Felbridge & District History Group

We have previously written about the Manor of Hedgecourt which was held by the Gage family of Firle in the 15^th century[1] and subsequently purchased by Edward Evelyn to add to the property he purchased at Heath Hatch (near the Star junction) which as a combined land holding became the Felbridge Estate.

Many manors had outliers, these are parcels of land that were not located in the immediate vicinity of the main land-holding but were still administered by the manor and thus their records are intertwined with those for the local lands. For some Wealden manors, their outlier was a large parcel of land many miles distant from the main (mother) manor, providing a type of land that was not available at the seat of the manor, this could be beech woodland pannage for pigs, open grazing land for cows or downland for sheep grazing. This paper will cover the outliers of Hedgecourt Manor and the identification of their probable locations. It will start with the place-names that can be found in the 15^th century rental and try to tease apart which land holdings were actually parts of the land owned by Hedgecourt manor. There are also lands for which the Lord of the manor of Hedgecourt paid rent or services to another manor, these latter holdings create multiple documents as they are recorded in the courts of Hedgecourt manor and also in the manorial courts for the manor that ultimately owns them.

Whilst the challenge of identifying the location of properties that have long since changed their names may seem onerous, we hope to show that the outcome of the work is the ability to trace the interesting history of a number of properties in the neighbouring parishes that would not have been possible without understanding their links to the manor of Hedgecourt.

In 1444 we get the first detailed list of freeholders (free tenants) for Hedgecourt Manor within an extent[2].

Free tenants     William Sande 1 parcell land called Northland and paying per
   year for 4 rod                                                                                                                         8d

William Underhile 1 croft called Coteland                                                                     8d

William Quentheworth 1 messuage and appurtenance paying per year         4½d

Agnes Hosyer paying per year                                                                                           2s 1d

John Alberey 1 croft called le morehale rent per year                                             6d

John Golde rent per year                                                                                                    12d

Johanna Lamon rent per year                                                                                            16d

Simon Philip rent per year                                                                                                   2s

Richard Barnes rent per year                                                                                             6d

The rental values for free tenants are the monetary payments that have replaced feudal labour services to the lord of the Manor, they are known as quit rents. The quit rent value for a freehold property is set when it is first granted and it cannot be altered by the manorial lord unless the property is sub-divided (in which case the quit rent is apportioned to each part) or if another plot of land is granted to the same person and thus the quit rent for this new grant may be added to the other and the combined larger property then being recorded as a single entry. With the quit rents being fixed, even if a property changes its name, it can still be possible to trace it through the records.

The manorial records for Hedgecourt that provide information about the freeholders consist of the extent referred to above as well as a few early accounts, surveys in 1625 and 1627, but mainly rental lists as well as court rolls and court books. The court rolls and books are fragmentary, often recording Hedgecourt alongside other manors held by the Gage family such as Shovelstrode, Burstow and Maresfield. The earliest surviving court record is 1495 and the last is for 1631, however there is a separate ‘freeholders book[3]’ which only contains the records of Hedgecourt Freeholders from 1599 to 1841, although this is also fragmentary apparently compiled in 1760 as it is written in a single hand ending with the court of that date, the next entry is 1803 but at the back of the book are receipts for rents received in the late 18^th century and into the early 19^th.

Using the surviving records we can firstly eliminate the properties that are abutting the main land holding of Hedgecourt.

Johanna Lamon’s property is referred to in a 1560 court entry “Roger Harlyng is the son and heir of John Harlyng who held a tenement formerly Joanne Lamond with 17a land being next to Shyrley in Worth at a rent of 14d, and Roger passes the tenement to his eldest son Thomas Harling and heirs, and then son Richard Harlyng and heirs”. Then in 1613 ”Roger Hill and Joan his wife (the daughter of Roger Harling) are holding the tenement and 27a land called Litle Shurley in Worth at a rent of 14d”. Thus we can identify this property as Little Shirley which lies between Shirley and Mill Wood (now called Furnace Wood) and is now mainly the land of a farm called Kenwards abutting the west side of Furnace Wood. As this abuts Furnace Wood which was part of the main land holding of Hedgecourt, we will not consider this property further as it is not an outlier.

Simon Philip’s rent of 2s appears in 1507 as “John at Fenne 2s for Donnfeld” and can be traced through to 1562 when “John Uhurst is the son and heir of William Uhurst who is the brother and heir of John Uhurst who held land called Gybbs At Fen containing 20a land at a rent of 2s”. Thus Donnfeld is a name used for land that is also known as Gybbs At Fen which over time became Gibbshaven Farm, abutting the south east side of Furnace Wood, and again not an outlier.

Richard Barnes’ property at a rent of 6d appears in 1507 as “John at Fenne 6d for land called Honys & Cuielynscroft” and then again in 1523 as “Roger afenne is the eldest son and heir of John afenn 6d for a croft of land called Hamylcroft alias Cuilaycroft and also a croft called Honyes”, the property being sold back to Sir John Gage in 1538 when he is lord of the manor of Hedgecourt and thus the lands become part of the demesne of the manor and therefore no longer freeholds. It is possible to identify these lands; in 1535[4] Honneys is described as the lands bounded by Smithford to the south, the Worth parish boundary to the east and what is now the Crawley Down Road and Hophurst Hill on the north and west which later became the site of Felbridge nursery before being redeveloped as Thicket Rise. Culyncroft is most probably also known as Warnetts Croft which is described in the 1535 grant as bounded by the road from Crawley Down to Leyghhothes Grene on the south, the road from Leygh Hothes Grene to Sherestone on the east and by Smithford on the north and west. As Culyncroft was also sold back to Sir John Gage in 1538 and added to the demesne, it is most likely that it has become part of Smithfields as depicted on the 1748 Bourd map created for Edward Evelyn, laying on the east side of Hophurst Hill, extending from Hophurst Farm down to the stream. Thus both of Richard Barnes’ properties are immediately to the east of Cuttinglye and not outliers.

