The extensive information in this website has been gathered and presented by Peter Macleod who has dedicated the last 20 years to furthering our knowledge of the Weald, its history and people.
The Sussex Family History Group (SFHG) is committed to continuing Peter’s excellent work. To find out more about SFHG, click on the logo.
Thirty miles south of London and half way to the South coast of England lies an area of outstanding natural beauty combined with a fascinating history called the Weald. This was, to the Saxons of 900AD, part of Andredesweald (the forest of Andred the Roman fort at Pevensey), that stretched from the marshes of Kent to the New Forest in Hampshire - 120 miles long and 30 miles wide. The Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex encompasses the Lancaster Great Park formed in 1372 and renamed as the Ashdown Forest in 1672.
This site catalogues the people, places, maps, drawings, engravings, books, writings and numerous lists and directories that are over 70 years old into an integrated database of information about one of the most attractive parts of England - The Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex. In addition, the site and its many contributors have derived extensive familial relationships and pedigrees which can be of great use for genealogical study and research. Where appropriate, the viewer should verify the information presented by consulting the original sources that are noted at every point on this site.
The navigation bar at the top of this page (and every page on this site) give access to all of this information. Records can also be searched for from this page or from the dedicated search page.
Latest additions to the web site:
Supported by Sussex Family History Group
Corrections, additions and links in many areas
Barfoot family records from Gill Chesney-Green
Barrow/Abarough family records and wills from Geoff Barrow
The surname also includes alternative spelling and the count is the number of people
Adams - 1530
Akehurst - 1114
Alcorn & Alchorne - 1425
Allan - 865
Arnold - 586
Ashby - 2216
Ashdown - 1144
Atheral - 181
Attree - 117
Austin - 2148
Averey - 453
Avis - 896
Bailey - 827
Baker - 4383
Baldwin - 1059
Barber - 398
Barfoot & Burfoot - 446
Barham - 435
Barnes - 486
Barrow - 689
Barton - 1466
Bassett - 863
Bedwell - 136
Beeching - 181
Bellingham - 840
Berry - 382
Berwick - 253
Best - 436
Bish & Bysshe - 489
Bishop - 714
Boarer & Bowrah - 607
Bones - 707
Boorman - 524
Bourner & Bourn - 435
Bowles - 266
Box - 400
Bridgeland - 403
Bridger - 891
Bristow - 268
Bromley - 318
Brook & Brooks - 1089
Brooker - 2423
Brooman - 283
Brown - 2598
Bryant - 377
Budgen - 1097
Burges - 1476
Burr - 338
Callow - 276
Cambridge & Combridge - 223
Card - 1564
Catt - 921
Cheasman & Cheesemer - 459
Chesson - 106
Chewtor & Chuter - 270
Children - 169
Chillman - 105
Clapson - 483
Clout - 306
Cogger - 268
Cole - 1304
Coleman - 739
Cork - 1101
Cornford - 498
Cornwell - 746
Couchman - 534
Coulstock - 208
Cox - 655
Crittall - 311
Crouch - 502
Croucher - 101
Crowhurst - 895
Curd - 506
Dadswell - 1186
Dann - 1012
Daw - 581
Delves - 550
Denman - 231
Devall, Divall & Duvall - 1020
Dibley - 190
Diplock & Duplock - 851
Doust - 192
Dumsday & Doomsday - 65
Eade - 424
Eagle - 124
Eastwood - 583
Edwards - 1872
Eldridge - 1030
Ellis - 1540
Everest - 1222
Fairway - 63
Farmer & Fermor - 1412
Farrant - 392
Fenner - 744
Fever - 144
Field & Field-Buss - 1232
Forward - 326
Fowle - 240
Fowler - 207
Frost - 550
Fry - 1628
Funnel - 1148
Gabriel - 175
Gallard - 124
Gilbert - 840
Godley - 419
Golden & Golding - 324
Goldsmith - 1472
Gorham - 113
Gravat - 105
Gray & Grey - 245
Groombridge - 1061
Grove & Groves - 570
Grover - 378
Gurr - 547
Guy - 563
Haffenden - 660
Hailer & Haylor - 356
Haiselden, Hasleden & Hazledon - 707
Hall - 1801
Hallet - 280
Harden & Harding - 669
Hardwick - 77
Harman - 1383
Harmer - 1429
Hartfield - 503
Hawkins & Hoggins - 484
Head - 615
Heasman - 1730
Heath - 709
Heathfield - 261
Hebden & Hobden - 660
Helmesley - 737
Hendley & Henley - 304
Hider & Hyder - 692
Hilder - 306
Hill - 1356
Histed - 305
Hoadley - 864
Hoath - 645
Hobbs - 1079
Hollamby - 865
Holland - 846
Holmewood - 1302
Hook - 824
Hooker - 461
Hudson & Hutson - 612
Humphrey & Umphrey - 1594
Izzard - 610
Jarratt - 647
Jarvis - 847
Jeffrey - 2244
Jenner - 3461
Jenner-Akehurst - 54
Kidd - 212
Kidder - 231
Killick - 1107
Langridge - 2370
Latter - 1125
Lavender - 536
Le May - 140
Leaves - 346
Leonard & Lennard - 273
Letchford & Lutchford - 101
Leveson & Leveson-Gower - 95
Luck - 1137
Lulham - 210
