During The Ashdown Forest Dispute 1876-1882 commoners and land owners were interviewed by the solicitor William Raper. Their comments were recorded in a series of notebooks:
Richardson, Benjamin. Of Mudbrooke Hill on the Forest. Age between 60 and 70, does not know nearer. Born on Tompsetts Bank. The first place I went to service was Mr. Edward Heaver, Tablehurst farmer and miller, when I was about 12 or 13 where I remained 4 or 5 years. I then went as under carter to Broadstone under Lord De La Warr for 2 or 3 years, then to Hodore as under carter under Lord De La Warr a short time, a year or so.
Then I worked on my own account for pay 6 or 7 years till I married, when I went to live at Tompsetts Bank and worked for Robert Edwards of Lines Farm of a winter for over 20 years. I left him about 16 years ago this Michaelmas 1879.
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| Richard Richardson | m: 17th Apr 1766 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Maresfield, Sussex | Elizabeth Bannister | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: c 1745 | b: c 1745 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elizabeth | Richard | William | John | Ann | Hannah | Mary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1769 Fletching, Sussex ch: 3rd Mar 1769 St Andrew & St Mary Church | b: 1771 Fletching, Sussex ch: 30th Apr 1771 St Andrew & St Mary Church | b: 1774 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 11th Aug 1774 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex | b: 1776 Fletching, Sussex ch: 1st Jul 1776 St Andrew & St Mary Church | b: 1779 Fletching, Sussex ch: 24th Jan 1779 St Andrew & St Mary Church | b: 1781 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 25th Feb 1781 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex | b: 1790 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 6th Sep 1790 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Richardson | m: 18th Jun 1798 St Swithin Parish Church, East Grinstead, Sussex | Philadelphia Isted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1776 Fletching, Sussex ch: 1st Jul 1776 St Andrew & St Mary Church | b: 1775 Horsted Keynes, Sussex ch: 22nd Jan 1775 St. Giles Parish Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John | Thomas | James | Mary Ann | George | Edmund | Benjamin | Henry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1801 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 11th Dec 1801 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1804 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 24th Feb 1804 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1809 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 7th Apr 1809 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1811 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 17th Mar 1811 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1813 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 6th Jun 1813 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1816 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 10th Mar 1816 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1818 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 21st Jun 1818 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1821 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 24th Jun 1821 St Swithin Parish Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Benjamin Richardson | m: 28th Jul 1849 St Swithin Parish Church, East Grinstead, Sussex | Mary Hook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1818 East Grinstead, Sussex ch: 21st Jun 1818 St Swithin Parish Church | b: 1823 Mayfield, Sussex ch: 2nd Nov 1823 St. Dunstan Church | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Weald is at Database version 14.05 which has ongoing updates to the 395,000 people; 9,000 places; 613 maps; 3,308 pictures, engravings and photographs; and 248 books loaded in the previous version
