Felbridge & District History Group

Oak Farm was situated on the south side of Crawley Down Road and was created through the purchase and amalgamation of several properties by the Gatty family of Felbridge Park between 1870 and 1880.  Whilst a new housing development retains the name of Oak Farm, the farmland now forms the Felbridge Bowling Green, the Felbridge Sports and Recreation Ground and two privately owned fields.  Also, but to a lesser degree, the process of tracing the development of Oak Farm is affected by a change in the route of Felbridge Road, now the Crawley Down Road.  The road, and therefore the original northern boundary of the property, used to run slightly further south and the depression can still be seen along the edge of the tennis court area, once flanked by wild daffodils.  The original line of the road formed the county boundary and as such, all of the land lying to the south of the road fell under the parish of East Grinstead in Sussex.  However, the effect of the road moving further north meant that the front boundary of the property extended to the new line of the road and Oak Farm found itself straddling the county boundary with the entrance being in Surrey and the former farmhouse, garden and fields in Sussex.

 

This document charts the history and development of the area once known as Oak Farm and the people associated with the property until its sale for development in 2004, together with the links between the families of the small community of people on Hedgecourt Common in this part of Felbridge.

 

Early history

What became known as Oak Farm was created by the amalgamation of four separate properties purchased by the Gatty family of Felbridge Park between 1870 and 1880.  The site of Oak Farm was situated in the area of Felbridge that was once on the extreme southern edge of Hedgecourt Common, bounded on the south by Felbridge Water, being in the parish of East Grinstead and the manor of Broadhurst.  At the break up of the Felbridge Place estate in 1911, Oak Farm amounted to just short of sixteen acres being formed from an amalgamation of individual plots and part plots that had been enclosed off Hedgecourt Common at various dates from the early 1600’s.  Using the Broadhurst Court Books and the schedule of deeds relating to the plots at the time of purchase by the Gatty family it is possible to trace the enclosure of this section of Hedgecourt Common leading to the formation of Oak Farm as a farm and subsequent development of the property.

 

It is difficult to trace the earliest history of the properties on this area of Hedgecourt Common because of boundary changes that have occurred over time. In 1768 the Rocque map showed the county boundary just south of the Crawley Down Road putting the properties in Sussex except for a strip of land, running almost parallel to the Crawley Down Road, at the front of two of the properties.  The boundary stones marked on a number of early maps and described in the walking of the bounds demonstrate that the early county boundary was very close to the current boundary which crosses the current Crawley Down Road diagonally and then crosses back again. The ecclesiastical parish has also changed over the years.  The back section of the properties used to form part of the ecclesiastical parish of East Grinstead and the front section was in the ecclesiastical parish of Godstone up until 1865, when the whole area became part of the ecclesiastical parish of Felbridge.  The line of the Crawley Down Road has also moved further north, the old line clearly visible running adjacent to what is now the Felbridge Sports and Recreation Ground car park and pavilion.  There were also major changes in the field boundaries between 1842 and 1880 associated with the purchase and amalgamation of the area by the Gatty family between 1870 and 1880, and creation of Oak Farm.

 

The first appearance of a property in the vicinity of Oak Farm House appears on the Rocque map of 1768, in a triangular piece of land that was wedged between Felbridge Road (now known as Crawley Down Road), Gulledge Lane (the track leading to Gullege) and a road that linked the two.  There is still some evidence of this ‘lost’ road as it now forms the driveway into Ann’s Orchard off the Crawley Down Road, opposite McIver Close.  The road then curved to the southwest, ran through what is now Oak Farm Place and joined the lane to Gullege north of where the bridge passes over the stream.  The property indicated on this map might not at first appear to be the site of the former farmhouse as it appears closer to the Felbridge Road than on more recent maps.  However, Felbridge Road in 1768 appears was further south than the current alignment, which would have placed the building further back from the line of the current route of the Crawley Down Road and thus possibly on the site of the farmhouse.

 

The Tithe Map for East Grinstead of 1842 shows a small cluster of properties in the Oak Farm area on this lost road, including the dwelling for Oak Farm. The exact date of disuse for this road is not known, but by 1874 it appears merely as a field boundary.  It is also unclear why the road ceased to be used, perhaps the cottages were not needed and fell into disrepair and as a result the road was no longer needed for access or the enfranchisement of the land by the Manor of Broadhurst led to removal of unwanted buildings.  Whatever the reason, with no cottages to serve, there was no need for the road.  The only cottage left standing by the late 1800’s was that associated with Oak Farm and, situated where it was, could easily gain alternative access from the Crawley Down Road.

 

Extract of the 1842 East Grinstead Tithe Map coloured and annotated to indicate the 4 properties

 

For ease of understanding the early history of the site before the formation of Oak Farm, the properties that were amalgamated have been separated as A, B, C and D.

 

Property A

At the time of purchase by Francs Gatty on 3^rd October 1870, Property A was owned by Robert Hawes and was described as ‘a tenement, garden, stable, coach house and outbuildings’ with just over seven acres and was purchased for the sum of £900.  At the time of purchase in 1870 Property A consisted of:

Plot	Description	Plain	Rough
1	Birch Field	05. 05. 00	00. 01. 17
2	Brick Field	01. 05. 10	00. 00. 15
3	Site of Building	00. 03. 30	00. 00. 30
4		00. 00. 00.	00. 00. 30
	Total	05. 03. 29	01. 00. 10

 

In 1870 Property A was bounded on the east by land in the ownership of Mary Southey (now the site of nos. 49 (formerly The Oaks) to 63 Crawley Down Road); on the south and west by land owned by Robert Hawes [Property B] (see below) and William Chart Inkpen [Property C] (see below); and on the north by land owned by Richard Hawes [Property B] (see below).  In 1870, there were three structures on Property A, a dwelling house built on the Surrey side of the county boundary that cuts through the property from east to west, running almost parallel to the Crawley Down Road at this point.  This dwelling house, now called Ann’s Orchard (formerly Oak Cottage, formerly Fiveoaks Cottage) [Property A2] (see below) was built around 1850 to replace an older cottage (Five Oaks) [Property A1] (see below) situated on the Sussex side of the county boundary at the rear of the orchard plot behind Ann’s Orchard (now the site of 3, Leybourne Place).  The third structure (recently demolished and replaced by a timber garage and outbuilding block) stood on the Surrey side of the county boundary adjacent to the house called Ann’s Orchard [for further information see Handout, Ann’s Orchard, SJC 05/01].  As established above, another feature of Property A is that the current entrance into Ann’s Orchard was once a road that joined the Crawley Down Road to the current trackway to Gullege, which travelled in a southwesterly direction bounding Property A on its western boundary, Property B on its southern boundary, and Properties C and D on their northern boundaries.

 

As established above, Property A, as purchased in 1870, was made up of two properties, an older dwelling on the Sussex side of the county boundary [Property A1] and a newer dwelling on the Surrey side of the country boundary [Property A2].

 

The first reference to Property A1 is found in the Court Books of the manor of Broadhurst in 1627 when the court reported the death of Edward Pickham [Packham], a freeholder of the manor who died ‘holding a cottage and 2 acres at a rental of 2/-’ .

 

Edward Pickham [Packham] must have been born in the mid 1500’s (date not yet established) and his wife was named Elizabeth (maiden name not yet established) and they had at least one child named Herbert (date of birth not yet established).

 

In 1627 Edward Pickham [Packham]’s son and heir Herbert attended the court and paid the herriot on the death of his father and was admitted to the property which, from the Will of Edward, was to remain in the occupation Elizabeth his widow for the rest of her natural life.  Unfortunately it has not been possible to determine when the land was initially enclosed and by whom or when the cottage was built as there are no earlier surviving Court Books for the manor of Broadhurst.  As Edward Pickham [Packham] was recorded as a freeholder, the property has the potential to be a very early enclosure on Hedgecourt Common.

 

On the death of Edward’s wife Elizabeth, their son Herbert continued to hold the property until his death in 1681 when the court recorded that ‘Herbert Packham, a freeholder of the manor, died holding a cottage and 2 acres at Felbridge near the sheerstone [a shire stone is a county boundary marker] at a rental of 2/-’.  The court recorded that Herbert’s daughter ‘Mary the wife of Barnard Martyn’ was his heir and was admitted to the property.  From this we can deduce that Herbert had no surviving male heirs at his death.

 

Bernard Martyn was born in Worth in December 1649 the son of Michael and Mary Martyn and married Mary Pickham [Packham] on 16^th September 1679 in East Grinstead and they had at least one son called Bernard (date of birth not yet established).

 

In 1713 Bernard Martyn senior appears in the Court Book under the entry ‘Bernard Martyn has enclosed 1 acre and erected a barn, erected adjacent to his property.  He is admitted into it for the rent of 2/-’.  This action increased their holding to three acres, two acres held as freehold and the one acre with a barn as copyhold.  Bernard Martyn died in 1722 and the property passed to his wife Mary for the rest of her natural life and then to his youngest son and heir, Benjamin.

 

The first map showing a structure within part of Property A is on the Rocque map of 1768, with the dwelling situated some distance from Felbridge Road, now the Crawley Down Road, on the southern side of the county boundary, putting the holding in Sussex.  Also depicted on this map is the road joining Felbridge Road and the lane leading to Gullege.  The barn is depicted on the plot situated to the southeast of this road where it started to turn west.

 

Benjamin Marten died in 1773 still holding the freehold cottage and 2 acres of land at ‘Felbridge near the sheerstone’ and the copyhold acre of land and barn adjoining his original two acres and the court admitted his youngest son and heir James Marten.

 

James Marten married Elizabeth Humphrey on 18^th September 1781 in East Grinstead and they had at least three children, James, Sarah and Michael (dates of birth not yet established).

 

In 1777, James Martin was presented at the Broadhurst Court for encroaching ½ acre of Hedgecourt common with a hedge and ditch in front of his copyhold and that of Thomas Young deceased who had been in the occupation of Property D (see below) he was ordered to take it down under the penalty of 40s.

