The Weald - People history and genealogy

It was about the year 1200, that Sir Robert de Turneham assigned his manor of Begham to be the seat of an abbey dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, when both he and Ela de Saukeville gave their formal sanction to the transfer to this place of the Premonstratensian canons, previously settled at Brockley and Otteham. At first the abbey was called Beaulieu, from the beauty of its situation; but this title was soon merged in the more familiar name of Begham, or Begeham.

c 1205

History

At Otham Abbey

History of Hailsham

The position of Otham was soon found to be very inconvenient; situated out in the marshes and even now almost inaccessible after heavy rainfall; it must have been unhealthy and ucomfortable to a degree; and after about twenty years proposals were made to remove the seat of the Abbey; the first site offered was Hellingly, but about 1205 Sir Robert de Turnham determined to found an abbey at Bayham on the borders of Sussex and Kent, and for that purpose transplanted a small colony of Premonstratensians who had settled at Brockley in Kent; and as these were not enough for an abbey of the size of his new foundation he also obtained the leave of Ela De Sackville, the patron of Otham, to remove the latter establishment to this more favourable situation; so that after that date Otham ceased to be more than a grange of Bayham Abbey.

1274

History

Sutton's Historical Notes

The first direct mention of this ancient house [Old Buckhurst] is in the Enquiry of 1274, after the death of the late owner, Sir Jordan de Sackville, who became possessed of the property through marriage with the Lady Ela de Dene. It is spoken of as that time as "a well-built dwelling house", and there are indications of even greater antiquity in certain parts of the ruins, where portions of Saxon masonry are to be seen built in the walls.

27^th March 1737

North View of Begeham Abbey by Samuel & Nathaniel Buck

Private collection

Ralph de Dene in the reign of King Henry II founded an Abbey of Praemonstratensian Canons at Ottcham [Offham] in Kent, and recommended it to the patronage of St. Laurence; But Ela de Saukevile [Sackville] daughter of the aforesaid Ralph de Dene translated those Canons to this place, such translation Geffry de Saukevile her son ratified, as did diverse other Persons, who were great Benefactors to the Abbey. King John confirmed to these monks the Benefactions bestowed on them, whose immediate Successor King Henry III in 1251 granted them a weekly market on Thursday at their manor of Rokeland & a Fair there to continue three days at Midsummer, which King Edward II confirmed in 1313. Through different hands it came to the present Proprietor John Pratt, Esquire