HERSTMONCEUX

On 27 Sept 1798 the lord of Herstmonceux manor granted a piece of waste (8r) at Bodle Street to Thomas Harmer of Herstmonceux yeoman. Harmer had erected a cottage and hovel on the land, which had the highway E S and N and Mr Thomas Chrismas' land W; the quitrent was 1/-

By his will of 31 Aug 1813 TH left the property to his son William and to Thomas Oxley and John Pattenden as trustees for sale and Harmer and Oxley were admitted 6 Feb 1815; the land to the W then belonged to Mrs Wagner

On 16 Jun 1834 William Harmer (who survived Thomas Oxley) surrendered to John Mayo Pursglove of Herstmonceux grocer for £80, who surrendered 22 Jun 1835 to James Vine of Herstmonceux farrier for £97

On 1 Oct 1859 Vine, then of Wartling, surrendered to John Veness of Herstmonceux farmer for £97. Vine made a statutory declaration (accompanied by a detailed map) relating to an additional piece of land (3r 36p) occupied by William Winchester, which Thomas Harmer's devisees had enclosed before 1834 and which Vine purchased in 1835 from Pursglove for £18 without any legal conveyance having been executed. Vine recited his quiet possession and that no quitrent had over been paid (1). The land was conveyed to Veness as freehold for £43

John Veness' death was presented 20 Dec 1861 by William Noakes of Ashburnham farmer and Job Sweetman of Herstmonceux fellmonger the executors, who had proved the will on 16 Aug. On 30 Sept 1862 the freehold was conveyed to James Vine of Ninfield farrier for £43 who on 29 Nov (as of Wartling) was admitted to the copyhold for £97

On 13 Aug 1868 both parcels were sold to George Smith of Herstmonceux basketmaker for £150; the freehold was occupied by Reuben Foster

Smith sold to John Nightingale of Chatham, Kent, coalmerchant for £150 on 25 Nov 1876; part of the land to the S was owned by Robert Wadman

Nightingale's son John Nightingale of the Queens Hotel, Sedlescombe licenced victualler proved his father's will on 26 Sept 1892 and (subject to an annuity to his mother Elizabeth) was admitted 26 Nov 1892

On 17 Oct 1892 a £600 mortgage had been executed to Julia Watt, who assigned it on 13 May 1893 to Charles Sheppard of Battle solicitor. Further charges amounting to £900 were made and on 28 Mar 1900 a surrender of the copyhold was made. John Nightingale was declared bankrupt at the Hastings county court on 4 May 1900 and on the failure of the creditors at a meeting on 18 May to appoint a trustee, Ernest William Joseph Saville of 4 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, official receiver, assumed the role. Elizabeth Nightingale died 28 Feb 1905 and after an auction on 31 Oct 1906 the property (occupied by Horace Roberts) was conveyed to Harry John Croft of Brightling butcher for £225 on 26 Nov; a surrender was enrolled on 1 Dec 1906

The copyhold was enfranchised on 1 Jul 1913 and on 29 Sept the property was conveyed by HJC to Frederick James of Hatfield Street Works, Stamford Street, London gent for £255. The property was mortgaged for £850 to Mark Masterman Barlow of Woodbridge, Suffolk esq on 4 Oct 1913; also charged were Stoneacres and Pebsham farms (43a), a house and land called The Bodle Street Field Cottage (8a 3r 27p) part of Hole Farm, Herstmonceux, freehold cottages and gardens (1r 20p) at Bodle Street and a cottage at Bodle Street Green (occupied by Mrs Daw) with a frontage of 114 on the Bodle Street to Hailsham Road. After a reconveyance on 11 Apr 1918, James (now of Alton Hants) conveyed to Boaz Jarrett of Grays Lodge, St Leonards builder for £200, who on 23 Jun 1919 conveyed to Lilian Alice and Edith Hollebone of Grand Parade, St Leonards spinsters for £250