During The Ashdown Forest Dispute 1876-1882 commoners and land owners were interviewed by the solicitor William Raper. Their comments were recorded in a series of notebooks:
Brown, Stephen. 64, about. Born and lived all his life in Buxted Parish. When I was about 10 years old I went to work for Mr. Holder who had a farm of about 6 acres adjoining Sleeches and now occupied by George Bishop (Veness owner) for 2 or 3 years.
Then I worked for Mr. Stapley at Sleeches about a year. Sometime before I was 20 I went to service with Mr. Winter at Shadwell Farm (Saundas property) for 5 years. Then I went to Mr. W. Manktelow at Renold Farm, Rotherfield 1 1/2 years, then to Mr. Widenden at the Ragged Dog Farm near Boweshead, Rotherfield 1/2 year, then to Mr. John Paris at Chillies Farm, Buxted, 1 1/2 years then I got married. Some time after I went to work for Mr. John Dival at Hartwood Mill Farm, about 100 acres (which belonged to Mrs Woodward) 12 years. Then I worked on the Uckfield Railway 3 or 4 months. Then for Mr. Robert Wilson of Stroods 7 years, then for Mr. Saunders at Chillies for the last 10 years.
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| Robert Brown farm labourer | m: c 1800 | Jane | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: c 1780 | b: c 1780 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mary Anne | Harriet | Robert | Philadelphia | William | Stephen | Reuben | Henry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1802 Buxted, Sussex ch: 30th May 1802 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1804 Buxted, Sussex ch: 1st Jul 1804 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1808 Buxted, Sussex ch: 9th Oct 1808 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1810 Buxted, Sussex ch: 21st Oct 1810 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1813 Buxted, Sussex ch: 28th Mar 1813 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1815 Buxted, Sussex ch: 15th Oct 1815 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1818 Buxted, Sussex ch: 15th Mar 1818 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1819 Buxted, Sussex ch: 14th Nov 1819 St. Margaret's Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen Brown farm labourer | m: 10th Oct 1841 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | Caroline Purvey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1815 Buxted, Sussex ch: 15th Oct 1815 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1818 Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matilda | Phoebe | Edward | Thomas | Spencer | Emily | Edwin | William | b: 1845 Buxted, Sussex ch: 5th Jun 1845 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1851 Buxted, Sussex ch: 31st Aug 1851 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1854 Buxted, Sussex ch: 13th Aug 1854 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1856 Buxted, Sussex ch: 11th May 1856 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1858 Buxted, Sussex ch: 25th Jul 1858 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1861 Buxted, Sussex ch: 16th Jul 1861 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1864 Buxted, Sussex ch: 11th Dec 1864 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1870 Buxted, Sussex ch: 23rd Jan 1870 St. Margaret's Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1849 Buxted, Sussex ch: 22nd Apr 1849 St. Margaret's Church | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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