 

By the time that James Marten has inherited the property it was in need of repairs as he has two licences granted to fell trees on his property for the purpose of repair.  The first licence was granted in February 1778, five years after he inherited the property and the second licence was granted in August 1802, each allowing him to fell ‘8 small oak trees growing on his property’.  James also used the property to acquire two loans.  The first loan was in 1811 when he mortgaged the property as collateral for the sum of £50 with William Southey, blacksmith of Godstone, which was cleared in 1815.  However, James again mortgaged the property with William Southey, just before his death in 1816 for the sum of £100, which was eventually cleared by his son in 1819.

 

On the death of James Marten the property passed to his son James who was instructed by the Will of his father to sell the property.  Therefore in 1816 James Marten sold the property to Edward Finch, victualler of Godstone.  In 1820 Edward Finch surrendered the property consisting of the cottage and 1 acres of land, near the sheerstone, together with 2 acres of land, to Abraham and Charles Sedgefield Crowley, brewers of Croydon.  Messers Crowley appear to have acted as mortgagees offering a loan for £160 in exchange for the property as collateral.  However on 30^th September 1823 Messers Crowley bought the property from Edward Finch for the sum of £140, which would suggest that Edward finch had not been able to repay the loan and they foreclosed on the loan.  During this time the property near the sheerstone was not in the occupation of Edward Finch or Messers Crowley but was sub-let and in 1841 the property was in the occupation of Thomas Payne and his family.

 

Thomas Payne was born in East Grinstead in January 1796, the son of Thomas and Martha Payne.  Thomas married Mary Ann Vernon on 27^th April 1818 in Horne and they had at least ten children including; John born in 1818, Thomas born in 1821, William born in 1823, Amelia born in 1826, George born in 1827, James born in 1829, Henry born about 1833, Esther born about 1837, Martha born in 1839 and Mary Ann born in 1843.  The first four children were baptised in Horne and the last six in East Grinstead implying that the Payne family could have moved to the Hedgecourt Common area around 1827.

 

The 1841 census records Thomas Payne as an agricultural labourer but by 1842 he and his family had moved to Chapel Lane in East Grinstead, the 1851 census recording that Thomas was working as a labourer.

 

In 1842, the East Grinstead Tithe apportionment records the property, consisting of a cottage, garden, orchard and meadows totalling just over five acres in the occupation of John Burt.  The accompanying Tithe map depicts the property as comprising of four plot or fields with two structures within field no. 2137, the cottage and the more recently erected barn.

Plots	Description	Acreage
2135	Meadow	01. 01. 17
2136	Meadow	01. 01. 10
2137	Cottage, Garden etc.	01. 03. 05
2138	Orchard	00. 02. 30
	Total	05. 00. 22

Adjoining the Burt holding in 1842 and forming part of Property A in 1870 was field no. 2139 which was listed in the copyhold ownership of Mary Southey who held just over four acres including two tenements and gardens abutting Property A on the east.  Field no. 2139, amounting to 1a 1r 6p, is bounded on the north by field no. 270 of the Godstone Tithe, divided by the county boundary running east/west through them making the northern section in Surrey in the civil parish of Godstone until 1953 when the civil parish of Felbridge was formed, and the larger southern section in Sussex in the civil parish of East Grinstead in which it remains to this day.  The field on the Surrey side of the county boundary was also in the copyhold ownership of Mary Southey.  The divided field nos. 2139 and 270, together with parts of field nos. 2137 and 2138 would later become a property known as Ann’s Orchard (formerly Oak Cottage and before that Five Oaks Cottage) [Property A2] (see below).  Today it is the site of Ann’s Orchard and the development known as Leybourne Place built within the immediate grounds that were once part of Ann’s Orchard [for further information see Handout Ann’s Orchard, SJC 05/01].

 

As established above, in 1842 the East Grinstead Tithe apportionment listed the occupier of the majority of Property A as John Burt but he does not appear in the census in the 1841 or 1851 as occupying the property, the only Burt in the area was a Thomas R Burt who was an attorney, living in the High Street, East Grinstead, but it has not yet been possible to determine a relationship between the two.

 

In 1845 Messers Crowley sold the cottage, barn and land totalling just over five acres to Robert Hawes who at the time was living at what became known as Harts Hall, now the site of Felbridge Court off Copthorne Road, Felbridge.

 

Robert Hawes was born about 1799 in Blockley, Worcestershire.  By 1841 Robert and his wife Elizabeth were living at Harts Hall at Felbridge; Robert listed as a tanner.  Robert and Elizabeth had at least five children including; Eliza born in 1826, Richard born in 1827, Sarah born in 1829, George born in 1830, and Sarah born in 1832 (presumably the first Sarah had died) [for further information see Handout, Harts Hall, SJC 07/05].  In 1847 Robert Hawes purchased field nos. 2139 and 270 from John Southey, son and heir of Mary Southey, and began the construction of the dwelling now known as Ann’s Orchard, moving from Harts Hall by 1851 to occupy the new dwelling built within field nos. 2139 and 270 adjacent to Property A1, where George Godley and his family were in the occupation of the older dwelling, having succeeded John Burt.

 

George Godly was born in 1829, one of at least eight children of George and Elizabeth Godly, who in 1841 and 1851 were living at Property D (see below).  George junior’s siblings included; Elizabeth born in 1824, Philadelphia born about 1827, William born in 1831, John born about 1834, Harriet born about 1836, Amos born in 1838 and Carew born about 1840, all baptised in East Grinstead.  George Godly junior married Elizabeth Howard on 24^th November 1849; Elizabeth born in about 1830, was the daughter of William Howard and his wife Mary née Jenner and sister of Mary (see below) and in 1841 the Howard family were living on the plot on the western side of the track to Gullege with its junction with the Crawley Down Road (now the site of nos. 111 & 113, Crawley Down Road) from where William worked as a shoemaker.

 

In 1851 George Godly junior and his family were living at Property A1 from where George plied his trade as a sawyer.  In 1861 the Godly family had been succeeded at the property by Edward Turner.

 

Edward Turner was born in East Grinstead in 1798, one of at least five children of Edward Turner and his wife Jane née Humphrey.  Edward’s siblings included; Ann born in 1795, Jane born in 1796, Elizabeth born in 1799 and Sarah born in 1802, all baptised in East Grinstead.  As a point of interest, The Turner family were living at Stone Cottage, Wards Farm, in 1841 and 1851, where Edward senior was working as an agricultural labourer until his death 1856.  Edward Turner junior married Eliza Isted on 13^th September 1830 in Godstone, and they had at least eight children including; Hannah born about 1830, Jane born about 1834, Edward born in 1840, William born in 1842, Anne born in 1845, John born about 1848, Eliza born in 1850 and Caroline born in 1853, all born in Tandridge but baptised in Godstone or East Grinstead.

 

Edward and Eliza lived with Edward’s father at Stone Cottage, Wards Farm, from at least 1841 until his death in 1856 where Edward junior also worked as an agricultural labourer.  The death of Edward’s father may have been the reason for Edward and Eliza to move to Property A1 implying that they could potentially have been living there for five years at the time of the 1861 census.  It is probable that Edward Turner was working as an agricultural labourer for Robert Hawes who was still in the occupation of the new dwelling built on the Surrey side of the county boundary, with his occupation given as farmer of ten acres.  It is interesting to note that in 1860 the property was known as Terry’s Farm so perhaps George Terry who was in the occupation of Property C in 1851 (see below) had been farming the land on behalf of Robert Hawes prior to his occupation of the new dwelling.

 

From references made to Robert Hawes’ holding [Property A] in documents between 1869 and 1874 it would suggest that the dwelling was still in use on the Sussex side of Property A during this time as his holding is referred to as having a ‘dwelling called Fiveoaks Cottage [his new dwelling – Property A2] and another dwelling called Fiveoaks [the original dwelling for Property A] hidden in the woods behind.  Certainly map evidence suggests two dwellings on the holding and from the route of the enumerator of the 1861 the new dwelling on the Surrey side of Property A in the parish of Godstone was in the occupation of Robert Hawes whilst the older dwelling in the parish of East Grinstead was in the occupation of Edward Turner, being succeeded by James Creasey by 1871 (see below).

 

However, as established above, Robert Hawes conveyed Property A (made up of an amalgamation of Property A1 and A2) to Frances Gatty of the Felbridge Park in 1870, Robert moving to live with his daughter Eliza and her husband William North at 38, Loughborough Park, Lambeth.  On Robert Hawes’ departure from the area he was succeeded at his dwelling on Hedgecourt Common [Property A2] by James Creasey (see below).

 

Unfortunately, the schedule detailing exactly what was conveyed by Robert Hawes in 1870 is missing.  However, as there were two conveyances made between Robert Hawes and Francs Gatty on the same day in 1870 it is would seem that these were Properties A1 and A2, an amalgamation of the Crowley and Southey holdings purchased by Robert Hawes to create Property A.  This is borne out by a later conveyance in 1911 (see below) which states that the first part was for an orchard being in East Grinstead and a field with Oak Cottage and garden in Godstone, total area .889 acres [Property A1], and the second part was for a plantation and part of a field of pasture in East Grinstead and another plantation and a field of pasture in Godstone [Property A2].

 

Referring to the Ordnance Survey map of 1874, the old road that appeared on the Rocque map of 1768 had become just a field boundary indicating that the road was no longer in use, and it appears that a copse of trees had grown where the old road left Felbridge Road, now Crawley Down Road.  Also, across the county boundary in Sussex, slightly behind the new property in Surrey, another building had appeared.  It is not clear whether this was used by to the property in Surrey or Sussex.  Later evidence suggests that this was a barn/stable and was still standing to the east of the current driveway for Ann’s Orchard until about 2010 when it was demolished and replaced by the timber garage and outbuildings seen today.  The Ordnance Survey map of 1874 also depicts that the field boundaries had significantly changed in this area since 1842.  This may have occurred before or as a result of the purchase by the Gatty family of the Felbridge Park.

 

In 1871, with both Property A1 and A2 being held by the Gatty family and the original dwelling [Property A1] was in the occupation of James Creasey (see below) whilst the newer dwelling [Property A2] was in the occupation of George Creasey (see below).

