Autumn 2010 Newsletter - WordPress.com · 2014. 1. 20. · RUDGWICK PRESERVATION SOCIETY AUTUMN...

RUDGWICK PRESERVATION SOCIETY AUTUMN 2010

AUTUMN 2010

Planning MattersVanessa SandersonRegional StrategiesIn July the Government announced that they wouldrevoke Regional Strategies with immediate effect. TheLocal Government Minister made it clear thatCommunities will once again be able to solve localhousing challenges in a way that makes sense to them.By allowing communities to shape their neighbourhoodsand share in the benefits the Government want torestore the idea that development can be a force forgood rather than something to be resisted at all costs.

Local plans drawn up with the help of the community willbecome the basis for local planning decisions and futurereform will make it easier for local councils to agree andamend plans with their local community in a way thatmaximises the involvement of neighbourhoods. It isunderstood that the introduction of incentives to replacebuilding targets will be a top priority for the newGovernment and take place early in the spendingreview. In addition to the new localism agenda Councilswill be free to protect Green Belt surrounding 30 townsacross the country. Communities will now have thepower to prevent encroachment on the Green Belt anddecide themselves where they want to build.

Horsham DistrictIn July HDC announced that they are to prepare aninterim statement on Managing Development. This willindicate how it is proposed to address the shorter termhousing needs of the District on the basis of a proactiveapproach towards meeting the requirements throughspecific land releases for residential development,possibly in the form of smaller scale developments incertain locations currently being examined for muchlarger strategic development. It is understood thatfollowing extensive discussions over the summer HDC isconsidering proposals to radically reduce its plan for newhomes. The Council welcomes the opportunity to set itsown housing targets based on meeting local needs andsupporting a vibrant economy which it will do with theCore Strategy Review.

The Council is now taking stock on this medium tolong term plan for the future in the light of changingGovernment guidance. Proposals for a fraction ofthe development previously put forward, around 500homes in Billingshurst (previously 1,700) and 500 atSouthwater (previously 2,750) are being consideredby Councillors at HDC Council meeting on 13thOctober. If approved the public will then be able tosubmit their views in a 6 week consultation periodbetween 29th October and 11th December.

It should be noted that the Save Billingshurst ActionGroup and Keep Southwater Green Group are bothextremely concerned about the potential outcomes &future for their villages at a time when localgovernment is facing the prospect of massivespending cuts. Smaller scale developments in thesetwo locations may not provide funds released viaSection 106 agreements that are able to address thesignificant infrastructure constraints and just oneexample is the education provision.

The Council advise that these proposals are beingworked on with representatives of both Communitiesand in addition to providing homes for local peoplewill provide for the necessary infrastructure and asignificant amount of community facilities. Refusingto consider further development is neitherpermissible under current planning rules norresponsible where there remains a need for localhousing. The Council’s view is that the limiteddevelopment that is being suggested enables them todefend the communities throughout the District frominappropriate house building where there is little orno provision for community facilities. If the plans aresupported at Council for public consultation they willpublish them at the end of October.

Waverley Borough CouncilThis Council have already started on their widerconsultation within the Borough and have produced adocument inviting residents to consider three optionsnow that the need for the South East Plan has beenremoved. They have set out the key issues forpeople to consider when choosing an option and theclosing date for this was 13th October. Moreinformation can be obtained on their web site atwww.waverley.gov.uk/consult

Continued page 2


Summer WALKS

Planning matters ....Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC)One of the first announcements of the new Coalition Government was that no new runways would be built atHeathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead. GACC hope that this is the final nail in the Gatwick runway coffin. The newGovernment also indicated that they intend to increase taxation on air travel. A new consultation is to be held thisautumn on whether to replace air passenger duty with a tax per plane. The Chairman of GACC has been involvedin discussions on these issues with the Treasury. To view more detailed reports on their current activities andcampaigns you can view their website www.gacc.org.uk

The first of this year’s Summer Walks, as usual led byDave Buckley, started from The Fox, Bucks Green, onTuesday the 4th of May at 7.00 p.m., with 25 walkers.The weather was fairly kind to us this summer. As faras I can recall, none of the walks encountered seriousrain, and there were no unfortunate incidents involvingwasps, bulls or other rural hazards.Some of the pubs allow us to park, and, if possible, weshould give them our support. I try to do thisimmediately after the walk, and a number of walkersassist me in this endeavour. This is a good opportunityto get to know fellow villagers, whom you may not havemet through other events.Limited by the sunset times, it is just possible to do 15walks weekly from the beginning of May to earlyAugust. Although most of the walks have been done inprevious years and appear in Roger Nash’s twoexcellent “Walks Around Rudgwick” booklets, Rogercreated a new walk this year, starting from TheWheatsheaf at Ellens Green on the 22nd of June.Unfortunately he was involved in judging for theCranleigh Show, and a sudden change of datesconflicted with the walk. So Anne-Marie stepped in andstarted with 30 of us. By the time Roger found us atEllens Green Hall we were heading directly for the pub,and finished with 28.We are most fortunate that, each year, the Claytonswelcome us at their home, Baynards Station, for aunique opportunity to view this beautifully restoredLB&SC station, in its original colours. This year wewere there on the 8th of June. I always think of theStation Master, Geoff Birdfield, who grew Dahliasalong the platforms to such spectacular effect that hemade the national papers. We always thank theClaytons on the day, and I thank them again now.This year we averaged an attendance of 21, with thehighest number of 33 on the Baynards Station walk.The lowest numbers were on days when it had rained,but none of the walks were really wet.Thanks go to the publicans for allowing us to park.Please support our pubs in return. Thanks also to allthe leaders who make it possible.Sadly, the loss of the West Sussex Walks Bookletseems now to be permanent, but I would draw yourattention to the Horsham “Walk and Talk your way tohealth” programme on www.horsham.gov.uk . We arealways in need of leaders. Please let me know if youmight lead a walk.Contact me on 822668 or [email protected] forinformation.

Geoff Ayres

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD TOTREVOR NASHThe Preservation Society nominated Trevor’s work inestablishing the Biodiversity Project and it’s work atthe King George V playing field for the award ofSussex Heritage Person of the Year. This award isgiven annually by the Sussex Heritage Trust inrecognition of one person’s outstanding commitmentto the heritage of Sussex. We are delighted thatTrevor has won the award for 2010. Here is Trevorbeing presented with his award by Lord Egremont,President of the Trust and the citation.