We can now look at the remaining Freeholds and extract a list of all the various references to them from the manorial records to try to identify their locations.

William Quentheworth’s property at a rent of 4½d

1542   John Esteland of Lyngfeld sells a tenement called Quechworth and garden and land at a rent of 4½d to his son William Esteland.

1543   William Esteland alias Launder is one of the homage.

1598   JohnUnderhill is the son and heir of JohnUnderhill for a messuage and 2 adjacent crofts and 2 other adjacent crofts on the southwest

1605   ThomasUnderhill for tenement and lands and crofts called ___ late John Eastland

1618   Thomas Underhill of Fryth has sold a tenement and 2 crofts of land 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a late John Eastland alias Launder and before Cotteforde alias Quecheworthes at a rent of 4½d to John Underhill of Hosyers

1619   ThomasUnderhill for a tenement and 2 crofts of land 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a late John Eastland at a rent of 4½d

1625   ThomasUnderhill for a tenement and 2 crofts of containing 2a late John Eastland at a rent of 4½d

1627   ThomasUnderhill for a tenement and 2 crofts of land 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a late Eastland at a rent of 4½d

1647   Robert Clement has sold a tenement and 2 crofts of land 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a late Eastland at a rent of 4½d to John Saxby

1670   John Saxby for a tenement late Eastland at a rent of 4½d

1703   Death of John Saxby presented who held at a rent of 4½d a tenement and 2 crofts of land 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a late ThomasUnderhill and before Eastlands

1719   Michael Pickett of East Grinstead for a tenement and 2 crofts containing 2a in Lingfield late Thomas Underhill and now in the occupation of Henry Cooper at a rent of 4½d

1760   Daniel Double for a messuage or tenement and 2 crofts containing 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a being near a road called Baldwins Hill leading from Eastgrinsted common to a heath called Felcote Heath, late the estate of ____ Irwin before Michael Pigott & formerly Saxby at a rent of 4d

1785   Dr George Lowdell snr of Brighton paid 2s for 6 years rent for a messuage and lands called Eastlands at Baldwinshill late Turks.

1790   Mr George Lowdell paid 1s 8d for 5 years rent for a messuage and lands called Eastlands at Baldwinshill late Turks.

1792   Mr Isaac Lowdell paid 1s for rent for a messuage and lands called Eastlands at Baldwinshill late Turks.

1803   Isaac Lowdell gent for a messuage or tenement and 2 crofts containing 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a being near a road called Baldwins Hill leading from Eastgrinsted common to a heath called Felcote Heath, formerly the estate of Saxby and since Doubles at a rent of 4d

1841   George Lowdell now holds the property formerly held by Isaac Lowdell gent deceased, being a messuage or tenement and 2 crofts containing 7a and 2 other crofts containing 2a being near a road called Baldwins Hill leading from East Grinsted common to a heath called Felcote Heath, formerly the estate of Saxby and since Doubles at a rent of 4d

Here we can see the chain of ownership of this property from the 16^th to the 19^th centuries, at some point between 1719 and 1760 the rent seems to have changed from 4½d to 4d, this may be because a small part was split from it, but the descriptions in 1803 and 1841 still match the pre 1719 descriptions. Thus it is more likely that a clerical error has meant that the half-penny has been lost, particularly as the rental is written as 4d ob in the records being the abbreviation for 4d and a halfpenny (obolus) and it is relatively easy to miss the ‘ob’ after the numerical rent within the heavily abbreviated Latin text of the court books.

It is interesting that this property never actually has a name, it is only ever referred to by the name of a former owner, or by the rather long winded description which implies that prior to 1542 it was two separate holdings; one being the house (tenement/messuage) and two crofts of land adjoining it totalling 7 acres, the other holding being the two other crofts adjoining to the southwest totalling 2 acres. If this had been granted as a single holding then the description is far more likely to have been a house and 4 crofts of adjoining land totalling 9 acres.

We have a rough location for this property as it is in Lingfield Parish and near the road called Baldwins Hill, but we can narrow this down using the 1845 Lingfield Tithe which shows that George Lowdell held the lands edged in red below at Baldwins Hill within Lingfield Parish.

Map1

As early land holdings often have curved boundaries as they have created clearings and subsequently enclosures in the former wastes it is reasonably likely that the area coloured green contains the location of an early holding within Lowdells lands, bounded to the south by plots 938 and 940 which appear to be later enclosures of the common to the south. The area coloured green is 15 acres, rather than the 9 acres we might be expecting from the description, but medieval land descriptions normally only state the useable area of the land, not woodland, shaws, ponds etc thus the total area of the property is not known.

Looking at the owners of this property, it has not been possible to trace Cotteford alias Quech(e)worth/William Quentheworth from the 15^th century or the Eastland family of Lingfield although members of the Eastland alias Launder family are living in Lingfield in 1524[5] and Tandridge in 1587[6].

William son of John Underhill of ‘Baldens Hill‘ is buried at Lingfield in 1566 and John Underhill of ‘Baldins Hill’ appears in the Lingfield lay subsidy of 1593[7] being taxed for lands valued at 20s, with Francis and Thomas Underhill also of Baldins Hill being taxed for goods. It is Thomas Underhill of ‘Baldens Hill’ who appears in the lay subsidy of 1595[8]. The Underhill family seem to have a stronghold on this part of Lingfield as there are also Underhill’s living at the Fryth (Frith Farm on the east side of Baldwins Hill) and Blackberie Street (slightly further north to the east of Felcourt Heath) and their entries distinguish them from the Underhills of Baldwins Hill. The 1618 Hedgecourt entry above lists John Underhill of Hosiers, which we will see below, is where The Whitehouse later stood to the north of The Frith.

