MURTON, CLARKE AND MURTON-NEALE OF CRANBROOK AND HAWKHURST, SOLICITORS - CLIENTS'...

AMS6454/1 Balcombe: Beach House Ticehurst, copyhold of the manor of Hammerden called Merriams, 1756-1922

AMS6454/2 [?Balcombe]: plans and particulars of property in Ticehurst and Wadhurst, 1861-1869

AMS6454/3 [?Balcombe]: Limden Farm Ticehurst, 1617

AMS6454/4 Beckwith: grant of pasture rights, Seacox Heath estate, Etchingham, 1859

AMS6454/5 Buckland: lease of property in Hollington, 1838

AMS6454/6 Causton: map of Bodiam Court Lodge, 1730

Coleman of Chitcombe in Brede

AMS6454/7 House and wheelwright's shop at Broad Oak Green, Brede, purchased 1739

AMS6454/8 Purster Farm in Brede and Beckley, purchased 1798

Land in Brede, purchased by Thomas Inman in 1756

House and 28a called Purster, purchased by Thomas Inman in 1785

Right of way across Beckley Furnace Farm, purchased by William Coleman in 1818

AMS6454/9 House and land at Brede, purchased 1807

AMS6454/10 Land (12a), part of Broad Oak Farm in Brede, purchased 1811

AMS6454/11 Beckley Furnace Farm in Beckley, Northiam and Brede, purchased 1821

AMS6454/12 Exchange with the Brickwall estate, 1845

AMS6454/13 Tibbs Farm in Udimore and Brede, purchased 1863 and 1873

AMS6454/14 Cottage and garden at Little Chitcombe Farm, Brede, purchased 1866 and 1887

AMS6454/15 Wick and Carltons Farms and woodland in Udimore and Brede, purchased c1867

AMS6454/16 Coventry: lease of 1 Church Road, St Leonards, 1868

AMS6454/17 Cruttenden of Burwash: Normans at Rusper, 1645-1777

AMS6454/18 Dingley: Church Villa Ticehurst, 1723-1881

William Footner Foster of Fontridge in Burwash

AMS6454/19 Fontridge Farm (98a 1r 33p) in Burwash and Etchingham, purchased 1873

AMS6454/20 The Hall Court Estate in Ripe and Laughton, purchased 1876

Cottage and ½a at Laughton, purchased by John Saxby in 1774

House, garden, orchard and 1a at Laughton, purchased by John Saxby in 1774

Roadside waste (1r) in Laughton, purchased by John Saxby in 1775

Farm called Hall Court, Hall Place and The Lulhams in Ripe, purchased by John Saxby in 1782

Farm called Beards in Ripe, purchased by John Saxby in 1783

Cottage, garden and two pieces of land in Ripe, purchased by John Saxby in 1785

Land in Ripe (68a 3r 33p), formerly part of the Dyke estates, purchased by John Saxby in 1786

Pupps Croft in Ripe, purchased by John Saxby in 1786

AMS6454/21 Boarders Farm in Etchingham and Burwash, purchased c1900

AMS6454/22 Hutchings, Sores and Brans Farms in Burwash and Etchingham, purchased c1900

AMS6454/23 Underwoods and Red Rose House in Etchingham, purchased c1900

AMS6454/24 Hicks: administration of William Hicks of Salehurst; property in Mountfield and Pevensey, 1633-1675

AMS6454/25 Hodges: photograph of a map of Pelsham Farm in Peasmarsh, 1779

AMS6454/26 Kenward: house in the borough of Sandlake, Battle, 1825-1853

David Manser of Rye, solicitor

AMS6454/27 Part of a house in Rye, mortgaged to David Manser in 1830

AMS6454/28 Mortgage of property in Rolvenden by James Judge to David Manser, 1830

AMS6454/29 Schedule of deeds of a windmill at Udimore, mortgaged to David Manser by Peter Dulvey Stonham in 1831

AMS6454/30 Mortgage of property in Rye by Frederick Barry of Rye to David Manser, 1832

AMS6454/31 Mortgage of leasehold house at 16 Undercliff, St Leonards, by Henry Hughes to David Manser, 1832

