From Kelly’s Post Office Directory of Essex, Herts, Middlesex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, 1867
FRANT is a village, parish, and railway station, 2½ miles from Tunbridge Wells, on the brow of a hill, and is partly in Kent and partly in the Eastern division of Sussex, hundred of Rotherfield, rape of Pevensey, Ticehurst union, Tunbridge Wells county court district, diocese of Chichester, and archdeaconry of Lewes. The church of St. Alban is a Gothic edifice: it has nave, aisles, chancel, front and side galleries, square tower with 6 bells, stone font, with spiral oak top, carved and presented by the Ladies Nevill in 1852, and a handsome stained window in the chancel: there are some monuments in the church to the Abergavenny, Weller and Brown families. The register dates from 1543. The living is a rectory, yearly value £800, with a glebe house, in the a gift of the Earl of Abergavenny, and held by the Rev. Sir Henry Thompson, Bart., M.A., of Oriel College, Oxford, prebend of Chichester and rural dean. The rectory house was considerably enlarged by the present rector in 1845. On the confines of Eridge Park, in this parish, there are traces of an old English camp called Saxonbury Hill. Eridge Castle, an ancient seat of the Nevills, is in the form of a quadrangle, surrounded by an extensive park, and is one of the seats of the Earl of Abergavenny, who is the present head and representative of that family: Queen Elizabeth was entertained here for six days. Bayham Abbey, a seat of the Marquis Camden, is in this parish, about 4 miles east from the church: the abbey was founded in 1200, and at the Dissolution the income was £l52 9s 4d: there are few remains of the abbey buildings except the walls and the ruins of the chapterhouse, cloisters, and gatehouse. Shernfold Park is the residence of the Hon. Percy Ashhurnham; the mansion is of Kentish rag stone; it is in the Italian style, and was built in 1855 by the present proprietor. There are many other villa residences here. Here are National schools. The Marquis Camden and the Earl of Abergavenny are lords of the manor. The charities are £23 per annum, arising from bequests made by Thomas Weller in 1667, and of Henry Smith in 1628. Eridge Rocks, also the High Rocks, are situated in this parish; they are of immense size, and the grounds open to the public on Wednesday and Thursdays. The reservoir for supplying Tunbridge Wells with water is in this parish. At Eridge Green is the church of the Holy Trinity, which together with the parsonage, were built at the sole cost of the Earl of Abergavenny in 1852. The living is a perpetual curacy, yearly value £150, derived from the tithe commutations of Rotherfield and Frant, out of which parishes the district is formed; it is in the gift of the Earl of Abergavenny, and held by the Rev. Daniel Winham, M.A., of Christ’s College, Cambridge. There is also a mixed National school. At HAWKENBURY is a branch of the Frant school, where divine service is performed on Sunday. The area is 8,745 acres, and the population in 1861 was 2,469, of which 483 are in the town of Tunbridge Wells.
Parish Clerk, William Richardson.
POST OFFICE.- Richard Carr, receiver. Letters arrive from Tunbridge Wells every morning at 7; first dispatch at 8.35 a.m.; second delivery at 1.30 p.m.; second dispatch at 6.35 p.m.; on sundays, dispatch 1O.40 a.m. The nearest money order office is at Tunbridge Wells
POST OFFICE, Eridge Green.- Mrs. Harriet Killick receiver. Letters received through Tunbridge Wells, arrive at 7 a.m.; dispatched at 7 p.m. Tunbridge Wells is the nearest money order office
POST OFFICE, Bellsyew Green.- William Smith, receiver. Letters arrive from Tunbridge Wells at 8 a.m.; dispatched at 6.10 p.m.
INSURANCE AGENTS:-
Commercial Union, R. Fuller
Liverpool & London & Globe, Edgar Ellis
Norwich Union, William Bossett
Railway Station, Wm. Huntley Bryant Gurr, station master
Police Station, David Dennis, constable
Registrar of Births & Deaths for Frant District, Robert Hooker, Eridge Green
SCHOOLS:- National, Thomas Bassett, master; Miss Mary Jane Biggins, mistress
National (branch at Hawkenbury), Miss Ashenhurst, mistress
Eridge Green Mixed National, Miss Anna Killick, mistress
CARRIER TO TUNBRIDGE WELLS.- William Harris (van) from Ticehurst; every wednesday & saturday, returning same day
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Abergavenny Earl of, Eridge castle
Ashburnham Hon. Percy, Shernfold prk
Allnott R. Hopkins, esq. M.D. Greenwood cottage
Budgen Mrs
Camden Marquis, Bayham abbey
Davidson Walter, esq. Saxenbury lodge
Dickson Misses, Greenwood lodge
Eldridge William, esq. Green villa
Grace Mrs. Knole
Hargrave Rev. Benjamin L. [curate]
Hebden Mrs. Ely grange
Johnstone Miss, Little Henley
Roberts Rev. F. Cramer, B.A [assistant curate], Park Hill house
Roper John William, esq. Court lodge
Russell Thomas, esq. Woodside
Simpson Philip, esq. Bayham
Thompson Rev. Sir Henry, bart. M.A. [rector], Rectory
Winham Rev. Daniel, M.A. Eridge parsonage
COMMERCIAL.
Adams Helen Elizabeth (Mrs.), preparatory school
Ashby George, farmer, Lightlands
Ashby William, miller
Austen Thomas, farmer, Palmer’s farm
Bassett William, George inn, & grocer
Barnett James, Cape, & farmer, High rocks
Batchelor Thomas, brewer, Bellsyew grn
Bobbett John, farmer
Bobbett Samuel, coal merchant
Bond Richard, carpenter
Braybon Henry, plumber
Braybon Stephen, tailor
Camfield Henry, blacksmith, Bayham
Card William, bricklayer
Carr Richard, shoe maker & stationer
Chapman Henry, day school
Cheeseman Charles, farmer, Sunningly
Delves David, baker
Denton William, turncock to the Tunbridge Wells Water Company
Ellis, draper
English Charles, tailor
Fairbrother Henry, carpenter
Field William, blacksmith
Francis William, farmer
Fuller Richard, grocer
Gilbert Mary (Miss), dress maker
Gregory (Mrs.), dress maker
Grinham Adam, shoe maker
Hawes Oscar, farmer, Tuddies village
Hooker Robert, Nevill Crest & Gun, Eridge green
Hooker Robert, registrar of births & deaths & assistant overseer, Eridge green
Hyland William, Abergavenny Arms, & fly proprietor
Howard Henry, tailor
Jessup John, farmer
Jones James, farmer, Bellsyew green
Killick John Everest, grocer, Eridge green
Maynard George, farmer, Rocks
Newman James, farmer, Strawberry hill
Packham John, bailiff to the Hon. Percy Ashburnham
Packham John, wheelwright
Richardson Samuel, bricklayer
Roberts John D, Cramer, steward to the Marquis Camden, Bellsyew green
Roper John William, farmer, Court lodge
Smith Christopher & Henry, millers, Benhall mill
Stevens Misses, ladies’ school
Swift Rhoda (Mrs,), dress maker
Swift William, shopkeeper, Bellsyew grn
Thomas George, farmer, Eridge bottom
Thompsett William, Woodman
Tooth Thomas, farmer, Newhouse farm
Turner William, auctioneer, appraiser, land surveyor, estate & commission agent, Bellsyew green; & Whittington club, Arundel st. Strand, London W.C.
Whittle Jesse, farmer
Wickens Obed, butcher & farmer
Young Richard, Spread Eagle