Now we come to the final award for this year –The Sussex Heritage Person of The Year AwardThis person has been driven by great determination,strength of character, physical fitness and ability to learnfrom, and use the skills of, others who may have moreexpertise than him.In addition he is extraordinarily talented at fund raising, bothfrom outside bodies and by his own initiative, when he oftencouples money raising for this particular project, with 50% foranother village activity such as the local school.He has a loyal following among his group who volunteer theirtime at least once a month. This person, by contrast is onthe case constantly. Without his kind of hands-on vision andleadership, this project would never have seen completion.The inception and management of the Rudgwick BiodiversityProject was entirely the idea of this person.He lives on the fringes of fields that have been neglected forat least 50 years and were overgrown with brambles andother impenetrable vegetation.He hit on the idea that a group could be formed, with theParish Council’s agreement as owners of the land, to openup, conserve and manage the linear woodland and stream;improving public access, establishing educational activitiesand working with the local community groups.In essence, that is what this project is all about.Nominated by The Rudgwick Preservation Society - it givesme great pleasure to announce that Trevor Nash is theSussex Heritage Person of the Year 2010 – please come upand accept your trophy.


I have written over the years several articlesabout the old railway line that ran throughRudgwick, which was a victim of the Beechingaxe in 1965. The line still invokes memories ofthose days when the local steam train couldbe heard climbing north out of the station inthe morning full of passengers commuting viaGuildford to London. The total journey timewas only an hour to Waterloo as the time tableallowed the Guildford train to connect with afast to Waterloo.

My late mother-in -aw, Babs McWilliam, toldan amusing story about her uncle, CharleyTate. He often caught the eight o’clock trainand there would be quite a number of peopleheading to the station down Church street.His little joke was to start to run, pretendingthat he could hear the train approaching fromSlinfold; this ofcourse would start apanic with the otherpeople saunteringdown the road. Onecan imagineeverybody arrivingbreathless at theempty platform.

I can remember that,as trains labouredup the inclinetowards BaynardsStation, there was a distinctive sound as theengine’s exhaust of smoke and steam echoedoff the brick bridge in Lynwick Street before itwas finally muted on its entry to the tunnel. Ifone was standing on the bridge, as aschoolboy, it was always fun to disappear inthe steam as it spilled over the brick parapet.These days I often cycle along the Down’sLink bridlepath and I find it fascinating that theblack soot is still in evidence on the brickworkof each bridge and bears witness to every trainthat passed underneath.

I think that as a country we are at last payingthe Victorians their due as far as their prowessin engineering is concerned and the quality ofthe work carried out; so well illustrated by FredDibnah’s many documentaries. The railwayline that ran through Rudgwick was only abranch line, built by the London, Brighton andSouth Coast Railway (LBSCR), which wasextended from Horsham, but if one looks atthe quality of the brickwork of the bridges andthe elegance of construction to carry a roadover the line at an angle, it does illustrate thatthe builders were masters of their trade.

Bricks in the WallMalcolm Francis

I am always amazed just how much civil engineering had tobe carried out to make any railway line. One marvels justhow much earth had to be moved just to carry the railwaytrack over the Arun before climbing towards Baynard’sTunnel. The bridges that had to be constructed, to allowfarmers access to their land, must have been a large cost inthe budget of any line built. One is aware that labour wascheap in those days, but the standard of work was first classThere is just such a bridge between the A281 and the riverArun, which only recently has developed some large cracks,as the whole embankment must be on the move. The onlymistake that was made in the line’s construction was theneed to build an iron bridge above the original brick parapetas the line crossed the Arun. The double bridge wasnecessary when the track had to be re-graded to overcomethe steepness of the track as it passed through RudgwickStation; that must have been a very costly mistake. Therectification had to be carried out to satisfy the Board ofTrade. All the bridges constructed on the line were actually

designed to take twin railwaytracks which again must haveput up the cost ofconstruction..

I remember as a boy there wasan old gentlemen called PeterBennet, he lived in LynwickStreet close to my parent’shouse and had a job atRudgwick brickworks as a “night watchman”, his dutiesincluded tending the brickclamps as they were fired. The

process needed a lot of skill as, once the fires were lit, theclamp had to burn at the correct temperature for many days.This was achieved by placing galvanised sheets against theclamp to regulate the flow of air, if the bricks burnt too hotthey would fuse together and thousands of bricks would bedestroyed.

Peter had been a brick-maker and bricklayer all his life andrecalled how he had worked on the building of Christ’sHospital School. Life was very tough in those days as hewalked from Rudgwick village to Christ’s Hospital, using therailway line, to start work at 6 am. To digress a little from therailway it is worth commenting on the buildings that can beseen around Baynards Estate. Whilst this is a private estateit has several footpaths traversing it. The lodges that can beseen at the various gates all have a very good standard ofbuilding and have a certain additional ornamentation thatcan easily be missed. The lodge that is at the top ofLonghurst Hill on the B2128, Cranleigh road, has beenreturned to its original glory and is worth a look as one drivesby. There are also quite a lot of cottages on the estate thatwere all built to a high standard. I can remember, back in theseventies that several of these cottages were empty formany years, due to the rental vagaries at the time. Todaymost of those buildings are now occupied and in a goodstate of repair and are a tribute to the skills of their Victorianbuilders.

Rudgwick Station circa 1905


By the mid 19th century, the severity of the law wasless harshly applied than it had been a few decadesearlier when hundreds of petty offences could result inthe death penalty. But it was still severe, especially inthe case of theft however trivial it may seem today. Itwas a matter of principle that the legislature, theexecutive, and the judiciary, came down heavily toprotect the property of those that had from those thathad not, and even the theft of goods to the value of apenny was treated as a felony like any other. Therecan be no doubt that many convictions were unsafe:sometimes with little or no firm evidence it could bedown to the word of an illiterate man with no legalrepresentation against that of a spiteful master ormistress; a time when the old cliché about one law forthe rich and one for the poor held substance. Whenthe poor box in Rudgwick Church was robbed onOctober 31st 1852, the offenders were undoubtedlyguilty and had good reason to dread the folly of theiraction. With no full-time police officer, it was the dutyof the vestry to nominate parish officers to investigatethe crime and press forward with any prosecution thatresulted.

