6151][Lib 8070] & The Keep [LIB/500447] & West Sussex Libraries

Accounts of the Roberts Family of Boarzell, 1568-1582, by Robert Tittler, published 1979 (vol. 71, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 7247] & The Keep [LIB/500448][Lib/507826] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

Printed Maps of Sussex 1575-1900, by David S. B. Kingsley, published December 1982 (vol. 72, xxxvii + 439 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450319 & ISBN-13: 9780854450312) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9526][Lib 8352][Lib 8351] & The Keep [LIB/500449][Lib/507858] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The only comprehensive catalogue of all the surviving printed maps of the county, together with explanatory and biographical notes about the maps and the mapmakers, has been produced for the Society by David Kingsley - an acknowledged expert in his field. Though designed primarily for map collectors, it has a much wider general appeal and all those interested in geography, topography, place-name history or the craft of surveying and cartography will find it an essential work of reference. Mr Kingsley's volume is likely to remain the definitive catalogue for a long time to come, and taken in conjunction with the Society's earlier CATALOGUE OF SUSSEX ESTATE AND TITHE AWARD MAPS (vols. 61 & 66 ed. F.W. Steer), means that there is now a comprehensive hand list of maps of Sussex from the earliest times to the present century. The volume has a foreword by Dr. Helen Wallis, Keeper of Maps at the British Library.

Correspondence of the Dukes of Richmond and Newcastle, 1724-1750, by Timothy J. McCann, published 1984 (vol. 73, xxxix + 326 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450327 & ISBN-13: 9780854450329) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8937][Lib 8923] & The Keep [LIB/500450] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

This is an edition of the surviving correspondence of the two Dukes, which is preserved among the Goodwood Archives in the West Sussex Record Office and the Newcastle Papers in the British Library. The letters, which can be read as an almost continuous narrative, centre on a number of major themes in national political history, and in particular on the War of Austrian Succession; the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion; the fall of Walpole; the rise and fall of Carteret; and the careers of the Pelham brothers. At the same time they are equally revealing about the local scene, as they depict the activities of two aristocratic magnates dominating their respective halves of the county of Sussex. Richmond's career is well illustrated, as are county politics and society; the general elections of 1734, 1741 and 1747; and the important campaign against the smuggling gangs in the 1740's.
Previously unpublished and little known, Richmond's correspondence has been characterised by Professor L. C. Curtis in his Chichester Towers as "those wonderful unguarded letters to Newcastle, into which Richmond was wont to pack his horse sense, his sizing up of men, his humour, and so much of his affection". In his Duke of Newcastle, Professor Reed Browning pointed out that "the Newcastle papers in the British Museum reveal Richmond as a racy correspondent whose unblushing epistolary manner, in our own era of easier standards need no longer be confined to the archives." The volume has an introduction chronicling the careers of the two Dukes; a chronology; and a comprehensive index.

Sussex Coroners' Inquests, 1485-1558, by Roy F. Hunnisett, published 1985 (vol. 74, 256 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 1873162537 & ISBN-13: 9781873162538) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9515][Lib 11643] & The Keep [LIB/500451][Lib/507877] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

This volume contains all the coroners' inquests so far discovered which were held in Sussex between the accession of Henry VII in August 1485 and the death of Mary Tudor in November 1558. The jurors' verdicts ranged from murder, manslaughter and suicide, through accidental homicide and homicide committed in self defence, to misadventure and natural death.
One of the deaths became a cause celebre. It occurred in 1541 during a poaching expedition led by Thomas Fiennes, Lord Dacre of the South, who was convicted of murder before the Lord High Steward and hanged at Tyburn. Although the case is well known, the inquest is printed here for the first time. The others are not of comparable note, but contain a wealth of detail about sixteenth-century life as well as death. A number of homicides involved aliens-Frenchmen, Brabantines and Flemings - who were often found to have killed fellow countrymen. The vicar of West Tarring and his servant committed a murder aided and abetted by a chaplain. Incest resulted in another murder and a subsequent suicide; and a fatal accident led to the suicide of a close relative. Other inquests show that child battering is not a purely modern phenomenon nor child labour exclusively Victorian; that Tudor roads were every bit as dangerous as those of today and city walls more so; and that treatment for syphilis could be particularly crude and ineffective. In short, there is much for those interested in law, administration, criminology, medicine, and social and economic history, as well as for Sussex genealogists and local historians.
In the introduction the editor discusses the archival history and survival of the written inquests; the many coroners and their complex areas of jurisdiction; the jurors; and selected aspects of the inquests themselves.

The Religious Census of Sussex 1851, edited by John A. Vickers, published August 1990 (vol. 75, xxvi + 211 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 085445036X & ISBN-13: 9780854450367) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 10578][Lib 13824] & The Keep [LIB/500452][Lib/507827] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

This volume contains the returns made for Sussex in accordance with the Census of Religious Worship held in conjunction with the decennial Census of Population of 1851. It provides a unique body of statistical evidence on the religious condition of England and Wales in that auspicious year of the Great Exhibition.
The census has attracted great interest from historians and sociologists of religion who have used it as one means of assessing the 'grassroots' importance of religion in Victorian society. This unique source-for such a census has never been repeated-casts great light on patterns of denominational strengths and weaknesses across the country. It is an invaluable source to the local historian interested in patterns of religious observance in a given village or region.
Included in this volume are the returns for 602 places of worship. Just over two-fifths of them are for nonconformist congregations, notably Independents and Wesleyans, with the Baptists trailing in third place. Smaller congregations are noted of Roman Catholics, the Society of Friends, the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion and the Unitarians. One congregation in Brighton originated from the evangelical work of William Huntington, the coal heaver-turned-evangelist. The returns suggest that Anglican congregations were doing well in the fast-rising seaside towns, notably Brighton, while nonconformist chapels were proliferating in the villages of the Weald.
The returns offer a comprehensive statistical survey of the situation in 1851, detailing numbers of worshippers, accommodation, and the size of congregations on Census Sunday, 30 March 1851, in addition to a variety of other information. Statistical tables for county, diocese and Registration Districts are reprinted from the Census Report of 1853. Population figures for each parish are taken from the report of the Census of Population.
The editor has supplied a full introduction which considers the historical importance and value of the census material and discusses its accuracy and reliability, along with various problems of interpretation.

The Fuller Letters, 1728-1755, by David Crossley and Richard Saville, published 29 April 1991 (vol. 76, 345 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450378 & ISBN-13: 9780854450374) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 13074][Lib 11098] & The Keep [LIB/500453][Lib/507859] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

"I am afraid you do not keep copyes of your letters; if you do not it will be impossible to keep up a Regular Correspondence. And you being entrusted with so many People's Business you ought to do so" wrote John Fuller of Brightling to his son, Dr. Rose Fuller of Jamaica in 1734.
This letter book is one of the most important collections of business and social correspondence from a leading eighteenth century county family to be published in recent years, It records the rise to wealth and influence of the Fuller family of Brightling Park. Originally from humble beginnings in an inhospitable and forested part of the Weald of Sussex, they had in the eighteenth century - diversified into slave owning in Jamaica, expanded their iron founding and gun-casting in the Weald and greatly enlarged their Sussex estates, and by mid-century held significant holdings in London stocks. The letters explain how these business interests worked, and give the reader unique insights into the life of an eighteenth century landowner.
The letters also contain the only major surviving record of the charcoal iron industry to include substantial comment on the technical problems, how furnaces were operated, how guns were cast, and where they were sold. The Fullers were one of the major gun producers for the Navy and the Army at this time; their products were in demand as far away as Sardinia and the Austro-Hungarian - Empire.
There is much information on Wealden weather and road conditions, on the difficulty of running a Jamaica sugar plantation, and the problems of involvement in the London sugar-refining trade. There is extensive comment on Wealden agriculture, based as it was on one of the more intractable soils in southern England, on how tenants were dealt with, and the crops they grew. As befitting a county family there is material on political affairs - the Fullers were Tories - on social and educational questions and the arrangements made for sons to go into business. Of interest to all who want to know more about Sussex history, this volume will also stand on its own as an important contribution to our knowledge of gun casting and ironworking, Wealden agriculture, the Jamaica sugar trade, and how eighteenth century landowners organised their estates.

