From Kelly’s Post Office Directory of Essex, Herts, Middlesex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, 1867
FLETCHING is a parish, 4 miles north-west from Uckfield railway station, 10 east from Cuckfield, and 40 from London, in the Eastern division of the county, Rushmonden hundred, Uckfield union, Pevensey rape, Lewes county court district and archdeaconry, and diocese of Chichester. The church of SS. Andrew and Mary the Virgin is a large and ancient building, with an Early Norman stone tower containing 6 bells, and shingle steeple upon it, of the height together of 100 feet; it comprises a nave, north and south aisles, transepts and chancel, separated from the nave by an ancient screen: attached to the north transept is the mausoleum of the family of the Earl of Sheffield; in this the illustrious Gibbon was buried, and his epitaph. written by Dr. Parr, appears among the inscriptions of the Sheffield family on the front of the mausoleum: the most ancient monument in the church is that of Sir Walter Dalyngruge, a fine brass of the date of about 1390: there is also a handsome Elizabethan marble monument of Richard Leche, Esq., and his lady, a family now extinct: an organ was presented in 1865 by Harriet Countess of Sheffield; the church is heated by hot water. The living is a vicarage, annual value £300, with residence, in the gift of the Earl of Sheffield, and held by the Rev. William Frederick Attenborough, M.A., of St. John’s College, Cambridge. Sir John Villiers Shelley, Bart., of Maresfield Park is the lay impropriator of the great tithes. Sheffield Place, the seat of the Earl of Sheffield, is a modern Gothic structure, built on the foundations of a very ancient building: the entrance to the grounds is through a Gothic arch: the park is large and very beautiful, containing some fine timber, with two large pieces of water. Searles is the seat of Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, Bart. The Earl of Sheffield, Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, Bart., and Sir John Villiers Shelley, Bart., are lords of the manor. There is a National school. The parish comprises 8,463 acres, a great portion of which is wood and common land; the population in 1861 was 2,028.
Parish Clerk, Alfred Wood.
Dane Hill, partly in Fletching and partly in Horsted Keynes parish, 3 miles north-west from Fletching, 8 south from East Grinstead, is now formed into an ecclesiastical district. The church of the Holy Trinity is a neat brick building; it has body and chancel. The living is a perpetual curacy, value £85 yearly, with residence, in the gift of the Earl of Sheffield, and held by the Rev. Robert John Shaw. There is a National school. The Baptists have a chapel here. Woodgate, the seat of Philip Butler, Esq., and Danehurst, the seat of Gen. Davies, are situated here. The population in 1861 was 963.
Parish Clerk, Henry White.
POST OFFICE.- Henry Colgate, receiver. Letters are received through Uckfield; arrive at 7.20 a.m.; dispatched at 6.30 p.m. The nearest money order offices are at Newick, Dane Hill and Uckfield
POST & MONEY ORDER OFFICE & POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK, Dane Hill.- Henry White postmaster. Letters arrive from Uckfield at 9.25 a.m.; dispatched at 5.10 p.m.
RECEIVING HOUSE, Pilt Down.- George Fenner, receiver. Letters arrive from Uckfield at 7.30 a.m.; dispatched at 7 p.m.
INSURANCE AGENTS:-
European Life, H. Colgate
Norwich Union Fire & Life, H. Harland & H. Cutler
Royal Fire & Life, F.W. Ashford
Union, H. Harland
National School, Joseph Warwick, master; Miss Emily Warwick, mistress
Relieving Officer & Registrar of Births & Deaths, William Wildish
CARRIERS TO:- Lewes – Charles Anscombe, every tuesday & saturday, returning same day; Henry Gurr, tuesday & friday
London – Vince Wood (cart), from ‘Sheffield Arms,’ to ‘Nag’s Head,’ Borough, wednesday, returning on thursday, & to East Grinstead, every wednesday & saturday
Fletching.
Attenborough Rev, William Frederick, M.A. Vicarage
Cave Mr. Charles
Fenn Edwin, esq.
Holroyd Hon. Douglas, Sheffield park
Packham Mr, James, Pilt down
Pevensey Viscount. Sheffield park
Sheffield Earl of, Sheffield park
Wilson Sir Thomas Maryon, bart. Searles
COMMERCIAL.