 

James Creasey, who had succeeded Edward Turner at the old dwelling [Property A1], was born in East Grinstead in 1834, the son of Thomas Creasey and his wife Mary Ann née Holland who were living at Property B between at least 1841 and 1871 (see below).  James’ siblings included; Mary born in 1823, Thomas born in 1825, George born in 1830, William born in 1832, Edward born in 1837, John born in 1840, Emily born in 1844 and Henry born in 1847, all born in the Felbridge area.  James married Ellen Jenner in East Grinstead in 1862, and they had at least five children; Henry born in 1866, Rose born in 1868, James born in 1871, Horace born in 1873 and Ellen born in 1875, all baptised at Felbridge.

 

In 1871 James was working as an agricultural labourer but by 1881 he was working as a sawyer and he and his family were in the joint occupation of Property B (see below) James still working as a sawyer, having been succeeded at the old dwelling by Henry Curtis (see below).

 

George Creasey, who had succeeded Robert Hawes at the new dwelling [Property A2] was the uncle of James Creasey who was occupying the old dwelling [Property A1].  George Creasey was born in Lingfield in 1824, the son of George Creasey and his wife Mary née Matthew, who had at least one other child, John born in 1819.  George Creasey married Amelia Dearling in 1844 and they had at least twelve children including; William born in 1844, Mary Ann born in 1846, Eliza born in 1850, Caroline born in 1852, Sarah born in 1855, Amelia born in 1857, John born in 1860, Thomas born in 1862, James born in 1864, Maria born in 1866 and Edward born in 1870, all born in and around the Felbridge area.

 

In 1871 George Creasey was working as an agricultural labourer, living on Copthorne Road, Felbridge, but had moved to Fir Tree Cottages, Crawley Down Road by 1891 from where he died in 1896 being buried in the churchyard at St John’s Church, Felbridge.  On leaving the new dwelling on Property A [Property A2] George Creasey was succeeded by Albert Bingham (see below).

 

Henry Curtis, who succeeded James Creasey at the old dwelling on Property A, was born in Croydon in 1818, the son of Samuel and Fanny Curtis.  In 1861 Henry was a labourer living in the cottage next to Rubens Cottage on Hedgecourt Common, situated behind the Felbridge Nurseries site and opposite what is today Ascotts off Crawley Down Road [for further information see Handout, Acacia Cottage, SO 7/03].  Henry married Mary Howard on 22^nd November 1862, their marriage witnessed by George and Elizabeth Godley who were living at Property D (see below).  Mary, born in about 1827, was the daughter of William Howard and his wife Mary née Jenner and sister of Elizabeth Howard, wife of George Godly junior (see above).

 

Henry and Fanny Curtis had at least two children, Fanny born in 1864 and Francis born in 1870, both baptised at St John’s Church, Felbridge.  Also joining the Curtis household was Fanny’s base born son, John Cooper Howard born in 1856.  Henry spent all his working life as a labourer and in 1871 the Curtis family had moved to Property C (see below).

 

It is unclear how long the old dwelling [Property A1] remained in use but there is evidence to suggest that by 1891 the dwelling was no longer there.  Unfortunately there is no corresponding map for 1891 but map evidence from 1874 depicts six structures in this area of Hedgecourt Common whereas map evidence from 1897 depicts only four, two associated with Property A – the dwelling built by Robert Hawes and a barn, and two with Property B (see below).  Using the conveyance map for Property C (see below) of 1879 there was still the old dwelling at the rear of the new dwelling within the Property A, but based on the available evidence the old dwelling at the rear of Property A1 had gone by 1891, making Henry Curtis its last occupant and leaving just one dwelling house on Property A.  Property A2, built by Robert Hawes, was in the occupation of Albert Bingham (see below) in 1891 having succeeded George Creasey sometime between 1881 and 1891.

 

Albert Thomas Ferguson Bingham was born in Lewes in 1846, one of nine children of Henry Bingham and his wife Mary Ann née Ferguson.  Albert’s siblings included; William Ferguson born in 1838, Rose Anna born in 1840, Henry Ferguson born in 1843, Emily Jane born in 1848, Agnes Ellis born in 1851, Eliza born in 1854, Mary Ann born in 1859 and Allen Walter born in 1861 [for further information see Handout, Bingham Family of Felbridge, SJC 01/05].  The Bingham family moved to Felbridge in 1856 when Henry took up the position of Farm Bailiff for the Felbridge Place estate.

 

On his arrival to the area, Albert Bingham became a butcher’s boy living with the butcher in the High Street in East Grinstead, but by 1871 was working as a carpenter.  Albert married Henrietta Mary Hughes in Godstone in 1879 and they had three children; Ethel Ettie born in 1889, Beatrice Florence born in 1881 and Leslie Albert born in 1884, all baptised at St John’s Church, Felbridge.  By 1881 Albert and Henrietta were living at Hedgecourt Mill House moving to the surviving dwelling on Property A by 1891 to remain there until his death in December 1901, being succeeded at the property by James Reidpath and his family.

 

James Reidpath was born in Musselburgh, Mid Lothian, Scotland, in 1847 and appears to have left Scotland by 1861.  James married Rosina Smith in 1871 in Edmonton and they had had at least five children, Catherine Ellen born in 1870, James Henry Gordon M (known as Gordon) born 1872, Rose Emily in 1874, Malcolm about 1876 and Alexander born in 1877, all their births registered at Edmonton except Malcolm (registration district not yet established).  Sadly Rosina died in 1877 and James married Amy Penfold in 1878 in Marylebone.  Amy was born in Crawley in about 1853.  In 1891 the Reidpath family were living at Oak Bank, Vicas Moor Lane, Winchmore Hill, moving to Felbridge by 1911 and taking up residence in the dwelling on the Surrey side of Property A – Property A2 (Oak Cottage).  The 1911 census records that James was a retired member of the Stock Exchange, living with his wife Amy and three of his children, together with his sister Isabella, who was born about 1816 in Portabello, Mid Lothian.  Oak Cottage, now known as Ann’s Orchard, consisted of eight rooms and remains little changed to this day.

 

In February 1911 Property A, together with the field purchased from John Southey by Robert Hawes in 1847 (the property known as Oak Cottage now the site of Ann’s Orchard and Leybourne Place) (see above) was conveyed by Charles Lane Sayer and Alfred Leighton Sayer, the trustees of the Felbridge Park estate, to Mrs Emma Harvey and the East Grinstead Estate Co. Ltd.  In May 1911 the property known as Oak Cottage was conveyed to Mrs Susannah Emma West (wife of Samuel Joseph West the Felbridge estate manager) for the sum of £550.  This property consisted of ‘cottage and garden, orchard, pasture and plantation, partly in the parishes of East Grinstead and Godstone, totalling about 1.889 acres’.  The sale plan shows Oak Cottage (now Ann’s Orchard) and the barn/stable (since demolished) and the building in Sussex (the former dwelling for Property A).  However, there is no mention of the building in Sussex being a dwelling, so it would appear to have been demolished or classed as an outbuilding.  The plantation (which also had two rectangular ponds created by gravel extraction) straddled the old road as it had appeared on the 1874 map and was incorporated as part of the property of Oak Cottage (now the site of the two houses Harborne and Cherry Wood).  From 1911 it is apparent that this plot, incorporating part of Property A, was considered as a separate holding.

 

As for the remainder of Property A, field nos. 2135 and 2137 as they appeared in the 1842 tithe map had become part of field no. 35 on the sale plan and field no. 2138 had become field 34, a total of 5.233 acres forming part of Lot 14 – Oak Farm (see below).

 

Property B

At the time of purchase by Frances Gatty (on the same day as Property A) on 3^rd October 1870, Property B was to be the second property that would eventually form part of Oak Farm and consisted of 4 acres 3 roods and 23 perches in the parish of East Grinstead purchased from Robert Hawes for the sum of £400.  This property was located in the triangular piece of land afore mentioned to the south of Crawley Down Road, bounded by Gullege Lane on the west and the old road running between Crawley Down road and Gullege Lane on the south and east.  In 1870, Property B consisted of:

 

 

 

 

Plot	Description	Plain	Rough
1	Three Corner Field	00. 03. 17	00. 00. 13
2	West Field	02. 00. 14	00. 00. 22
3	Plantation		00. 00. 20
4	Plantation		00. 00. 30
5	Plantation
6	The Cottage Field	00. 03. 06	00. 00. 15
7	Cottage, Garden	00. 00. 24	00. 00. 10
	Total	03. 03. 21	01. 00. 02

 

The first reference to this Property can be found in the Court books for the manor of Broadhurst in 1710 when John Cooper was presented for ‘enclosing a parcel of land to the nuisance of the lord and tenants of the manor’.  However, in 1711 he was admitted into a cottage and 1 acre of land at Hedgecourt Common near Felbridge Waters at the rent of 2/-, implying that although it was a ‘nuisance’ he had still been allowed to build a cottage on his encroachment on Hedgecourt Common.

 

John Cooper, little is known about him except that he died shortly after being admitted to his cottage and 1 acre and his death was presented at court on three separate occasions and no one came forward so on 2^nd March 1715 the court granted a twenty-one year lease for the ‘messuage and 1 acre of land upon Hedgecourt Common late John Cooper (forfeited to the Lord by 3 proclamations) to Benjamin Underhill, John Turner, Edward Bennett, Henry Meeres and Thomas Luxford, church wardens and overseers of East Grinstead for the sum of £5 and the annual rent of 2/-’, after which it could be renewed at £5 and the same rental.

 

In 1736 at the end of the twenty-one year lease, the 1 acre of ground initially enclosed by John Cooper including the cottage was granted by the manor of Broadhurst to Thomas Mills, a labourer of East Grinstead, for £10, at the rental of 2/- a year, thus the property became a freehold of the manor.

 

Thomas Mills, little is known about him except he was probably born in Worth about 1704, the son of William and Joyce Mills.  Thomas Mills held the property until 1741 when he sold it to Mary Taylor of Lingfield, a widow.