On, Sunday the 14th November 1852, a meeting ofthe ratepayers of the parish assembled at TheQueens Head at Bucks Green. In his address, theRev. George Matthews said the purpose of themeeting was to consider what proceedings should betaken to discover who it was that had committedsacrilege by breaking open the alms box in the churchand stealing therefrom the money which the said boxcontained supposed to be about eight or nine pounds,and that the robbery had been committed on or beforethe seventh of this month. It was agreed that thereward of £20 on the part of the parish should beoffered to any person whether an accomplice or notwho should give such information as should lead tothe apprehension and conviction of the offender ofoffenders , and the said George Matthews vicaroffered a further reward of £5 for the same purpose,and a bill was accordingly drawn up with the names ofthe vicar and churchwardens at the foot thereofoffering a reward of £25 to such persons who shouldgive the information required. Signed M. Elliott ParishClerk. A private committee was then selected toconduct proceedings in the said robbery.

A further meeting of the ratepayers took place at theKings Head on the following Friday the 19thNovember, to consult as to proceedings necessary todiscover who broke open the alms box in the parishchurch and when it was done. After examining MarthaBuck wife of Richard Buck, George Bravery, AbiBravery widow, Henry Buck, and Sarah wife of HenryFreeman, touching the said robbery, Edward Edwardson whom suspicion of being guilty had fallen, the saidEdward Edwards was given unto the custody ofRichard Green Horsham Office Constable, and the

above witnesses attested to appear at Horsham onthe day of Edward Edwards being brought before thejustices for examination, which being done he wasremanded from Saturday until the followingWednesday during which interval he had confessedas being a perpetrator of the crime and likewiseimplicated William Toft as a perpetrator, who withEdward Edwards was on Wednesday 24th Novemberbrought before the magistrates at Horsham and bothfully committed to take their trial at the next assizes tobe held at Lewes, and the Churchwardens bound toprosecute. (They were legally bound to proceed)

At a vestry meeting held on December 2nd , the Rev.George Matthews said that the purpose of themeeting was to provide means for defraying suchexpenses incurred and have already been incurred inapprehending the persons now committed for the laterobbery; and for such information as the committeemay be able to obtain relative thereto, and he shouldbe happy if the meeting should resolve the same fromthe church rate, to be rated to the church rate thesame as though it was any other rate to which theproperty is liable to be rated. It was proposed that "Allexpenses incurred and all other expenses includingthe reward of £20 if claimed or incurred in procuringany further information should be paid from a churchrate or church rate to be made upon all property liableto be rated.” Mr Stephen Sturt objected to the words"all other expenses". All except Mr Sturt was for theresolution. At the next vestry meeting of February 2nd1853, the church rate was levied at four pence in thepound, (i.e. four pence in the pound of the rateablevalue placed on the property).

The trial of Regina v Edwards and Toft was to be heldat the Lewes Assizes on March 14th 1853. What dowe know about the two accused? Edward Edwardswas aged 16 or 17, and was an agricultural labourerliving in the household of William Jelly of ParsonageFarm, which he owned with 56 acres and was alsotenant of the Hermongers Estate and Parkpin Farm,employing 12 men. (Parsonage Farm stood adjacentto The Old Parsonage immediately next to the southside of the churchyard). He had only known direpoverty, his father having died at a very early age. In1841 Edward aged 5, lived with his widowed motherMary Edwards and two sisters aged 8 and 4, inVicarage Lane which was Lynwick Street, probably inone of the small cottages that stood on roadsidewaste along what is now the frontage to thebrickworks. (Lynwick Street originated as a placename: 'Street' as a place name occurs quite regularlyand usually referred to a hamlet or a cluster ofbuilding around a farmstead as shown on old mapsaround Canfields). She was described as widowpoor, which means that she was on poor relief. Thisdoes show that Rudgwick Parish Officers had somesympathy for their plight and used their discretion in

THE RUDGWICK CHURCH ROBBERY 1852.Alan Siney.


keeping the family together, as one of the objectiveslaid out in the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, wasthat all outdoor relief is ceased and the only reliefshould be within the confines of the union workhouseat this time being of the Petworth Union atWisborough Green, where the workhouse still standsas the squarish building in front of the church. In 1851it seems she was in the same cottage and describedas an infirm pauper, living with her eldest daughteraged 19. Boys on poor relief were usually farmed outto work at the age of ten, and given lodging food andclothes in return for their labour. Whatever hardshipsand hunger young Edward had endured he couldexpect no sympathy from the law; if found guilty theaxe fell with no mitigation.

William Toft was an agricultural labourer aged 52,being born inCranleigh andlived locally all hislife. In 1841 helived at BushyPlat inHogspuddingLane,and in 1851was at StarveHall - later calledStarvall - with acluster of farmbuildings almostadjacent to whatwas to beBaynards Station,with his wifeSarah and 22year old son. Thetwo made unlikelycompanions, andit would be easyto assume thatthe foolish youthwas enticed intothe act by theolder man. Onthe other hand,Edwards lived bythe church and asa member of the Jelley household was possiblyexpected to attend services and regularly saw thepoor box as a temptation, whereas those of Toft's ilkfelt socially alienated from the church and rarelyattended unless obliged to by his employer. If the acthad been premeditated and planned by Toft whywould he take the added risk of involving the youngEdwards and sharing the proceeds. We do know thatthe offence took place on a Saturday the 31st ofOctober, and it was possibly an impulsive act afterdrinking in the Kings Head when the subject arose asa joke. (There were no restrictions on underagedrinking then. When they were imposed by law the'Jug and Bottle’ bar became popular as children couldfetch draught beer for their parents in their owncontainers).

There are no known statements of evidenceappertaining to the case, and depositions (swornstatements of witnesses) although listed in theNational Archives, were found after a search to bevery sketchy nationwide and do not exist for Lewes atthat time. So of the whole there are no recordedinteresting facts of who saw what and when to enableattention to be drawn to Edwards at an early stage.Because the defendants had confessed and pleadedguilty to the indictment, the witnesses would havebeen spared the ordeal of being taken to Lewes andappearing in person to give evidence, theirdepositions would suffice. From the long list ofconvictions reported in the Hampshire Telegraph andSussex Chronicle of March 19th 1853, it does seemthat the trials were hastily dealt with.