AMS6454/32 Mortgage of copyhold property at Peasmarsh by Moses Cleve to David Manser, 1833

AMS6454/33 Purchases of land in Hastings St Mary Magdalen from the trustees of the Eversfield Estate Act, 1834-1836

AMS6454/34 Sales and leases by David Manser of land purchased from the Eversfield estate

AMS6454/35 Mortgage of leasehold houses in Norman Road, Hastings, 1832-1834

AMS6454/36 Blackman mortgage assignment, drawn by David Manser in 1834

AMS6454/37 Mortgage by John Blackman, assigned to David Manser and William Blackman in 1834

AMS6454/38 Mortgage of a house at Iden, 1838

AMS6454/39 Death of David Manser, 1848

AMS6454/40 Documents probably associated with David Manser: waste under Watchbell Cliff, Rye 1820; property in Rye owned by Joseph Delves Chatterton, 1836-1853; house on the south side of North Street, Hastings, 1855

AMS6454/41 Henry Maynard of Oakfield Lodge in Hawkhurst, Kent: Blackmans Cottage at Flimwell in Ticehurst, purchased 1860; cottages and land at Flimwell in Ticehurst, purchased 1861

AMS6454/42 Mitten: site of Bexhill Horse Barracks, [1737]-1822

AMS6454/43 Newington family of Ticehurst: various plans and drawings, c1830 - c1850

AMS6454/44 Prickett: houses at Flimwell in Ticehurst, 1853-1894

AMS6454/45 Ranger: property at Clench Green in Northiam, [1671]-1867

AMS6454/46 Reeve: Dinglesden and Frymans Farms in Peasmarsh and Beckley, 1718-1855

House and land called Cooks Place, Kemps, Snowing Hill, Shearn Pooks and Dinglesdens (80a), with six pieces of land opposite (30a) purchased by John Dulvey in 1783

Partridge Farm (30a), purchased by John Dulvey in 1796

Stonepit wood (9a Or 4p) and Stonepit Field (7a Or 30p) in Beckley and Peasmarsh, purchased by John Dulvey in 1811

Barren Garden and the Shaw (5a 2r 17p), purchased by John Dulvey in 1812

Field called Pipers (1a 2r 39p) and a copyhold tenement called Pipers (3a) in Peasmarsh, purchased by John Dulvey in 1826

Cottage and 37p in Peasmarsh, part of the Rape of Hastings, purchased by John Dulvey in 1827

Roberts of Boarzell

AMS6454/47 Swiftsden in Etchingham (including the whole Boarzell estate), 1604-1782

AMS6454/48 Manor of Lunsford in Salehurst and Etchingham, 1720-1808

AMS6454/49 Cottages at Riseden in Wadhurst, copyhold of Mayfield manor, 1871

AMS6454/50 Selmes: Oakhill House, cottages and land (15a 2r 35p) at Four Oaks in Beckley, 1780-1864

AMS6454/51 [?Selmes]: farm near Brownsmith Oak in Beckley, 1721-1732

AMS6454/52 Snepp: cottages at Hurst Green in Etchingham, 1770-1856

AMS6454/53 Stapley: cottages and land at Flimwell, 1842-1868

AMS6454/54 Turley: house and garden called Brook Sharn at Sharn Green in Rotherfield, copyhold of Rotherfield manor, 1766-1853

AMS6454/55 Whitaker: Belle Vue House, 132 Kings Road, Brighton, 1793-1885

AMS6454/56 Willis: 1 White Rock Place, St Mary Magdalen, Hastings, 1846-1872

Listing criteria

The documents have been listed in alphabetical order of client. Although the identity of several major clients is obvious, because the deposit consists almost entirely of unabstracted title-deeds, it is almost certain that several titles which appear to be distinct were later merged under common ownership. An attempt has been made, using land-tax returns and other records, to advance the titles of some of the major holdings to connect them with one of the larger estates represented here, but that has not been attempted for the smaller properties

Within the records of a single client, deeds have been listed in chronological order of acquisition, and the same practice has been followed within titles for acquisitions by a common owner