The 1719 entry for Michael Pickett appears to be a phonetic slip for Michael Piggott cited in the 1760 entry, as Michael Piggott of East Grinstead married Susan Underhill of Lingfield in 1697 at BurstowChurch. The 1719 entry makes it clear that Michael is not living at the property but has sub-let it to Henry Cooper.

From 1719 there appears to be a relatively quick turnover of owners with the property going Piggott to Irwin to Daniel Double to Turk before Dr George Lowdell senior purchased it in 1778/9. Dr George Lowdell was a surgeon of New Shoreham in 1755, Isaac, also a surgeon, who held the property in 1792 was the son of George and his first wife Ann née Morcom/Malcom. Isaac built a large property called Baldwyns on the site, he never married but adopted two children, of one nothing is known but the other was called Jessamine.  Isaac died on 18^th February 1831 and his unsigned will was proved on 18^th July 1831 leaving his estate to his adopted daughter Jessamine and her husband George Lowdell, one of Issac’s nephews. The property would travel down to Sydney Poole Lowdell, son of Jessamine and George, with Sydney living at Baldwins by 1877.

Agnes Hosyer’s property at a rent of 2s 1d

1507   William Swaynlond has sold a tenement and 2 crofts of land in Lyngfeld late Agnes Hosier to RichardUnderhill

1538   John Underhyll is the son and heir of John Underhyll for a tenement and land called Hosyers in Lyngfeld at 2s 1d

1590   John Underhill is the son and heir of John Underhill for a tenement and land called Hosiers at a rent of 2s 1d

1598   JohnUnderhill is the son and heir of JohnUnderhill for a tenement and land called Hosiers

1613   Peter Burnell & Margaret his wife are the guardians for JohnUnderhill who is under-age and is the tenant of Hosiers and 2 crofts of land, and 3 other crofts of land bounded to the south by the highway.

1619   JohnUnderhill 2s 1d for tenement and land called Hosiers

1622   John Underhill 2s 1d for tenement and land called Hosiers late Thomas Underhill of Fryth and before Richard Penyall and before John Turner at a rent of 2s 1d.

1625   JohnUnderhill 2s 1d for tenement and land called Hosiers

1627   JohnUnderhill 2s 1d for tenement and land called Hosiers

1655   JohnUnderhill for tenement and land called Hosiers

1670   JohnUnderhill for tenement called Hosiers at a rent of 2s 1d

1703   JohnUnderhill for tenement called Whitehouse and a parcel of land called Hosiers containing 5a in Lingfield at a rent of 2s 1d

1719   Richard Lodger of Bishcourt for tenement and land called Hosiers in Lingfield late JohnUnderhill at a rent of 2s 1d

1760   Richard Lodger of Bishcourt has sold a messuage or tenement called Whitehouse and lands called Hosiers containing 5a in Lingfield being near the road from Eastgrinstead to Felcote Heath at a rent of 2s 1d, to Joshua Smith esq

1785   Allyn Simmons Smith esq paid 10s 5d for 5 years rent for a messuage called Whitehouse and lands called Hosiers

1787   Allyn Simmons Smith esq paid 4s 2d for 2 years rent

1788   Allyn Simmons Smith esq paid 4s 2d for 2 years rent to Michaelmas 1788

1792   Josua Smith Simmons Smith esq by John Chart paid 8s 4d for 4 years rent for a messuage called Whitehouse and lands called Hosiers

1803   Joshua Smith esq for a messuage or tenement called Whitehouse and lands called Hosiers containing 5a in Lingfield ‘being near the road from Eastgrinstead to Felcote Heath’ at a rent of 2s 1d

1841   Joshua Smith Simmons Smith esq has sold a messuage or tenement called White House and lands called Hosiers containing 5a in Lingfield being ‘near the road from Grinstead to Felcote Heath’ at a rent of 2s 1d, to Rev. Rochfort Burrow Grange of Lingfield who has since sold it to George Leith Roupell esq Doctor of Medicine of Welbeck Street St. Marylebone, Middlesex.

We have several references to help us locate this property, it is associated with a place called Whitehouse from 1760 until the last Hedgecourt record of 1841, it is near the road from East Grinstead to Felcourt Heath and lies within Lingfield Parish. The Lingfield Tithe allows us to plot the lands owned by George Leith Roupell in 1845 outlined in red below.

Map2

The fields 911 and 914 on the west of the road to Felcourt Heath are called Fowls in 1845 and this is the name of a holding in the manor of Sheffield-Lingfield described in 1651 as ‘land in 2 pieces called Fowelsfield containing 10a in Lingfield, bounded by the East Grinstead to Felcourt road on the East and North, Saxpes to the South, Turner to the West‘. Thus we can see that fields 912 and 913 were most probably parts of the common alongside the road, particularly as plot 2138 on the opposite side of the road is called common field so the east side of plots 911 and 914 are the edge of the enclosed land. In 1651, Sheffield-Lingfield describes Hosyers as a ‘messuage & 20 acres of land in Lingfield, Felcourt Heath to the South and West, Turner and Sands to the East and North at a rent of 4d’. The tenant listed in the Sheffield-Lingfield court books is John Underhill in 1651, Richard Ledger in 1713 and Joshua Smith in 1770, this is important as they match the tenants recorded in the Hedgecourt records rather than listing the lord of Hedgecourt as the tenant which would be the case if Hedgecourt held the freehold from Sheffield-Lingfield and then sold it on to the listed tenant for another quit rent. Thus the two manors each hold a separate part of the same property at a total size of 25 acres. The much higher rent per acre, 25d for 5 acres, paid to Hedgecourt compared to the 4d for 20 acres paid to Sheffield-Lingfield would imply that either the original date of the Sheffield-Lingfield grant was much much earlier than the Hedgecourt grant or that Hedgecourt manor’s plot actually contained the dwelling. It is more likely that it is the latter explanation as we know that Hedgecourt had already granted this property before 1444.      