The Letterbook of the Fuller family is the single most important document relating to the Wealden iron industry in the eighteenth century. In it is correspondence on all aspects of the Fullers' business in casting; supply of raw materials, technical aspects of gunfounding, letters to agents, purchasers and other ironfounders. In addition, though of less relevance to the study of the Wealden iron industry, are the other subjects covered by this volume, namely the management of the family's estates in Sussex and in Jamaica. Also there is much family correspondence, and letters which give insights into the political scene in Sussex during the first half of the eighteenth century; the Fullers were Tories although, towards the middle of the century, economic expediency made their views less extreme.
. . .
This excellent volume deserves to find a home on the bookshelf of any serious student of the Wealden iron industry, and all who want to partake of a unique view of eighteenth century life. It is a pity that the opportunity was not taken, however, to complete the picture, at least as far as the iron industry was concerned, with the publication of the letters which form part of the Fuller papers but which were written after the end of the Letterbook.

East Sussex Land Tax, 1785, edited by Roger Davey, published 1 April 1991 (vol. 77, xxxvi + 309 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450386 & ISBN-13: 9780854450381) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 11681][Lib 13075] & The Keep [LIB/500454][Lib/507860] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

The Land Tax, like a rate, was an annual charge on the occupiers of houses and land which for over two centuries in England and Wales formed one of the staple sources of income for the government. The records of its assessment and collection have long been recognised as of major importance for a wide range of historical studies, from aspects of social and economic history, to the more personal or local (but no less fascinating) realms of family and estate history. This volume, however, achieves for the first time (so far as it is known) the publication of a full transcription and index of the lists for an entire county in a single year.
The year chosen is 1785, one of the earliest to provide national coverage through surviving records, and the county is East Sussex-comprising 146 parishes and liberties, including the towns of East Grinstead, Lewes, Hastings and Rye, as well as the biggest single parish covered, the important developing town of Brighton. Over 12,500 units of assessment (houses and land) are listed, of varying sizes, which were in the ownership or occupation of nearly 10,000 individuals. The lists thus represent more than half the contemporary householders of the county, or nearly 10% of the population. All personal and place names are indexed here, making the volume in effect a 'directory' of East Sussex of a considerably earlier date than the useful printed series developed in Victorian times. Moreover, many farm and other minor local names which are not readily to be found in other reference books can now for the first time be speedily located.
This volume is thus an essential tool for locating ancestors and setting them in their local context. It also enables the social and economic historian to identify the spread of large and small estates, to make some assessment of the wealth of individuals, and to indicate the concentration and diffusion of land ownership in different areas. And last, but not least, it provides a valuable 'key' to much more by unlocking the means of entry to other original records-earlier and later land tax assessments, and related records such as manorial court rolls, rate books, title deeds, and estate papers. It is hoped that the volume, as a pioneering venture, may point the way to similar projects in other areas, thus opening up an important source to wider study.

Chichester Diocesan Surveys, 1686 and 1724, edited by Wyn K. Ford, published December 1994 (vol. 78, 309 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450394 & ISBN-13: 9780854450398) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 12188][Lib 13829] & The Keep [LIB/500455][Lib/507861] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

Churches were not always regarded with the respect that we usually give them today, and from bishops' surveys of their dioceses we can learn a great deal about the treatment of parish churches in the past, and the attitudes that prevailed to their furniture and fittings.
Thomas Bowers's survey of the Chichester diocese has been cited and studied on a number of occasions in the past, but this is the first time that an edition of the entire record has been published. The work was out carried parish by parish in the summer of 1724, shortly before the bishop's death. The enquiries were unusually wide ranging. Not only do they provide a detailed picture of each building and its fittings; but they also cover such topics as the population of the parish, the strength of Nonconformity and Roman Catholicism, and provide details of patronage and parochial charities. In this edition this information has been amplified in the notes and in a substantial critical introduction; and missing information has been gathered from other sources, such as Archbishop Wake's 1717 visitation of Sussex parishes outside the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Chichester, and from the recently discovered diocesan valuation carried out in 1725 at the instigation of Bishop Waddington, Bowers's successor. Further information on Nonconformity is provided by the inclusion of the important Evans List of 1717. To extend the picture into the previous century, the volume also includes a survey from 1686 and 1687, which gives extensive information on the fabric and fittings of the parish churches throughout the diocese.
Overall, the volume describes the state of an eighteenth century diocese in a depth and comprehensiveness that will be hard to match elsewhere-and which helps us to understand the widespread rebuilding of churches a century later. It will be an indispensable source for anyone studying the history of a Sussex parish, and equally essential for students of the architectural, religious, demographic and social history of the county.

Saint Richard of Chichester: The sources for his life, edited by David Jones, published December 1995 (vol. 79, 279 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450408 & ISBN-13: 9780854450404) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 13012][Lib 13830][Lib 17199] & The Keep [LIB/500456][Lib/507862]   View Online

St. Richard is one of the most attractive English saints-and it is surprising that the early sources that tell his story have been inaccessible for so long. In this volume David Jones brings them together: the first English translation of the Life written by Richard's friend and disciple, Ralph Bocking; the original Latin text (which has not appeared in print since 1675); the first publication of Cardinal Odo of Chateauroux's sermon, which is based on the lost canonisation archive; the first translation of the Statutes by which Richard governed his diocese; and his will. In addition, a picture of Richard's official acts and journeys has been compiled-from a bewildering range of obscure sources - providing a valuable conspectus of the life and activity of a mediaeval English bishop. The introduction weaves all these threads together to provide the rounded portrait.
A fascinating and attractive personality emerges. We see a major religious leader, who was fully prepared to clash head on with his King, and who set out to reform the moral and spiritual life of his diocese. We see a charismatic figure, a man of great personal holiness, whose personal affection for his followers also demanded the highest moral standards from them. We see a masterly administrator, who undertook major work on Chichester Cathedral-and who knew exactly how to extract the funds to do it.
This volume will be indispensable for anyone with an interest in, or affection for, St. Richard-and essential for students of English mediaeval and religious history and history of the county of Sussex.

