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:
Wilmshurst, Thomas. 76. Born at Highhurst Wood, Buxted 27 May 1803. Baptised at Buxted. I had an uncle named Mr. Dadswell who occupied Parkhurst Farm (A. H. Hills) and Maypole Farm in Buxted (John Allchorn's property) and when I was about 14 (not older), I went to service with him as Carter boy for 6 months. Then I went to Mr. Dray who had a little farm belonging to the beershop by Cherry Garden (Minns property) and also Greenhurst Farm (John Goring's property) [fort 6 months. Then to Barns Gate (Mr. Robert Wilson's property) under Mr. Edward Dadswell 2 years, then to Perryman's Farm (A. H. Hills property) under Mr. John Paris for 6 months, then back to Parkhurst under W. Dadswell 6 months, then to Chillies (Mr. Saundas') under Mr. John Paris 6 months, then back to Barns Gate under Edward Dadswell for 1 1/2 years. Then I worked about the immediate neighbourhood for about 3 or 4 years, then I went to the Rocks Farm at Buxted (Mr. Strulins' property) under Mr. Mabbott 1 year. He then left and was succeeded by Mr. Joseph Martin and I remained with him 3 years. I left his service to get married and have worked about the immediate neighbourhood ever since, frequently cutting litter in the winter. The last 17 1/2 years I have been regularly employed in the Buxted parish roads. When I was in Mr. W. Dadswell's employ both times we went on to the Forest several times for turf for fuel for the labourers on both farms and also for some of his neighbours. I believe Mr. Dadswell has litter from the Forest, but I cannot recollect precisely. Manktelow was tenant of Parkhurst Farm for about 7 years till Michaelmas 1878. I know he used to have litter off the Forest and (I believe) occasionally turf. I used to see teams carrying it home off the Forest while at work on the road.
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Stephen Wilmshurst | m: c 1650 | Sarah Fowle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1625 Mayfield, Sussex d: Apr 1704 Mayfield, Sussex bur: 8th Apr 1704 My.Chuch, Mayfield, Sussex | b: 1630 d: c 1663 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen | Elizabeth | John | Simon | George | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1651 Mayfield, Sussex ch: 19th Jun 1651 St. Dunstan Church | b: 1654 Mayfield, Sussex ch: 9th Sep 1654 St. Dunstan Church | b: 1656 Mayfield, Sussex ch: 4th Mar 1656 St. Dunstan Church d: May 1730 Warbleton, Sussex bur: 30th May 1730 St. Mary's Church, Warbleton, Sussex | b: c 1660 Mayfield, Sussex | b: 1662 Mayfield, Sussex ch: 9th Nov 1662 St. Dunstan Church d: Aug 1729 Buxted, Sussex bur: 19th Aug 1729 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George Wilmshurst | m: 19th May 1688 St. Peter and St. Paul Parish Church, Wadhurst, Sussex | Mary Balcomb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1662 Mayfield, Sussex ch: 9th Nov 1662 St. Dunstan Church d: Aug 1729 Buxted, Sussex bur: 19th Aug 1729 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: c 1662 d: c 1698 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elizabeth | John | Thomas | Mary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1693 Buxted, Sussex ch: 6th Aug 1693 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1697/98 Buxted, Sussex ch: 16th Jan 1697/98 St. Margaret's Church d: 25th Jul 1768 | b: 1702 Buxted, Sussex ch: 12th Jul 1702 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1705 Buxted, Sussex ch: 29th Jul 1705 St. Margaret's Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Wilmshurst | m: 26th Jul 1739 All Saints, Lewes, Sussex | Mary Cogging | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1697/98 Buxted, Sussex ch: 16th Jan 1697/98 St. Margaret's Church d: 25th Jul 1768 | b: 26th Jun 1716 Lewes, Sussex d: 1761 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John | Mary | Thomas | Elizabeth | Jane | Sarah | Anne | Hannah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1740 Buxted, Sussex | b: 1741 Buxted, Sussex ch: 13th Nov 1741 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1744 Buxted, Sussex ch: 6th May 1744 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1747/48 Buxted, Sussex ch: 13th Mar 1747/48 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1749/50 Buxted, Sussex ch: 28th Feb 1749/50 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1754 Buxted, Sussex ch: 19th May 1754 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1756 Buxted, Sussex ch: 7th Jun 1756 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1760 Buxted, Sussex ch: 13th Apr 1760 