Again we can find no information on the 15^th century Agnes Hosier, but William Swaynslond is from Cowden in 1502[9] and 1509[10] and thus is likely to have been sub-letting the property in 1507 when he sells it to Richard Underhill and it then stays in the Underhill family until at least 1703. The Underhill family are very difficult to trace due to the number of families of that name living in the same area all using only a few different forenames, however from the Hedgecourt records we appear to have the property passing down; Richard Underhill, to John (unknown relationship), to his son John, to his son John (who is under the age of 21 in 1598) to at least one more John (otherwise John the tenant in 1703 would have to be aged at least 106!). The 1622 entry appears to be a clerical error, as it mentions three tenants who do not appear in any other records with no gap in the entries to accommodate them.

Richard Ledger of Bysshe Court in Horne purchases the property between 1703 and 1713, selling it to Joshua Smith in 1760. Joshua writes his will in 1765[11] which identifies that he is a sugar refiner living in Battersea, he dies in 1770 leaving over £27,000 of financial bequests as well as his dwelling house at Battersea and his properties in “Sheffield Lingfield Sussex”. One of Joshua’s many beneficiaries as ‘his kinsman Allyn Simmons’, I suspect that on receiving a considerable inheritance from Joshua he has then styled himself Allyn Simmons Smith, who pays the quit rent for Hosiers after Joshua’s death. It is his son Joshua Smith Simmons (later styled Joshua Smith Simmons Smith) born in 1763, who is listed as the tenant 1792 and 1803. Joshua Smith (the sugar refiner) and Allyn Simmons are both non-conformists with Joshua giving a small bequest of £10 to ‘the poor of the Dissenting Congregation of Battersea’ and Allyn baptises his children at the non-conformist St. Mary Aldermanbury Church, London. Joshua Smith Simmons Smith died in 1839 from 2 Bayswater Terrace, Paddington being buried at St. Mary’s Church, Battersea.

Rev. Rochfort Burrow Grange purchased the property in about 1835[12], whilst he was listed as the incumbent at Golcar, St. John in West Yorkshire, and he was still listed as the incumbent in 1841 despite him certainly living at Lingfield for some of this period as his daughter Sarah was baptised at Lingfield in 1836. It is Rev. Rochfort Burrow Grange that built a new house on the site of The Gates, to the north of White House, that was later to be known as The Grange. Rev. Grange amalgamated the adjoining properties of White House and The Gates and they are jointly advertised for sale in 1839 with a newly erected house at The Gates and Whitehouse Farm a ‘neat farm house, barn, stables and all requisite agricultural buildings’.

The Hedgecourt court book and the 1845 Lingfield Tithe both record that Hosiers had been sold to Dr George Leith Roupell, son of George Boon Roupell of Chartham Park. The Tithe records that Hosiers was in the occupation of Benjamin Andrew in 1845.

 William Underhile’s [Underhill’s] croft called Coteland at a rent of 8d

1503   Death of Richard Underhyll holding a croft of land in Lyngfeld called Cotelond, Richard is his son and heir.

1551   Richard Underhyll transfers a croft of land in Lyngfeld called Cotecroft at a rent of 8d to _____ his son.

1605   George Turner jnr for land in Lingfield called Cott Croft

1613   George Turner gent for a croft of land in Lingfield called Cote Croft 6a late RichardUnderhill, bounded to the west by Fellcourt Heath and to the south by the land late RichardUnderhill called Gate a rent of 8d

1619   George Turner gent for land in Lingfield called Cottcroft 6a late RichardUnderhill at a rent of 8d

1622   George Turner gent for land called Cotecroft at a rent of 8d

1625   George Turner gent for land in Lingfield called Cottcroft 6a late RichardUnderhill at a rent of 8d

1627   George Turner jnr heir of George Turner snr for land in Lingfield called Cottland 6a late RichardUnderhill at a rent of 8d

1631   George Turner is the nephew/grandson of George Turner snr gent who held land in Lingfield called Cotteford

1639   George Turner gent is the son and heir of George Turner gent for land in Lingfield called Cottecroft late RichardUnderhill

1654   George Turner gent for a croft of land called Cotecroft in Lingfield at a rent of 8d

1655   George Turner for land in Lingfield called Cotts Croft 6a late RichardUnderhill at a rent of 8d

1670   George Turner for a croft of land called Cottecroft at a rent of 8d

1703   George Turner for a parcel of land called Cotcroft 6a late RichardUnderhill at a rent of 8d

1719   ____ Hopkins gent for a parcel of land called Cottcroft 6a in Lingfield late John Wicker before Turners, before Underhills and now or late in the occupation of John Chart at a rent of 8d

1760   John Hopkins esq has died holding a parcel of land called Cottcroft 6a in Lingfield at a rent of 8d

This property appears to have a change of name being Cotelond/Coteland in 1444, 1503 and 1627, but Cotecroft/Cottecroft/Cottcroft 1551-1625 and 1631-1760. The Sheffield-Lingfield records the same properties in 1653 as independent holdings (but in common ownership) with George Turner holding 11 acres of land called Coatelands in Lingfield, bounded by Felcourt Heath on the North, Coate croft on West and The Gates in part on the South and to his other lands on the east at a rent of 4d; and 3 acres of land called Coatecroft in Lingfield, bounded by Felcourt Heath on the North, Coate Lands on the East and The Gates South and West at a rent of 6d. Thus by 1653 there are two identified holdings with Cotecroft laying to the west of Coteland, with The Gates to the South and West and Felcourt Heath to the North.

