21 Aug 2006
Transcribed by Stacey Gardner
Westmeston is a parish on the road from Lewes to Hurstpierpoint, 3 miles south-east from Hassocks station on the main line of the Brighton railway, 2 ½ south-west from Plumpton station on the Lewes branch of the London, Brighton & South Coast railway, 9 north from Brighton by road, 6 north-west from Lewes and 46 ½ from London, in the Mid division of the county, hundred of Street, rape, petty sessional division of the county court district of Lewes, union of Lewes, and in the rural deanery of Lewes (Div II), archdeaconry of Lewes and diocese of Chichester. The church of St Martin is of flint stone, in the Norman & Early English styles, and has a turret containing 3 bells; in the course of the restoration of 1862 some early wall paintings were discovered; the east window and others are stained; there 150 sittings, all being free. The register dates from the year 1587. The living is a rectory, annexed to Streat, joint net income £430, with residence and 30 acres of glebe, in the gift of W. H. Campion esq. C.B. of Danny Park, and W. R. Fitz-Hugh esq. of Streat Place, alternately, and held since 1909 by the Rev. Henry John Claude Torry M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge, who resides at Streat. There is a church room at Ditchling Common, with 120 sittings. Springett and Campion’s charities, derived from a total sum of £577 15s 7d in Consols, producing £17 6s 8d yearly, are applied for educational purposes. Middleton is the residence of Mrs Lane, and Novington Manor that of H. Powell Edwards esq. J.P. The principal landowners are Mr Lane, who is lady of the manor, H. Powell Edwards esq. and the trustees of the late C. Longley esq. The soil is loam, chalk & clay; sub-soil chalk & ironstone. The chief crops are oats, beans & turnips. The area is 2,436 acres; rateable value £2,544; the population in 1901 was, in the civil parish 284, and in the ecclesiastical parish 674.
Parish Clerk, George Turner
Letters through Hassocks arrive about 7am & 12.15pm. Wall letter box cleared at 6.45am & 7.40pm; Sundays 7.30am The nearest money order and telegraph office is at Plumpton Green
Public Elementary School (mixed), built in 1851 for 70 children; average attendance 45; Miss B. Jukes, mistress
Private Residents
(Marked thus * receive their letters through Plumpton, Lewes)
Baines Athelstan Arthur B.A. The Rectory
*Edwards Howell Powell J. P. Novington Manor
Lane Mrs, Middleton
Money Col. George A. Westmeston Pl
Newbold Arthur, Gallops Homestead (letters through Ditchling, Hassocks)
Commercial
Edwards Henry, farm bailiff to Mrs Lane, Middleton
*French James, steam thrashing machine owner & c. Novingotn Lane
*Hearn William, gardener to H. Powell Edwards esq. Novington Manor Farm
Hollingdale Mark K., farmer & assistant overseer, Spatham Lane
Johnson Charles & Hannah (Miss), farmers, Middleton Farm
Springate Frederick, Hayleigh Farm
Tomlinson Richard, gardener to Mrs Lane, Middleton
Tulley Simeon, farmer, Blackbrook
*Waite Julia Annie (Mrs), farmer, Newstead Farm
21 Aug 2006 | Transcribed by Stacey Gardner |
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