The Ashdown Forest Dispute 1876-1882, edited by Brian Short, published April 1997 (vol. 80, vii + 303 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450416 & ISBN-13: 9780854450411) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14342][Lib 13720] & The Keep [LIB/500457][Lib/507863] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

This volume presents a revealing case study in the environmental politics of Victorian England. On 13 October 1877 John Miles was cutting litter (bracken, heather, gorse etc.) on Ashdown Forest on behalf of his landlord Bernard Hale, barrister, J.P, Deputy Lieutenant of Sussex, and Ashdown commoner. William Pilbeam, one of Earl de la Warr's keepers, approached him and told him to stop cutting. Miles later recounted 'I went on cutting', thus initiating the Ashdown Forest case, brought by Reginald Windsor, seventh Earl de la Warr as Lord of the Manor of Duddleswell against Hale and Miles, to test the extent of Hale's common rights. Expensive legal opinion was hired by both sides since many commoners were titled and wealthy landowners; and William Augustus Raper, a Battle solicitor, was engaged to assemble evidence on behalf of the defendants. Some of this evidence is transcribed as the main body of text in this volume - over 100 depositions collected by Raper in 1878 and 1879 from elderly Forest residents.
Raper's visits to his informants' cottages were recorded in five small notebooks whose contents are not easily deciphered. This volume presents their full transcription, together with a contextualising introduction to the Forest and its customs and to the complex legal actions of 1876-1882. A short biography of each of the elderly deponents has also been included.
These narratives are invaluable sources for the history of Sussex, for genealogy, and for environmental, legal, economic, social and cultural history. Herein are recounted the main environmental and local political themes of this surviving area of Victorian open Forest, seen quite unusually from the perspective of rural working people.

Sussex Schools in the 18th Century, by John Caffyn, published 1 September 1998 (vol. 81, vii + 505 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450424 & ISBN-13: 9780854450428) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 13825][Lib 13828] & The Keep [LIB/500458][Lib/507864] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The 18th century has often been dismissed as an educational desert: a period of inertia and decline. John Caffyn's impressive research has produced a picture of schools and schooling in Sussex which shows how mistaken such a dismissal can be. By exploring a vast range of sources, he describes over 600 schools. The results reveal, throughout the century, a steady rise in elementary education for the poor, and - in the second half particularly - an explosion in the extent, range and quality of private education. Additionally he has compiled a biographical dictionary of all 700 known teachers - which adds significantly to our picture of the social and intellectual state of the county. And finally he has created a further biographical dictionary covering every recorded pupil (over 2000 of them) - providing both a mine of information on children's school careers and the range of their learning, and incidentally a major genealogical database for family historians. The variety of schools is remarkable: little rural dame's schools; workhouse schools; charity schools (providing for almost half of the county's 300 parishes); ancient endowed grammar schools; Sunday Schools; and a host of private establishments (some in country vicarages but most in the growing seaside towns and the major inland towns). They range from the Prebendal at Chichester, one of the oldest in England, to the Allfree's innovative co-educational boarding school at Herstmonceux. The teachers provide an amazing collection of biographies including: the radical Hannah Adams, who had been imprisoned in Paris during the Terror; Elizabeth Allfree, who married at 17, had 13 children, and ran her successful co-educational school; Mary Blesard who progressed from teaching to being the mistress of a duke; Benjamin Martin, author and celebrated instrument maker; and William Prince, music master and opera composer. The scholars range from paupers, to French Protestant refugees, to privileged gentry like the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. An invaluable source for anyone interested in the history of education, as well as Sussex local and family history.

West Sussex Land Tax, 1785, edited by Alan Readman, Lionel Falconer, Rosie Ritchie and Peter Wilkinson, published 2000 (vol. 82, 319 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450491 & ISBN-13: 9780854450497) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14404] & The Keep [LIB/500459][Lib/507865] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

This edition of the Land Tax provides the most comprehensive picture of the 18th century inhabitants of West Sussex ever published. It also completes the picture for the whole ancient county of Sussex, providing the counterpart to the East Sussex volume issued by the Record Society in 1991.
The Land Tax, like a rate, was an annual charge on the occupiers of houses and land which for over two centuries in England and Wales formed one of the staple sources of Government income. The records of its assessment and collection have long been recognised as of major importance for a wide range of historical studies. The extensive index, including all personal and place names, enables this edition to provide a comprehensive directory of landowners and tenants - the fullest record of the inhabitants of the county before the compilation of the first Victorian census half a century later. The tax assessments listed anyone who owned or occupied a house or land with a rentable value of upwards of £1 per year. It consequently includes around half of all the householders - over 6,000 people out of a total population of around 60,000 - and even more units of property. None of the 19th century County Directories approached this figure. It will be invaluable to a wide range of students: to family historians for the personal names, to topographers for the place names, and to social and economic historians for the details of land holding and ownership.
The year chosen, 1785, has of course been chosen to match the East Sussex volume. It catches West Sussex at the end of the era when it was an almost entirely rural and agricultural community, before the seaside villages blossomed into fashionable coastal resorts. Every rural parish is covered - and of course the urban communities represented by the City of Chichester, the market towns of Arundel, Horsham, Midhurst, Petworth and Steyning, and the port of New Shoreham.

Mid Sussex Poor Law Records, 1601-1835, edited by Ian Nelson and Norma Pilbeam, published 2 June 2001 (vol. 83, 453 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450505 & ISBN-13: 9780854450503) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14468][Lib 14474] & The Keep [LIB/500460][Lib/507866] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

This book presents the fullest picture yet to be achieved of an almost invisible community: the English rural poor of the two centuries up to 1835.
The poor had their annals; and they are by no means "short and simple" as Thomas Gray suggested. They survive in formidable quantity. Their lives have come down to us through the bureaucracy which controlled and monitored their movements, apprenticed their children and attempted to arrange the maintenance of their illegitimate offspring. The records of the parish overseers and the vestries, and of the courts of Quarter Sessions, combine to preserve their stories. Although this documentation exists in all English counties and is a well-known source, its publication in such range and depth has never been achieved before. In this volume the editors have attempted the coverage of a cohesive rural area by abstracting the records for a block of 23 parishes based round the modern area of Mid Sussex.
There are a host of personal stories - like that of William Roberts, in 1618 whipped as a vagrant at Cuckfield and sent to "travayle" home to Anglesey within 30 days. Or Mary Willson, in 1743 a serving maid in a London coffee house, left destitute by the death of her soldier husband at the siege of Cartagena in Central America. Or Edward Hillman, in 1741 sent back in his old age from Tonbridge to the "home" parish of Cuckfield he had left 37 years before. Or Anne Wright, a soldier's wife found begging in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, in 1746 and sent back by a succession of carriers to her husband's parish of East Grinstead. Or Thomas Andrew, a Marine from Chatham in 1764, sent back to Cowfold where he had been born in a barn to vagrant parents a quarter century earlier.
The result is the biography of a rootless underclass over two centuries. It records the origins, movement, employment and unemployment of over 10,000 individuals whose poverty made them subject to constant invigilation from the local officials. The volume will have enormous appeal to family historians, and great value to demographers, and to social historians of the dispossessed. For the first time they will have a database which will be sufficiently large and consistent for genuine comparisons to be made and significant conclusions to be drawn.