Cottcroft disappears from the Hedgecourt records after 1760 and this is discussed below when considering Morehale, but its disappearance means that we cannot immediately use the Tithe to plot the landowner’s holding in 1845. It is necessary to identify who John Hopkins may have passed the property to following his death that was reported in 1760; John Hopkins also held New Place in Lingfield and as this is a considerable property in the Parish, its descent is well documented. A John Hopkins had purchased New Place in 1729, his cousin inherited and died in 1754 and trustees passed New Place to Benjamin Bond Hopkins. “He suffered a recovery of the 'manor of Felcourt' in 1772. His daughter and heiress married Richard Maunsell Philipps, who held New Place in 1808. Courtenay Phillips suffered a recovery of the manor in 1824”[13]. As a landed family it is possible that their property was not broken up but all descended together, thus we are looking for lands north of The Gates at Felcourt Heath held by Phillips in 1845.

Map3

The red line surrounds the extensive lands held by Caroline Phillips in 1845, The Gates at the same date is shown in lilac (excluding plot 2132 which they received from the inclosure of the common in 1816[14]). I suspect the boundaries of the fields at the north end of The Gates has changed particularly as the creation of Clarkes Pond to the east would have flooded some of the lands. I have tentatively shown a potential boundary for Cotelands (blue) and Cotecroft (green) to align with the names and boundary descriptions used for Sheffield-Lingfield, with the implication that Hedgecourt’s part of Cotecroft/lands is within the green coloured area to make that up to a total of at least 9 acres. Plots 1018 and 1019 (coloured green) are also named ‘Court field’ in 1845, which could be a later interpretation of Cotefield/land. The changing name in the Hedgecourt records means that this is not a definitive bounds for Hedgecourt’s outlier called Cotecroft (as it could also be Sheffield-Lingfield’s Coteland), however, I believe it is highly likely to be within or very near the area coloured green.

This is another example where the Freehold tenants are the same in both manorial courts, this is most likely the result of the property being split between the two manors at some time prior to 1444. This does not mean that each manor gets a physical portion of the property such that a boundary could be defined across it, instead one manor has a proportion of the whole property and the other has the remainder. A simple 50/50 split is regularly seen in court records being described as a ‘moiety of a property’, this is created when there are co-inheritors for example; owning a moiety means that you receive half the income from that property, but there is still only one tenant and it is easy to see how not being in full control of a dwelling would be difficult to administer by the multiple freehold owners. In the case of Cotecroft, both portions have the same freehold tenant who pays rent to two manors for the single property, when he sells the property the next freeholder will do the same, the freeholder being unable to sell one manor’s portion without the other portion.

Coteland is the earliest mention of the Underhill family in this area with William being the freeholder in 1444, again it is impossible to trace this family particularly in the 15^th century which has few surviving records for anyone other than the gentry.

The Underhill family sell the property to George Turner between 1551 and 1605, the sale is probably at the latter end of this period as George Turner purchased more lands in Lingfield and Crowhurst in the county of Surrey, including the manor of Felcourt in 1616, and was responsible for building New Place in Lingfield, (opposite the station), in 1617. George Turner was married to Mercy Thorpe, daughter of John Thorpe, occupier of Hedgecourt and under whom the Felbridge iron industry started in about 1570. George Turner died in 1626 and the manor of Felcourt and other lands passed to his nephew and heir, John Turner. It is a little unclear as to what happened to the ownership of the manor of Felcourt between 1629 and 1637, as in 1637 it is recorded that George Turner, possibly John’s brother, left the manor of Felcourt to his second son John, with the remainder of his lands, including Cotecroft passing to his eldest son George.

In 1656, brothers John and George Turner agreed to divide the manor and demesne lands of Felcourt, with John taking two thirds, including the manor house, and George a third. In 1684, John, together with his son George, sold a quarter of the manor of Felcourt to Anthony Farringdon whose descendents held this portion until 1787[15].

The remainder of the manor of Felcourt and the other Lingfield lands descended with New Place, the whole being called Newplace Estate or Farm, and remained in the hands of George Turner until his death in 1688. Sometime between 1688 and 1700, John Wicker, a gentleman from Horsham, Sussex, purchased this part of the manor of Felcourt along with the New Place Estate, and in 1700 there is a lease including Felcourt Manor and many identified properties along with ‘all the other lands of John Wicker and lands lately George Turner in Lingfield and Crowhurst’[16] (this must have included Cotecroft), between John Wicker and Timothy Burrell of Cuckfield, Sussex and Peter Burrell a merchant of London. The lease was granted for one year at a peppercorn rent, so that a release could be granted; a lease and release was the normal method to transfer the freehold, but it clearly did not transfer as John Wicker is still the freeholder until 1729.

In 1729, John Wicker is recorded as selling the lands in Lingfield and Crowhurst, including those of the manor of Felcourt, and New Place in Lingfield to John Hopkins of Broad Street, London. John Hopkins died in 1774, but it is interesting to note that New Place remained in the hands of the Hopkins family until well into the 20^th century, still owned by Sir John W W Hopkins, Bart. in 1933.