Adams John, harness maker
Anscombe Charles, carrier
Awcock William, farmer
Banister John, blacksmith
Bellingham Jesse, farmer
Bingham Thomas, miller, Sheffield mill
Brooker William, tea dealer, Pilt down
Browning Mrs, Ann, farmer, Portmansford farm
Carr William, farmer
Cave John, farmer, Colstrow farm
Colgate Henry, grocer & draper, & post office
Coleman George, farmer, Fletching Common farm
Comber John, Sheffield Arms, & farmer
Constable Thomas, farmer, Down street
Cutler Henry, farmer, Church house
Diplock Thomas, farmer Malling down
Diplock Elizabeth (Mrs.), Griffin inn
Dumbrell Richd. farmer, Old Ferrers farm
Fenn Edwin, surgeon
Fenner George, shopkeeper & post office, Pilt down
Fleet Mrs & Son, blacksmiths, Shortbridge
Fuller Henry, bricklayer
Fuller James Weston, builder
Fuller Joseph, plumber
Funnell William, beer retailer
Gibbons William, farm bailiff to Sir Thomas Wilson, bart, Clapwater
Hale Abraham, farm steward to the Earl of Sheffield, Sheffield Park farm
Harland Henry, clerk to the burial board & assessor of income tax
Hemsley Jane (Mrs.), farmer, Shortbridg
Hother John, farmer, Annwood, & at 201 High street, Lewes
Kenward George, miller, Fletching mill
Kenward John, farmer, Moons farm
Lindfield Thomas, blacksmith
Markwick Thomas shoe ma. Piltdown
Martin John, farmer, Down Street farm
Osbourne Thomas (Mrs,), farmer
Packham Reuben, wheelwright
Parsons John, farmer, Moonlands
Patching George, tailor
Pickett Alfred, shopkeeper
Porter John, farmer, Piltdown farm
Ripley Frederick William, cowkeeper
Ripley Maria (Mrs,), boarding &. day school
Stevenson George, boarding & day school, Piltdown
Stevenson George, farmer & brick maker
Stevenson Henry, farmer, Spring farm
Stevenson James, farmer, Knabb’s farm
Thorp William, beer retailer, Shortbridge
Tidy John & Caleb farmers, Atherall’s frm
Vinall William, pork butcher, Splan’s grn
Welfare Henry, beer retailer, Piltdown
Weston Ansley (Mrs,), farmer & butcher
Weston John & Abraham, farmers
Weston John, beer retailer
Weston Mrs, & John, beer retailers
Weston Traiton, shoe maker
Wood Alfred, boot & shoemaker
Wood Vince, carrier, Fletching common
Dane Hill.
Butler Philip, esq. Woodgate
Davies Gen, Francis John, J.P, Danehurst
Pearce Mr. George, Ashdown cottage
Shaw Rev. Robert John [incumbent]
Wood Mr. Thomas Danes, The Folly
COMMERCIAL.
Ayling Charles P. farmer
Baker Edward, pork butcher, Chelwood common
Baker Matthias, pork butcher, Chelwood common
Bates David, farmer, Latchett’s farm
Brooker Charles, beer retailer
Browning Anthony, Coach & Horses
Chatfield Thomas, wheelwright, Chelwood common
Cherreyman Samuel, beer retailer
Daniels William, blacksmith
Dyer Joseph, farrier
Field John, farmer & Cattle dealer
Gaston Humphrey, wheelwright
Gurr Henry, carrier, Chelwood common
Godmans Collin, farmer
Hoadley Henry, farmer
Hoadley John, grocer & draper
Hobden Richard, farmer, Haven farm
Jenner Robert, bricklayer
Langridge James N. wheelwright
Langridge Lewis, shoe maker
Luckings John, carpenter, Chelwood common
Martin Benjamin, grocer
Martin Henry, farmer
May William, beer retailer
Norton Thomas, farmer, East farm
Pearce Marchant, wood dealer
Pollard John, pork butcher, Chelwood common
Rand John, beer retailer
Ridley Henry, beer retailer
Tanner George, farmer, Chelwood com
Turner Elias, beer retailer & shopkeeper, Chelwood
Turner William, Red Lion, Chelwood common
Ware Walter, general dealer, Chelwood common
Wheeler John, farmer, Chelwood Common farm
White Henry, farmer, grocer & draper, & post office
Whickens Alfred, poulterer, Chelwood common
Wickens James, pork butcher, Chelwood common
Wickens Spencer, poulterer, Chelwood common
Wood John, butcher & farmer