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:
Tester, Job. Nearly 50. At Browns Brook. Worked for Mr. Robert Wilson at Strood and Barns Gate for 16 years and cut litter for him every year except 1878-9 and has cut this autumn. Generally cuts over 20 load a winter. Before that used to cut for John Page (dead) and his son Thomas Page (dead) at Cophall Farm. After Thomas Page, Mr. Tutor hired the farm several years and used to have litter. I have cut some for him. Mr. Pilbeam succeeded him two years ago [and] he had litter last year.
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| James Tester | m: 10th Dec 1783 St. Michael's Church, Withyham, Sussex | Elizabeth Cheesman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1752 d: May 1836 Maresfield, Sussex bur: 12th May 1836 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | b: 1762 Sussex d: Apr 1845 Maresfield, Sussex bur: 3rd Apr 1845 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John | Charles | Stephen | George | Richard | Mark | Luke | Matthew | b: 1784 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 11th Jul 1784 St Bartholomew Parish Church | b: 1788 Withyham, Sussex ch: 28th Aug 1788 St. Michael's Church d: May 1875 High Hurst Wood, Buxted, Sussex bur: 4th May 1875 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1791 Withyham, Sussex ch: 2nd Jan 1791 St. Michael's Church d: Mar 1841 Hartfield, Sussex bur: 14th Mar 1841 St. Mary's Church, Hartfield, Sussex | b: 1793 Withyham, Sussex ch: 27th Apr 1793 St. Michael's Church d: Feb 1840 Maresfield, Sussex bur: 13th Feb 1840 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | b: 1795 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 20th Sep 1795 St Bartholomew Parish Church d: Dec 1875 Withyham, Sussex bur: 20th Dec 1875 St. John's Chapel, Withyham, Sussex | b: 1798 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 24th Jun 1798 St Bartholomew Parish Church d: Jul 1875 East Grinstead Union bur: 3rd Jul 1875 St. Michael's Church, Withyham, Sussex | b: 1801 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 1st Jun 1801 St Bartholomew Parish Church d: Dec 1861 Rotherfield, Sussex bur: 1st Dec 1861 St. Denys Church, Rotherfield, Sussex | b: 1801 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 1st Jun 1801 St Bartholomew Parish Church d: Apr to Jun 1873 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1786 Withyham, Sussex ch: 18th Mar 1786 St. Michael's Church d: May 1862 Buxted, Sussex bur: 4th May 1862 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matthew Tester farm labourer | m: 10th Apr 1828 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | Carey Gilbert | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1801 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 1st Jun 1801 St Bartholomew Parish Church d: Apr to Jun 1873 | b: 1807 Rotherfield, Sussex ch: 19th Jul 1807 St. Denys Church d: Dec 1864 Buxted, Sussex bur: 4th Dec 1864 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spencer | Matthew | Job | Amelia | Moses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1829 Withyham, Sussex ch: 7th Jun 1829 St. Michael's Church | b: 1831 Withyham, Sussex ch: 7th Jul 1831 St. Michael's Church | b: 1833 Withyham, Sussex ch: 2nd Jun 1833 St. Michael's Church | b: 1836 Withyham, Sussex ch: 30th Jul 1836 St. Michael's Church | b: 1842 Buxted, Sussex ch: 28th Aug 1842 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex d: Jan to Mar 1883 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Job Tester | m: Oct to Dec 1853 | Jane Wheatley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1833 Withyham, Sussex ch: 2nd Jun 1833 St. Michael's Church | b: 1831 Buxted, Sussex ch: 17th Apr 1831 St. Margaret's Church d: Apr to Jun 1917 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albert | Ada | Susan | Elizabeth Anne | Trayton | Ellen | Mary Jane | Blanche | b: 1854 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 15th Jan 1854 St Bartholomew Parish Church | b: 1858 Buxted, Sussex ch: 24th Oct 1858 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1861 Buxted, Sussex ch: 21st Jul 1861 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1863 Buxted, Sussex ch: 6th Dec 1863 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1866 Buxted, Sussex ch: 15th Jul 1866 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1869 Buxted, Sussex ch: 14th Feb 1869 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1872 Buxted, Sussex ch: 20th Jul 1872 St. Margaret's Church | b: 1876 Buxted, Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Job | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1855 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 23rd Dec 1855 St Bartholomew Parish 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