 

Mary Taylor, again very little is known about her except she died holding the ‘1 acre and a cottage at a rental of 2/-’ in 1757.  Her heir was her youngest son William and Mary’s Will dated 18^th October 1755 instructed William’s elder brothers James and Richard to sell the property so that it could be divided between all her children that also included John Taylor, Mary Bull and Ann Groombridge. The property was sold to William Sherman.

 

William Sherman, (parentage and date of birth not yet established) married Elizabeth (surname not yet established) and they had at least four children including; William born in 1817, Thomas born in 1720, Catherine born in 1826 and Mary born in 1723; all baptised in Godstone.  Son William married Deborah Cook in 1744 and they had John born in 1745 and William born in 1747, both born in Gatton, Surrey.  Thomas married Susanna Holmes in 1749 in Bletchingley, Catherine married William Nash in 1750 in Croydon and Mary married Mr Pedlleingham (first name not yet established).

 

On the death of William Sherman in November 1757 he was holding the 1 acre and a cottage at the rental of 2s, and Thomas Sherman was his youngest son and heir.  However, William’s Will left the property his wife Elizabeth for the remainder of her natural life and then to his grandson William Sherman, son of William who had pre-deceased William senior in 1749.  Elizabeth Sherman died in 1760 and grandson William Sherman, aged just fourteen, was admitted to the 1 acre and cottage.  William Sherman held the property until he was aged twenty-three when in 1773 he sold it to James Potter of Nutfield, a cordwainer.

 

James Potter, customary tenant of the manor of Broadhurst died in 1780 holding the property on Hedgecourt Common and property in Worth.  It was his Will that his nephew Thomas Potter received his property in Worth but that the property on Hedgcourt Common should pass to his wife Anne for the remainder of her natural life and then pass to his cousin John Locke [Lock], the miller of Hedgecourt Mill. The executor to the Will of James Potter was John Locke, cordwainer.

 

Anne Potter out-lived James by twenty years, her death being presented at court on 30^th September 1801, and in accordance with James Potter’s Will, John Locke [Lock] was admitted to the 1 acre and the cottage at Hedgecourt Common.

 

John Lock was born in 1746 and married Mary Saunders in 1770; Mary was born in 1745/6 the daughter of John and Elizabeth Saunders and the aunt of Thomas Saunders born 1780 who held Property C (see below).  John and Mary had at least five children including; Sarah born in 1772, Elizabeth born in 1775, John born in 1777, Thomas born in 1780 and Rachel born in 1783.  In 1770, John Lock was listed of Godstone, by 1880 he was as the miller of Hedgecourt Mill, and in 1803 as a yeoman of East Grinstead.  In 1805 John Lock had enclosed a further acre of land adjoining the initial enclosure on southwest side.  The two enclosures and cottage were surrendered by John Lock on 30^th September 1812 and his nephew John Sanders [Saunders] (see below) was admitted to the property together with the adjacent plot of just over two acres, creating Property B of just under five acres that the Frances Gatty purchased in 1870.  As a point of interest, John Lock was the uncle of Thomas Stone who was in Property C in 1861 (see below).

 

John Sanders was born in 1770 one of at least seven children of James Sanders and his wife Ann née Taylor (possibly related to the Taylor family that held the property in the early 1700’s but at present there is no established link).  John’s siblings included; Sarah born in 1772, Elizabeth born in 1773, Carew born in 1774, Ann born in 1775, James born in 1778 and Thomas born in 1780.  John Saunders married Ann (surname not yet established) and they had at least eight children including; Ann born in 1801, John born in 1803, Thomas born in 1806, William born in 1808, Amelia born in 1811, Carew born in 1812, James born in 1814 and Henry born in 1816; all the children were baptised in East Grinstead.  As an aside, the lives of John’s children are interesting, John became the miller at Hedgecourt which he ran for over twenty years, William became a grocer and draper at Bletchingley, Amelia became a Lodging House Keeper in Brighton, Carew became a baker in Brighton, James became a grocer and draper in Uckfield before moving to Hailsham and Henry initially farmed Clarks Farm in Horsted Keynes before moving to Croydon where he became a Market Gardener and then a Farm Bailiff.

 

John Sanders died on 9^th July 1824 leaving the property to his sons John and Carew Sanders and friend, John Stone, providing for his wife Anne to remain in the property for the rest of natural life.  On 29^th September 1839, Ann Sanders, widow, Edward Dann, cooper of Cuckfield and Ann his wife, William Sanders, shopkeeper of Bletchingley, Joseph Packham, butcher of Brighton and Amelia his wife, Carew Sanders the younger, baker of Islington, James Sanders, grocer of Uckfield, Henry Sanders, farmer of East Grinstead,  passed the ‘1 acre and cottage at Hedgecourt Common, East Grinstead, late Saunders before Locks, and before Potters plus 1 acre             adjoining’ to Carew Sanders the elder, farmer of East Grinstead and John Sanders, miller of East Grinstead.

 

On 8^th November 1839 Carew and John Saunders (who had survived John Stone) surrendered the ‘1 acre and cottage at Hedgecourt Common, late Saunders, before Locks, and before Potters plus the 1 acre adjoining to plot, late John Locke on southwest and to Hedgecourt Common Property on every other side’ to William Chapman.

 

William Chapman was born in East Grinstead in 1800, the son of Benjamin and Jane Chapman.  Benjamin was born in East Grinstead in 1770.  In 1840 William Chapman was a draper and shop keeper of East Grinstead living with his parents in London Road, East Grinstead, near ‘the Rocks’, and in 1851 Benjamin was recorded as a grocer.  William married Mary Pollard in East Grinstead in 1858; Mary having been born in West Hoathly in 1814.

 

Neither Benjamin nor William Chapman resided at the property on Hedgecourt Common and probably acquired it as an investment, and in 1842 Benjamin Chapman was listed in the East Grinstead Tithe apportionment as the landlord of the property in the occupation of Thomas Creasey (see below) and Richard Holland (see below).  However, the 1841 census only lists Thomas Creasey in occupation so perhaps Richard Holland moved in after the census was taken.  In 1841 the property was known as Coopers Farm.

 

Thomas Creasey, occupying the cottage on Property B in 1841, was born in East Grinstead in 1754, one of at least eight children of Walter and Ann Creasey.  Thomas’ siblings included; Elizabeth born in 1778, James born in 1781, Mary born in 1784, George born in 1786, Ann born in 1789, Kittey born in 1792 and John born in 1797.

 

Thomas Creasey married Mary Anne Holland in Worth on 4^th August 1822. Mary Ann was born in Worth in 1801, the daughter of Richard and Susan Holland (see below).  Thomas and Mary Ann Creasey had at least nine children including; Mary born in 1823, Thomas born in 1825, George born in 1830, William born in 1832, James born in 1834, Edward born in 1837, John born in 1840, Emily born in 1844 and Henry born in 1847.  As points of interest, Thomas married Martha Blackstone and spent his working life as a labourer living at in the Felbridge area until 1881 when he moved to Titsey, before moving to Hill Place Farm by 1891 (for further information see Handout, Hill Place, JIC/SJC 01/13); George spent his life working on the land, either as a gardener or farm labourer, living at The Furnace in Furnace Wood and later at 1, Warren Cottages, Crawley Down Road (now the site of Vine Cottage).  He married twice, his first wife being Mary Ann Deacon, daughter of George Deacon the bailiff of Wards Farm (for further details see Handout, Stone Cottage, JIC/SJC 07/12) and secondly Fanny Taylor; and James married Ellen Jenner and in 1881 was living at the old dwelling on Property A (see above).

 

Thomas Creasey was to remain living at Property B until his death in 1866, being buried at St John’s Church, Felbridge, on 8^th October 1866.  Thomas’ wife Mary Ann continued to live at the property until at least 1871 being succeeded at the property by William Jenner (see below).

 

As established, by 1842, Benjamin Chapman was listed as the landlord, the property being tenanted by Richard Holland (see below) and Thomas Creasey (see above) the plot consisting of:

Plot No.	Description	Acreage
2130	Meadow	00. 00. 31
2131	Arable	01. 00. 00
2132	Meadow	00. 03. 21
2133	Cottage and garden	01. 01.28
2134	Meadow	00. 00. 31
Total		03. 02. 31

 

Richard Holland was born in Itchingfield, Sussex, in about 1773 and married Susan Collins on 3^rd October 1796, and they had at least five children including; Mary Anne born in 1801, James born in 1806, Sarah born in 1809, Ann born in 1813 and Phillip born in 1816, all baptised in Worth.  Mary Ann Holland provides the link between Richard Holland and Property B as she married Thomas Creasey who was in the occupation of Property B from at least 1841 (see above).  As a point of interest, in 1851 James Holland, who married Sarah Graves, was living in a cottage with 1 acre on Hedgecourt Common (now part of Llanberis Farm (for further information see Handout, Llanberis Farm, SJC 01/07).  By 1861 they had moved to Hedgecourt Cottage between Rubens Cottage (now demolished) that stood behind Felbridge Nurseries and opposite Ascott’s and Little Gibbshaven (now the site of the Felbridge Nurseries) and by 1871 James and Sarah had moved to Park Cottages (for further information see Handout, Park Corner Farm, SJC 05/09).  Richard Holland died in 1852 leaving son-in-law Thomas Creasey and daughter Mary Ann in sole occupation of Property B.

 

On 3^rd April 1857, William Chapman surrendered Property B to Richard Hawes, the son of Robert Hawes who was a farmer of ten acres living at Property A (Oak Cottage, now known as Ann’s Orchard) (see above).  Eight months later Richard Hawes was granted the enfranchisement of Property B by the manor of Broadhurst on 29^th December 1857, thus Property B became the property of Richard Hawes free from any manorial fines.  It is interesting to note that in 1860 Property B was known as Five Oaks Cottage.

 

As established above, Frances Gatty purchased Property B from Richard Hawes on 3^rd October 1870, and at that date there was a dwelling on site of Oak Farm house plus another structure, probably a barn, to southwest on northern side of the road leading from Crawley Down Road to Gullege Lane.  In 1870 the dwelling was in the occupation of Mary Ann Creasey, the widow of Thomas Creasey who had died in 1866.

