RECORDS OF THE TYLER FAMILY OF FRAMFIELD AND HORNEY COMMON, MARESFIELD

Table of contents

Introduction and pedigrees

AMS6448/1-8 John Tyler of Framfield and Maresfield, shoemaker, 1773-1857

AMS6448/9-10 Jacob Tyler of Maresfield, farmer, 1810-1878

AMS6448/11-24 Enoch Tyler of Maresfield, farmer, grocer and carrier, 1839-1926

AMS6448/25-27 Allen Henry Tyler of Maresfield, 1878-

There is ample evidence from the court-books of the manor of Framfield that the Tyler family was settled at Hadlow Down in Buxted from at least the middle of the 17th century (ADA/114,115)

By the beginning of the 18th century the Tylers had acquired land in both Buxted and Framfield; in 1708 John Tyler settled Hundred House fields in Framfield on the marriage of his son John with Jane Colgate of Uckfield (ADA/116). The parents died in 1745 and in 1751 their surviving children - William Tyler of Salehurst (late of Herstmonceux), yeoman, John Tyler a fellmonger of Chiddingly, Mary wife of Thomas Wicks of Brightling, yeoman, and Robert Tyler, a blacksmith of Framfield, came together and sold the Framfield property to Thomas Wharton, the vicar of Framfield (ADA/117). Despite the sale of the land, Robert remained in Framfield and continued there as a blacksmith until his death in 1784

It is clear from the parish registers that members of the Tyler family remained in Framfield after Robert's death. His grandson, John Tyler (1773-1857), married Sarah Willis (1773-1829) of Maresfield in about 1810 and the following year his accounts as a shoemaker in Maresfield begin. The accounts include work for Mr Smith, the local grocer, balanced against his bills, and some sort of partnership - the Tyler family were later to operate a grocery at Horney Common - is possible

John Tyler's account book was originally started in 1710 by John Fox, a butcher; from the names of the customers in AMS6448/1 it is clear that his business was in Warbleton. He can be traced from other sources as the tenant of Pleydells (which included its own slaughter-house) at the north end of Rushlake Green, between 1704 and about 1720 (AMS5718)

John's grandson William Fox (1733-1822) started to use the book again in 1778 to keep the accounts of his carting business in Warbleton; among the commodities transported are coal from Pevensey and Cowbeech and iron mine to Ashburnham. William Fox was also involved in fattening chickens and other fowl at Warbleton and sending them to London. The quantity of birds involved was very large, and these accounts are the earliest reference to what was late to become a major industry in the area - see Elizabeth Doff, Village Outline - Warbleton 1800-1919 (Warbleton and District History Group, 1979). William married Sarah Brooker (1756-1826) and at some point moved to Maresfield where he worked as an agricultural labourer. In 1818, William wrote a will appointing John Tyler as trustee for his wife and their two sons Richard and Thomas (AMS6448/7). It has proved impossible to trace any other connection between the two families

After the death of Sarah Tyler's father Thomas Willis in 1812, John and Sarah inherited a house and two acres of land at White House Farm, Horney Common, Maresfield, a copyhold of Duddleswell Manor; the bulk of the farm land was left to Sarah's two brothers, and in 1822 John bought the fourteen acres which had been left to Thomas Willis (ADA/84-85)

John Tyler's accounts as a shoemaker end in 1823; from the subsequent book (AMS6448/10), which runs from 1822-1832, it appears that John gave up his business to work as a farmer and carrier. He also seems to have derived considerable income from the sale of apples and geese

At John's death all his copyhold property passed to his only son Jacob (ADA/86-88). Jacob continued to farm the land and to work as a carrier but he obtained a lot of his income from renting cottage property

Jacob Tyler (1810-1878) and Sarah Awcock (1811-1874) had their first child, Francis Awcock Tyler, out of wedlock in 1835, but finally married on the 1 August 1837, a week before the birth of their second child Mary Ann (see AMS6448/9 and pedigrees)

On Jacob's death in 1878 all his effects were sold by public auction and his property was sold to his son Enoch Tyler and his son-in-law Joseph Ridley for £800 each. The residuary estate was then divided equally between his 10 children (see AMS6448/12-17 below and ADA/90). In 1893 and 1894 Enoch Tyler and Joseph Ridley enfranchised the copyhold elements of the estate (ADA/92)

Enoch Tyler (1839-1926) married Ann [?Whitewood] and took on the shop at White House Farm as a grocers and drapers, supplementing their income by renting several cottages (see AMS6448/25). Enoch Tyler also served as a manager of Ashdown Forest National School; AMS6448/21-23 are the only surviving records of the school

Enoch's eldest son George Tyler worked in the shop as an assistant to his father but it was the second son Allen Henry who showed a keen interest in the family business. In December 1905 Allen rented the shop from his father, taking the house and garden that went with it in 1907. He also started to deal with Enoch's tenants, taking the business over completly on Enoch's death in 1926. For a picture of Allen Tyler in the Ashdown Forest temperance band, see AMS6449

Tylers stores, as it later became known, continued in Horney Common; it can be traced to 1948 when it was in the possession of Allen's son Cecil Tyler and his wife Edith Helen

The part of White House Farm belonging to Joseph Ridley and Jacob's daughter Abigail Ann was farmed by Joseph and used as a base for his carting business. The property was inherited by their youngest son Henry Jesse Ridley and his wife Lucy Rose Page. For documents concerning the ownership of the farm by the Ridley family, see ACC/6815

Open to consultation, unless otherwise stated

Documents deposited 31 October 1986 (ACC 4741)