The indictment ofEdwards and Toft aspresented to the jurywas hurriedly andbadly written andcrammed into asmall sheet ofpaper, with manymistakes andadditional linesinterposed overothers, with fadedink making it difficultto read, therefore Igive here only briefextracts of it. Theywere charged onthree counts whichincluded that ofsacrilege. "That onthe 31st day ofOctober in thesixteenth year of ourSovereign LadyVictoria etc. etc.having at Rudgwickfeloniously brokenand entered theparish church andthen and there

feloniously and sacrilegiously stole certain monies towit the sum of one pound eighteen shillings (£1.90)belonging to the vicar and churchwardens of the saidparish. The third count only applied to Toft. It recitedthat on the 6th day of January in the eleventh year ofour Sovereign Lady Victoria (1848) he was convictedof a felony at the Petworth Quarter Sessions. Bothmen pleaded guilty, and being a second conviction forToft, he was sentenced to transportation beyond theseas for the term of ten years. Edwards was to beimprisoned and kept to hard labour in the PetworthHouse of Correction for one year.

The events gives rise to some questions: the vicarstated in his address to the meeting of November14th,that the box had been broken open on or beforethe 7th when in fact it was a whole week before, so

One of the faults in the indictment was transcribed in this report byHampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle of Sat. 19th March 1853(issue 2789). It was the alms box that was broken into not the Church.On this page there were 25 listed convictions of the Spring Sessions ofthe Lewes Assizes before running off the end of the column. (Thanks toRoger Nash).


why was it not noticed before especially on the previousSunday when money would usually be expected to bedonated; and why had the vicar supposed the sum stolen tobe eight or nine pounds when the sum stated to the courtwas only 38 shillings. The churchwardens would have hadsome estimate on what could reasonably have beencollected over a period from their accounts, and thediscrepancy was so wide of the mark that one wonders ifother money had been concealed. The church may havebeen under disruption at this time as 1852 was the year thatthe old box pews were taken out and replaced with thepresent day pews, and the raised wooden floor was probablylaid over the original stone setts. (This was a step towardsreformation taking place in Anglican Churches around themid 19th century. The boxes were paid for according toposition and emphasised the parish pecking order, withusually a couple of rows of bench forms at the back for thepoor, where they could barely see and be seen. Theauthorities rightly saw that it was time to end thissegregation).

A vestry meeting of the 16th February 1863, was inaccordance to a precept signed by two of H.M. Justices ofthe Peace calling for the vestry to make out a list of tenpersons to serve as parish constables for the ensuing year.Possibly in the light of recent events it was proposed by MrJohn Jenkins that a paid police officer or constable beappointed as a parish officer as the justices shall thinkproper. It was unanimously agreed, but there is no evidencethat it was proceeded with, and the vestry continued tonominate ten parish constables annually until 1890. This wasobligatory like jury service, the purpose being to have tenmen sworn in that could be mustered to quell civilcommotion.

What happened to the two men after the trial? The nationalarchives have full lists of all convict sailings on microfilm, butwith thousands of names from assizes all over Britain notindexed or arranged in chronological order it could havetaken hours to find Toft, and no doubt convict records areavailable given time to search. Many of the convicts weremade trustees and bonded to a farm or other work if they hadskills that were wanted in this new pioneering country ofAustralia, and did not want to return as a social outcast, sofor many the day that they were led away in custody was thethe last day that they saw and possibly heard of theirfamilies.

Edward Edwards served his twelve months of hard labour, itwas a particularly gruelling punishment of a daily routine ofheavy physical exercise beyond the point of exhaustiondesigned to break the spirit, and was retained as a shortsharp deterrent until around the mid 20th century. He did notreturn to Rudgwick to face his reputation as a 'jailbird', andthe 1861 census shows him to be a farm labourer aged 26,living at Leigh, Surrey, with a wife 20 years his senior.

Sources and acknowledgments.The Rudgwick Vestry Book 1799 - 1860. W.S.R.O. PAR/160The Population Census Returns and its I.T. relevantderivations.The National Archives, Kew. The Indictment of Edwards andToft. ASSi 31/33, ASSi 95/293.With my grateful thanks to Phil Taylor for his computer skills,and for being my companion at Kew to help with searches.

This autumn there seems to be a bumper crop ofacorns in this area. It set me thinking about the time inthe early 1950s when schoolchildren were encouragedto collect them as a “cash crop”. I think that thescheme may have been local to Sussex and if mymemory is correct the acorns were to be graded andused by the Forestry Commission. I have recentlyheard that the Forestry Commission have an Oak treenursery close to Chiddingfold that produces all thesaplings for the south east of England, perhaps theacorn collection carried out in the Fifties were thenucleus of that scheme. I have searched the internetthinking that there would be some information aboutthe schemes but for once the internet has failed me. Itseems that children of earlier generations wereencouraged to collect acorns for pig feed along withbeech mast.

There was a nationwide scheme during the SecondWorld War to collect rose hips. The reason was thatthe nation was short of vital vitamin C due to the lackof citrus fruit arriving at our shores. The hips wereprocessed to make rose hip syrup on an industrialscale. I can remember some children collecting rosehips but acorn collection was the main occupation ofus youngsters at Rudgwick Primary school for someyears. The acorns had to be fat and healthy with nosign of worms, etc. The collection took place inOctober with one morning set aside for the acorns tobe taken to school. If I remember right the rate of paywas about three (old) pence per pound. The familyspring balance was used in the preceding weeks tosee how one’s wealth was accruing. Some childrenarrived at school with a sack of acorns, usually carriedby one of their parents. I think one year I managed tocollect about thirty pounds weight of acorns whichtotalled seven shillings and six pence in worth, aboutforty pence in today’s currency, but a good boost toone’s money box in 1952.

I am always fascinated by the way that acorns areformed with their little cups, one of Nature’s morepleasing designs. If one considers the horse chestnuttree, that again must have been a favourite of all smallboys over the years, looking for the perfect conker, butin these modern times I hear that playing the game ofconkers has become a victim of Health and Safety. Iwould admit that as youngsters we all took risksclimbing trees to get the best conker, apple or plum butwe were lucky enough to bounce if we missed ourfooting ; the worst that I did was to step back off of thetop of a load of hay bales. I must admit that I still havepleasure today in picking up a conker in its shell,breaking it open to reveal its polished leather treasure.

