Seaford Corporation Records

While the quantity of records which has survived for the ancient borough of Seaford is small, there are some interesting items. It is particularly fortunate that the court books (SEA/5-11) from 1562 to 1886 have been preserved with only a few gaps, and although there was relatively little business transacted at any of the courts, the records are important for the picture they give of life in a small self-governing community. Draft minutes of the Courts of Record, Assembly and Quarter Sessions have been saved, but they are of small value as the information is in the court books themselves. Only two complete sessions rolls have survived in their original form, but there are a number of documents which would have been filed on sessions rolls; the presence of these loose papers has presented difficulties in the classification of the archives as it has not been possible to determine, in every instance, to which group they originally belonged

No medieval and relatively few records earlier than the 18th century have come to light; this is specially noticeable in the section dealing with the bailiff and other officers of the Corporation. The election of officers was not always a peaceful procedure (see SEA/174), and one bailiff, John Sargent of Woolavington, had an attorney to carry out his duties (173). (See T. W. Horsfield, The History, Antiquities, and Topography of the County of Sussex, vol. II (1835), pp. 170-1.) The bailiff also acted as coroner. The town clerk was usually a Lewes solicitor. Only a very small number of records relating to the treasurer have been found (SEA/315, 316)

The records of the Corporation estates are virtually complete from 1592 to 1878 (SEA/361-397), and the testimony as to the integrity of Thomas Elphicke, c.1595 (SEA/362), in this connexion, is of unusual interest. As a 'member' of the Cinque Port of Hastings, Seaford enjoyed certain privileges, and a fairly substantial quantity of miscellaneous papers have been preserved (SEA/398-424). Parliamentary elections are also well represented from 1670 to 1831 (SEA/425-487) and reflect something of the difficulties and the dissatisfaction of candidates and voters alike

The few records (SEA/489-499) relating to the local militia contain a muster roll of 1710; this group should be read in conjunction with those concerning Seaford's position as a member of the Cinque Ports

Removal of chalk, shingle and flints from the base of the cliffs at Seaford was rigorously opposed by the Corporation and by landowners; one document (SEA/511) relates to a proposal to demolish part of the cliff to form a groyne

An assessment for poor rates in 1735 and six for 1788 and 1789 provide useful lists of inhabitants, but the continual appeals against the assessments must have tended to breed ill-feeling in the town. The most important document in this group is SEA/644 which is an assessment for window tax, 1713-1714. The tax was first imposed in 1695 and continued until 1851; the survival of such assessments is, so far as Sussex is concerned, very rare

The two estate maps (SEA/688, 689) presented to the Urban District Council are not borough records, but they are of outstanding interest and importance for the topography of Seaford in the early 17th century. A few miscellaneous documents (SEA/690-715) have been preserved among the official records; it is impossible to say how they came to be included, but those of earlier date may have been kept in the town chest for safety

The physical condition of the archives is, generally speaking, poor, and much time will have to be spent on their repair. The documents, having been classified and listed, have been marked with a small stamp inscribed 'Seaford MS.' followed by the appropriate number to correspond with the catalogue entry

The numerous references to Seaford in the Sussex Archaeological Collections and Sussex Notes and Queries supplement some of the records noted in this catalogue, but much research needs to be done before anything approaching a comprehensive history of the town could be written. Mark Antony Lower (a freeman of Seaford, see SEA/229) published his Memorials of the Town, Parish, and Cinque-Port of Seaford in 1855 after their appearance in vol. 7 of the Sussex Archaeological Collections. This was followed by 'Further Memorials of Seaford' by M. A. Lower and W. D. Cooper in vol. 17 of the Collections, pp. 141-163. Old Seaford by W. R. Wynter was published in 1922, and Dr. J. G. Taylor's admirable study of The Parish Church of St. Leonard, Seaford, in 1937. Charters of the Cinque Ports, Two Ancient Towns, and their Members, by Samuel Jeake (1728), and K. M. E. Murray, The Constitutional History of the Cinque Ports (1935), also contain many useful references to Seaford