John Alberey’s [Alfrey’s] croft called le morehale at a rent of 6d

1495 Edmund Alfrey son and heir of Richard Alfrey 6d

1503 Edmund Alfrey 6d for land called Morehale next Shernden

1507 John Alfrey Gent 6d for land called Morehale next Shernden

1545 Edward Alfrey Gent 6d for land called Morehale next Sherneden

1547 John Alfrey 6d

1551 Death of Edward Alfrey gent who holds property at a rent of 6d

1605 Turner for Mosehills in Lingfield

1613 George Turner gent for a parcel of land called Morehall at a rent of 6d

1622 George Turner gent for a parcel of land called Morehall in Lingfeild at a rent of 6d

1625 George Turner for a tenement and lands called Morehale in Lingfield at a rent of 6d

1627 George Turner jnr heir of George Turner snr for a tenement and lands called Morehale in Lingfield at a rent of 6d

1631 George Turner is the next heir of George Turner snr who held a messuage and 60a land called Morehalls in Lingfield at a rent of 6d

1639 George Turner gent is the heir of George Turner Gent Snr who held a tenement and lands called Morehale in Lingfield at a rent of 6d

1654 George Turner gent for a tenement and lands called Morehiles in the occupation of William Blundell at a rent of 6d

1655 George Turner for a tenement and lands called Moreshall in Lingfield at a rent of 6d

1670 George Turner for a tenement called Morehale at a rent of 8d

1703 George Turner has sold his messuage and land called Moorehale in Lingfield at a rent of 6d to John Wicker of Horsham

1719 ____ Hopkins gent for a tenement called Morehale in Lindfield late Wicker before Turners, before Underhills

1760 John Hopkins esq has died holding a messuage or tenement called Morehall, Morehale or Morehill in Lingfield containing 60a now or late in the occupation of John Chart at a rent of 6d

Here we have another property held by John Hopkins in 1760, but unlike Cotecroft it would appear that this property was more important as it is not just lumped into the ‘and other lands in Lingfield’ description, but is specifically named in a 1663 covenant by George Turner ‘Morehalls’ being 51 acres with woodland[17] and again in 1683 when George Turner gives the property to his son George when it is ‘Morehall Coppice’ and ‘house and lands called Moorhall’[18]. It is also identified within the 1700 lease from John Wicker to Burrell as ‘Messuage called Moorhall and 50 acres, in the occupation of John Bundle’[19]. In all cases it is said to be in Lingfield, although the Hedgecourt description says it is next to Shernden and the only place I can find with a similar name is Shernden in the south of Edenbridge Parish but this is over a mile from the boundary with Lingfield Parish. However, ‘More Hall’ is one of the named properties owned by Caroline Phillips in the 1845 Lingfield Tithe, its lands are coloured green below and were in the occupation of William Cheale.

Map4

Caroline Phillips’ woodlands are listed separately in the Tithe apportionment as they are ‘in hand’ rather than occupied by the farm tenants, but it would appear her wood (plot 2142) coloured blue above was most probably part of Moor Hall, this green and blue area totalling 52 acres, thus effectively matching the 1663 acreage given for the property in George Turner’s covenant. In 1631 Hedgecourt had described Morehalls as a messuage and 60 acres of land, it was also described as 60 acres in the 1760 entry, it is possible that the land holding extended to included a part of the area outlined in red on the map above as this is also owned by Caroline Phillips and could therefore have descended to her from George Turner.

The earliest Hedgecourt records describe the property as land only, first suggesting a dwelling there in 1625, although ‘tenement’ in court entries does not always mean a dwelling, but in this case the 1631 entry as a messuage and lands means that a good quality dwelling had been constructed by this date. The house was called Moor Hawes by 1872 and the layout of Sandhawes Hill was the same as the Tithe map above, except that the road along the north boundary of Moor Hall was no longer in use. By 1895, Sandhawes Hill had been realigned dividing the former lands of Moor Hall, but moving the road away from the recently constructed large house at Wilderwick.

John Alfrey who owned Morehale in 1444 was MP for East Grinstead for 1446 to 1459 and his son Richard was elected MP for 1460[20]. By 1495, Richard had inherited Morehale and died leaving it to his son Edmund (also known as Edward), who is also the first Alfrey we can identify being associated with lands around Gullege. The entries for John Alfrey in 1507 and 1547 are most probably for Edmund’s son who later inherited all of the properties on his father’s death in 1551[21]. John Alfrey most probably sells Morehale as it is not listed in his will of 1558[22].

In 1605, Morehale is held by Turner, this is probably George Turner who is first recorded holding Cotecroft in the same year. From this point the descent of the property is identical to Cotecroft going Turner to Wicker to Hopkins.

As mentioned above, there are no Hedgecourt records for the properties Cotecroft or Morehale after the death of John Hopkins is recorded in 1760, this is most probably explained by these properties being enfranchised. Enfranchisement is the release of properties from all manorial services and rents, this is achieved by agreeing with the manorial Lord a lump sum payment to release the property. The combined rent of the two properties is only 14d per annum which by 1760 is not worth much, however there is also a manorial service called a heriot that is due for each property upon the death of the freeholder or the sale of the property. The heriot is the ‘best beast’ and the value of a cow taken as a heriot in 1719 was 40s[23], whilst deaths or sales did not occur often they did provide additional manorial income from the property and it is the combined future value of these manorial services that you are buying your way out of. Once a property is enfranchised, there are no reasons to record the property within the court records and thus they vanish.