 

In 1871 the dwelling was still in the occupation of Mary Ann Creasey together with her son Edward and grand-daughter Emma.  In 1871 Mary Ann was recorded as a parish pauper and lodging with her family at Property B was Sarah Rice, a widow aged sixty, and her daughter Emma aged twenty-three, listed as an imbecile, both recorded as parish paupers.  Mary Ann Creasey died in 1877 and was succeeded at Property B by Henry Mitchell.

 

Henry Mitchell was born in Crawley Down in about 1849, one of at least seven children of Thomas Mitchell and his wife Ann née Terry.  Henry’s siblings included; Harriet born in 1834, Thomas born in 1836, James born in 1838, William born in 1841, Mary Ann born in 1843 and Ellen born in 1846.  Throughout his life, Henry’s father worked the land and always lived in the area being at Shepperds Hole in 1841, Little Hophurst (for further information see Handout, Parkfields, SJC 05/05) in 1851, Snow Hill in 1861, Little Gibbs Haven in 1871 (for further information see Handout, Little Gibbshaven, SJC 07/08) and Gibbshaven in 1881 (for further information see Handout, Gibbshaven Farm, JIC/SJC07/07).

 

Henry Mitchell married Annie Creasey on 25^th January 1879.  Annie was base born in 1844, the daughter of Emily Creasey, thus Annie was the grand-daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann Creasey.  Henry and Annie had at least eight children including; Alice Mary born in 1880, Charles Henry born in 1881, Frederick John born in 1885, Olive Emily born in 1889, Thomas Walter born in 1892, Dorothy Marie born in 1894, Elsie Annie born in 1896 and Sidney George born in 1899.

 

In 1880 Henry was living at The Furnace in Furnace Wood moving to Property B by 1881.  However, by 1891 the Mitchell family had moved to Mount Cottages, Crawley Down Road, and were still living there in 1901, having been succeeded at Property B by William Jenner.

 

William Jenner was born in Forest Row, Sussex, in 1860, the son of Thomas Jenner and his wife Mary Ann née Tingley.  William married Fanny Curtis on 4^th July 1886.   Fanny was the daughter of Henry and Mary Curtis who were living in Property A in 1871 (see above).  William and Fanny had eight children including; Ellen born in 1880, Harry born in 1887, Jane born in 1889, Emily born in 1891, James Curtis born in 1896, Jessie born in 1899, Annie born in 1902 and Mary born in 1904, all baptised in East Grinstead.

 

In 1891 Property B was known as Five Oaks Cottage and the Jenner household included Fanny’s widowed father Henry who died later in the year.  The Jenner family were still in occupation of the property in 1901, by then known as Five Oaks, but had moved to 12, Council Terrace, Dormans Park Road, East Grinstead by 1911, William working as a road man.

 

Sometime between 1901 and 1911 Property B became amalgamated with part of Property A, C and part of D to become Oak Farm (see below).

Property C

At the time of purchase by Charles Henry Gatty on 14^th May 1879, Property C was the third property that would eventually form part of Oak Farm.  It consisted of ¼ of an acre of land with a cottage in the parish of East Grinstead purchased from Joseph Turner, trustee to the Will of William Chart Inkpen, for the sum of £125.  Property C was located to the south of Property B, lying adjacent to the old road leading from Crawley Down Road to Gullege Lane and abutting Property D.  Property C began life as a quarter acre enclosure of Hedgecourt Common which by the early 1800’s was held by Thomas Saunders (see below).  The property was freehold and it is very unlikely that the plot was enclosed earlier than 1801 as this is when Thomas Sander became an adult and there are no earlier owners listed in the Court Books.  Potentially it was enclosed only just before 1839 as a quarter acre is too small for agricultural use and is better suited for building a dwelling, but none was present by 1841.  Unfortunately nothing is known of the plot until 1839 when it was feoffed to William Chart Inkpen (see below).

 

Thomas Saunders, was born in 1780, one of at least seven children of James Sanders [Saunders] and his wife Ann Taylor.  Thomas’ siblings included; John born in 1770, Sarah born in 172, Elizabeth born in 1773, Carew born in 1774, Ann born in 1775, and James born in 1778.  As a point of interest John Saunders died holding Property B in 1824 (see above).  Thomas married Jane Bish, the daughter of Thomas Bish and his wife Sarah née Rice, on 28^th October 1800 and they had at least seven children including; Thomas born in 1801, Sarah born in 1802, Carew born in 1804, James born in 1806, Jane born about 1809, Mary born about 1812 and Henry born in 1817.  As a point of interest James Saunders married Hannah Inkpen Chart (see below).   On the death of Thomas Saunders his property on Hedgecourt Common passed to sons Thomas and Carew Saunders.

 

Thomas Saunders, junior, born 1801, married Jane Hayward on 26^th August 1822, and they had at least five children including; Thomas born in 1823, John born in 1825, Henry born in 1827, William born in 1829 and Jane Elizabeth born in 1834.  Thomas Saunders became the Inn Keeper at the Star Inn sometime before 1841 and had been joined by his son John by 1851, although by 1861 John was a farmer living at Rose Cottage, Imberhorne Lane, until sometime between 1881 and 1891.  After the death of Thomas in 1852 his wife Elizabeth continued to run the Star Inn until sometime between 1861 and 1871 when she moved to Glen Vue in East Grinstead (for further information see Handout, Eating and Drinking Establishments of Felbridge Pt. II, JIC/SJC 03/08).

 

Carew Saunders, born in 1804, married Susannah Chart Inkpen, the daughter of William Chart Inkpen and his first wife Hannah Edgar (see below) on 2^nd June 1827.  Carew and Susannah Saunders had at least fourteen children including; Carew born in 1827, William born in 1829, Susannah Agnes born in 1831, Maxwell born in 1833, Jane born in 1834, Philadelphia born 1835, Sarah (known as Betsy) born in 1836, Mary born in 1837, Fanny Elizabeth born in 1839, Henry born in 1841, Emily born in 1842, Margaret (known as Maggie) born in 1842, Thomas born in 1846 and Edgar J born in 1850.

 

In 1851 Carew Saunders was working as a shoemaker and living at Rose Cottage, Imberhorne Lane,

and as a point of interest, in 1851 Carew’s eldest two sons emigrated to America.  By 1854 the two sons, Carew and William, had convinced their father and mother, Carew and Susannah, to bring the rest of the family over.  Therefore in 1854 Carew, his wife Susannah and children Susannah, Maxwell, Jane, Betsy, Mary, Henry, Maggie, Thomas and Edgar emigrated to America but unfortunately Carew senior died in Kentucky just a year later in 1855.

 

On 2^nd December 1839 Thomas and Carew Saunders granted William Chart Inkpen a feoffemnt  for ‘all that piece or parcel of ground containing by estimation one quarter of an acre more or less, situate lying and being near Felbridge in the parish of Godstone in the county of Surrey formerly bounded on the south and west by lands of Earl of Burlington, on the east by land of Messers Crowley and on the north by lane leading to a farm called Gulledge, said land was formerly of the estate of Thomas Sanders, deceased, and was in the occupation of Thomas Sanders and Crew Sanders or one of them or their or his undertenants’.

 

William Chart Inkpen was born in Cowden, Kent, in 1781, the son of Henry Chart and Elizabeth Inkpen.  On 26^th October 1801 William married Hannah Edgar and they had two children, Susannah born in 1804 and Hannah born in 1808, both born in Limpsfield, Surrey.  Susannah married Carew Saunders (see above) on 2^nd January 1827 in Godstone, and died in St Louis, Missouri in 1871.  Hannah married Carew’s brother James Saunders on 3^rd July 1827 in Worth, and they had at least three children, Edgar born 1827, Mary Ann born in 1829 and Ann born in 1830; all baptised in East Grinstead.  Sadly Hannah died in 1824 and William married Sarah Hayward, the sister of Jane Hayward, wife of Thomas Saunders (see above).   William and Sarah had three children, Sarah Anne born in 1829, Elizabeth born in 1831 and Mary Jane born in 1833, all baptised in East Grinstead.

 

By 1825 William Chart Inkpen was listed as a ‘School Master of Godstone’ and by 1829 had moved to the School House at Felbridge where he had taken up the appointment of School Master.  William remained as School Master at Felbridge until some time between 1851 and 1860.

 

At the time of the feoffment in 1839, Property C consisted of just a quarter of an acre of land with no cottage.  It was still devoid of a cottage in 1841 and the East Grinstead tithe of 1842 recorded that Property C formed part of Property D listed as plot no. 2120 consisting of 36 perch of arable land, owned by the Earl of Burlington of the manor of Broadhurst in the occupation of George Godley (see below).  This was obviously inaccurate as although George Godley occupied Property D he did not hold plot no. 2120 as this was held by William Chart Inkpen in 1842.  Sometime between 1842 and 1851 William Chart Inkpen had a cottage built on Property C and by 1851 it was in the occupation of George Terry.

 

George Terry was born in East Grinstead in 1822, one of at least two children of William and Sarah Terry.  George’s sibling was Edward born in 1820.  George Terry married Emma Jay in East Grinstead in 1848; Emma having been born in East Horsley, Surrey, in about 1822.  Emma brought to the marriage a daughter named Elizabeth who had been born in Guildford in about 1842.  George and Emma had three children, William born in 1849, Anne born in 1851 and Alfred born in 1863, all baptised in East Grinstead.  The Terry family had moved from Property C by 1861 being succeeded by Thomas Stone (see below).

 

On 8^th February 1860 William Chart Inkpen died, recorded as an inn keeper, living at the Star Inn with his wife Sarah and sister-in-law Jane Saunders.  William’s Will devised Property C to his wife Sarah for the rest of her natural life and then the property should go to Robert Hawes for his use and Joseph Turner as trustee of his estate.  Sarah did not reside at Property C living first with her sister Jane at the Star Inn before they both moved to Glen Vue, East Grinstead sometime between 1861 and 1871.