One additional story that happened at Collins Farm,Baynards, before the days of Health and Safety. I usedto work there myself through the summer holidays as ateenager. The farmer employed a couple of Scotsmen,as casual labour through the summer harvesting time;one day when the weather was bad he set them onreplacing some roof tiles on an old barn that adjoinedthe farmyard. The men were working at quite a heightwith just a long ladder. One of the men lost his footingon the steep roof and plummeted to the ground; he hitthe roof of a chicken shed, that by chance was directlybelow them in the farmyard. The complete demolitionof the shed, with a couple of dozen shocked chicken,were the only casualties……

Cash CropMalcolm Francis


James Braby (1824-1907) was a Rudgwickbenefactor and landowner, and first chairman of theparish council, yet neither he nor his father ever livedin Rudgwick; only 1 member of the family wasbaptised in Rudgwick (James son of John and Sarahnee Compton 1765, died same year). However, atleast seven married here, and five out of sixgenerations were buried in the church yard. Thisarticle, the first of two, will follow the family fromOckley, Surrey to Lambeth in London and finallyEwhurst. Its twin focus is on Maybanks, the familyhome in the second half of the 19th century, and theBraby entrepreneurial skills and drive which createdtheir wealth – “ex industria decus”, by labour withhonour (the Braby heraldic motto). Anyone who hasvisited Rudgwick Parish Church has seen the largeand beautiful Braby East Window over the alter, inmemory of James and Emma Braby, installed soonafter 1907.

A probable Warnham originIn 1647, John Caryll of Warnham, Esq., sold to JohnRowland of Horsham, yeoman, - for £900 - all “thatmessuage or tenement, barn, buildings, lands &c. inWarnham called Graylands, Tanners, the Broadfieldand Willetts Meads, in the tenure of John Brabycontaining 120ac”. The next year, Rowland, ayeoman, sold to John Rapley of Warnham, yeoman, -for £205 - 4 crofts of land in Warnham containing30ac. called Kennynge, Mershe, [and a] parcel of landcalled Brabyes farm, in the occupation of JohnBraby”.

The Ockley connectionJames & Frusannah. Henry and Ruth Braby’s 4thchild was James, born in Warnham in 1713. Jamesmarried Frusannah Butcher at Rudgwick in 1763,when he was 50. She was buried at Rudgwick in1799, aged 88, the words “of Ockley” on her grave.The marriage was brief as James died aged 59 in1770. Given the common inaccuracy of gravestoneages, and the illegibility of the inscription, thediscrepancy in dates can be discounted. He is “thefirst James Braby”. Did Rudgwick’s Butcher familygive the Brabys their introduction to Rudgwick,perhaps as landowners in a marriage settlement?

James & Elizabeth. Another James Braby marriedElizabeth Puttock at Rudgwick in 1771. He may havebeen a son of the first James born in the 1740s to aprevious unfound marriage. In 1774 and 1775,newspaper records show that James Braby of Ockleytook part in polls for the knight of the shire (Surrey).Also in 1775, a marriage settlement was drawn upbetween Edward Napper, Esq, of Hyes, Rudgwick,and Mary Boorer, a widow of Ockley, Surrey. Theproperty was assigned to Walter Waller of Rudgwick,Peruke Maker, and James Braby of Ockley, a

Wheelwright. They were to act as Trustees to ensurethat Edward and his bride did not dispose of all orparts of the Hyes estate. James seems to besomething more than an artisan wheelwright, a manof business. Elizabeth died in 1782, aged only 34 andwas buried at Rudgwick, followed by her husband in1807, no age given. An 18th century wheelwrightmade wooden cart and carriage wheels for the localfarmers and gentry, an essential craft in village andtown alike, and especially as Ockley is on the Arundelroad (Newsletter Spr 2010). There were, incidentally,four wheelwrights in Ockley in 1841, but the Brabyshad left the village well before then. So not only fromOckley, but a wheelwright too - from which ruralbeginnings….

James & Hannah. In 1797 James Braby, born1773, (presumed son of James and Elizabeth)married Hannah Weller at Ockley. The naming of theeldest boy after his father, common in many familiessupports this succession of Jameses. James andHannah quickly made it four when their son, James,was born in Ockley in the year of their marriage. John,Charles and Edward were among other children.

In 1815, "The silver medal was this session voted toMr. James Braby, of Pedlar's Acre, Lambeth, for aweighing machine for family use”. This comes fromthe Fleming Collection in America, but exactly whichLondon Society gave the medal is not stated. The

The Braby FamilyRoger Nash

Headstone of Frusannah and James Braby,reasonably well preserved under the south wall ofthe church since 1799


date points to this James Braby, and that he was thefirst to have business in Lambeth (Piggot’s Directory1825-6, James Braby, wheelwright, London). In 1829and 1832, he lived on Hampstead Road, Middlesex.James had moved to Kentish Town by 1838, wherehis executors sold a “substantial” house, 1846(“Gentleman of 16 Gloucester Place” in his Will),according to The Times. He was therefore theexception who was not buried in Rudgwick. However,the link with Rudgwick was far from broken….

The Churchman connectionJames & Mary Ann. In 1821, James Braby, born1798, married Mary Ann Churchman at Rudgwick.Mary Ann, born 1799, was the daughter of JohnChurchman (1770-1817) and Ann Ireland, ofBerrylands (Bury St Austens) Rudgwick. TheChurchmans were successful yeoman farmers, andall of Mary Ann’s brothers became farmers of largefarms in Sussex and Surrey, and most relevantly forthis article, of Maybanks, near Cox Green in Ewhurst.A number of prominent graves can be seen inRudgwick, as they too had found Maybanks locationhad oriented them to Rudgwick church.

The Churchmans came from Slinfold. Mary Ann’sgreat great grandfather William, yeoman, born 1655,married Mary Dendy and is the first to have farmedBerrylands in 1701. His son, John, Gentleman, born1694, was the first Churchman to farm Maybanks,then called Mabings (probably pronounced ‘May-bings’), which he had mortgaged in 1641, andpurchased outright in 1649, from Timothy Butt. Johnrebuilt Mabings, to make it fit for a gentleman (theproperty was first documented 1503), now “a doublepile house with four rooms on the ground floor andtwo backing hearths” (Balchin, 2006), but continued tohold Berrylands for his son William until he was ofage. William was ‘admitted’ (in the manorial court) toBerrylands in 1762, aged 24, after which he thenrebuilt Berrylands. William, who was firstly married toSarah King (Mary Ann’s grandmother), and secondlyto Hannah Briggs, inherited Maybanks from his fatherin 1771. Next, Mary Ann’s parents, John and Ann,added the north wing to Maybanks. Her eldestbrother, also John (1794-1857), married ElizabethAgate, inheriting Maybanks in 1817.

