Henfield Past and Present

"A village which does not know its history has been likened to a man who has lost his memory."

Research and copyright by Moira Bonnington. First published on 29th May, 2001.
Some of this information now appears in the opening chapters of Alan Barwick's book on Henfield published Autumn 2002

This is a facsimile of the earliest known copy of the Charter of Osmund, King of the West Saxons, granted in 770 to Earl Warbald, Lord of the Manor of Streatham, to assign land for the endowment of a Church at Henfield.

It comes from a cartulary - or book of ecclesiastical records - probably made between 1368 and I 1385, when William Rede was Bishop of Chichester. It is written in monkish Latin and may well be the last of several successive copies of the original Charter, executed 600 years earlier. The episcopal recorder could copy the Latin, but had to skip a passage written in Saxon.,p> Here is the translation -"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We have brought nothing into this world, I and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Therefore the eternal rewards are to be sought by means of earthly and transitory things. Therefore I, Osmund, having been asked by my venerable Thegn Warbald and his wife Titburh, (to be so good as to grant) them a little land for the Church of St. Peter the Apostle, which is in that spot, I grant in perpetual possession (land) of 15 hides* in the place which is called Henfield, with all things pertaining thereto, that is, fields, woods, pastures, meadows, rivers, springs. This charter was done in the year 770 from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then follow the hounds or precincts of the aforesaid land in the Saxon tongue. I, Osmund, King, have signed this gift with my own hand. I, Osa, archbishop, have agreed and signed. I, Hedda, bishop, have agreed and signed. I, Eadberht, bishop, have agreed and signed. I, Offa, freely confirm this charter with the above named persons. I, Wilfrid. bishop, have agreed. I, Brorda, alderman. I, Berhtwald, alderman. I, Eadbald, alderman. 1, Esne, alderman. I, Aldwulf, alderman, &c."

With acknowledgements to Mrs. Gill Diocesan Record Office, Chichester, and to E. Barker, Sussex Archoelogical Collections, Vol. 86, 1947.

* Hide; a portion of land variously estimated as from 60 to 120 acres, .originally enough to support a family and its dependants.

The Domesday survey of 1086

Here is an extract from a manorial document of the fourteenth century.

The Customal of Bishop Williame Rede 1374

Stretham.
(Liber C. f. 63 r.-72 v)
Custumal thereof made and renewed both by examination of old customals and by the oath of Simon Slygh, the Reeeve, John eastout, Hayward. Simon smolte Adam at Hacce, Robert at Pende, William de Bradeham Wiliiam Carpenter and others before Richard Peche, Auditorand others on the morrow(March 13)) of St. Gregory, Pope:. A.D. 1373 (l374); and afterwards examined and corrected in the Hundred of Typnoke and Hallmotes of Stretham in the prescence of the whole homage the fourth anf twelfth years of the consecration of William III Bishop of Chichester.

Tenants by Socage
Andrew Peverel the younger (now Thomas Busshop') holds by knight service a carucate of land called le Halland. formerly of Simon atte Halle, rendering 4s. at St. Thomas' Day and Lady Day.He fences a rod of paling in the Park of Aldyngbourne and owes suit of the Hundred of Typnoke and of the Court of the Palace 'of Chichester every three weeks and after death a horse and gear fitting to such a holding, ward and marriage.

Richard le Graunt (now Edward Covert) holds by knight service a house and two hides of free land in Orham. lately of ~Micheal Graunt , rendering 4s. at the four terms. He owes suit of Hundred of Typnoke every three weeks, and suit of the Court of the Palace of Chichester likewise.He fences 2 rod in the Park of Aldingbourne, and fetches paling, posts and rails, like the customers.After death he owes horse anti gear etc., ward and marriage, as Andrew.

Here is a document dating from the English Civil War

Survey of the Manor of Stretham , Henfield 1647

At the Court of survey for the Manor of Streatham in the County of Sussex summoned and hold upon the sixteenth day of the month of Aprill. anno Dom, 1647 at the Towne of Henfield and thence adjourned to the Manor house at Streatham to be continued and held upon the seventeenth day of the said month of Aprill. thereto adjourned end continued to be held upon the eighth day of Juno thento next and immediately' ensuing at. the Manor Farm House of LX Streatham aforesaid the presentment and answer of homage whose names are written to such entitled as were then and there given in charge by Hen, Packham Esqre. Steward of the Manor of Streatham and Wm. Arthur Sharley Esqre. W. John Ovaten, Gent., Rich. Bowton, Gent. Peter Glyde Gent, commisionere appointed by' the trustees of Parliament to Survey this Mannor Streatham among many then and warrented by ordinance of Parliament made to authorize the sale of the land. of Archbyshop and byshop and bearing date the 16 of November 1646 is as followeth viz.

Inprimis we present that this mannor of Streatham lyeth within the Diocese of Chichester and Deanery of Lewes and within hundred of Tipnoke and half hundred of Windham and in the severall parishes of Cowfold Henfield Seale and Slaugham and that divers other manners 1ye intermixed therewith and adjoining thereto in the ad. severall. parishes videdicet the mannor of Woreham the mannor of Wanteley the manor of Moustow the mannor of Beeding and the mannor of Ewehurst and Shermanbury by reason whereof wee finde it the more.difficult to bound the said mannor of Streatham but nevertheless wee say that the said mannor of Streatham in the parish of Seale alias Beeding is thus bounded vize.

Evidence of the places and families mentioned in these documents can be seen today.

When the Revd De Candole started his book in 1947 he wrote:-

He continued by remarking that "It was a surprise to me when I came to Henfield in 1940 that a village so ancient, so distinct and so conscious of its own individuality had never found a historian".

Sadly "The History of Henfield" is now out of print but copies do still exist in the local library and museum and I thoroughly recommend this as an essential read.

Evidence of the earliest settlements have been found on the greensand ridge which came to be known as Henfield

Roman remains have been found ar Stretham Bridge

St Peter's Church is first mentioned in a charter dating fron 770. A.D.

Links

St Hughs Parkminster offers you a unique chance to see inside the monastery at Cowfold.

Henfield Parish Council website is now flourishing with excellent sections on the commons

Do visit Henfield History Group website