Sussex Depicted: Views and Descriptions, 1600-1800, by John H. Farrant, published 2 June 2001 (vol. 85, xx + 390 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450513 & ISBN-13: 9780854450510) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14470][Lib 14475] & The Keep [LIB/500462][Lib/508871] & R.I.B.A. Library & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

Every year through the 1780s, for the fortnight after Whitsun, the Swiss-born artist S. H. Grimm toured Sussex, sketching churches and their monuments, the remains of the medieval castles and abbeys and, particularly, the houses of the gentry. Commissioned by the lawyer and antiquary Sir William Burrell, the resulting 900 watercolours are an incomparable record of the county's buildings, as yet untouched by the Victorians' zealous restorations and demolitions.
This handsome book reproduces 116 of Grimm's pictures, together with 88 watercolours, oils and drawings by 40 other artists from the early 17th to the early 19th century - 16 of them in colour. Each picture is accompanied by a 200-word caption, often based on new research, on the building's history. The 40,000-word introduction, 'Antiquaries and artists in Sussex from 1585 to 1835', traces the progress of the county's depiction in both words and pictures, from William Camden's fieldwork in Queen Elizabeth's reign for his Britannia, through William Burrell's monumental but forlorn efforts to write a county history, to T. W. Horsfield's History, antiquities and topography of the County of Sussex published just before Queen Victoria's accession. Two accounts of tours through Sussex, in 1743 and 1777, are printed, along with prospectuses for Budgen's map of 1724 and the Bucks' engravings of 1737. The text is fully referenced and indexed, with a bibliography of 700 titles.

Journal of the Great War. From Sussex Shore to Flanders Fields, by Edward Heron-Allen and edited by Brian W. Harvey and Carol Fitzgerald, published 2002 (vol. 86, xxii + 282 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 085445053X & ISBN-13: 9780854450534) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15043] & The Keep [LIB/500463][Lib/507867] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

Edward Heron-Allen was a polymath; one of the most remarkable of his era. By profession a solicitor, he was also a distinguished zoologist (F.R.S.), historian, Persian scholar and translator, author of a classic book on violin-making studied worldwide, cheirosopher and writer of early science-fiction novels and stories, some of these being published pseudonymously and now much sought after. He left many beautifully bound unpublished manuscript volumes (carefully preserved by a grandson) and it was amongst these that the editors came across this fascinating Journal of the Great War, previously unknown outside the family.
In this personal Journal Heron-Allen chronicles the impact of the War on the lives of himself, his family in Selsey, West Sussex and on a wide range of friends, acquaintances and organisations nationally. With the observant and penetrating eye of an experienced author, lawyer and scientist, he describes in unsurpassed detail the day-to-day experiences of life under the increasingly stringent conditions of wartime Britain. He depicts the effects of conscription, spy scares and Zeppelin raids on the population, both in Sussex and in London, where he retained a town house.
Although well over age, he was determined to contribute actively to the war effort and the Journal recounts his military training with the Sussex Volunteer Regiment - a somewhat 'Dad's Army' process depicted with a touch of humour - then officer training in Tunbridge Wells. However, the final stages of the War find him making use of his linguistic abilities in the propaganda department of the War Office, working with colleagues who included the uncongenial H.G. Wells. As part of this work he visited the Western Front and saw for himself the terrible destruction of places he had known before the conflict. All of this is interwoven with his vivid account of the privations and near social breakdown of the local Sussex community.
In his unusually lively and controversial text, Heron-Allen does not disguise his criticism of a good many of the well-known characters he encounters - such as the novelist Ford Madox Ford, his tenant at Selsey. The importance of this previously unpublished Chronicle is, though, that it casts an exceptionally civilised and perceptive eye on the Home Front - and especially the Sussex Home Front, illuminating one of the defining moments of the 20th century and the irrevocable changes that the Great War inflicted on the structure of English life.

East Sussex Parliamentary Deposited Plans 1799-1970, edited by Roger Davey, published 2003 (vol. 87, vii + 269 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450548 & ISBN-13: 9780854450541) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14963][Lib 15657] & The Keep [LIB/500464][Lib/507870] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The infrastructure which makes possible many of the conveniences of modem life is often taken for granted: water supply, electricity and gas, harbours, docks and navigable rivers, the road, railway and former street tramway networks, and so on. Many of these, however, were only made possible by the inventive genius and initiative of the 19th and earlier 20th centuries, and even long-existing provision (such as for water and roads) was transformed in the same period. This volume describes in detail one of the principal sources for tracing the history of this crucial and wide ranging provision - the series of 586 East Sussex plans which accompanied Bills to Parliament to authorise the various schemes put forward, and which in many cases resulted in Acts. Copies of the plans had to be deposited locally, and it is this series, complete from 1799 to 1970, which is listed here. Of particular interest are the plans for schemes which were promoted, but which never came to fruition. East Sussex in this context means primarily the pre-1974 county, including the 'Mid Sussex corridor'; but because many schemes (e.g. those for railways) overlapped the boundary, some plans feature parts of West Sussex as well. West Sussex plans (with some East Sussex overlap) were described in an earlier volume published by the Society in 1968 (66), but for either area the full indexes provided with the volumes enable the user readily to identify plans covering particular places. Every local town (notably Brighton and Hastings), and almost every rural parish, was affected by works proposed at one time or another. The work of national and local surveyors can likewise be traced here, and the maps contain much useful topographical information, with details of the owners and occupiers of land and buildings in the areas affected by potential schemes.

Sussex in the First World War, edited by Keith Grieves, published 2004 (vol. 84, lix + 394 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450564 & ISBN-13: 9780854450565) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15171][Lib 15172] & The Keep [LIB/500461][Lib/507869] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

This volume draws on a wide range of sources to paint a vivid and comprehensive picture of Sussex attitudes and experiences in the Great War for Civilisation.
The landed gentry's assumption of responsibility for local recruiting, and the willingness of most volunteers, make a contrast to the proceedings of a tribunal dealing with a conscientious objector. Men from farms and factories found themselves in situations far removed from their normal lives. This is reflected in their letters home, some of which were published in their parish magazines. Whilst such local publications were careful to encourage a 'business as usual' impression, the threat of invasion was surprisingly strong - provoking a radical range of precautions. The logistics of wartime supply, for the forces and for the civilian population, made a major impact on the county. They included the monopolising of ports for transportation of supplies to the front and, at a local level, the control of rabbits to protect food crops. Comforts for the troops ranged from the practical to the fantastic - such as Lord Brassey's luxury yacht 'Sunbeam' in which, with a crew of 24 and the Dean of Hereford, he took a group of six wounded officers on a cruise. For some of the injured and disabled there would be care and retraining - in country houses or among crippled children at Chailey.
Any record of the Great War would seem incomplete without some mention of its poetry. The selection here ranges from 'The County Enlisting Championship' which epitomises the patriotism at the outbreak of war to nostalgic front-line memories of home and the Downs, and Blunden's enduring recollections of his comrades.
Finally, when the war was over, there were peace celebrations for those returning, and the question of how best to commemorate the dead. Formal memorials and more practical ideas such as community halls each had their supporters. A decade later Sergeant Boutwood of the Royal Sussex Regiment was among the first to revisit some of the French battle sites in 1930 and wrote an account for the Regimental Journal. Appendices give information on military matters, including the movements of each Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, edited by Timothy J. McCann, published 2004 (vol. 88, lxxxi + 218 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450556 & ISBN-13: 9780854450558) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15173][Lib 15174] & The Keep [LIB/500465][Lib/507871] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The history of cricket in Sussex has been traced back to the 17th century, but the 18th century was a period of enormous importance in the development of the game. It was the period when a disorganised rural pastime, played in country churchyards and rural wastelands evolved into a national game played by regular teams patronised by the aristocracy and county gentry. Sussex was one of the principal centres of this evolution. The history of cricket in particular and sport in general is every bit as valuable as economic, religious or social history, and this volume is the first comprehensive study of all available sources.
It prints in chronological order all known references to 18th century cricket in Sussex or played by Sussex teams, recorded in local and national newspapers, diaries, correspondence and accounts of the period. The principal newspapers used are the Sussex Weekly Advertiser and the Hampshire Chronicle and Portsmouth Gazette for matches played in the western half of the county, and the Kentish Chronicle, Kentish Gazette, Kentish Weekly Post and the Canterbury and Maidstone Journals for the east. London newspapers are useful sources for matches played in London, particularly in the first half of the century.
Books of scores compiled by W. Epps, Samuel Britcher, Henry Bentley and Arthur Haygarth are included. References to cricket have been extracted from the Sussex diaries of John Baker, John Burgess, William Davy, Walter Gale, Sarah Hurst, James Maidlow, Thomas Marchant, John Marsh and Thomas Turner, together with those of John Dawson and Thomas Pattenden of Kent. Manuscript sources have been transcribed from West Sussex Record Office. the Hampshire Record Office, the Kent Heritage Centre and the British Library, as well as a host of other collections.
The Introduction reproduces all known references to cricket in Sussex in the 17th century. It examines the chronological and geographical spread of the game in 18th century Sussex. It also explores such aspects of the game as the grounds on which matches were played, and the teams who played. The place of cricket in the society of the time is discussed: the patrons and sponsors, the crowds, the entertainment and hospitality, and the gambling. Other topics touched on include series of matches, rules and regulations, scores, the weather, curiosities of cricket and women's cricket.