 

Thomas Stone, who succeeded George Terry at Property C, was born in Worth in 1793, one of at least five children of Thomas Stone and his wife Ann, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Lock who held Property B (see above).  Thomas junior’s siblings included; John born in 1775, Sarah born in 1777, Elizabeth born in 1783 and Mildred born in 1789, all baptised in Worth.  Thomas junior married Ann (surname not yet established) and they had at least six children including; Mary born in 1819, William born in 1821, Sarah born in 1823, George born in 1825, Edmund born in 1829 and Ann born in 1831.

 

In 1841 Thomas Stone was working as an agricultural labourer living on Hedgecourt Common in Horne and by 1851 he and his wife were lodging with George Gorringe at Hedgecourt Mill House moving to Property C between 1851 and 1861.  Thomas’ wife Ann died in 1863 and Thomas had left Property C by 1871 being succeeded by Henry Curtis and his family who then moved to the old dwelling on Property A by 1881 (see above) thus making the Curtis family the last people to have inhabited the dwelling on Property C.

 

On 2^nd May 1878 Robert Hawes of Property A who had been Willed the use of Property C by William Chart Inkpen, died (see above) and on 20^th October 1878 Sarah Chart Inkpen died, thus as sole surviving trustee of the Will of William Chart Inkpen, Joseph Turner sold Property C to Charles Henry Gatty in 1879 (see above).  It is unclear when Property C lost its dwelling but the census of 1881 does not indicate a household for the property and in 1891 the census enumerator records just one property between 49, Crawley Down Road (formerly The Oaks) and Gullege Lane on the Sussex side of the county boundary, that of Property B in the occupation of William Jenner and his family.  Also, map evidence from 1897 shows no building within the plot implying that the dwelling had been demolished, and by 1911 Property B formed part of Oak Farm (see below).

 

Property D

This is the last property that made up Oak Farm.  It was purchased from Rev. William James and his wife Elizabeth née Sims (see below) on 8^th May 1880 by Charles Gatty for the sum of £2,495.  At the time of the sale the property consisted of plot 96 and part of plot 124 amounting to 61a 1r 29p of freehold land wholly within Sussex, being part of Gullege Farm.  Part plot 124 was bounded on the south by the stream and on the north and east by Properties A, B and C.  The purchase also extended across and included the lane leading to Gullege incorporating plot 96, which was bounded on the south by the stream, the north by the properties along Crawley Down Road now nos. 113 up to and including Acacia Cottage and on the west by land belonging to the property now known as Ascotts including the moated site (Warley) Matthew’s Barn and adjoining fields (the latter three plots are now part of the property known as Ascotts and were never incorporated as part of Oak Farm).  In 1880 Property D consisted of:

Plot No.	Cultivation	Acreage
96	Pasture	12. 01. 05
117	Water	00. 00. 39
118	Wood [moated site]	00. 02. 37
119	Pasture	00. 00. 23
120	Pasture	09. 03. 15
124	Pt. Pasture	05. 02. 16
141	Arable	27. 00. 19
148	Wood	05. 01. 35
Total		61. 01. 29

 

As Property D was part of Gullege Farm its early history follows the same route as Gullege (for further information see Handout, Gulledge, 03/20).  Gullege was held as freehold of the manor of Broadhurst from a very early date based on the fact that its rental was only 10/- for 364 acres when compared to, for example, the rental of Property B consisting of a cottage and 1 acre enclosed in 1710 at a rental of 2/-.

 

From surviving records, the first freeholders of Gullege were the Alfrey family who held the property from sometime before 1361 until sometime around 1662 when the freehold was purchased by the Compton family of Compton Place, Eastbourne.  It is known that between 1661 and 1686 Gullege was in the occupation of the Head family, firstly Richard and then William, both recorded as constable and head baron for the borough of Wardley.  William Head was succeeded at Gullege by William Saunders   sometime between 1686 and 1697; William Saunders listed as a burgess of Wardley.  As a point of interest, William Saunders was the three times great grandfather of Thomas and Carew Saunders who feoffed Property C to William Chart Inkpen (see above).  The Saunders family occupied Gullege until 1841 passing through John Saunders the son of William, William Saunders the son of John, James Saunders the son of John to Carew Saunders the son of James (uncle of Thomas and Carew aforementioned).

 

In 1782 Gullege passed to R Hon Lord George Henry Cavendish through his wife Lady Elizabeth née Compton, the most Noble William 5^th Duke of Devonshire and R Hon Charles Lord Compton and in 1841 Gullege was sold by R^t. Hon William Cavendish 2^nd Earl of Burlington, son of R^t. Hon Lord George     Henry Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth, and the 7^th Duke of Devonshire to William Clear.  Although the passage of Gullege is well documented, the occupiers of the smaller properties within the holding, like Property D, have very few surviving records.  There are no surviving records that indicate when this enclosure was made or by whom but from the census of 1841 it is known that George Godley (see below) was in the occupation of a dwelling within a small plot forming part of Property D.

George Godly was born in East Grinstead in about 1799, the son of George Godly and his wife Angel née Stringer.  George married Elizabeth (surname not yet established) and they had at least eight children including; Elizabeth born in 1824, Philadelphia born about 1827, George born in 1829, William born in 1831, John born about 1834, Harriett born about 1836, Amos born about 1838 and Carew born about 1840.  All the children were born in East Grinstead except George’s son George who was born in Godstone and married Elizabeth Howard (see above).  William also married a local girl by the name of Harriet Pattenden (for more information see Handout, Pattenden Family of Felbridge, SJC 07/01).

 

In 1841 George Godly was working as a sawyer and the property that he and his family were occupying was recorded as Coopers Farm.  Living within the Godly household at Coopers Farm were Lucy Holden aged twenty-three and John Holden (presumably her son) aged seven months, along with another seven-month old child called John Creasey (no link yet established between the Godly family, Lucy Holden or John Creasey).

 

In the East Grinstead Tithe of 1842 Property D and Property C (see above) form one holding owned by the Earl of Burlington as lord of the manor of Broadhurst in the freehold of William Clear [for further information see Handout, History of Gullege, SJC 03/02] and occupation of George Godly.

 

It should be noted that plot nos. 2115, 2116, 2117, 2118 and 2119 formed only part of Property D on its sale to Charles Henry Gatty in 1880, and plot 2120 formed Property C on its sale to Charles Henry Gatty in 1879 (see above).

 

George Godly was still living at Property D in 1851 recorded as a farmer occupying 18 acres and employing one man who was probably George Terry who was in occupation of Property C (see above).  By 1851 the Godly household had been joined by George’s father George, aged eighty-three, and grandson James Coals aged four.  There is no household recorded for the property in 1861 and by 1871 George Godly was working as a foreman living at Station Cottages, East Grinstead, before moving to London Road, East Grinstead, where he was living in 1881 working as a Timber Merchant before his death in 1882.

 

From surviving records it would appear that William Clear owned and occupied Gullege until he sold it to Samuel Simms in 1851 and John Jenning was installed as Bailiff and Overlooker being succeeded by John Stanford by 1855, who was succeeded by William Stone by 1861 until his death in 1872.  As a point of interest William Stone was the son of Thomas Stone of Property C (see above).  Based on the census records, the cottage in the enclosure on Property D, part of Gullege, disappeared sometime around this date as it was there in 1851 but not in 1861.  Map evidence from 1874 shows the enclosure but no dwelling within it only a structure (probably a barn) adjoining it on the north side which had been depicted on the 1842 East Grinstead tithe map.

 

In 1865 Samuel Sims died and bequeathed Gullege, including Property D, to his son William. In 1868 Gullege was enfranchised to William Sims releasing him from all quit rents and other manorial services.  Four years later William Sims died and his Will, proved on 19^th August 1872, passed Gullege to his sister Elizabeth, wife of Rev. William James, who, as established above, sold Property D consisting of just over sixty one acres, part of Gullege, to Charles Henry Gatty in 1880.

 

With no dwelling house on Property D it is most likely to have been farmed from the mid 1860’s as part of one of the adjoining properties, being amalgamated sometime between 1901 and 1911 with part of Property A, B and C to become Oak Farm (see below).

 

Amalgamation and creation of Oak Farm

With the purchase by the Gatty family of Properties A, B, C and D between 1870 and 1880 came the opportunity to incorporate the area as one holding and in subsequent years this area became known as Oak Farm. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this became the adopted name for the area until the early 20^th century.  The first time the name can be found used in association with the area is in the Schedule of Tenancies for the Felbridge estate in 1911.

 

In 1903 Charles Gatty died and the Felbridge Park estate passed to two male cousins, Alfred Leighton Sayer and Charles Lane Sayer [for further information see Handout, 1911 Sale of the Felbridge Estate, SJC 01/11]. In the 1911 the ‘Schedule of Tenancies’ for the Felbridge Place estate Thomas Chitty was listed as the occupier of Oak Farm.

 

Thomas Langrish Chitty was born in East Horsley, Surrey, in 1865, the son of John and Jane Chitty, his siblings including; Rosa Ann born in 1859, Albert Langrish born in 1862, Mary Jane born in 1868 and Emily born about 1872.  Thomas married Eliza (surname not yet established) in 1892 and they had three children, Thomas William born in 1895, John Edward born in 1896 and Violet born in 1902.  Although originally from East Horsely, by 1900 the Chitty family had moved to 2, Springfield Cottages, High Street, Westerham in Kent where Emily was born, and by 1911 to Oak Farm in Felbridge.  The census records that in 1911 that Thomas was a dairy farmer, although previous occupations had included stable boy and gardener.  At the time of the census the dwelling at Oak Farm was recorded as having six rooms making it quite a substantial property.

 

In April 1911, the Felbridge Place estate was conveyed, by Charles Lane Sayer and Alfred Leighton Sayer, trustees for the estate, to Mrs Emma Harvey and the East Grinstead Estate Company Ltd.  They had already set in motion the auction and break up of the Felbridge estate and in May 1911 Oak Farm was catalogued as Lot 14 described as:

A VERY CHOICE LITTLE

DAIRY & POULTRY FARM

OF ABOUT

16 acres,

KNOWN AS

OAK FARM, FELBRIDGE

IN THE PARISHES OF EAST GRINSTEAD AND GODSTONE

 

CAPITAL FARMHOUSE,

Built of brick and weather-tiled, with slated roof, and containing 4 BEDROOMS (2 with fireplaces), SITTING ROOM with modern stove and cupboard, KITCHEN with range, SCULLERY with range, copper and sink.