John and Elizabeth’s eldest child, another John, born1818, did not inherit the property. He farmed in Leigh,Surrey for a while but then went to Tooting to managea grocery shop! One suspects he had not inheritedthe best family genes. The Churchmans weresufficiently impressed by Mary Ann’s marriage toJames Braby, that Maybanks passed to James,probably by a marriage settlement for which nodocument survives. Mary Ann unfortunately died in1828, only 29 years old, after just seven years ofmarriage, perhaps in childbirth.

James subsequently became owner of Maybanks onJohn Churchman’s death in 1857. In 1861, Jameslived at Maybanks, a widower, “landowner andoccupier of 400 acres, employing 9 men and 4 boys”,looked after by a housekeeper, and intriguingly had a

pupil apprentice aged 19 living with him. PerhapsJames was more interested in passing on hiswheelwright skills than in farming. Along with ThosChild and Wm McCormick, he was one of thepromoters of the Horsham and Guildford DirectRailway Act, 1860. The survey map shows he owned24 fields on the line in Rudgwick parish between theriver and Baynards tunnel, and which they completedin 1865. Most were part of Greathouse Farm, whichhe owned, occupied by Henry Jenkins, proof if proofwere needed that the Brabys were cannyentrepreneurs, and that like his brother John he waspart of Rudgwick’s landowning community as well asliving in proximity at Maybanks. Braby clearlybenefitted financially from the acquisitions of therailway company, even though it would cut his land intwo.

He spent just eight years at Maybanks until his death,in the year the railway opened. James was buriedalongside Mary Ann at Rudgwick.

A Family AffairJ., J. and J. Braby (Braby & Sons). As shownabove, the family business prospered in the early 19th

century. Brothers James and John went intopartnership with their father in the Lambethwheelwright business, doubtless reaching morecustomers in the growing metropolis. “Braby & Dane”(Pigot’s Directory, 1819); “Braby & Sons,wheelwrights, 1/8 Thomas Street, Stamford Street;Duke Street” - and in 1833 additionally a “cabrioletproprieter (sic)” (1819-38, Sun Fire Insurance,Guildhall Library); “Braby, Jas & Jno, Duke Street,Blackfriars” (Pigot’s Directory, 1839). Some insurancedocuments also mention blacksmithing and insuranceof neighbouring businesses in this period.

The Times announced the end of the partnership in1839: J. J. and J. Braby, Duke St, Lambeth,wheelwrights, dissolved “as far as regards JamesBraby, son”. The London Gazette was a little cleareron names, but not on which one: James Braby theelder and James Braby the younger and John Braby,wheelwrights of Duke St Lambeth, dissolved “so faras regards James Braby the elder”. The likelyexplanation? “James the elder” is Hannah’s husband,and “James the younger”, Mary Ann’s husband.Father is retiring at age 65; James and John remain inpartnership: “Braby, Jas & Jno”, 1843 and 1848,“wheelwrights, etc” at 22 Duke St, according to adirectories.

John & Maria. John the younger brother, was bornin 1799. In 1829 he married Mary Ann’s sister, MariaChurchman at Rudgwick, in the same year that MaryAnn died. John and Maria had moved to Mottingham,Eltham, Kent by 1840, listed among the gentry. In1841 John is described as Independent, whichusually signifies someone without work, capable ofliving on his or her own means. Part of his means wasfrom owning 170 acres, Linwick and Canfields Farms,Rudgwick (late of James Butcher decd), tenanted byPhilip Butcher, according to the tithe map schedule,


1844. By 1851, he and Maria had returned toLambeth, to 25 Upper Stanford Street, but now he is a“slate merchant and slater, slate worker employing 30men”, and in business with his son, Albert.John may also have had the use of Maybanks, as in1841 “Mrs Braby” advertised in The Times for a cookthere (though the Churchmans were in residence inthe census). Furthermore, “John Braby, of Rudgwick,& 23 U Stanford St” supported the proposed (butnever built) Brighton Junction Railway to Horsham &Guildford in 1845. John was able to buy Holmbush, aproperty in Slinfold. In 1856, his younger sonFrederick was married there to Jane Child, daughterof Thomas Child, a successful timber merchant, whoalso had land in both Slinfold and Rudgwick. ThomasChild had married Caroline, yet another daughter ofJohn & Ann Churchman, a sister of Mary Ann &Maria, so Frederick’s marriage was to a cousin.Frederick went on to become a wealthy industrialist(see next Newsletter).

James Braby and Son.James (1798-1865) and James (1824-1907). By theearly 1850s, John had dropped out of the wheelwrightbusiness, probably in favour of his brother’s son,James. Curiously, there is no sign of James, awidower since 1828, and no other children, in either1841 or 1851 censuses . However, in 1821-1836 heinsured 23 Cornwall Road, and 39 other properties onthis road, and in the 1848 Post Office Directory, hewas living at Cranmer Place on Waterloo Road, roundthe corner from his works. His widowed mother,Hannah was at 59 Camden Rd Villas, and brotherJohn at Upper Stanford St. By the 1860s James hadStanstead Lodge, a large house at Forest Hill. Thiswas a town house (1862 Kelly’s Directory), still usefulafter he had moved into Maybanks, but leased toanother in 1863. His son was virtually next door, andhis nephew Frederick close by.

