| Battle |
| BATTLE is an ancient parish and market and union town, … it is in the rape and county court district of Hastings, diocese of Chichester, archdeaconry of Lewes and rural deanery of Hastings first division, 55 miles from London by the South Eastern railway, on the road to and 7 miles north-west from Hastings. … it was anciently called Epiton, but takes its name from the battle of Senlac (Sangue lac) or Hastings, fought here in 1066 by Harold II. and William the Norman, in which King Harold and his brother Gurth were slain: Battle stands near a range of hills which formed the battle ground. Battle Abbey, now and since 1857 the property and seat of the Duke of Cleveland K.G. was founded by William the Norman on the spot where Harold was slain and his standard overthrown and was dedicated to St. Martin: in the abbey was preserved the celebrated Battle Abbey Roll, which formed a list of those families which came over with William the Norman: the only rooms ordinarily shown to visitors are the great hall, 57 feet in length, the same in height and 31 feet wide, with a fine timber roof and a vaulted apartment adjoining it, supposed to have been the locutorium or reception room; the gate-house which directly fronts the street from the London road, is a tower about 35 feet, square and 54 feet high, comprising three stories, with an octagon turret at each angle and was probably erected by Abbot Retlynge, in the time of Edward III. when the abbey was enclosed and fortified and is one of the most perfect specimens of monastic gate-houses in the kingdom; the refectory is 154 feet long and 35 broad and three of its sides are nearly perfect; beneath its whole extent are vaulted rooms of various heights, supported on massive pillars; the west side only of the cloisters is now existing and exhibits a series of nine arches on clustered pillars and enclosing panelled tracery. Eastward of the north end of the refectory is a row of lime trees, near which was discovered in 1817 what was supposed to be the foundation of the chapter house. The spot where Harold fell has been identified by the discovery of the remains of the church, which seems to have extended along the north side of the cloisters, over the present flower garden and several stone graves have been exposed. The abbey was built of local stone, its ornamental portions being of Caen stone; and of the existing portions, the refectory &c. is Early English, the gateway Decorated and the cloisters Perpendicular; the ruins of the abbey cover three sides of a square. … The church of St. Mary, founded by Ralph, Abbot of Battle from 1107 to 1124, consists of a chancel, clerestoried nave, aisles, two chapels and an embattled tower of late date, 70 feet high, with the original Early English west door built in; an octagonal turret gives access to the belfry, which contains 8 bells: the arcades of the nave have pointed arches, supported on Norman piers; but the south aisle is Perpendicular and the chancel and clerestory Early English: the font is a rectangular work, resting on five supports and is of mixed Norman and Early English character: beneath the chancel is a spacious vault, the burial place of the Webster family and on the north side of the chancel, which is 51 feet long and 20 feet wide, is a splendid altar tomb of white marble to the Right Hon. Sir Anthony Browne K.G. Master of the Horse to Henry VIII. and to his wife (1540) : in one of the windows is the effigy of Hamond, the last Abbot of Battle and the letters R.B. in another window, are said to commemorate Abbot Robert de Bello, ob. 1304 : there are brasses with effigies to William Arnold, ob. 1435; Thomas Alfraye and wife; John Wythines D.D. dean of Battle, ob. 1615; Robert Clare, an earlier dean, ob. 1440; John Lowe, with effigy in armour, ob. 1426 and monuments to Isaac Myall, ob. 1798, aged 120 ; and Dr. Birch, dean of Battle till 1836. extract from Kelly 1882 Directory |
| Parish & other records | Before 1500 |
1500 to 1550 |
1550 to 1600 |
1600 to 1650 |
1650 to 1700 |
1700 to 1725 |
1725 to 1750 |
1750 to 1775 |
1775 to 1800 |
1800 to 1825 |
1825 to 1850 |
1850 to 1875 |
1875 to 1900 |
1900 to 1925 |
1925 to 1950 |
1950 to 1975 |
1975 to 2000 |
After 2000 |
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| 1033 | Births | 2 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 41 | 27 | 24 | 47 | 89 | 196 | 298 | 227 | 51 | 2 | |||||
| 381 | Christenings | 20 | 41 | 27 | 22 | 44 | 65 | 74 | 87 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 99 | Marriages | 6 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 81 | Deaths | 5 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| 67 | Burials | 1 | 3 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||
| Books and other documents | |
| Published | Title, author and references |
| 1851 | The Chronicle of Battel Abbey from 1066 to 1176 by Mark Antony Lower, M.A. ⇒ p. iii |
| 1882 | Kelly's Directory of Sussex by E. R. Kelly, M.A., F.S.S. ⇒ entry |
| 1904 | Highways and Byways in Sussex by E.V. Lucas ⇒ p. 348 |
| 1937 | Battle Abbey Under 39 Kings by Lilian Boys Behrens ⇒ p. i |
| 1972 | The Story of St. Mary's Church, Battle by The Very Rev. W. W. Youard, M.A., Dean and Vicar ⇒ p. 3 |
| Places and properties in Battle - a directory of homes, farms, churches, schools, inns, and other places of interest that existed prior to 1900 has been compiled from Post Office directories, Kelly's directories, Trade directories, Census data, Ordnance survey maps and books of the period |
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