ARCHIVE OF WYNNE BAXTER GODFREE (FORMERLY WYNNE BAXTER, HILLMAN AND CARTER) OF LEWES,...

HIL/1 Records of firm and Hillman family

HIL/2 Co-partnership agreements

HIL/3 Apprenticeship indentures

HIL/4 Assignments of debts

HIL/5 Wills and executorship papers

HIL/6 Title deeds of clients' properties

HIL/6/1-14 Lewes: St Thomas at Cliffe

HIL/6/15-29 Lewes: other parishes

HIL/6/30-32 Alfriston

HIL/6/33 Arlington

HIL/6/34-36 Barcombe

HIL/6/37 Bishopstone

HIL/6/38-40 Brighton

HIL/6/41 Ditchling

HIL/6/42-48 Eastbourne

HIL/6/49 Framfield

HIL/6/50 Friston

HIL/6/51-53 Hailsham

HIL/6/54 Hellingley

HIL/6/55-56 Hove

HIL/6/57-58 Isfield

HIL/6/59 Laughton

HIL/6/60 Mayfield

HIL/6/61 Newhaven

HIL/6/62-63 Newick

HIL/6/64 Nutley

HIL/6/65 Plumpton

HIL/6/66-68 Ringmer

HIL/6/69-74 Rodmell

HIL/6/75-77 Seaford

HIL/6/78 Waldron

HIL/6/79 Wartling

HIL/6/80 Wilmington

HIL/6/81 Ditchling

HIL/6/82 Kingston

HIL/6/83 Lewes All Saints

HIL/6/84 Uckfield

Leases

HIL/7/1-7 Lewes

HIL/7/8 Barcombe

HIL/7/9 Brighton

HIL/7/10 Buxted

HIL/7/11 Denton

HIL/7/12 East Blatchington

HIL/7/13-14 Eastbourne

HIL/7/15 East Chiltington

HIL/7/16 East Hoathly

HIL/7/17 Firle

HIL/7/18 Hellingley

HIL/7/19 Kingston

HIL/7/20 Mayfield

HIL/7/21 Ringmer

HIL/7/22 Ripe

HIL/7/23 Uckfield

HIL/7/24 St Leonards by Sea

HIL/7/25 Selmeston

HIL/7/26 Westham

School Records

HIL/8/1 Central National School, Lewes

HIL/8/2 Executive Committee and Central Maintenance Board for the Lewes Voluntary Schools

HIL/8/3 St John's National School, Lewes

HIL/9 Other records

ACC5390 Clients' papers

ACC6208 Deeds

ACC7663 Deeds

ACC8065 Deeds

<p>For a cartulary of the estates of John Webb Woollgar in Lewes and the Cliffe, 1736-1830, see AMS 5735/16</p>

• <corpname>Wynne Baxter Godfree, Lewes, solicitors</corpname>
• <corpname>Wynne Baxter, Hillman and Carter, Lewes, solicitors</corpname>

Records are open for consultation unless otherwise indicated

Deposited by Wynne Baxter Hillman and Carter, 221 High Street, Lewes, on 18 Mar 1964 (ACC 607), 17 Oct 1972 (ACC 1532), 30 Jan 1980 (ACC 2507), 20 Nov 1981 (ACC 2769) and 23 May 1990 (ACC 5501)

The firm was established by John Webb Woollgar (1795-1851), son of Thomas Woollgar of Cliffe, draper (1761-1821), and his wife Ann Webb of Southover. Thomas Woollgar, the secretary of the Lewes Library Society, was a noted antiquary and botanist, and the manuscript of Spicilegia, his collections for a history of Lewes, is preserved at the library of the Sussex Archaeological Society. An obituary was published in the Gentleman's Magazine of January 1822, page 89

John Webb Woollgar was born on 7 November 1795 and baptized at Lewes All Saints on 16 December. He was clearly in practice by March 1819, when he witnessed the deed by which his father became a trustee of the Particular Baptist Chapel in Cliffe (AMS 216)

In May 1823 he was joined in a seven-year partnership by Jacob Boys of Ashcombe near Lewes, gentleman. The firm was to be styled Woollgar and Boys, and to be conducted at John's residence in the Cliffe (HIL/1/1)

In June 1822 John Webb Woollgar had married Sarah Jenner, whose elder sister Mary (c1795-1881+) married John Tattersall Auckland of Cliffe in 1835

Auckland, who had been born in Doncaster, had joined Woollgar in partnership by 1839 and in 1851 was enumerated, a visitor at a farmhouse in Friston tenanted by his brother-in-law John Guy, as an attorney employing three men (PRO HO 107/1637 223-4). Woollgar had retired from practice by January 1851 when he made his will, referring to Auckland as his late partner. As well as leaving the office drafts and papers to Auckland, Woollgar left his law books to his daughter Ann Webb Verrall, and printed astronomical works to the Royal Astronomical Society and to John Dudeney (see AMS 6326/148)

Edward Hillman (1828-1899), the son of Samuel Hillman of Cliffe, Lewes, bargeman, was articled to John Tattersall Auckland and had joined the firm by 1848. In Kelly's directory for 1855 Auckland is listed as clerk to Cliffe Improvement Commissioners, auditor to the Ouse Navigation and Newhaven Harbour Company and clerk to Lewes Gas Company. He died in Eastbourne in 1862 at the age of 57, having been retired from active professional duties for some time. Hillman was his executor and the firm continued as Auckland and Hillman until the death of Auckland's widow in 1892. By 1878 a branch had been opened at Eastbourne, and in 1881 Edward's sons George E Hillman and Arthur Hillman were enumerated as solicitor's clerks (PRO RG 11/1038/41)

Edward Hillman played an active part in the town affairs of Lewes, being elected to the town council in 1887, and becoming alderman in 1890 and mayor in 1892. He was clerk to the Cliffe Commissioners and West Firle Union, deputy coroner and director of the gas and waterworks companies. Like Auckland, he retired to Eastbourne and was a member of Eastbourne Town council for six years. He was married firstly to a daughter of George Elphick, by whom he had one daughter and six sons, and secondly to the eldest daughter of James Broad, the merchant and candle manufacturer, by whom he had two daughters and a son

But it was Hubert James Hillman (1871-1940+), who had been admitted in 1895, who succeeded to the firm on his father's death in 1899. He in turn was joined by his sons Rex Anthony Edward Hillman (admitted 1925) and John Michael (admitted 1935). The firm was styled Hillman and Sons until about 1960 when, after a merger with Vinall Sons and Reidf, their neighbours at 220 High Street, the practice became Hillman, Sons, Vinall and Carter; J M Hillman's son Bryan Michael Godfrey Hillman (admitted 1962) had joined as a partner by 1965

Between 1970 and 1980 the style of the firm was changed to Wynne Baxter, Hillman and Carter, incorporating the name of Wynne Edwin Baxter, (1844-1920), East Sussex coroner 1880-1887, who had left Lewes on his appointment as coroner of East London and the Tower in 1887. As coroner of East London he conducted inquests on the victims of 'Jack the Ripper', and of the deaths arising from the siege of Sydney Street in 1911

By 1990 the firm, now Wynne Baxter Godfree, had 17 partners, four consultants, four associates and three assistant solicitors, and offices in Lewes, Brighton, Eastbourne (formerly Wintle and Company), Seaford, Newhaven, Woodingdean, Peacehaven and Lingfield. By 1993 they had merged with Coles and James, a long-established Eastbourne practice, at 47 Cornfield Road, Eastbourne