Phillipps Charters

Apart from composite lots which were not investigated, it appeared from the Sotheby's catalogue that the following lots contained material of East Sussex interest: 5 (Battle Abbey deeds), 28 (St Leger grant of arms), 77 (letter from Hastings concerning defence, c 1496), 186 and 187 (160 miscellaneous deeds). Of these lots, 5 was lost to the Huntington Library but photocopies obtained (see AMS5789/9, 12-15), a photocopy of 28 was obtained (AMS5789/50), 77 noted and 186 and 187 purchased. At least half of the documents in 186 and 187 were transferred to West Sussex Record Office where they now form (along with part of lot 8) Add Mss 26931 - 27037. Another significant group proved to have no Sussex content and have been transferred to the appropriate county record offices

The loss of lot 5 was particularly regrettable since another group of Battle documents remained unidentified in lot 186 (see AMS5789/6-8, 10, 11)

Lot 77 appeared on the market again in 1999 and was purchased; it now forms AMS6492

The documents have been arranged in alphabetical order of the parishes to which they relate with the exception of some obvious groups, for example the Battle material and documents relating to the Socknersh manor estate

Some connections can be established with groups of Phillipps charters already at the office. The three deeds relating to Icklesham (42-44 below) have endorsements similar to AMS2277-86 and AMS5735/11; other cross-references may be found in the text. The Phillipps number of each document appears after the calendar entry

Documents purchased at Messrs Sotheby's sale, 13 April 1981 (A2700).