DIARIES AND PAPERS OF THE VERRALL AND BRAND FAMILIES OF TELSCOMBE, IFORD, RODMELL...

Summary of contents

Introduction

AMS6572/1 Papers relating to Richard Verrall; nd, c1838

AMS6572/2 Papers of William Verrall the elder; 1854-1855

AMS6572/3 Papers of William Verrall the younger; 1842

AMS6572/4 Diaries of Lydia Brand (née Verrall); 1868-1883

AMS6572/5 Other papers of Lydia Brand; [1846]-nd [1975]

AMS6572/6 Diaries of Ruth Caroline Morris (née Verrall); 1882-1896

AMS6572/7 Papers relating to Jacob Verrall; 1873

AMS6572/8 Genealogical notes; [1687]-2000

The records were donated 27 Jul 2000 (ACC 8183)

Introduction

The papers listed here were accumulated by Lydia Brand (née Verrall), and include her diaries and those of her sister, Ruth Caroline. Both were daughters from the second marriage of William Verrall (1808-1872) to Caroline Funnell. Notes concerning family members whose papers are in this list appear below. For genealogical notes, see AMS6572/8/1-2

Richard Verrall (1798-1838)

Richard is thought to have taken over the lease of Swanborough Farm, Iford, from John Verrall Tourle, the son of William and Betty Tourle, of Swanborough in 1822. Betty was his great-aunt. He was distantly related to the other members of the Verrall family who appear in this list; the common ancestor was William Verrall who married Grace Sanders in 1687 and subsequently occupied Court House Farm, Lewes

Richard died in 1838, while his eldest son, John, was still a minor. Earl of De La Warr is listed as the landowner of Swanborough Farm in the Iford tithe award of 1842 (TD/E 61), and the farm was occupied by Richard's executors. William Verrall the elder (listed below) probably worked as the farm bailiff for some years, before the John was able to take the farm over

William Verrall the elder (1808-1872)

Verrall was born at Telscombe; the children by his first marriage to Elizabeth Ann Snashall (1802-1836) were William (born 1833), John (born 1835) and Mary Ann (born 1836). He married Caroline Funnell in 1844, and had four children: Jacob (1844-1919), Esther Lucy (1845-1910), Lydia (1847-1928), and Ruth Caroline (1850-)

Verrall was a farm bailiff, and was probably bailiff of Swanborough Farm, Iford; for further details, see the note on Richard Verrall above. In the 1841 census William Verrall was living in the farmhouse, while his children lived with his father, also called William, in a farm cottage. William's occupation is still given as farm bailiff in 1851, but he was then living at 1 Swanburgh Cottages, Iford, which was probably the cottage where his father and children were living in 1841. John Verrall was living alone in the farmhouse

He is thought to have become tenant of Itford Farm, Beddingham, in 1854 (AMS6572/8/2). He remained there until his death

William Verrall the younger (1833-1902)

William was the eldest child from the marriage of William Verrall (see above) to Elizabeth Ann Snashall. He married Martha Luck on 20 July 1864. At the time of the 1871 census he was living with Martha near the Abergavenny Arms public house, Rodmell. His occupation was relieving officer

Lydia Brand (née Verrall) (1847-1928)

Lydia, born in 1847, was the second daughter of William Verrall and Caroline Funnell. She married Edmund George Brand, a draper, of Seaford, at Beddingham on 15 July 1874. Brand's father, also called Edmund, was steward to Sir Charles W Blunt of Heathfield. Lydia and Edmund lived at 1 Gloucester Place, Seaford, where Edmund ran a linen draper's shop. Edmund became a member of Seaford Urban District Council, and was an Income Tax Commissioner. Their children were William Edmund (born 23 Apr 1875), Ernest (born 23 Feb 1877), Edmund George (born 29 Nov 1878), Percy (born 15 Oct 1880), Lydia Nora (born 6 Sep 1882; died 1 Feb 1886), Mildred (born 22 Sep 1884), Ella (born 13 Aug 1886) and William Alfred (born 13 Jul 1888). The couple later moved to The Bays, Lyndhurst Road, Worthing. Lydia died in 1928

Ruth Caroline Morris (née Verrall) (1850-)

Ruth Caroline (known as Caroline) was born in 1850 and was the third daughter of William Verrall and Caroline. She married Cornelius Morris, a master mariner, at Beddingham on 6 April 1874. Cornelius was the son of Ebenezer Morris, who owned an ironmonger's shop in Cliffe High Street, Lewes. Cornelius was swept overboard and drowned when working as chief officer of the Kayosch during a voyage to Labrador in August 1877. Caroline then lived with her brother Jacob; her occupation is given as bookkeeper in the 1881 census, but she assumed the duties of housekeeper after the marriage of her sister, Esther Lucy

Jacob Verrall (1844-1919)

Jacob was the eldest child of William Verrall and Caroline Funnell, and lived with his parents to the time of William Verrall's death in 1872. He probably succeeded to the tenancy of Itford Farm, but was living at Rodmell by 1881, when his occupation is given as miller. A newscutting concerning the demolition of Rodmell windmill in 1912 notes that it was owned by the Glazebrook family for a long period, and was then owned by Jacob for thirty-five years, before being sold to E Skinner shortly before its demolition. This would indicate that the windmill was purchased shortly after Jacob's father died. Jacob also farmed land at Southease. He held several public offices, including collector of the water scot, correspondent to the School Managers, and assistant overseer for Southease and Rodmell. Jacob married Lydia Ann Baker 31 August 1910; she died 7 August 1912. Jacob died 10 March 1919. A note against his burial entry in the Rodmell register (PAR 464/1/5/1) states Late of Itford and Southease Farms/a man of wonderful memory and exemplary church attendance. He left considerable copyhold and freehold property in the Rodmell area, including Monks House, Rodmell, which was sold to Leonard Sidney Woolf, the writer and husband of the author Virginia Woolf