FRANCIS W. STEER

Lewes

June, 1959

CHARTERS

SEALS

COURT BOOKS

COURT OF RECORD AND ASSEMBLY

Draft Minutes

Extracts from Court Records

Precept

Final Concords made in the Court of Record

Transcripts of other Records

COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS

Sessions Rolls

Draft Minutes

Presentments and Informations

Examinations

Recognizances

Indictments

Verdict

Precepts and Associated Documents

Jury and other Lists

Prisoners and Gaol

Alehouses

Sacrament Certificates

Declarations denying Transubstantiation

Formularies

Miscellaneous

BAILIFFS, JURATS, FREEMEN AND OTHER OFFICIALS

Elections

Office of Bailiff

Oaths of Jurats

Certificates of Freedom from Toll and Customs

Certificates of Election and/or Admission of Freemen

Oaths of Freemen

Surrender of Freedom

Town Clerk

Treasurer

Special Constables

Lists of holders of offices

Attendance Lists

INQUESTS

LOYAL ADDRESSES

CASES TRIED ELSEWHERE THAN SEAFORD

PAUPER LUNATICS

CORPORATION ESTATES

MEMBERSHIP OF THE CINQUE PORTS

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

MILITIA

CLIFF AND FORESHORE

WRECKS

HIGHWAYS AND FOOTPATHS

OVERSEERS OF THE POOR

RATES AND TAXES

Assessments made by the churchwardens and overseers for the relief of the poor

Notices of appeals to churchwardens and overseers or to Quarter Sessions

Notices countermanding those of intention to appeal at Quarter Sessions

Correspondence and miscellaneous papers

Window Tax

Other Assessed Taxes

MISCELLANEOUS PARISH RECORDS

BENEFIT SOCIETY

FITZGERALD CHARITY

GENERAL MATTERS RELATING TO THE TOWN

LOCAL BOARD OF THE SEAFORD AND EAST BLATCHINGTON DISTRICT

URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL OF SEAFORD

ESTATE MAPS

MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS

FRAGMENTS

PRINTED BOOKS

APPENDIX I: SEAFORD COURT BOOKS

APPENDIX II: TRANSCRIPT OF CERTIFICATE OF FREEDOM

APPENDIX III: TRANSCRIPT OF SEAFORD MS. 362

Not available for consultation until 30 years after the last date of the document

Deposited by the Seaford Urban District Council in two instalments. The first group (SEA/5-8, 10, 141 and 402) was sent in for inspection in 1951, and the second (comprising the remainder to SEA/723) was collected from the Council Offices on 11th November 1955.

Seaford as the port at the mouth of the river Ouse seems to have been of some local importance at least by the 13th century, and to have been a manorial borough under the government of a bailiff (or bailiffs, 30 Edw. III)[1]. The town seems to have been associated with Hastings possibly before 1229 (Rye Custumal--Jeake), but its relations seemed to have been informal[2] up to its incorporation in 1544.

The charter of incorporation (1544)[3] no doubt states the constitution of the town largely as it had been. The corporation was of The Bailiff and Commonalty of the town parish and borough, without mention of jurats[4] and the corporation made a limb of Hastings. The bailiff held a fortnightly court of pleas according to the customs and liberties of the Cinque Ports. The town was quit of all outside jursidiction including Assizes, County justices, hundred and coroners, with the exemptions and privileges of the Cinque Ports.

The existing Court Books show three types of courts or meetings. There is firstly the Court of Pleas, 'Placita in Curia', the fortnightly court, but not necessarily meeting regularly. When the case requires it, this becomes a court of pie-powder to deal with pleas of strangers. By the end of the 17th century this court seems to have practically disappeared from disuse.

There was secondly the Hundred Court at which presentments were made in the same way as at a court leet. But this, as early as 13 Eliz. was called a 'sessio pacis' although no express grant of Quarter Sessions was made in the charter, and in fact appears not to have been expressly granted to any of the Cinque Ports until James I's charter of 1605. But there is plenty of evidence to show that the bailiff and jurats regarded themselves as justices before this date[5]. Consequent also on the exclusion of justices of assize we find an occasional gaol delivery. The Hundred Court seems to have meet quarterly, but with some irregularity, and by the end of the 17th century was being regularly styled General Quarter Sessions. This court met before the bailiff and jurats, and the names of the presenting jury are regularly entered at the head, and the affeerors at the end of the entry.

The third court was the General Assembly, the earliest of which seems to be 1634, although earlier related references appear in 1617 and in 1586 (6 Nov. 18 Eliz.). This assembly made orders for the government of the corporation, and elected the officers. This assembly no doubt accounts for the absence of reference to elections of officers at the hundred courts which we might otherwise expect. The charter commits the election of the bailiff to the inhabitants and tenants resident, but the assemblies seem to be confined to the bailiff, jurats and freemen. By the end of the 17th century the records show only the Assembly and Quarter Sessions functioning.

The Municipal Commissioners (1834) reported on the Bailiff, Jurats, and Commonalty of the Town and Port of Seaford, and stated that the jurats and freemen are elected at a common assembly. There were the following officers elected, with their appropriate duties:

Bailiff--elected yearly at Michaelmas, chief magistrate, no salary.

Recorder--elected for life by the corporation.

Jurats--assisted the bailiff as justices.

2 Chamberlains--appointed yearly from freemen by the bailiff. Collected revenue and kept accounts, for which they have the rent of Hangman's Acre, about £1 p.a.

Town Clerk--appointed yearly but usually holding from year to year, transacts legal business, acts as clerk of the peace, salary £4 p.a. plus fees.

Sergeant at Mace--appointed yearly by bailiff, and acts as gaoler, summons juries, serves process, salary 14/- p.a. and a hat and cloak.

Constable and headborough--appointed by the bailiff at Michaelmas; no salary.

'A Court of Sessions and Gaol Delivery of unlimited jurisdiction is holden annually before the bailiff and jurats, but it has long been the practice to send every serious offence to the county sessions'.

'The Court of Record has long since fallen into disuse and inconvenience is experienced in having to send prisoners for debt to Dover Castle, and in being subject to the Boder of Dover's charges for execution'.

'The Grand Jury consists of freemen; the petty jury is empanelled by the bailiff, and summoned by the sergeant at mace. The inhabitants are exempt from serving on juries on the county and from county rates.'

[1] M. A. Lower, Memorials of the Town, Parish, and Cinque-Port of Seaford (1855), p. 11.

[2] K. M. E. Murray, The Constitutional History of the Cinque Ports (1935), pp. 47 and 48.

[3] Lower op. cit., pp. 14, 15, 66ff., and Seaford MSS. 1-3.

[4] Jurats appear in the first entry of the Court Book, 1561.

[5] Jeake Charters of the Cinque Ports (1728). p. 145.