East Sussex Coroners' Records 1688-1838, edited by Roy F. Hunnisett, published 1 January 2005 (vol. 89, xlviii + 300 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450688 & ISBN-13: 9780854450688) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15363] & The Keep [LIB/500466][Lib/507872] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The text of this volume is in three parts. The first consists of all the extant bills submitted by the coroners of East Sussex to claim the expenses to which they became entitled in 1752 for holding inquests and travelling to venues. They contain summaries of 3,620 inquests held between 1752 and 1838. The second part contains 142 inquests from between 1688 and 1838, with four earlier ones which have recently come to light. All the East Sussex inquests known to exist from 1194 to 1838 are therefore now in print with the exception of those held after 1688 in the Cinque Ports confederation, there being too many from Rye, Winchelsea, Hastings, Pevensey and Seaford to be included here. East Sussex before 1838 comprised the whole of the rapes of Hastings, Pevensey and Lewes. The East Sussex county coroners also officiated in the eastern part of Bramber rape which was part of the archdeaconry of Lewes and also held occasional inquests in other parts of West Sussex when there was no West Sussex coroner or he was incapacitated. Thirdly, there is in an appendix a series of documents concerning the prosecution of Thomas William Wheeler, a county coroner, for offences committed in the course of his duties.
The records illustrate many aspects of the life of the period. Some are concerned with smuggling, many more result from the large number of regular soldiers and militia stationed along the Channel coast or nearby during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, and others reflect the growth of seaside towns, especially Brighton. Among noteworthy individual deaths are the first Brighton trunk murder and the murder of a man by his wife whose trial was the last Sussex case of petty treason.

The Durford Cartulary, edited by Janet Stevenson, published 2006 (vol. 90, li + 163 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450696 & ISBN-13: 9780854450695) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15611] & The Keep [LIB/500467][Lib/507873] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The text of this volume consists of an English calendar of the cartulary of Durford abbey, a house of Premonstratensian, or White, canons. The history of the order is discussed in the introduction as is that of the abbey from its foundation to its dissolution. There are five appendices: the first comprises deeds relating to the abbey, which might have been included in the cartulary but were not; the next three list all the abbots, canons and secular clerks of the abbey; and the fifth is a concordance of the cartulary' s pagination and foliations with the entry numbers used in this volume. There are indexes of persons and places and of subjects.
Durford abbey was established about 1161 on the northern bank of the Rother in the parish of Rogate by Henry Hussey, lord of the neighbouring manor of Harting. The cartulary, mostly compiled in the late 13th century but with later additions, records its endowment by the founder, his son and others, notably Henry of Guildford in the early 14th century. The endowments were mostly in West Sussex and Hampshire, but some were in Kent and Wiltshire. In the early 13th century the abbey acquired by purchase the lands of the leper hospital at Harting, also a Hussey foundation. As one of the smaller religious houses, Durford was dissolved in 1536.
The cartulary records gifts not only of relatively unproductive lands such as marsh, which the Premonstratensians considered acceptable, but also of land already cleared for agriculture and pasture for their sheep. It yields some evidence of the ensuing consolidation by exchange and the change to leasing or farming of the abbey's lands by the late 13th century; and records the terms of several corrodes or provisions for maintenance, some residential, sold by the abbey in the early 14th century to benefactors and servants.

Sussex Clergy Inventories 1660-1750, edited by Annabelle Hughes, published 1 June 2009 (vol. 91, xlii + 285 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450734 & ISBN-13: 9780854450732) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16475] & The Keep [LIB/500468][Lib/507874] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

Probate inventories provide wonderful snapshots of contemporary life through material possessions; and in this volume you will find transcribed inventories for 181 parish clergy between 1600 and 1750, each with extracted details from the will or administration (where it survives) and brief biographical details. This is the first time the Society has published such a collection. Because these possessions are often listed room by room, they can also be used to extract information about contemporary buildings and the ways in which they were used. An analysis of the inventories on this basis is included to demonstrate how this can be done.
Clergy were chosen as a recognisable group, representative of county society across the time-frame. They were also selected because the majority of their inventories include valuations (and sometimes numbers) of books, items not found for many of the laity. Taken with information that sometimes appears in wills, these cast valuable light on the culture and literacy within this social group. The information is supplemented by an appendix which contains two clergy inventories outside the time-frame (1451 and 1791), which include important collections of books listed by title.
Until 1858, probate inventories, that is lists of 'goods and chattels' of a deceased person, were one of three documents (will or administration, inventory and accounts) that were required by the church courts for granting of probate. Although a will or administration has survived to accompany the inventory in most cases, the probate accounts, which provide valuable additional information, are much rarer. The six examples for our series have been included in an appendix. Although the courts required certain specific details as a matter of course, and the appraisers (local men who are named in most cases) followed a general pattern of presentation, in practice this could vary wildly according to their level of competence. As far as possible the original appearance of the inventories has been kept, while an explanatory note describes any modifications to or divergences from the originals.
The documents that make up this volume have been brought together from the West and East Sussex Record Offices as well as the National Archives. Their background and their value for a range of research projects is discussed in the introduction, as well as the ways in which they may be used in conjunction with other records such as ecclesiastical surveys, faculty records, hearth tax and studies of buildings.

This is the first time the Sussex Record Society has published such a collection of probate inventories and they provide such interesting snapshots of life through material possessions. The transcribed inventories for 181 parish clergy between 1600 and 1750 have been brought together from the West and East Sussex Record Offices as well as The National Archives.
The book will be of wide interest to family historians as well as social, local and ecclesiastical historians. The extracts from wills show the cultural level and literacy of parochial clergy at this time, by the inventory content i.e. valuation of books and sometimes the number of books, as clergy lifestyles vary from poverty-stricken curates to genteel and prosperous rectors. The individual inventories make fascinating reading and are clearly indexed in parish alphabetical order together with the name of the curate or vicar. For example, I quote: "ten payre of pillowcoats, Fourteen towels, eight hives of bees, one frying panne, 3 hennes and on cock, all the bookes value £30". Of course if a family historian discovers an ancestor from the 181 parish clergy listed then the information given is invaluable to the research of their family. Also these lists of material possessions are a useful glossary of unusual or obscure words used in inventories.
The information also included in the wills can be used for studies of buildings of the time - another valuable source for social history.