 

WELL OF WATER WITH PUMP.

 

Timber and Corrugated Iron COWSHED of 6 Stalls (paved)

The whole of the Land, with exception of a small Plantation, is Pasture, and is in very good heart.

 

SCHEDULE

No on Plan	Description	Area
	GODSTONE PARISH
213	Pasture	00.130
214	Plantation	00.300
	EAST GRINSTEAD PARISH
34	Pasture	01.636
35 (part)	“	03.597
36	“	00.745
37	House and Garden	03.395
51	Pasture	06.196
		15.999

 

The Property has a long valuable frontage to the Crawley Down Road and is suitable for Building Development.

A Stream bounds the Property on one side.

The Tenancy expires at Michaelmas, and possession may then be had.

The commuted Tithes for the purpose of Sale are apportioned at £2/4/6.

Present value £1/11/2.

 

Oak Farm was purchased on 19^th October 1911 by William Miles, gentleman of Braeside, East Grinstead and Joseph Rice of Wesley House, Cantelupe Road, East Grinstead, for the sum of £1,070.  Purchased with Oak Farm and included in the price was plot 40, sold as Lot 20 described as:

 

AN EXCELENT

ENCLOSURE OF FREEHOLD LAND

Situate on the Crawley Down Road, Felbridge, East Grinstead, of about

0a. 3r. 32p

 

Of Pasture land, number 40 on the Plan

 

VALUABLE FRONTAGE OF OVER 200 FEET

To the Crawley Down road, and suitable for

 

ONE OR MORE HOUSES

 

The commuted tithes are apportioned for the purpose of Sale at 3/10    Present value 2/8

The Timber is included.

 

This plot is now the site of nos. 133 to 141 Crawley Down Road, between the pair of red-brick semi-detached house and Primrose Cottages.

 

Nothing has yet been established about William Miles but Joseph Rice was born in 1855.  Joseph was a sadler and agricultural implement maker, who with his brother Thomas, a harness maker, established Rice Brothers in about 1891.  Joseph Rice became director of the engineering firm Rice Brothers whose retail outlet operated 29 -31 London Road, East Grinstead until it relocated to Rice’s Hill in East Grinstead, after bomb damage during World War II.

 

William Miles and Joseph Rice held Oak Farm until 2^nd August 1919 when they sold it to Andrew Devitt esq. of Herontye, East Grinstead for the sum of £1350.

 

Plot	Description	Acreage
213	Pasture	0.130
214	Plantation	0.300
34	Pasture	1.636
Pt. 35	Pasture	3.597
36	Pasture	0.745
37	House & Garden	3.395
751	Pasture	6.196
	Total	15.999

 

Between the purchase of Oak Farm made by Andrew Devitt in 1919 and 1921 when he sold the property, Oak Farm had increased by a further 12.975 acres of land (see below).  This extra acreage was made up of plots 38B (a field of open pasture) and 49 (Common Field, plot 96, part of  Property D  in the James/Gatty conveyance of 1880) that had been put up for auction as Lots 15 and 18 in the 1911 Felbridge Place Sale.

 

In 1911 Lot 15, (Common Field, plot 96, part of Property D) sold for the sum of £380 and was described as:

THE ENCLOSURE OF

 

CAPTIAL FREEHOLD

 

Accommodation Land

OF ABOUT

 

12a. 1r. 18p.

 

ALL PASTURE,

(NO.49 on PLAN) MOST CONVENIENTLY PLACED CLOSE TO

 

CRAWLEY DOWN ROAD, FELBRIDGE,

EAST GRINSTEAD,

With a long frontage to Gulledge Lane, and bounded on the South by a stream,

 

A CAPTIAL LITTLE HOLDING,

MOST CONVENIENT TO THE MARKET TOWN.

 

POSSESSION ON COMPLETION.

 

The commuted Tithes are apportioned for the purpose of Sale at £1/7/6               Present value, 19/3

 

In 1911 Lot 18, then a field of open pasture (now the site of nos. 121 to 127 Crawley Down Road) sold for £50 and was described as:

A VALUABLE PLOT

OF

FREEHOLD LAND

OF ABOUT

 

0a. 2r. 18p.

 

Numbered 18B on PLAN   ADJOINING LOT 16.

 

IN THE PARISH OF EAST GRINSTEAD

 

The Land is all grass and has a frontage of about 240ft. to Crawley Down Road,

and a depth of about 162ft., and is VERY ELIGIBLE FOR BUILDING.

 

The commuted Tithes are apportioned for the purpose of Sale at 2/4     Present value 1/7½

The Timber is included.

 

Unfortunately it has not yet been possible to determine when Andrew Devitt made the purchase of the extra 12.975 acres that formed part of Oak Farm when he John Waters, farmer of Burnt House Farm, Forest Row and Edna his wife sold the property to Ada Mary Goodricke, widow, of 34, Goldstone Villas, Hove, on 18^th July 1921 for the sum of £2350.  Thus in 1921, Ada Goodricke purchased Oak Farm consisting of:

Plot	Description	Acreage
38b	Pasture	0.611
49	Pasture	12.364
213	Pasture	0.130
214	Plantation	0.300
34	Pasture	1.636
Pt. 35	Pasture	3.597
36	Pasture	0.745
37	House & Garden	3.395
751	Pasture	6.196
	Total	28.974

 

Ada Mary Goodricke was born Ada Mary Ord in Darlington, County Durham, in 1851 and married George Michael Goodricke in Stockton, County Durham, in 1872.  George was born in about 1837 the son of William and Isabella Mary, his siblings including; William Henry born about 1835, John Walker born in 1838, Isabella Mary Urquart in 1841, Isabella Mary in 1842, Harry born in 1844 and Charles Alfred born in 1847, all the children registered at Houghton le Spring, County Durham.  George’s father was a teacher of ‘general literature’.  Ada and George had four children including; Georgina Mary born about 1874 and William G H born about 1876, both born in Calcutta, and Lionel Fairfax born in New Cross in 1877 and Arthur Francis born in Lewisham in 1882.

 

George Goodricke worked in the Indian Civil Service which is why two of his children were born in India, the family returning to Britain by 1877.  By 1891 George had retired and the Goodricke family were living at 24, Clapham Road, Bedford, moving by 1901 to Sands Lodge, 6, Pemberley Avenue, Bedford, from where George Goodricke died in the spring of 1911.  Sometime between 1911 and 1921, Ada moved to Hove.  The purchase of Oak Farm appears to be as a home for her and two unmarried children, Georgina and Arthur.  Ada Goodricke died on 30^th July 1930 and Oak Farm passed to Arthur Francis Goodricke, gentleman of Oak Farm.

 

On 22^nd November 1935 Arthur Goodricke sold Oak Farm consisting of the 1911 acreage of 15.999 acres to Godstone RDC (Rural District Council) for the sum of £2500.  Withheld from the Oak Farm sale was the 12.975 acres made up plot 38B of the open pasture and plot 49, formerly Common Field, part of Property D.  Thus in 1935 Oak Farm consisted of:

Plot	Description	Acreage
213	Pasture	0.130
214	Plantation	0.300
34	Pasture	1.636
Pt. 35	Pasture	3.597
36	Pasture	0.745
37	House & Garden	3.395
751	Pasture	6.196
	Total	15.999

 

There are no documents that explain why Godstone RDC purchased the property only the memories of local Felbridge residents that state the fields were purchased with funds from the publicly subscribed King George V Appeal to provide a recreational area/playing fields for the Felbridge community to be held in trust by Godstone RDC.

 

On the 8^th May 1936, Godstone RDC grant the tenancy of the cottage and garden at Oak Farm to William Gregory of Rose Cottages, Crawley Down Road, Felbridge, at the yearly rent of £30.  Apart from the general maintenance of the cottage and ‘drains’, the tenant was to ‘properly cultivate the garden and prune and preserve all fruit trees and bushes therein and shall replace any such trees which may be destroyed or perish’.  Map evidence from 1938 depicts a fairly substantial dwelling house on the site of the cottage on plot 37, the dwelling extended to the west since 1911.  Situated behind the dwelling were four structures, two to the east of the dwelling on the line of the old road between Crawley Down Road and Gullege Lane, two more slightly to the west and behind them, with one more situated behind the second pair.  Presumably one of these structures was the ‘Timber and Corrugated Iron cowshed’ from the 1911 sale and more recently erected outbuildings associated with the farm.

 

William H Gregory is thought to have been born about 1871 but little else is known about him and his family except that he had a son Lawrence Henry.  Local Felbridge residents recall that ‘Mr Gregory was an engineer and his son did building work, which included several properties in Furnace Wood’, but as William had died by August 1940 the ‘Mr Gregory’ referred to was probably Lawrence.

 

During the war years Godstone RDC leased the fields of Oak Farm to George Prevett of Gibbshaven for cultivation to help with the war effort.  William Gregory died in early 1940 and Godstone RDC agreed that his wife should continue as tenant of Oak Farm house.  However, on 29^th June 1944 Lawrence Gregory took over the tenancy of the cottage and garden at Oak Farm with Godstone RDC.

 

In 1947 the Felbridge Bowling Club were looking for a permanent home and approached Godstone RDC for a potential site.  Godstone RDC, true to the spirit of providing recreational facilities for the Felbridge community under the King George V Appeal, made available the ground to the east of Oak Farm house for use by the Felbridge Bowling Club.  More recreational facilities were to follow in 1952 when Godstone RDC leased a plot of land forming part of what was termed Oak Farm Playing Field, to Arnold Kelf of Norfolk House, Copthorne Road, Felbridge, Jack Thomas of Brooknook, Furnace Wood, Felbridge, and Howell Powell of Brockhurst, Lewes Road, East Grinstead, Trustees of the Felbridge Home Guard (1944) Rifle Club, for use as a rifle and/or pistol range and Club-room.  The only other recreational facility created was a small Recreation Ground situated behind Oak Farm house on the plot of land surrendered by the Trustees of the Felbridge Home Guard (1944) Rifle Club in 1956.   Unfortunately, being hidden from view, it attracted undesirable behaviour and it was felt more sensible to move the recreation ground to the front of the playing field, adjacent to the bowling green.  Eventually the recreation ground was relocated to the fields behind the Village Hall, where it remains to this day.  The remainder of Oak Farm fields continued to be leased out for agricultural use, being farmed by James Everard White of Felcot Farm from between 1947 and 1969 (for further details see Handout, Felcot Farm, JIC/SJC 05/08).

