Deeds of Heaths Farm Plumpton. [1595] - 1820

On 15 Apr 1596 Richard Leeche of Sheffield [in Fletching] esq and Charity his wife leased two thirds of Plumpton Common to George Gorringe of Lewes esq Henry Bowyer of Cuckfield esq and Richard Jefferay of South Malling gent for 2000 years from 29 Sep 1595 in trust for the tenants of Plumpton manor; Leeche retained a third for himself as lord. The leased portion had the Lewes-Wivelsfield road to the W, Sedgebrook to the N, land late John Wilson esq E and land late Joshua Verrall S. It was allotted to John Mascall (29a), Thomas Picknell (3a), Richard Pryer (2a) and Richard Worger (2½a) as tenants of the manor; Roger Holmwood, Edward Holmwood, John Eightacre, Drew Picknell & Richard Clifford are also named as grantees in 6 below, and this is supported by AMS3402, a grant of 7a to Eightacre by Gorringe, Bowyer & Jefferay, 20 Jan 1597

The shares of Picknell, Pryer and Worger were later assigned to Mascall who on 20 Oct 1620 assigned the whole to Nathaniel Hussey and Nathaniel Norden in trust for Edward Wood of Hamsey clerk and John Wood his son; the Woods assigned their estate to John Pebworth for £216 on 26 June 1638

Pebworth sold to Robert Frere of Plumpton gent on 30 Nov 1649, he sold to William Burgess for £200 22 Mar 1651 and Burgess sold to William Wakeford 30 Mar 1652

On 24 June 1653 the lease was assigned to Thomas Burtenshaw whose interest descended to his son and executor, John Burtenshaw of Plumpton yeoman, who by his will of 14 June 1690 bequeathed it to the children of his daughter Joan, subject to the life estate of his wife Ann and a portion of £80 to his daughter Mary wife of John Cole of Fletching labourer. John & Mary Cole joined with Joan's children Richard, Robert, Jeremiah, Mary and Ann Gower (represented by John Banks their guardian) in a suit in chancery against Robert Wood of Fletching yeoman the executor. The court decreed that the property be sold, the £80 paid and the residue put towards the maintenance of the children and an order was made 10 Feb 1698

Wood assigned the lease on 24 June 1698 to Abraham Maynard of Fletching yeoman; a house and barn had lately been built on the land. Maynard's will of 1 Jan 1700 bequeathed the property to his daughter Susannah; she married Richard Ashdown of St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey Surrey tanner who after her death by his will of 6 Apr 1714 bequeathed it to his brother Robert Ashdown

Robert Ashdown's will of 6 May 1714 gave a life interest to his father Richard with remainders to his brothers John and Alexander Ashdown & sister Ann Wickersham as tenants in common

On 1 Apr 1735 John (of Chiddingstone Kent husbandman) assigned the third share in the lease to his brother Alexander senior of Tonbridge Kent tiler for £40 (1). On 26 Mar 1736 Alexander Ashdown assigned his two-thirds share to Edmund Hobbs of Fletching yeoman; Ann, who had meanwhile married Anthony Ellis, joined with him to assign the remaining third to Hobbs on 30 Apr 1737. On 8 Oct 1737 Hobbs assigned to John Bradford of Falmer gent for £256; the farm was occupied by Edmund Chapman (2)

Bradford's will [proved 29 Jan 1742 : W/A 56.227] appointed his nephew

John Paine of Falmer gent executor who by his will of 9 Oct 1762 appointed his only son John Paine of Patcham esq executor. On 10 Apr 1788 Paine assigned the farm (stated to contain 48a) to the occupier Francis Homewood of Plumpton miller for £460 (3)

By his will of 11 Nov 1807 Homewood left the property to his four sons Francis, William, Nicholas & Thomas and on 20 Nov 1809 the executors (William Wisden of Henfield tanner and John Fisher of Lewes gent) assigned to Francis Homewood and Thomas King of Lewes gent his trustee for £1200. The property was mortgaged for £800 the following day to Henry Freeman of Cliffe grocer (4, 5)

On 16 Feb 1814, Francis Homewood and King assigned the property (still subject to the mortgage) to Nicholas Homewood of Plumpton yeoman for £500; a further charge of £100 was raised on the land the following day (6,7)

On 14 July 1820 Nicholas (now of Wivelsfield yeoman) assigned the property (occupied by Thomas Pannett) to Benjamin Ridge of Lewes gent for £250, still subject to the mortgage (8). On 23 July William Thorpe at Hastings wrote to Mr Gell, solicitor at Lewes (presumably acting for Ridge) to inform him that he had searched the court rolls of Plumpton manor but could find no trace of Heaths or of any lord called Leach from 1623 (9)

Documents given by Messrs Wannop & Falconer, solicitors, Chichester per WSRO, 23 January 1979 (A2343)