William Sande’s parcell of land called Northland 4 rods at a rent of 8d

1495   Robert Sandes son and heir of Ramald Sandes

1503   Robert Sandes

1507   Robert Sandes Gent for Northlond

1523   Antony Sande is the son and heir of Robert Sande Gent 8d for parcel of land called Northlond in Lyngfeld

1545   Antony Sande Esquire 8d for land called Northland

1547   Robert Sandes Gent 8d

The trail of ownership for this property stops in 1547, again most probably because it was enfranchised shortly afterwards, but in this case we have a map to show us where Sandes property called Northlond is situated within Lingfield, the eastern boundary of the map of Billeshurst c1607 has the text ‘Sir Michael Sands his grounds called North Lands’. That equates to the area edged in red below on the 1845 Tithe map which is St. Piers Farm. It is impossible to identify within this property boundary where the 4 rods (1 acre) are that belong to the manor of Hedgecourt, it is possible that it is on the water meadow close to the River Eden, which was valuable grazing land in the medieval period and many manorial properties in Lingfield were granted small portions of the floodplain common lands for grazing.

Map5

In 1845, this property is held by the trustees of A E M Atkins and it is possible to track this name back to the Sands family using the descent of another Sands freehold property held of Imberhorne manor that was not enfranchised until the late 19^th century. The Imberhorne property descent is;

1566   Antony Sands

1597   Michael Sands

1618   Death of Sir Michael Sande, Sir Richard Sande is his son and heir

1677   Death of George Earl of Feversham

1686   Earl of Feversham

1698   Feversham

1730   Heirs of Earl of Feversham

1746   Death of _____ Watson Esq

1792   Death of Abraham Adkins esq, he had devised the property to _____ Martin esq who since took the name Adkins

1799   Death of Edwin Atkins esq, properties devised to his son Edwin Atkins esq and he is now Atkins Edwin Martin Atkins esq.

1826   Atkins Edwin Martin Atkins esq

1871   Enfranchised to Edwin Martin Atkins esq

The 1799 and 1826 entries give us his full name as Atkins Edwin Martin Atkins who had acquired the property on the death of his father, Edwin Martin Atkins in 1799. The Abraham Atkins who died in 1792 had purchased Puttenden manor about 1750 (although he never lived there), he died without issue and his property was inherited by his nephew Edwin Martin, who then took the name Atkins.

George Sondes the son of Sir Richard Sondes had been made Earl of Feversham, Viscount Sondes in 1676, so the 1677 death entry is still the Sondes family. He was succeeded by Louis de Duras, 2^nd Earl of Feversham, who had married Sir George Sondes’ daughter Mary. The 2^nd Earl died in 1709 and the Lingfield properties have transferred to Lewis Watson, 2^nd Earl of Rockingham, Viscount Sondes who was the grandson of Sir George Sondes’ other daughter, Catherine.

The Sondes family are of Throwley in Kent, as they are landed gentry records of their descent survive confirming the names in the Hedgecourt records back to Robert Sondes son and heir of Reginald (‘Ramald’) Sondes and his father William Sondes who died in 1474[24]. William Sondes was of Throwley and of Lingfield, he is buried at Throwley, but his will required a memorial to him to be erected at Lingfield Church. The Sondes family had been seated at Sondes Place, Dorking since the reign of Henry III (mid 13^th century). So this property at St Piers Farm had been owned by the Sondes family from at least 1444 until 1746 when it was sold to Abraham Atkins, continuing down his line until the late 19^th century.

John Golde’s Property at a rent of 12d

1495   Robert Sandes son and heir of Ramald Sandes

1503   Robert Sandes 12d for Felbrigges in Tandrigge

1507   Robert Sandes Gent for Felbrigge

1523   Antony Sande is the son and heir of Robert Sande Gent 12d for parcel of land called Felbrygge in Tanrygge

1545   Antony Sande Esquire 12d for land called Felbrigge

1547   Robert Sandes Gent 12d for Felbrigges

This property has exactly the same descent as North Lands and it is likely that Abraham Atkins also purchased this property from the heirs of the 2^nd Earl Feversham, as the Atkins family are identified as holding a freehold of Imberhorne Manor called Felbridges in Tandridge that was held by Anthony Sands in 1557 and 1566[25]. The location of Felbridges alias Sands alias Sanders Crofts in Tandridge is detailed in the Imberhorne Court records ‘Tanners to the North, East Grinstead Common to the South, the tenement of Raymond Homeden to the East and the highway to the west’, the location of this Imberhorne manor property is shown on the 1846 Tandridge Tithe outlined in red below.

Map 6

The blue outline is ‘Tanners and Boxers’ another property in the manor of Imberhorne. The blue and red outlined areas together are likely to equate to grants to Lewes Priory in the late 12^th century by William de Dan Martin and Odo de Dan Martin of ‘their land of Certeham [Chartham] in the parish of Tandridge’, and then c1250, when Agnes the daughter and heir of Robert de Feldbrigge grants the property that her father Robert had in Chartham in the parish of Tandridge[26]. Once this land was granted to Lewes Priory they assigned it to their manor of Imberhorne to administer and it is unlikely that any lands held by them would be jointly held by Hedgecourt. This leaves the green coloured area which is ‘Sonds Croft’, this is not within the manor of Imberhorne but is owned by Atkins in the Tithe and with the name Sonds Croft, probably referring to its former ownership by the Sondes family, this is the most likely location of what had been John Golde’s freehold held of Hedgecourt manor. It has not been possible to identify a candidate for John Golde.

Whilst this property might be a little close to the main land holding of Hedgecourt for me to call it an outlier, it is detached as Hedgecourt manor lies on the west side of what is now the A22 at this point, and the grants of the lands to the south (also called Felbridges) associated them with Chartham to the east.