With one exception, the deeds have been listed in narrative form

Records are open for consultation unless otherwise indicated

Documents deposited Nov 1973 (ACC 1648, AMS6454/44), 21 Jun 1982 (ACC 3067, 3659, 3667-3669, all per Sussex Archaeological Society, originally BRA 469), 1 Apr 1998 (ACC 7664, transfers from CKS)

The source of the documents

The documents listed in this group all have their origin in the firm of Murton, Clarke and Murton-Neale of Cranbrook and Hawkhurst, solicitors, and their predecessors

The documents have reached ESRO by a variety of routes: direct deposit by the firm, transfer by the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone of deposits made there, and transfers by the Sussex Archaeological Society of material received, via the British Records Association. The (following paragraphs attempt to summarise the transfers in chronological order. This (introduction is followed by two concordances of references, the first by AMS6454 number, the second by SAS/FB number, the class into which the Archaeological Society placed most (but not all) of the records which it received from the firm

At various dates between 1941 and 1963 Major Eric Clarke of The Abbey, Cranbrook, a partner in the firm, deposited large numbers of deeds and other papers at the Kent Archives Office, where they were listed as U78. Part of this deposit was deemed by the Kent County Archivist to be of Sussex interest and passed, via the BRA (BRA 469), to the Sussex Archaeological Society in May 1943, with a further group being sent in April 1945. Some of these documents were listed by the Society as SAS/FB, and others remained unlisted. They were transferred to ESRO, with the remainder of the Society's archival holdings, in June 1982

In 1955 the firm deposited draft tithe apportionments for eight Sussex parishes, and a map of an estate in Wadhurst, via the Centre for Kentish Studies. The tithe apportionments were returned to Kent in 1992, and the map is listed as AMS6454/2/1

Further deposits made by the firm at Maidstone between 1960 and 1965 were listed as U773, and deposits made in 1974 and 1976 as U1834

An examination of the lists produced by the Centre for Kentish Studies revealed that many documents relating to East Sussex, some of them from the same bundles as those sent to SAS, had been retained, and that the division had been haphazard and arbitrary. It was decided to rationalise the division by the transfer to ESRO of documents held at Maidstone which related to estates based in East Sussex, and to leave at Maidstone (or indeed to return there) those documents originating in Kent estates. These transfers were effected between 1992 and 1994. A copy of the CKS list, augmented by detailed lists of East Sussex documents which remain at Maidstone, and annotated to show the new ESRO references of the transferred material, is in the searchroom library with the other lists from that office

Concordance of references - AMS6454

AMS6454/1 was formerly CKS U773 T158, 159

AMS6454/2 was formerly CKS U773 P1-4, U78 P35, U773 E3

AMS6454/3 was formerly CKS U773 T159 (part)

AMS6454/4 was formerly CKS U773 T144

AMS6454/5 was formerly CKS U78 T312

AMS6454/6 was formerly CKS U78 P34

AMS6454/7 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/8 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/9 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/10 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/11 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/12 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/13 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/14 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/15 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/16 was formerly CKS U78 T312

AMS6454/17 was formerly CKS U78 T314

AMS6454/18 was formerly CKS U773 T157

AMS6454/19 was formerly SAS unlisted

AMS6454/20 was formerly SAS unlisted

AMS6454/21 was formerly CKS U78 T302

AMS6454/22 was formerly CKS U78 T346, 7; SAS unlisted

AMS6454/23 was formerly CKS U78 T316

AMS6454/24 was formerly CKS U78 T305

AMS6454/25 was formerly CKS U78 P27

AMS6454/26 was formerly CKS U773 T141

AMS6454/27 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/28 was formerly CKS U773 T110

AMS6454/29 was formerly CKS U773 T162

AMS6454/30 was formerly CKS U773 T145

AMS6454/31 was formerly CKS U773 T145

AMS6454/32 was formerly CKS U773 T155

AMS6454/33 was formerly CKS U773 T146

AMS6454/34 was formerly CKS U773 T148-151, SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/35 was formerly CKS U773 T147