Mackellow, Mancktelow, Mantelow & McKellow - 996
Mancer - 580
Mann - 165
Marchant - 1324
Markwick - 654
Marten & Martin - 3699
Mascall - 297
Meopham - 1250
Mercer - 1357
Michelborne - 100
Miles, Mills, Millis, Myles & Mighells - 2258
Molineux - 114
Moon - 1778
Morphew - 271
Morris - 896
Muddle - 547
Napp & Knapp - 166
Nash - 319
Neville - 260
Newington - 423
Noakes - 815
Novis & Novice - 526
Obbard - 122
Packham & Peckham - 1710
Page, Page Mitchell & Paige - 2174
Paine & Payne - 1847
Pariss & Parrish - 801
Parker - 1481
Patenden - 604
Peacock - 311
Pearless - 501
Penfold & Pennifold - 621
Pett - 137
Piddlesden - 238
Pilbeam - 854
Piper - 2260
Plain - 70
Pocknell & Pucknell - 298
Pollington - 314
Pratt - 557
Price - 478
Puxty - 336
Quickenden & Quittenden - 298
Ralf, Realf, Relph & Rolfe - 2420
Ranger - 226
Reave - 549
Rebbeck - 73
Ridley - 390
Rivers - 141
Rogers & Rodger - 1359
Rummens & Rumings - 345
Sackville & Sackville-West - 213
Sales - 986
Sandal - 161
Sands - 860
Saunder - 1432
Sawyer - 618
Sellens - 223
Shaw - 376
Shelley - 142
Sherley, Shirley & Shurley - 96
Shoebridge - 590
Spence & Spencer - 328
Spice - 354
Spittal - 193
Stapley - 1090
Stephens & Stevens - 1984
Stephenson & Stevenson - 846
Streater - 796
Streatfeild, Streatfield & Stratfield - 846
Tanner - 233
Tasker - 327
Taylor - 3449
Tester - 1802
Tribe - 58
Turk - 510
Turner - 3167
Twiner - 123
Underwood - 197
Upfield - 102
Verall - 429
Vidler & Vitler - 542
Vigor - 220
Vinall - 410
Vine & Vyne - 402
Waite - 179
Walfare - 454
Wallis - 1035
Walter - 1227
Watson - 707
Weeks & Weakes - 717
Weeding & Weeden - 151
Weller - 1793
Wenham & Whenham - 389
Weston - 1823
Whapham - 69
Wheatley - 1149
Wickenden - 1342
Wickens - 1921
Wicker - 257
Wickerson - 50
Wigmore - 57
Wilmshurst - 678
Woodham - 982
Wren - 605
Submissions by contributors, records from the 1841 through 1911 census
and Parish records from 1550 for the selected surnames listed above have been cross referred to establish their genealogical pedigrees.
These are being continually enhanced and expanded as new information and research becomes available.
The records of a further 7,500 surnames are also made available for reference purposes.
To quote Richard Jefferies from his essay on Buckhurst Park -
"This wild tract of Ashdown Forest bears much resemblance to Exmoor; you may walk, or you may ride, for hours and meet no one; and if black game were to start up it would not surprise you in the least. There seems room enough to chase the red stag from Buckhurst Park with horn and hound till, mayhap, he ended in the sea at Pevensey. Buckhurst Park is the centre of this immense manor. ........... Here and there a house stands, as it seems, alone in the world on the Forest ridge, thousands of acres of heather around, the deep weald underneath - as at Duddleswell, a look-out, as it were, over the earth. Forest Row, where they say the courtiers had their booths in ancient hunting days; Forest-Fold, Boar's-head Street, Greenwood Gate - all have a forest sound; and what prettier name could there be than Sweet-Haws? Greybirchet Wood, again; Mossbarn, Highbroom, and so on. Outlying woods in every direction are fragments of the forest, you cannot get away from it; and look over whatever gate you will, there is always a view. ........ Clouds drift over; it is a wonderful observatory for cloud studies; they seem so close, the light is so strong, and there is nothing to check the sight as far as its powers will reach. Clouds come up no wider than a pasture-field, but in length stretching out to the very horizon, dividing the blue sky into two halves; but then every day has its different clouds - the fleets of heaven that are always sailing on and know no haven"
This site is dedicated to presenting the records of the Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex that are more than 70 years old and in the public domain. It was launched in May 2003 and is continually being updated with more information about the Weald as it becomes available from transcriptions of Census data, Parish records, Pictures, Photographs, Maps, Books and many other documents.
Thanks also to over four hundred and seventy people who have kindly contributed much additional information to the site.
Such contributions are welcome from all by email to Weald support. Visitor numbers since 20th December 2021: 114348
The Weald is at Database version 14.05 which has ongoing updates to the 395,000 people; 9,000 places; 613 maps; 3,308 pictures, engravings and photographs; and 248 books loaded in the previous version