Papers from the archive of the Broadwood family of Holmbush in Lower Beeding

Photocopies of documents deposited by Miss Elizabeth Broadwood, Flat 3, New Dover Road, Canterbury, 4 January 1966 (ACC 713)

The papers were deposited in January 1966 and the originals transferred to the West Sussex Record Office at Chichester in May 2004, along with the patent of appointment and writ, which Miss Broadwood had deposited in July 1968 (AMS 5594).

These papers are a fragment of the archive of the Broadwood family of Holmbush in Lower Beeding.

They relate chiefly to the duties of Thomas Broadwood as sheriff of Sussex, 1833-1834, with three unconnected later papers (AMS 5606/31-33 below).

The sheriff's papers mostly concern the assizes, and include an interesting correspondence concerning the fate of two prisoners, Philip Dean (who was reprieved) and William Goodsell of Ewhurst, an incendiarist, who was hanged. There is also correspondence related to the efforts of the sheriff's agents to mitigate the substantial penalty imposed on one of Broadwood's tenants for failure to appear as a witness. The king, queen and court were present at Brighton during Broadwood's shrievalty and the arrangements for his attendance at functions forms a part of the correspondence.

As well as his country seat at Holmbush, Broadwood had a London establishment at 17 Cadogan Place and a Brighton house at 17 Brunswick Terrace.

A portrait of Thomas Broadwood, formerly hung in Committee Room 2 in Pelham House, Lewes, was sold by East Sussex County Council on the disposal of that property in 2004.