AMS6454/36 was formerly CKS U773 T145

AMS6454/37 was formerly CKS U773 T145

AMS6454/38 was formerly CKS U773 T145

AMS6454/39 was formerly CKS U773 T146

AMS6454/40 was formerly CKS U78 T313, U773 T142, 152

AMS6454/41 was formerly CKS U78 T304, 311

AMS6454/42 was formerly SAS unlisted

AMS6454/43 was formerly CKS U773 P5-7

AMS6454/44 was formerly ESRO ACC 1648

AMS6454/45 was formerly SAS unlisted and CKS U773 T153, 154

AMS6454/46 was formerly SAS/FB (see concordance below), SAS unlisted; CKS U78 T315

AMS6454/47 was formerly CKS U773 T161

AMS6454/48 was formerly CKS U773 T161

AMS6454/49 was formerly SAS unlisted

AMS6454/50 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/51 was formerly CKS U773 T142

AMS6454/52 was formerly CKS U78 T301

AMS6454/53 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

AMS6454/54 was formerly CKS U773 T156

AMS6454/55 was formerly CKS U78 T 303

AMS6454/56 was formerly SAS/FB - see concordance below

Concordance of references - SAS/FB

SAS/FB AMS6454

SAS/FB183 became AMS6454/20/14

SAS/FB184 became AMS6454/20/15

SAS/FB185 became AMS6454/20/2

SAS/FB186 became AMS6454/20/1

SAS/FB187 became AMS6454/20/7

SAS/FB188 became AMS6454/20/16

SAS/FB189 became AMS6454/20/20

SAS/FB190 became AMS6454/20/17

SAS/FB191 became AMS6454/20/18

SAS/FB192 became AMS6454/20/19

SAS/FB193 became AMS6454/20/21

SAS/FB194 became AMS6454/20/22

SAS/FB195 became AMS6454/20/23

SAS/FB196 became AMS6454/20/24

SAS/FB197 became AMS6454/20/25

SAS/FB198 became AMS6454/20/25

SAS/FB199 became AMS6454/20/9

SAS/FB200 became AMS6454/20/10

SAS/FB201 became AMS6454/20/11

SAS/FB202 became AMS6454/20/12

SAS/FB203 became AMS6454/20/13

SAS/FB204 became AMS6454/20/4

SAS/FB205 became AMS6454/20/5

SAS/FB206 became AMS6454/20/6

SAS/FB207 became AMS6454/20/8

SAS/FB208 became AMS6454/20/3

SAS/FB209 became AMS6454/20/27

SAS/FB210 became AMS6454/20/26

SAS/FB211 became AMS6454/46/1

SAS/FB212 became AMS6454/46/4

SAS/FB213 became AMS6454/46/2

SAS/FB214 became AMS6454/46/5

SAS/FB215 became AMS6454/46/6

SAS/FB216 became AMS6454/46/9

SAS/FB217 became AMS6454/46/10

SAS/FB218 became AMS6454/46/11

SAS/FB219 became AMS6454/46/3

SAS/FB220-222 numbers not used

SAS/FB223 became AMS6454/15/11

SAS/FB224 became AMS6454/15/12

SAS/FB225 became AMS6454/15/13

SAS/FB226 became AMS6454/15/14

SAS/FB227 became AMS6454/15/15

SAS/FB228 became AMS6454/15/16

SAS/FB229 became AMS6454/15/17

SAS/FB230 became AMS6454/15/18

SAS/FB231 became AMS6454/15/19

SAS/FB232 became AMS6454/8/1

SAS/FB233 became AMS6454/8/2

SAS/FB234 became AMS6454/8/7

SAS/FB235 became AMS6454/8/3

SAS/FB236 became AMS6454/8/4

SAS/FB237 became AMS6454/8/5

SAS/FB238 became AMS6454/8/6

SAS/FB239 became AMS6454/8/8

SAS/FB240 became AMS6454/8/9

SAS/FB241 became AMS6454/8/10

SAS/FB242 became AMS6454/8/11

SAS/FB243 became AMS6454/8/12

SAS/FB244 became AMS6454/8/13

SAS/FB245 became AMS6454/8/14

SAS/FB246 became AMS6454/11/5

SAS/FB247 became AMS6454/8/15

SAS/FB247A became AMS6454/8/16

SAS/FB248 became AMS6454/7/1

SAS/FB249 became AMS6454/7/2

SAS/FB250 became AMS6454/7/3

SAS/FB251 became AMS6454/7/4

