Vestry minutes, with some Overseers' accounts
- Held At: West Sussex Record Office
- Reference Number: Par301/12/3
- Document Order #: Par 301/12/3
- Date: 1838-1848
- Level: Item
- Extent: 1 vol.: 177ff
- Description: The vestry sometimes met in the church but mostly in one of four public houses, The King's Head and The Talbot Inn being the most frequently used, followed by The Ship Inn and (1847) The Rose and Crown. Regular business consisted in the election of churchwardens, nominations of overseers and highway surveyors; making the poor rate and occasionally the church and highways rates; and, from 1842, nominating lists of suitable parish constables.
The minutes also include:-
f.1 appointment of an assistant overseer and collector, with an agreed salary, 1838;
ff.2, 23 nomination of trustees, to be approved by the Master in Chancery, for the Robert Middleton and Timothy Burrell Charities, 1839, 1840;
f.3 appointment of a committee to examine the overseers' accounts, 1839;
f.5 minute relating to the need of a surveyor to assess the "Rail Road" [London Brighton and South Coast Railway] and its buildings, 1839;
f.7 acceptance of the offer of an organ by Mr Thomas George Waller of the Middle Temple, agreement that it should be erected in the Singing Gallery and a subscription list opened for the necessary alterations, 1839;
ff.10-12v, legal case relating to compensation to be paid by the 20,29Railway Company (LBSC) for waste land in the Manor of Hayward and Trubwick, with copy of Counsel's Opinion (f.12v), 1839, 1840;
ff.15,18,31,39,53v,54 minutes concerning the recovery of a debt due to the parish, 1839-1842; overseers' quarterly expenditure, 1839;
ff.20,21 resolution to perambulate the parish; and "that a Black Hole be built ..." out of money received from the Railway Company for the waste land at Haywards Heath [1840];
f.27 passing of overseers' accounts, and expenditure, [1840];
ff.43,44 decision to meet the late churchwardens' accounts deficit with money received from the Railway Company; consideration of using some of the money for buying bread for poor relief, 1841;
f.51 resolution to expend £10 on fitting out John Standing and Peter Barnett for emigration to Australia, 1842;
f.52 appointment of James Picknell as collector "of Property and Income Tax", 1842 [See minutes in later entries relating to this appointment];
ff.56,57,65,72-ff.59-61 rating of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway Company, 1842, 1843, 1848; 74,151 discussions and resolutions relating to the Poor Law Commissioners' proposal to build a new poor house, the ratepayers feeling that the present two workhouses could be adapted; the year [1843] was one of "unexampled depression to Farmers", while "the Saving in relief is uncertain and may be only temporary whilst Building generally costs more than is at first contemplated", 1843;
f.63 decision to request the Poor Law Commissioners to allow more Guardians, 1843;
ff.66,68-70 discussions on whether to sell parish property or to borrow money in order to encourage emigration, 1843;
f.67 resolution that the proceeds from the sale of parish land should go towards the parish's proportion due in erecting a new Union workhouse 1843;
ff.78,79 resolution relating to loans to subsidise emigration; formation of a committee to administer this, 1844;
f.80 resolutions concerning applying the proceeds of land sales in part to the new Union workhouse, 1844;
f.81 decision to enable Michael Upton, his wife and 8 children to emigrate to Montreal, 1844;
f.84 resolution concerning the salaries of the Sexton and clerk, 1844;
f.87 resolution that "Sugwarth's Hill be lowered and put into good repairs ..." 1844;
f.92 matters relating to money-raising and the use of the rates for emigration, 1845;
f.97 printed memorial (attached to minutes), that the East Sussex Constabulary Force be discontinued, under the provision of an 1842 Act, 1845;
f.100 decision to close a path through the churchyard, 1846;
ff.105, 106 refusal by the vestry to accept responsibility for the road leading from Broad Street to The Rose and Crown; copies of letters from the Vicar, T.Astley Maberly, to the Surveyors of the Highways saying that it is impassable for want of repair and requesting them to do so, and in his second letter threatening legal action; following a summons, resolution to authorize the surveyors to meet legal expenses in defending the case, 1846;
f.109-177v [discontinuous] these minutes all concern the assistant overseer, James Picknell (see f.52), whose accounts showed a considerable deficit. Trustees were appointed; a decision to prosecute him was reached, and Counsel's opinion sought. Various results ensued: a decision to use a Bank for all monies (Hall West & Co. of Brighton) -
f.127 and to ensure as many securities and guarantees as possible from all officers concerned with the rates: for instance "Guarantee policies" [insurance] were taken out with the British Guarantee Society on behalf of the collectors of church and highway rates, 1847-1848;
ff.148-150v minute relating to the wages of labourers working in the stone-pit; various decisions on road repairs; agreement to contract with the London Brighton & South Coast Railway for the carriage of road repairing materials, 1847;
ff,158,161,171 matters concerning emigration: decision to ask the Poor Law commissioners whether they would sanction the use of the poor rate to subsidise emigration "to New York or to Canada with the Intention of passing into the United States"; copy of Commissioners' reply refusing such sanction; repayment on an emigration bond, 1848;
ff.166-168 matters concerning the highways: payment for the turnpike road; appointment of a paid collector of highway rates; resolution not to contract out the carriage of materials but to continue to make it the responsibility of the ratepayers, 1848;
ff.172-173 decision to complain to the Poor Law Commissioners "of the present increasing evil (which is of late become very great) of admitting vagrants and wayfarers into Union Workhouses and of the great injustice of charging their Relief principally to the Parish in which the house is situated ..." The Commissioners were requested to initiate legislation to remedy the situation; appointment of a committee to inquire into vagrancy, 1848 - Terms:Cuckfield
- Terms:Transatlantic Ties
- Access Status: Open
- Access Conditions: Please note that a part of this record has been digitised for the Transatlantic Ties project and can be viewed here: http://www.transatlantic-ties.org/
- Digital Copy:Online digital surrogate available
- Contact: West Sussex Record Office,