Accounts and Records of the Manor of Mote in Iden 1441-1551, 1673, edited by Mark Gardiner and Christopher Whittick, published 1 August 2011 (vol. 92, lxxxv + 314 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450742 & ISBN-13: 9780854450749) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 17925] & The Keep [LIB/500469][Lib/507875] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

The accounts of the manor of Mote provide an exceptional insight into provincial society towards the end of the Middle Ages set against the background of national affairs. In 1460 Sir John Scott, a minor Kent lord, bought the Sussex manor of Mote. In that same year, he made the momentous decision to support the landing of the Yorkist lords, opened the gates of Canterbury and paved the way for the accession of Edward IV. Scott subsequently emerged as a close servant of the new king and was showered with offices and the properties of attainted Lancastrians.
The creation of a fashionable brick 'castle' at Mote to proclaim Scott's new status is detailed in these accounts. The decision to start work was taken in 1466 and building continued for a decade. The establishment of a brick kiln, the supply of stone from Eastbourne and Cranbrook, ironwork from Woodchurch and glass from Calais are all recorded. Scott also re-organized agriculture at Mote, digging up woodland to create new fields and building his herd of cattle. He built a dock near Rye to ship firewood to the English enclave of Calais, where he was himself established as Marshal. The accounts also record the purchases made to sustain a gentry household, and contain a wealth of information about supplies and provisioning in the hinterland of Rye and Romney Marsh.
The accounts record the local business of the Scott household in the broader context of the struggles of the Yorkists and Lancastrians. Echoes of the Readeption crisis of 1470 are found here: Sir John was briefly exiled and Lady Agnes Scott took over the running of the estate, and struggled to collect the rents from tenants uncertain of the future. Perhaps in expectation of a siege, she also stocked the manor with meat and wheat and had her husband's armour cleaned.
The Mote accounts are complemented by near-contemporary coin rolls and rentals of 1478 and 1673, the latter supported by maps. The context of these records is explained by a detailed introduction which discusses the accounts, the manor and its lords from the 13th to the 20th century, including its tenure by the Catholic Scotts and Puritan Powells. It concludes with a wider study, supported by appendix, of feudal tenure in the Weald of Sussex.

Sussex Record Society volume 92 is an edition, in translation, of four groups of documents held at East Sussex Record Office, relating to the manor of Mote in Iden, covering the period 1442 to 1673. They are manorial accounts (1464-1484); a court roll of the manor (1442-1551); a rental of the manor (1478); and asurvey (1673).
The text is preceded by an introduction which sets out their historical context. It examines the descent of the manor, its purchase by Sir John Scott in 1460, his career and character and the management of his demesne and household at Mote. Scott, a minor Kent lord, supported the landing of the Yorkist lords in 1460 and subsequently became a close servant to the new king, Edward IV. As befitting a man on the rise, Scott embarked on an ambitious building project at Mote from 1466 - detailed in the accounts - which included the creation of a fashionable brick 'castle'. The accounts of household expenditure show that despite successful management of the demesne the household was not self-sufficient; foodstuffs were bought locally, often directly from the producer or, for larger quantities, from local towns. Other items, including ironmongery, domestic utensils and cloth and clothing (the latter usually for the servants) were also bought locally.
The introduction also describes the later descent of the manor, the history of the archive and the diplomatic nature of the documents. The final part considers the use of stock-deeds and the nature of manorial tenure in the Weald of Sussex, and sets out the editorial conventions used in the text.
This is a very impressive volume, reflecting considerable skill and erudition on the part of the editors, not only in translating and editing the documents but in providing them with such a robust and scholarly introduction.

East Sussex Church Monuments, 1530-1830, edited by Professor Nigel Llewellyn, published 1 August 2011 (vol. 93, xlii + 450 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450750 & ISBN-13: 9780854450756) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 17926] & The Keep [LIB/500470][Lib/507876] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

In almost every parish church in East Sussex there survive examples of commemorative art - ledger stones on the floor, wall-mounted inscriptions and monumental brasses and numbers of substantial carved-stone funeral monuments standing in chancels and family chapels. Never previously studied as a group, these objects cast dramatic light on the social, religious and family histories of the county. The media and artistic techniques involved in making these works of monumental art are many and varied: they are sculpted, engraved, cast and painted in stone, brass, iron and wood and are of interest to students of local history and of art and architecture. Some Sussex monuments were made locally, with important centres of production in Lewes and in the Weald where the celebrated cast-iron floor slabs were turned out. Other works were made outside the county and brought in, probably by water transport, from London and sometimes from as far away as continental Europe.
At the heart of this volume is a set of catalogue entries, each one dedicated to one of the 1409 items that have been identified as a result of extensive field-work in 144 East Sussex churches. The whole project represents the largest published regional survey of English monumental art ever attempted. Each work included mentions a person or people who died in the period 1530 - 1830 and in each case there are either transcriptions or summaries of the monumental inscriptions. An introductory essay, illustrated by 200 colour plates, outlines the broad historical trends and key developments and sets the monumental art of post-Reformation East Sussex into the broader national context. In addition, the catalogue entries may be studied in conjunction with a complete set of high resolution on-line photographs on the Society's web site at www.sussexrecordsociety.org. A complete index of artists and persons is also included.

Sussex Record Society volume 93 is a catalogue of 1409 monuments in 144 East Sussex parish churches dating from the period 1530 to 1830, compiled by Professor Nigel Llewellyn and a team of research assistants and volunteers. The volume includes colour photographs of 200 of the listed monuments. An accompanying database available through the Sussex Record Society website www.sussexrecordsociety.org provides high-resolution images of most of the monuments listed in the catalogue. Professor Llewellyn's introduction explains the origins of the project and offers an overview of the geographical, demographic, social and economic contexts of the monuments.
The volume and database represent a significant resource for anyone interested in funerary monuments. As Llewellyn points out, such monuments have been a neglected category. Few are considered to have enough architectural or sculptural merit to be of interest to historians of art and design and, until recently, they mainly attracted attention from genealogists and local historians. However, to some extent this neglect is already a thing of the past: over the last few years there have been a number of significant publications on medieval and early modern funerary monuments and their place within mortuary culture by Peter Sherlock, Nigel Saul and, indeed, by Llewellyn himself.
The catalogue entries in this volume provide a physical description of each monument, a transcription of the inscription and some additional biographical and genealogical information. The descriptions and many of the inscriptions reduce the deceased's life and death to series of emotionless facts. Yet over the period 1530 to 1830 the monuments themselves became increasingly emotive. A flamboyant example of this is the freestanding monument at Withyham to Thomas Sackville, son of Richard, Earl of Dorset, who died in 1675 aged 13, which includes life-sized effigies of the child (looking, it has to be said, remarkably well) and his griefstricken parents.