SAS/FB252 became AMS6454/7/5

SAS/FB253 became AMS6454/7/6

SAS/FB254 became AMS6454/14/1

SAS/FB255 became AMS6454/14/2

SAS/FB256 became AMS6454/14/7

SAS/FB257 became AMS6454/14/3

SAS/FB258 became AMS6454/14/4

SAS/FB259 became AMS6454/14/6

SAS/FB260 became AMS6454/14/5

SAS/FB261 became AMS6454/14/9

SAS/FB262 became AMS6454/14/8

SAS/FB263 became AMS6454/9/1

SAS/FB264 became AMS6454/9/2

SAS/FB265 was renumbered by SAS as 433

SAS/FB266 became AMS6454/11/2

SAS/FB267 became AMS6454/11/3

SAS/FB268 became AMS6454/11/4

SAS/FB269 became AMS6454/12/1

SAS/FB270 became AMS6454/15/1

SAS/FB271 became AMS6454/15/2

SAS/FB272 became AMS6454/15/3

SAS/FB273 became AMS6454/15/7

SAS/FB274 became AMS6454/15/4

SAS/FB275 became AMS6454/15/5

SAS/FB276 became AMS6454/15/9

SAS/FB277 became AMS6454/15/10

SAS/FB278 became AMS6454/15/8

SAS/FB279 became AMS6454/15/20

SAS/FB280 became AMS6454/15/21

SAS/FB281 became AMS6454/15/28

SAS/FB282 became AMS6454/50/2

SAS/FB283 became AMS6454/50/3

SAS/FB284 became AMS6454/50/4

SAS/FB285 number not used

SAS/FB286 became AMS6454/46/7

SAS/FB287 became AMS6454/46/21

SAS/FB288 became AMS6454/46/22

SAS/FB289 became AMS6454/46/23

SAS/FB289A became AMS6454/46/24

SAS/FB290 became AMS6454/46/25

SAS/FB291 became AMS6454/46/27

SAS/FB292 became AMS6454/46/31

SAS/FB293 became AMS6454/46/33

SAS/FB294 became AMS6454/46/32

SAS/FB295 became AMS6454/56/1

SAS/FB296 became AMS6454/56/3

SAS/FB297 became AMS6454/56/2

SAS/FB298 became AMS6454/56/4

SAS/FB298A became AMS6454/56/5

SAS/FB299 became AMS6454/56/6

SAS/FB300 became AMS6454/56/7

SAS/FB301 became AMS6454/56/8

SAS/FB302 became AMS6454/56/9

SAS/FB303 became AMS6454/45/3

SAS/FB304 became AMS6454/45/4

SAS/FB305 became AMS6454/45/5

SAS/FB306 became AMS6454/27/1

SAS/FB307 became AMS6454/53/1

SAS/FB308 became AMS6454/53/3

SAS/FB309 became AMS6454/15/51

SAS/FB310 became AMS6454/15/52

SAS/FB345 became AMS6454/46/12

SAS/FB349 became AMS6454/46/8

SAS/FB357 became AMS6454/46/13

SAS/FB359 became AMS6454/46/14

SAS/FB389 became AMS6454/46/17

SAS/FB390 became AMS6454/46/15

SAS/FB391 became AMS6454/46/18

SAS/FB392 became AMS6454/46/19

SAS/FB393 became AMS6454/46/16

SAS/FB406 became AMS6454/46/20

SAS/FB421 became AMS6454/15/6

SAS/FB422 became AMS6454/15/45

SAS/FB423 became AMS6454/13/4

SAS/FB424 became AMS6454/46/28

SAS/FB425 became AMS6454/46/29

SAS/FB426 became AMS6454/46/30

SAS/FB427 became AMS6454/13/1

SAS/FB428 became AMS6454/13/2

SAS/FB429 became AMS6454/13/3

SAS/FB430 became AMS6454/13/5

SAS/FB431 became AMS6454/13/6

SAS/FB432 became AMS6454/10/1

SAS/FB433 became AMS6454/11/1

SAS/FB434 became AMS6454/15/48

SAS/FB435 became AMS6454/15/46

SAS/FB436 became AMS6454/15/47

SAS/FB437 became AMS6454/15/49

SAS/FB438 became AMS6454/15/50

SAS/FB439 became AMS6454/50/1

SAS/FB501 became AMS6454/33/2

SAS/FB502 became AMS6454/33/8

SAS/FB503 became AMS6454/33/9

SAS/FB504 became AMS6454/34/6

The firms of solicitors represented in the archive