 

By the mid 1950’s Godstone RDC took the decision to sell off bits of Oak Farm and on 20^th September 1955 sold a parcel of land amounting to 1.832 acres to Dorothy Mildred Dallin for the sum of £255.  This field had once formed part of Property A, bounded on the east by the lands formerly held by William Southey of The Oaks (now 49, Crawley Down Road) the south by Felbridge Water, the west by land forming part of Property A and the north by the garden created with the construction of the new dwelling by Robert Hawes on Property A.

 

On 24^th February 1956 Godstone RDC sold Oak Farm House, together with 9.89 acres to Lawrence Gregory for the sum of £2,000, Godstone RDC reserving the right of passage over the entrance.  In 1956 (using the plot numbers from 1935) Oak Farm consisted of:

Plot	Description	Acreage
Pt. 34 & 35	Pasture	3.71
Pt. 36 & Pt. 37	House and garden	0.77
Pt. 51	Pasture	5.41
		9.89

 

The remaining plots of land retained by Godstone RDC included the site of the Felbridge Bowling Club and 2.96 acres of grazing land (now the site of the Felbridge tennis courts) leased to James White.  In 1969 the Felbridge Sports & Recreation Association was formed as Trustees and this field was handed over for the purpose for which it was initially purchased as a Recreation Ground/Playing Field for the Felbridge community.

 

Members of the Felbridge Parish Council and other interested groups formed the Felbridge Sports & Recreation Association to promote the use of the playing fields.  Through their efforts, the ground has been home to the Felbridge Football Club since 1971 and the Felbridge Lawn Tennis Club since 1974.  For a short period it was also home to the Felbridge Archers, but they were offered a more suitable site and later became incorporated in the East Grinstead Field and Target Archers.  However, the name King George Playing Fields, given to the original recreation ground, was transferred by Tandridge District Council (the successor of Godstone RDC) to the grounds surrounding the Village Hall on its completion in 1965.  Godstone RDC had failed to complete the legal creation of a ‘King George Playing Field’ which would have protected the recreational space. The bronze plaques are now fastened to the gateposts of the Village Hall fields.  As you enter the Village Hall car park, the left plaque has a lion and shield inscribed ‘George V AD 1910-1936’ and the right plaque has a unicorn and shield inscribed ‘King George’s Field’.

 

Lawrence Henry Gregory died in 1969 and unfortunately it has not yet been established who purchased Oak Farm but in 1974 Oak Farm house and about an acre of ground was put up for sale and was purchased by John and Christine Harris on 19^th December1974 and Miss Marjorie Fry of Llanberis Farm, Crawley Down Road (for further information see Handout Llanberis Farm, SJC 01/07) purchased the two fields at the rear.  During the Harris’s occupation two extensions were carried out on the rear of the building and a swimming pool complex was built.  In May 2000 Oak Farm was put on the market, the sales particulars describing the property as:

Much improved and extended

 

A nineteenth century detached house which has been extended and improved, is for sale in Crawley Dow Road, Felbridge, where Oak Farm provides adaptable family accommodation.

 

Occupying a most pleasant semi-rural position straddling the Surrey-Sussex borders, this property is set back almost 150ft from the road.

 

It adjoins the picturesque local bowling green and tennis courts and backs onto Greenbelt fields at the rear.

 

Thought to have been constructed during the later part of the 19^th century, Oak Farm is available for the first time in 25 years.

 

It has many individual features including a floor to ceiling brick fireplace in the drawing room, a brick fireplace in the sitting room and oak stripped flooring in the dining hall.  The kitchen-breakfast room is fitted with good quality units and there is a utility room plus a cloakroom-shower room.  Upstairs there are five bedrooms plus two bathrooms and a separate wc.

 

This property has out-buildings including two garages and a rustic barn.

 

The rear garden has a southerly aspect with an extensive paved terrace adjoining the house.  There is also a swimming pool complex built in the mid 1980’s with a sunken pool and circular spa bath.

 

There is an informal area of grass and the remaining land is at the rear of the bowling club incorporating a vegetable garden with greenhouses and lawns.  In all the total area extended to about one and a third acres.

 

Oak Farm is offered for sale at £450,000.

 

In July 2000, Oak Farm House together with the acre of ground was purchased by Nigel and Jackie Peters.  However their stay was short lived and in 2004 the Peters sold to developers and Oak Farm House was demolished and replaced by seven dwellings, the development assuming the name Oak Farm Place.  As to the fields associated with Oak Farm, they are still operating as a Recreation Ground and their future to remain as such was secured when they were granted the status of Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields on 25^th October 2012.

 

Bibliography

Rocque Map, 1768

Senex map, 1729

East Grinstead Tithe Map and Apportionment, 1842

Ordnance Survey Map, 1874

Rental for manor of Broadhurst, GLY 112, ESRO

Court Books for manor of Broadhurst, GLY1082-87, ESRO

 

Property A

List of land acquisitions by Gatty from 1856-1899 SHC

John Senex map, 1729

Court Book for the manor of Broadhurst, GLY1081, ESRO

Title Deeds for Ann’s Orchard 1911, FHA

Handout, Ann’s Orchard, SJC 05/01, FHWS

East Grinstead Tithe Map and apportionment 1842

Godstone Tithe map and apportionment, 1839

Census Records 1841, 1851 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911

BMD index, www.ancestry.co.uk

Electronic records, www.ancestry.co.uk

Handout, Harts Hall, SJC 07/05, FHWS

Handout, Acacia Cottage, SO 7/03, FHWS

O/S maps, 1874 and 1897, FHA

Handout, Bingham Family of Felbridge, SJC 01/05, FHWS

Sale catalogue and map for Felbridge Place, 1911, FHA

Schedule of Tenancies for Felbridge Place 1911, FHA

 

Property B

Oak Farm Archive, TDC

List of land acquisitions by Gatty from 1856-1899 SHC

East Grinstead Tithe Map and apportionment 1842

Census Records 1841, 1851 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911

BMD index, www.ancestry.co.uk

Electronic records, www.ancestry.co.uk

Handout, Hill Place, JIC/SJC 01/13, FHWS

Handout, Stone Cottage, JIC/SJC 07/12, FHWS

Handout, Llanberis Farm, SJC 01/07, FHWS

Handout, Park Corner Farm, SJC 05/09, FHWS

Enfranchisement, 1857, TDC

Handout, Parkfields, SJC 05/05, FHWS

Handout, Little Gibbshaven, SJC 07/08, FHWS

Handout, Gibbshaven Farm, JIC/SJC07/07, FHWS

Sale catalogue and map for Felbridge Place, 1911, FHA

Schedule of Tenancies for Felbridge Place 1911, FHA

 

Property C

List of land acquisitions by Gatty from 1856-1899 SHC

Sanders/Chart Feoffment, 1839, Box 3151, SHC

Handout, Eating and Drinking Establishments of Felbridge, Pt. II, JIC/SJC 03/08, FHWS

East Grinstead Tithe Map and apportionment 1842

Godstone Tithe map and apportionment, 1839

Census Records 1841, 1851 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911

BMD index, www.ancestry.co.uk

Electronic records, www.ancestry.co.uk

Will of James Edgar, 1816, Ref: MSS 17548, WSRO

Will of Henry Chart, 1825, Ref: WHL, ESRO

Deeds relating to Wheelers and Perryshaws, Ref: WHL, ESRO

Handout, Eating and Drinking Establishments of Felbridge, Pt. II, JIC/SJC 03/08, FHWS

Title Deeds for Gulledge 1841-1891

Sale of part of Gulledge, 1880, SHC

Handout, History of Gullege, SJC 03/02, FHWS

Draft Ordnance Survey map, 1805, FHA

Handout, Pattenden Family of Felbridge, SJC 07/01, FHWS

Ordnance Survey maps, 1874, 1897, FHA

Schedule of Tenancies for Felbridge Place 1911, FHA

Sale catalogue and map for Felbridge Place, 1911, FHA

 

Property D

List of land acquisitions by Gatty from 1856-1899 SHC

Court Books for manor of Broadhurst, GLY1081-87, ESRO

East Grinstead tithe and apportionment, 1842, FHA

Handout, History of Gullege, SJC 03/02, FHWS

Handout, Pattenden Family of Felbridge, SJC 07/01, FHWS

East Grinstead Tithe Map and apportionment 1842

Godstone Tithe map and apportionment, 1839

Census Records 1841, 1851 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911

BMD index, www.ancestry.co.uk

Felbridge estate documents, Box 3151, SHC

Electronic records, www.ancestry.co.uk

Sale catalogue and map for Felbridge Place, 1911, FHA

Schedule of Tenancies for Felbridge Place 1911, FHA

 

Oak Farm

Schedule of Tenancies for Felbridge Place 1911, FHA

Handout, 1911 Sale of the Felbridge Estate, SJC 01/11, FHWS

Sale catalogue and map for Felbridge Place, 1911, FHA

Ordnance Survey Map 1912, 1934, 2000

Oak Farm Archive, TDC

Felbridge Parish and People

Felbridge School Log

Schedule of Deeds for 7, Oak Farm Place, FHA

Felbridge Parish and People, 1976

Handout, Felcot Farm, JIC/SJC 05/08, FHWS

Documented memories of Alex King, FHA

Handout, Llanberis Farm, SJC 01/07, FHWS

Local Newspaper article, 18/05/00, FHA

Oak Farm sales details, May 2000, FHA

Oak Farm planning application, 2004, FHA

Oak Farm Place sales details, Feb 2007, FHA