Winchelsea Poor Law Records, 1790-1841, edited by Malcolm Pratt, published 1 April 2013 (vol. 94, xxxvi + 380 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-10: 0854450769 & ISBN-13: 9780854450763) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 18291] & The Keep [LIB/500471][Lib/507890] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

"The poor are ever with us" is a common phrase, but one that usually evokes images of an amorphous, anonymous mass. Rarely do we get beyond grim registers yielding stark statistics on people, money, food and clothing. Yet through the use of an amazing and unusual collection of letters, this volume puts stories. faces and individual identities to the poor of Winchelsea of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In doing so, it also conjures up the life of this small town at that time, the work of its inhabitants and the duties of those in authority who took responsibility for the poor. In particular, it highlights the dedicated and highly efficient work of one man, Charles Arnett, the master of the workhouse and the only salaried official, as he struggled for five years to both care for the poor and balance the books. Here are stories for all times as people moved in and out of employment, suffered from rising food prices, coped with how life could suddenly be changed by ill-health, and the constant struggles of maintaining families - all against a backdrop of limited and inadequate housing. This volume yields a multi-faceted set of stories drawn not only from the points of view of those in authority and their various registers, but also from the heartrending letters of the poor.

In the popular imagination, by the 18th century little but fields of waving corn survived on the spot where once King Edward's burgesses of New Winchelsea had plied one of the country's foremost wine trades: the combined efforts of silting, French aggression and the rise of Rye had reduced it to a shadow of its former grandeur. But as ever, the reality is more complicated, and more nuanced. Life inevitably went on in Winchelsea after its decline but the more depressed it became, its status as both a parliamentary borough and an exempt jurisdiction, combined with an influx of troops during the Napoleonic Wars, paradoxically ensured the preservation of an archive, almost unparalleled in East Sussex, which chronicles the lives of its poorest inhabitants.
In 1683, the Poor Rate had produced a return of £20 3s 9d; even by 1782, the Overseers were prepared to spend £175 a year to outsource poor relief to a private contractor. It was the abandonment of that experiment in 1792 - a decade later the rate was required to produce £1229 - which gave rise to most of the documents edited by Malcolm Pratt in the excellent, if at times harrowing book.
The quantity and richness of the archive has determined the author to present his material not chronologically or thematically but by case, which makes the book one to be read, not merely consulted. The material ranges de alto in basso - from the story of the former parish overseer John Eagles, eventually hanged at Newgate for the theft of a banknote in 1827, to the demand of Edward Brignell of Ivychurch for appropriate clothing for Mary Relfe, taken on as a farm servant a month earlier at a shilling a week; 'otherwise I shall send her back again'.
Unlike Thomas Turner's diary, whose detailed narrative of his implementation of the Poor Law has so much to tell us about ordinary lives half a century before, these are not merely writings about the poor - many are penned by the poor themselves. As almost all the cases show, the line between literate prosperity and destitution was often a narrow one, over which whole families could be pushed in a matter of weeks by the unpredictable vagaries of unemployment, the weather and bad health.
The author has dedicated the volume to the memory of Roy Hunnisett, who continued to cultivate his Sussex roots as he rose to become one of the foremost scholar-archivists of his generation. His wise counsel as a member of council and latterly as a literary director, coupled with his own editorial endeavour, contributed to a renaissance in the quality of the Sussex Record Society's output. His role as mentor, acknowledged by the author, was also formative at the start of my own career almost 40 years ago, and one to which I am equally proud to pay tribute.
With this volume Malcolm Pratt, a former town clerk of Winchelsea with two histories of the Port of Stranded Pride to his name, has done more than credit to his outstanding material, and to the efforts of his predecessors to preserve it.

Littlehampton School Logbook 1871-1911, edited by Ruth Brown, published June 2016 (vol. 95, lxx + 400 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-13: 9780854450770) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 18933] & The Keep [LIB/509227] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

All head teachers of Victorian elementary schools were required to keep logs of their pupils' progress, but few are as vivid and meticulous as that of Thomas Slatford, head of Littlehampton Boys' School from 1871 until 1911. The march of history can be traced, noted in concise and colourful local detail. The reluctance of the church to cede control of education to elected School Boards, well-documented in general histories of the period, shows up in the log in the suspicion that the vicar was bribing boys with drink and tobacco to get them to go to church. The growth of tourism in Littlehampton is reflected in Slatford's concern that children were allowed to run wild whilst their parents looked after paying visitors, one budding young entrepreneur truanting from school in order to sell strawberries on the beach. Tourism wasn't all bad however: one boy, whose family was host to the head of a firm of London architects, so impressed the gentleman with the standard of his homework that he was offered a job. There was a surprising amount of social mobility. The detail about everyday events in the lives of his pupils is interspersed, unusually for a school log of this period, with Slatford's reflections on education and society at a time of far-reaching change. His role was an ambivalent one. On the one hand, as headmaster of an elementary school in 1871 he was supposed to be the servant of a system designed to preserve class difference and keep the poor in order. He was to teach a narrow and closely regulated curriculum. But this was not the only ideology on offer: Slatford's logs show how, under enthusiastic and conscientious leadership, the tightly regulated class-bound system could be modified in accordance with another Victorian frame of mind, that is, a faith in technology, progress and hard work, and the optimistic belief that all were educable within a culture that could ultimately do away with classes. It is a spirit captured briefly by Conan Doyle when he has Sherlock Holmes describe Board Schools as: 'Beacons … out of which will spring the wiser, better England of the future.' As a dedicated teacher optimistic about human progress and prepared to write what he thought, Slatford is among the unsung heroes of Victorian elementary education, and his logs invite a reappraisal of its achievements.
Cover illustration: Memorial to Thomas Slatford River Beach School, Littlehampton.
Ruth Brown is a retired teacher, lecturer and writer. Born in New Zealand, she attended a primary school in the 1950s remarkably similar in its organisation and ethos to Thomas Slatford's Littlehampton school in the early 20th century. After graduating from University in Wellington and Teachers' Training College in Christchurch, she taught briefly in Marlborough before coming to England where she taught at Steyning Grammar School. She left Steyning in 1982 on marrying a widower with four young children, and with her husband's enthusiastic support went back to study and research. She completed an M.A. and a D. Phil. at the University of Sussex in the 1980s, a time of radical new developments and feminist, post-modern and postcolonial approaches, requiring an exciting re-think of established attitudes to English literature and history - and to the evaluation of their archival legacy. She was an Associate Tutor in the Centre of Continuing Education at the University for 23 years, whilst publishing in academic journals, and also keeping up an involvement with elementary education as school governor and classroom volunteer.

The Letters of John Collier of Hastings: 1731-1746, edited by Richard Saville, published October 2016 (vol. 96, lxiv + 435 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-13: 9780854450787) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 18952] & The Keep [LIB/509273][Lib/509274] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries   View Online