The Braby family was very active and riding a wave ofeconomic growth in the 1850s. In the 1851 P ODirectory (the year of the Great Exhibition) “JamesBraby, carriage builder, contractor and wheelwright”.”is at 22 Duke St, off Stamford St, Lambeth (inBlackfriars, NE of Waterloo Station), In 1856 the PostOffice now lists “James Braby & Son, wheelwrights,carriage builders & smiths, patentees forimprovements in carriages, 18 Duke street, Stamfordstreet; [Borough] Haymarket; & 32 Bridgehouse place,Newington causeway”. In the same London directoryare John (slate merchant), Charles (hay and strawsalesman), and Edward (a vet), all sons of James &Hannah, plus John’s son, Frederick (zinc merchant).James Braby & Son flourished and diversified, withopportunities in the steam engine market, and railwayrolling stock – Janet Balchin records that they werecontractors to the Government Ordnance Department.They exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition, at CrystalPalace, “a new application of springs to a caravan, orwagon, in which the perch bolt is placed behind thecentre of the axletree, to allow a higher fore wheel,and give a greater amount of lock, and a machine for

weighing coals, attached to the hind part of thecaravan or wagon”, and, secondly, a “machine forweighing coals, attached to the hind part of thecaravan or wagon”, followed in 1852 by a patent for“improvements in sawing machinery”. In 1862 “aspring waggon, with improved patent wheels andbreak (sic)” was exhibited at the London Exhibition. Inview of later developments, the drive to diversify andinvent was probably by James Braby, junior…James and Emma. In 1841, James, aged 17 wasapprenticed as a carpenter with a (presumed)

relation, Mary Braby, a wheelwright in Oxted, Surrey.In 1851, he married London girl Emma Glover at OldChurch, St Pancras. They set up home at 72 YorkRoad, Lambeth. James, aged 27, was a “wheelwright,a master of 28 men” (1851 census).

By 1861, they had moved to 18 Catford Hill,Stanstead Lane in Forest Hill, not far to the south ofthe works, with three children, James, Florence andErnest (Ellen and Constance born soon after), andvirtually next door to his father’s town house.Improvements in rail transport encouraged commutingby this time, with the corresponding growth of thesouth London suburbs. At his father’s death, James,an only child, would inherit both the company andMaybanks. James and Emma moved to Ewhurstwhere they remained, just into the 20th century. Littlemore is heard of the business, though inventionscontinued to appear.

James became prominent in Rudgwick affairs. Thiswill be the subject of a future article, which will alsoinclude the last James, Ernest at Drungewick,Frederick’s success and, more recently, distantcousins, Herbert, Sydney and Roland (descendents ofCharles) who lived in Rudgwick or Loxwood in livingmemory.

Note: the Braby genealogy cannot be guaranteedaccurate prior to the mid C18th. Information on anyof the Braby family will be gratefully received, forinclusion in the next article.

Spooner and Gordon’s Horsham Wheelright’s shop,built in 1840, now at Amberley Museum.


A series of extracts from Rudgwick’s ParishMagazines published during the Second World War,gives one a little insight into the village’s war efforts .I’m sure that the reports of the Rabbit Club werewritten a little tongue in cheek.

Some interesting material has recently come to light.Elsie and Hugh Westgate retired to this village in1940, older members of the village may rememberthem. They had a daughter Eileen who became anurse at St Thomas hospital in London but when offduty returned to Rudgwick and did her duties as a firewatcher. Eileen recalled to me that she was on dutylate at night with another friend in the locality of thechurch. There was an air raid that night and of courseall the village was blacked out. To the east of thechurch they could see a house which did not appearto have any blackouts in place on the windows andthey actually saw somebody flashing a light. Thepolice were informed of the incident and they heardno more until they were summoned to appear at acourt in Guildford as witnesses to the incident. Eileenrecalled that she had to borrow a hat from her mother“ to be dressed for court “ . Eileen recounted thisincident to me in her late eighties and though hermind was first class she was vague about the preciselocation of the house and also the outcome of thecourt case. One presumes that some type ofespionage must have been suspected. I have notbeen able to trace this court case at present.

March 1941Fire Watching We hope that no incendiary bombswill be dropped in Rudgwick, but there have beensome. One evening quite a shower of them came inTismans and Aliblasters, which is not so very faraway. So some of us thought it might be well toarrange for fire watching. The responsibility for firewatching rests with the ARP wardens ..The Vicar, aswarden for the Church and surrounding district,called a meeting and asked for volunteers; theresponse was enthusiastic. After some discussion twowatches, the first from 11 to 2 a.m., and the secondfrom 2 to 5 a.m. were planned. With two on eachwatch, going on duty once a week, 28 volunteerswere required to complete the rota. Almost the fullnumber volunteered at the meeting……Short sharpblasts on a whistle is the alarm for incendiaries; seethat you have your sand bags ready and keep themdry. It would be a help if those who have Stirruppumps would put up a notice to this effect where itcan be seen by passers by.

Films from the Ministry of Information.There will be Talky Films in the Village Hall on FridayJuly 4th …the films will be on topical subjects- like

putting out an incendiary bomb, the spreading ofrumours and other war subjects.”May 1941.War Weapons WeekArrangements were made by Rudgwick’s six WarSavings Group. The week was opened on April 12thwith a lively procession. The tank led the way waswell past the Village Hall before the rear guard hadpassed the Post Office. A farm cart laden withvegetables; a horse and trap representing Salvage; a“ dig for victory “ exhibit; the kitchen front; the AFS fireengine…..at least a hundred children representingcoins and certificates; a bombed out family; all sorts ofmunitions workers; farm workers, nurses, etc……StGeorge was there, also John Bull and UncleSam……The procession , almost a pageant, arrivedat the School where the fancy dresses were judgedand the National Anthem sung. A success it certainlywas. The total sum known to have been contributedas a result of Rudgwick’s efforts was £ 20,666, ofwhich £14,725 was in War Bonds through banks and£ 5,941 through Rudgwick’s Post Offices. (Note:Rudgwick had sub post offices in Bucks Green andthe Haven)

Capt. J.C. Brutton, Weyhurst Copse, has beenappointed Voluntary Food Organiser for the parish,and he will be responsible for the equitabledistribution of foodstuffs in the event of an invasion.

August 1941AFS (Rudgwick). The Fire Watchers at the Churchhave had three practices. The first was a nightpractice. An imaginary incendiary bomb dropped atthe West door of the Church at 11.40 on a Fridaynight. The two watchers on duty were quickly on thescene and dealt with it with a stirrup pump and a sandbag; but by this time the tower was considered to bewell alight and the roof blazing, so a messenger wassent to summon the fire service and the squad, whichis always on duty at the Fox Inn Garage, were soonon the scene with their trailer pump. In a very fewminutes the engine was in position by Mr Christie’spond (located at the Parsonage next to the church )and a hose run out. At this point there was a hitch inthe proceedings, as no water came when the enginewas started. Presently it was found that the suctionpipe had been put in too shallow a part of the pond.When it was rectified, the water came in full force anda powerful jet was thrown on to the roof of the Churchand right over the weathercock on the tower. Then thehose was divided and two jets were sent up on eitherside of the tower until they met in the air above,making a fine display in the moonlight. Meanwhile,when the alarm had been sounded, groans wereheard in the churchyard and a casualty was found,

Rudgwick’s War EffortsMalcolm Francis


and the First Aid Post at the Village Hall was calledup. Quickly a stretcher was brought up and thecasualty, which was supposed to be suffering from abroken leg and other injuries, was attended to. TheVillage Hall was all ready to receive and care for thevictims, even to the length of having hot bottles andwarm blankets ready.