Because the firm is based in Kent, it has been impossible to trace its descent in any detail. It is clear, however, that the work of several firms is represented in the archive, and the following paragraphs document what can be established about their history. For obvious reasons, information concerning the various solicitors in practice at Ticehurst has been the easiest to recover

What is now Murton, Clarke and Murton-Neale were in practice at Cranbrook as Philpott Wood & Calloway in 1887; Thomas Philpott of Canterbury, gent, whose will was proved in 1865 (CKS U1834 T2/5) may also have been a solicitor. In 1875 articles of partnership were drawn up on the death of Wilson, a former partner, between H J Farrar and John Amherst Philpott (CKS U773 035). By 1897 the firm used the style Philpott & Murton, and J A Philpott of Cranbrook was the senior partner; their major Sussex clients represented here were the brothers Carlos and Horace Coleman of Chitcombe in Brede, the deeds of whose properties are listed as AMS6454/7-15. By 1940 the partners were Eric Clarke (who was clerk to the RDC, superintendent registrar and coroner for the Cranbrook Division), Douglas William Hastings Murton-Neale (clerk to the justices and the commissioners of taxes) and Hugh Gordon Murton-Neale

By at least 1940 the firm also had offices at Hawkhurst, and it is clear that the practice represented is that of Beecham and Upperton, whose cash account-book for 1839 is present in the archive at Maidstone (U773 A4). In 1822 William Pain Beecham of Hawkhurst and Charles Wardroper of Etchingham were in partnership at Hawkhurst (AMS6454/18/10-13); by 1834 Wardroper had retired and John Upperton had joined the partnership, which remained as Beecham and Upperton until 1853 at least (AMS6454/37/2, 54/5)

Upperton's relationship to Robert Upperton of Steyning (d1876), a partner in Upperton, Verrall and Upperton of Brighton from at least 1826, is unclear; for Robert Upperton, see AMS 6039

John Upperton was co-executor of the Rye solicitor and property developer David Manser (c1801-1848), and seems to have inherited a large number of his papers on his death. These have been listed as AMS6454/27-40, the introduction to which gives a summary of the career of David Manser. Among the other documents which seem to come from the Hawkhurst practice are the deeds of a house in Battle (AMS6454/26) and of a house at Sharn Green in Rotherfield (AMS6454/54)

By 1915 the firm also had a presence at Ticehurst, where they attended on Fridays between 2pm and 4pm. There had been a solicitor in Ticehurst since at least 1839, when Robert Tournay, who had been born at Bodiam in 1799, was clerk to the Ticehurst Union (PAR 250 1/1/2, G10/1/1). Tournay was still in practice in 1867, but in May 1871 John Coker Egerton of Burwash described Mr Bennett as the new solicitor at Ticehurst (AMS 5637/5 p235). Bennett was partner of Frederick William Aitkens of Clare House, Ticehurst, who appears in directories between 1878 and 1895, in the latter year in partnership with John Courtney Lane Andrews as Aitken and Andrews. That firm was also in practice at Burwash, where they had taken over James Philcox & Son, in 1899, and Aitkens in residence at Dawes House, Burwash. The firm remained at Burwash as Andrews and Bennett