The map below shows all these outliers (in red) alongside the demesne of the manor of Hedgecourt (in orange) to show how they are distributed, the black lines indicate the historic Parish boundaries. Considering that North Lands is actually only 1a within the largest red area at the northeast of the map and that this was potentially only a grazing right associated with one of the outlier properties within Lingfield, we can see that they are focused around the Felcourt area and even Morehale in the southeast is not that distant from this cluster.

Map7

We have already identified that the manor of Sheffield-Lingfield also received rent from the properties of Hosiers and Cotecroft/Coteland and thus potentially the rents of these properties had been split between the two manors; however, it is not possible to identify an owner of Sheffield manor prior to 1444 that would have a reason to split the rent. None of the Hedgecourt outliers appear in the manorial records of Tandridge, Lagham (Walkhampsted) or Starborough alias Prinkham, but that leaves a number of Lingfield manors that have not been checked such as Billeshurst, Ford, Puttenden and Buer, Blockfield, Hexted and Lingfield (Felcourt). But of these only Billeshurst and Ford manors have surviving rentals that might include the Hedgecourt outliers.

It would appear that some of the Hedgecourt outliers may have been attached to Hedgecourt even earlier than 1444. One of the early lords of the manor of Hedgecourt was John de Berewyk who died in 1312[27], and an inquest determined that he had held the manor of Hedgecourt and he held the following lands in Lingfield; 7a land held of Thomas de Leukenore, knight, by service of 6d yearly; 5a meadow held of Giles de Bileserche by service of 1d yearly; 4a meadow held of William ate More by service of 4d yearly; and 1a meadow held of John de Heystede by service of 1d yearly. So there are 4 parcels of land in Lingfield that are part of Hedgecourt but are paying service (rent) to other people/manors.

There are a few other scattered records for outgoing quit rents from Hedgecourt that we can consider at this point;

in 1444 there is 4d to William Sandys

in 1490 there is 4d to William Sandys and 1d to Richard Dallingridge [Sheffield-Lingfield] for ‘Gobenshawe’

The 4d to William Sondes in both records would most likely be the ‘4a meadow hold of William ate More by service of 4d yearly’ that was listed in the 1312 inquest for John de Berewyk. The earliest record of the Sondes family holding manorial property in Lingfield is 1477, which is for Puttenden manor but it is possible that William Sondes held this manor from as early as 1430 as that is the previous record of its ownership when Agnes widow of John de Hadresham obtained it[28]. The initial candidate is the 1 acre at Northlands, as it abuts the demesne of Puttenden and was listed as occupied by William Sondes in 1444. However the inquest states it is 4 acres, making this less likely, perhaps Morehale is named after William ate More? Making it possible that the 1 acre meadow held of John de Heystede [Hexted/Haxted] could be Northlands as this is just south of the river from Haxted.

The 1d to Richard Dallingridge for Gobenshawe is likely to be for one of the properties that is also in the Sheffield-Lingfield manorial records so either Hosiers or Cotecroft, and it is impossible to tell which.

The 6d to Sir Thomas Leuknore for 7 acres of land is most probably for land held by the manor of Horsted Keynes-Broadhurst as there are no other local Leuknore manors in the 14^th century, this manor held Hackenden which had lands straddling the East Grinstead and Lingfield parish boundary between Felcourt Heath and Morehale.

The 1d to Giles de ‘Bileserche’ for 5 acres of meadow would appear to refer to someone of Billeshurst, the demesne of that manor abuts the west of Northlands.

As you can see from the above, it becomes very difficult to trace the properties back prior to 1444, although this does show that at least four of the enclosed parcels of land within Lingfield Parish had been created by 1312 and this must therefore include at least two of the enclosures at Felcourt/Baldwins Hill. Thus we can demonstrate that Felcourt Heath had at least two more enclosures in the 14^th century other than Chartham and Felcourt.

As most of the outliers of Hedgecourt appear to be held of other manors, rather than being held as tenant-in-chief, this would imply that they were purchased as freeholds by one of the very early owners of Hedgecourt, who has sold the properties on, presumably at an annual profit, to someone who became a free-tenant of Hedgecourt.

Whilst this paper poses several questions that cannot be answered with the available historical records, I believe it shows how researching other manors outside of a parish can provide valuable information about properties that otherwise would have gone un-noticed.

Hedgecourt Manorial Record References

East Sussex Record Office
SAS/G/43/80	Court Roll 1495
SAS/G/43/81	Court Roll 1503
SAS/G/43/82	Court Roll 1507
SAS/G/43/84	Court Roll 1523-4
SAS/G/43/85	Court Roll 1528-30
SAS/G/43/86	Court Roll 1538-40
SAS/G/43/87	Court Roll 1540-42
SAS/G/43/88	Court Roll 1542-44
SAS/G/43/89	Court Roll 1545-46
SAS/G/43/90	Court Roll 1547-48
SAS/G/43/91	Court Roll 1549-51
SAS/G/43/92	Court Roll 1551-53
SAS/G/43/93	Court Roll 1560
SAS/G/43/94	Court Roll 1560
SAS/G/43/95	Court Roll 1562
SAS/G/43/96	Court Roll 1568
SAS/G/68/1/1	Court Book 1596-1608
SAS/G/68/1/2	Court Book 1608-18
SAS/G/68/1/3	Court Book 1618-31
SAS/G/43/100	Account 1547-48
SAS/G/43/101	Account 1490-94
SAS/G/43/102	Account c1501/2
SAS/G/68/9/1	Rental c1619
SAS/G/68/9/2	Rental 1625
SAS/G/68/9/3	Survey 1625
SAS/G/68/9/2	Survey 1627
Surrey History Centre
SHC/3151/1/1/1	Freeholders Book 1599-1841