"Being all alone this long evening and in a very pensive mood on the losse of our dear child, and the necessity I was under of comeing from you, and as the post will convey this to you tomorrow evening, I could not devote the time better than in writing to you; and itt's a pleasing satisfaction to me, and I hope not dissagreeable to you"
John Collier to his wife after the death of his son, John, 8th February 1733
The Sayer MSS comprise one of the most important collections of business and social correspondence involving a Sussex family in the 18th century. The papers describe the rise to affluence and political and social influence of John Collier (1685-1760), five times Mayor of Hastings. Originally from an Eastbourne inn owning family, he trained as an attorney and, when only 20, became town clerk of Hastings. As well as his work for the Corporation, appointments followed as solicitor for the Cinque Ports, clerk of the port militia and commissioner of the Land Tax for Sussex. In addition he developed a legal practice in London and the port which brought contacts with leading officials and politicians of his day. His legal acumen, negotiating skills and boundless energy gave him a key place in the politics of the Cinque Ports; and under the care of the Duke of Newcastle and Henry Pelham he was later appointed Usher and Cryer of the King's Bench, and received lucrative offices in the Customs of Kent and London in organising the prosecution of smugglers. Collier acted also for the Duke and the Whig interest in elections and in local Corporation policy. Diverse incomes from office and legal practice enabled the family to buy lands in and around the port and considerable holdings in government and company stocks.
The letters in this volume explain how his legal and government work was organised and give the reader a vision into the range of work of this Sussex lawyer during the era of Walpole, Newcastle and Pelham.
The correspondence offers valuable insight into the business partnership between Collier and his brother-in-law, William Cranston, located in London. Cranston, also an attorney, managed their London accounts and settled business when Collier was in Hastings. Their letters show the crucial role of a wider network of associates and landowners. Most of the surviving Collier letters during law terms were destined for Mary Cranston, his second wife, who organised much of his affairs when he was away from Hastings. Their correspondence also offers up much on their social life and illustrates the tragic side, the sufferings of childbirth and the death of children, the effects of disease and ailments, the constant worry over relatives, as well as the wear and tear during the weeks of separation. Schooling looms large in these letters and the details of the five Collier girls who survived into their teens and went to Elizabeth Russell's girls' boarding school in Hampstead are of especial value in illustrating their upbringing and that of their contemporaries. Beyond school the girls' life in East Sussex underlines the upward mobility of the family by the 1730s, with the girls moving between the great houses, organising dances and games, meeting those of similar standing, going on country walks, finding out about servants and managing staff - all this with an insistence on the latest fashions and accessories to be bought by their father or uncle.
As expected from the offices held, political life was rarely far from Collier's concerns. Promoting the Whig interest in East Sussex was a particular concern; and the letters here add to our understanding of how the Whigs advanced their cause in the 1730s and 1740s. Letters also cover weather conditions, travel over the Weald, the connections with London, the social season at Bath and Tunbridge Wells and the effects of legislation upon Hastings townsfolk, notably the troubles caused by the smuggling trade.
Richard Saville is an economic and financial historian who has published on Britain from the mid-seventeenth century onwards. His previous publication for the Society was The Fuller Letters, Guns, Slaves and Finance 1 728-1 755 (edited with David Crossley) SRS vol. 76, 1991.

Chichester Archdeaconry Depositions 1603-1608, edited by Peter M. Wilkinson, published June 2017 (vol. 97, xlviii + 310 pp., Sussex Record Society, ISBN-13: 9780854450794) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 19218] & The Keep [LIB/509529] & West Sussex Libraries   View Online

In April 1604, Robert Johnson, rector of West Chiltington, had a difficult Sunday. His brother Henry's wife, 'having a child in her arms' dumped it near the rector's seat while her husband shouted, 'Here is your child; take it, for it is none of mine' - and left. Robert's response was to bring an action for defamation, and members of the congregation were called to testify. Their eye-witness accounts of the event are recorded in the deposition books of the bishop of Chichester's consistory court ¬along with those from hundreds of other cases heard in the 16th and 17th centuries. The depositions of such courts provide a unique record in describing such incidents which figure nowhere else in local or national archives. The consistory court proceedings rarely involved major events of the great or even the good: they focused on disputes between individuals over relatively mundane matters, principally matrimonial disagreements, the making of wills and the collecting of tithes - and of course defamation. But by their faithful recording of the witnesses' statements they have preserved a rich legacy of minor but often unique incidents which paint a picture of everyday life (and often its seamier side) in rural Sussex.
The stories they tell can be unexpected, often entertaining, and sometimes puzzling. Is there some recorded naval history behind the case of Agnes Daniell of Selsey, accused of bearing 'barters' by her profligacy with 'men of war'? Elsewhere they can tell of social tensions - evidenced by the road rage spat between James Pellett, vicar of Madehurst, and Richard Hobbes, one of the local gentry, who demanded: 'God's blood or God's wounds, will thou not give way: I am a better man than thou' - to which the vicar retorted that Hobbes 'not long before was but a capmaker.' Many of the cases reveal the serious impact of local gossip, particularly that involving the reputation of women. Agnes Nashe of Middleton understandably contested rumours that after a dubious sojourn in London she had 'burned' local Sussex men with venereal disease.
Thomas Herold of Pulborough reacted to a different kind of gossip when a neighbour asserted that 'he was a witch and did bewitch her husband's cattle'.
These nuggets of local material can also provide serious contributions in major historical areas - particularly in documenting farming activities. A dispute about tithe in Kirdford furnishes one of the earliest accounts of 'devonshiring' by which Wealden heathland was burnt and grubbed to produce improved agricultural land. Another tithe dispute in Oving describes how sluices were built to prevent tidal overflow from ruining the hay on the marshland.
While records of this period in other archives reflect the activities of the rich and owners of property - or the misdeeds of the seriously criminal - those of the church courts depict something much closer to the everyday life of the lower classes. Although their stories have survived in the archives of many English dioceses, they have not yet been fully exploited by historians: the secretary hand of the clerks does not make for easy reading and the patches of formulaic Latin can seem forbidding. But the difficulties can be overcome; the stories that emerge can be moving and entertaining; and above all they help us to hear the words of ordinary people and to see life through their eyes four centuries later. This book enables us to share the range of their experiences by publishing all the depositions from a register that covers the years 1603 to 1608. Perhaps these accounts of everyday life in rural Sussex may encourage others to mine such records in this county and beyond.

Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636, edited by Dr Andrew Foster and Joan Barham, published 2018 (vol. 98, xlix + 218 pp, Sussex Record Society, ISBN-13: 9780854450800) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/509706]   View Online

This volume provides transcriptions of church surveys conducted within the Archdeaconry of Chichester in the early seventeenth century, covering most of what is now deemed to be West Sussex. The first survey was commissioned by Archbishop John Whitgift in 1602 and was part of a national campaign. The survey of 1610 was a result of the primary visitation of Bishop Samuel Harsnett, while that of 1636 was under the auspices of Bishop Richard Montagu, but almost certainly connected with the Metropolitical Visitation of Archbishop William Laud of 1635. These surveys provide valuable evidence of the struggle by clergy, churchwardens and lay patrons to maintain the basic fabric of their churches and chapels, while also ensuring that the buildings were fit places for worship according to the standards being set for the times. The material may be usefully compared with the results of similar surveys conducted in 1686 and 1724, also published by the Sussex Record Society (Volume 78).

Church Surveys of Chichester Archdeaconry 1602, 1610 & 1636, edited by Dr Andrew Foster and Joan Barham, published 2018 (vol. 98, xlix + 218 pp, Sussex Record Society, ISBN-13: 9780854450800) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/509706]

This volume provides transcriptions of church surveys conducted within the Archdeaconry of Chichester in the early seventeenth century, covering most of what is now deemed to be West Sussex. The first survey was commissioned by Archbishop John Whitgift in 1602 and was part of a national campaign. The survey of 1610 was a result of the primary visitation of Bishop Samuel Harsnett, while that of 1636 was under the auspices of Bishop Richard Montagu, but almost certainly connected with the Metropolitical Visitation of Archbishop William Laud of 1635. These surveys provide valuable evidence of the struggle by clergy, churchwardens and lay patrons to maintain the basic fabric of their churches and chapels, while also ensuring that the buildings were fit places for worship according to the standards being set for the times. The material may be usefully compared with the results of similar surveys conducted in 1686 and 1724, also published by the Sussex Record Society (Volume 78).