St. Margaret's Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Wilmshurst | m: 21st Apr 1761 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | Hannah Frost | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1740 Buxted, Sussex | b: 1739 Rotherfield, Sussex ch: 15th Apr 1739 St. Denys Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mary | John | Thomas | William | George | Hannah | Elizabeth | Robert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: c Jul 1761 Buxted, Sussex ch: 29th Jul 1761 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1762 Buxted, Sussex ch: 27th Dec 1762 St. Margaret's Church d: 1812 | b: 1764 Buxted, Sussex ch: 2nd Dec 1764 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1766 Buxted, Sussex ch: 10th Aug 1766 St. Margaret's Church d: 1820 | b: 1770 Buxted, Sussex ch: 2nd Sep 1770 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1772 Buxted, Sussex ch: 3rd May 1772 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1774 Buxted, Sussex ch: 2nd Feb 1774 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1775 Buxted, Sussex ch: 30th Nov 1775 St. Margaret's Church d: Apr 1854 Buxted, Sussex bur: 14th Apr 1854 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Wilmshurst farm labourer | m: 26th Mar 1799 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | Mary Colbran | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1775 Buxted, Sussex ch: 30th Nov 1775 St. Margaret's Church d: Apr 1854 Buxted, Sussex bur: 14th Apr 1854 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1777 d: Feb 1837 Buxted, Sussex bur: 23rd Feb 1837 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hannah | John | Thomas | Mary Anne | William | Robert | Edward | Elizabeth Colbran | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: c Aug 1799 Buxted, Sussex ch: 18th Aug 1799 St. Margaret's Church d: 14th Apr 1854 | b: 1801 Buxted, Sussex ch: 19th Apr 1801 St. Margaret's Church | b: 27th May 1803 Buxted, Sussex ch: 10th Jul 1803 St. Margaret's Church d: 1890 | b: 1805 Buxted, Sussex ch: 3rd Nov 1805 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1808 Buxted, Sussex ch: 3rd Jul 1808 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1810 Buxted, Sussex ch: 1st Jul 1810 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1813 Buxted, Sussex ch: 22nd Aug 1813 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1817 Buxted, Sussex ch: 9th Mar 1817 St. Margaret's Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thomas Wilmshurst farm labourer | m: 31st Aug 1835 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | Frances Morris | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 27th May 1803 Buxted, Sussex ch: 10th Jul 1803 St. Margaret's Church d: 1890 | b: 1818 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 25th Oct 1818 St Bartholomew Parish Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eliza | Harriet | Amy (Emma) | Lucy | Henry | Anne | Mary | Alice | b: 1836 Buxted, Sussex ch: 17th Jan 1836 St. Margaret's Church d: Oct 1836 Buxted, Sussex bur: 30th Oct 1836 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1839 Buxted, Sussex ch: 12th May 1839 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1843 Buxted, Sussex ch: 7th Feb 1843 St. Margaret's Church | b: 4th Nov 1844 Buxted, Sussex ch: 17th Oct 1847 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1849 Buxted, Sussex ch: 3rd May 1849 St. Margaret's Church d: May 1851 Buxted, Sussex bur: 8th May 1851 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1854 Buxted, Sussex ch: 31st Dec 1854 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1856 Buxted, Sussex ch: 20th Apr 1856 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1858 Buxted, Sussex ch: 16th May 1858 St. Margaret's Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John | Alfred | Sarah Ann | Elizabeth | Ellen Frances | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1837 Buxted, Sussex ch: 8th Oct 1837 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1840 Buxted, Sussex ch: 3rd Oct 1840 St. Margaret's Church d: 7th Oct 1840 Buxted, Sussex bur: 7th Oct 1840 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1843 Buxted, Sussex ch: 30th Apr 1843 St. Margaret's Church d: May 1844 Buxted, Sussex bur: 9th May 1844 St. Mary's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1847 Buxted, Sussex ch: 17th Oct 1847 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1852 Buxted, Sussex ch: 31st Oct 1852 St. Margaret's Church | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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