We congratulate the Auxiliary Fire Service on thesmartness of their turn out, and the effective way inwhich they were obviously capable of dealing withany fire that we are likely to have in our village,provided there is a sufficient supply of water. Sincethe practice a telephone has been installed at theFox Garage, No 89 Rudgwick, which, if at any time ofneed it is in working order, should enable help to bebrought more quickly. Write up the number in largeletters in red ink by your telephone, so that any onecan see it at a glance. Besides the above practicethere have been two practices for all Churchfirewatchers on Tuesday evenings at 7pm. On thefirst evening, owing to the kindness of CaptainDavey, we had a Thermite incendiary bomb, which isa powerful thing and took a good deal of putting out.The proceedings began with a practice of going up inthe tower with a stirrup pump, and spraying the oakshingle roof from inside. Several 4-gallon tins ofwater have been placed there, which ought to be ofuse in a sudden emergency. Then we had a fire inthe churchyard which had to be put out and theincendiary bomb was dealt with by means of a sprayfrom the stirrup pump, then it was smothered with asandbag. It should be noted that when you smotheran incendiary bomb, do not throw the bag on butplace it on the near side lest the fire spurt back atyou. The sand in the bag should be dry and powderyso that it can flow over the bomb as soon as the bagbursts. See that your bags are kept perfectly dry andthe sand not caked.

Next it was suggested that we should have a gasbomb, but it was discovered that out of thirty peoplepresent only one had got her gas mask. That was abad mark. It was arranged to have the gas bombnext week, and all said they would come, but alas,the hot weather the next Tuesday evening was suchthat they nearly all stayed away. It was a pitybecause it was most instructive. We had a fire in thechurchyard, and the tear gas bomb was let off justoutside the North door of the Church, and whenthere was a good white cloud of concentrated gas,we were told to go through it and get the stirruppump and put out the fire. It was a severe test of thegas masks and one or two which had not beencarefully put on, were not completely effective. Thegas penetrated our clothes and caused skin irritation,but it soon wore off. It was surprising how much gasclothing will take up. We congratulate the Churchfirewatchers on the way they are sticking to their job.We could do with one or two more volunteers foremergency work, and there will be vacancies in theautumn. “

February 1942.Warship Week for Horsham and District will be the21st to 28th February and the target will be aSubmarine. It will not be practicable, in this season, tohave a procession that was so effective in last year’sWar Weapons Week; but processions are scarcelyneeded to remind us of the Navy, we are reminded of itat every meal every day.Rudgwick raised a remarkable total last year and wasmentioned on the BBC for its successful SummerCampaign, Rudgwick must be worthy again of its ownrecord.

As the Village Hall has been taken over by the Militaryfor a Canteen most evenings of the week it will only beavailable for the Boys Club on Friday evenings.

The newly formed Rabbit Club has decided to promotea show on Saturday 21st March. The hall will be openfor exhibitors at 2pm and all rabbits must be in by 2.30pm. The price for admission will be 3d. …..No dogsallowed in.

Competitors must reside in the Rudgwick postal district,the classes are as follows; Dutch, Beveran, Rex,Belgian………best table rabbit; best rabbit in theshow………

The Ministry are appealing for all who can keep rabbits,as by this means a valuable addition to our food supplycan be provided. Rabbits live largely on weeds. Turnyour weeds into food. We have 26 members in the club,we ought to double our numbers.”

September 1942 “Every rabbit is asked to do its duty in war- time. Weare urged by the Ministry of Agriculture not to becontent with the rabbits out of the fields, but we are tokeep them at home….the tame variety produce bettermeat. Our rabbit Club needs more members. Oneadvantage of being a member is that you can obtainbran for feeding….Mrs Kilian Konig , who is the HonAssistant Organiser for the South Eastern Area iscoming all the way from Petworth to address a meetingat the Village Hall on September 7th at 7pm, pleasemake the effort to come……..….”

April 1943“The Rabbit Show ; The Village Hall presented abusy scene on the afternoon of Saturday , March 20th .As soon as the doors were opened, rabbits began toarrive, and the Secretary and helpers were hard at it,taking down particulars and arranging exhibits . Therewere 53 rabbits and nine classes….Mr Bridger gavethe prizes for the Flemish and Grand Challenge and MrButcher for the Table Rabbit......The only adverse factorwas that the room was too small, and most theaudience could not even see the rabbits. Quite a fewwent outside and looked through the windows…….”

Note: The Village Hall was the small “Jubilee Hall ”inChurch Street, the present village hall in Bucks Greenwas built in 1963.


Rudgwick Preservation Society

AUTUMN MEETING

Mulled Wine and Mince Pies will be served in theinterval

Monday November 29th 2010At 7.30pm Rudgwick Hall, Bucks Green

Sussex in theInter-War

Years

Picture: the Fulking Escarpment

Peter was born in Sussex and has lived in the county for the past forty-fiveyears. His maternal forebears have been associated with Sussex forcenturies and he has been immersed in its affairs as a part-time lecturer atthe University of Sussex and as a chairman of the Sussex branch and a VicePresident of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).He is a historical geographer who was formerly head of the Department ofGeography at the University of North London, and he has written andedited several books on Sussex and S.E. England including The Making ofthe Sussex Landscape (1974), The South Saxons (1978), The South Downs(1998) and The Kent and Sussex Weald (2003). This year he has published 2books, The Shaping of the Sussex Landscape and The Discovery of Sussex.Peter is president of the South Downs Society (formerly the Society ofDownsmen), and Vice President of the Sussex Archaeological Society. Heis an ardent walker (and outdoors man) who is concerned as much with thepresent and future of the county as with its past.

Peter Brandon

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