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:
Tester, Job. Nearly 50. At Browns Brook. Worked for Mr. Robert Wilson at Strood and Barns Gate for 16 years and cut litter for him every year except 1878-9 and has cut this autumn. Generally cuts over 20 load a winter. Before that used to cut for John Page (dead) and his son Thomas Page (dead) at Cophall Farm. After Thomas Page, Mr. Tutor hired the farm several years and used to have litter. I have cut some for him. Mr. Pilbeam succeeded him two years ago [and] he had litter last year.
.......
| James Tester | m: 10th Dec 1783 St. Michael's Church, Withyham, Sussex | Elizabeth Cheesman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1752 d: May 1836 Maresfield, Sussex, aged 84 years bur: 12th May 1836 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | b: 1762 Sussex d: April 1845 Maresfield, Sussex, aged 82 years bur: 3rd Apr 1845 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John | Charles | Stephen | George | Richard | Mark | Luke | Matthew | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1784 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 11th Jul 1784 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of James Testor and Elizabeth Testor | b: 1788 Withyham, Sussex ch: 28th Aug 1788 St. Michael's Church, son of James Tester and Elizabeth Tester d: May 1875 High Hurst Wood, Buxted, Sussex, aged 89 years bur: 4th May 1875 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | b: 1791 Withyham, Sussex ch: 2nd Jan 1791 St. Michael's Church, son of James Tester and Elizabeth Tester d: March 1841 Hartfield, Sussex, aged 49 years bur: 14th Mar 1841 St. Mary's Church, Hartfield, Sussex | b: 1793 Withyham, Sussex ch: 27th Apr 1793 St. Michael's Church, son of James Tester and Elizabeth Tester d: February 1840 Maresfield, Sussex, aged 47 years bur: 13th Feb 1840 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | b: 1795 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 20th Sep 1795 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of James Testor and Elizabeth Testor d: December 1875 Withyham, Sussex, aged 78 years bur: 20th Dec 1875 St. John's Chapel, Withyham, Sussex | b: 1798 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 24th Jun 1798 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of James Testor and Elizabeth Testor d: July 1875 East Grinstead Union, aged 74 years bur: 3rd Jul 1875 St. Michael's Church, Withyham, Sussex | b: 1801 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 1st Jun 1801 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of James Testor and Elizabeth Testor d: December 1861 Rotherfield, Sussex, aged 65 years bur: 1st Dec 1861 St. Denys Church, Rotherfield, Sussex | b: 1801 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 1st Jun 1801 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of James Testor and Elizabeth Testor d: Apr to June 1873 aged 72 years registered at Uckfield District, Sussex ref: 1873 Q2 Vol 2b Page 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1786 Withyham, Sussex ch: 18th Mar 1786 St. Michael's Church, son of James Tester and Elizabeth Tester d: May 1862 Buxted, Sussex, aged 77 years bur: 4th May 1862 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matthew Tester farm labourer | m: 10th Apr 1828 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex | Caroline Gilbert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1801 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 1st Jun 1801 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of James Testor and Elizabeth Testor d: Apr to June 1873 aged 72 years registered at Uckfield District, Sussex ref: 1873 Q2 Vol 2b Page 81 | b: 1807 Rotherfield, Sussex ch: 19th Jul 1807 St. Denys Church d: December 1864 Buxted, Sussex, aged 57 years bur: 4th Dec 1864 St. Margaret's Church, Buxted, Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spencer | Matthew | Job | Amelia | Moses | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1829 Withyham, Sussex ch: 7th Jun 1829 St. Michael's Church, son of Matthew Tester (labourer) and Caroline Tester | b: 1831 Withyham, Sussex ch: 7th Jul 1831 St. Michael's Church, son of Matthew Tester (labourer) and Cary Tester | b: 1833 Withyham, Sussex ch: 2nd Jun 1833 St. Michael's Church, son of Matthew Tester (labourer) and Cary Tester | b: 1836 Withyham, Sussex ch: 30th Jul 1836 St. Michael's Church, daughter of Mathew Tester (labourer) and Carey Tester | b: 1842 Buxted, Sussex ch: 28th Aug 1842 St Bartholomew Parish Church, Maresfield, Sussex, son of Matthew Tester (labourer) and Cary Tester d: Jan to Mar 1883 aged 40 years registered at Uckfield District, Sussex ref: 1883 Q1 Vol 2b Page 86 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Job Tester farm labourer | m: Oct to Dec 1853 registered at Uckfield District, Sussex ref: 1853 Q4 Vol 2b Page 175 | Jane Wheatley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1833 Withyham, Sussex ch: 2nd Jun 1833 St. Michael's Church, son of Matthew Tester (labourer) and Cary Tester | b: 1831 Buxted, Sussex ch: 17th Apr 1831 St. Margaret's Church, daughter of George Wheatley (labourer) & Elizabeth Wheatley d: Apr to June 1917 registered at Uckfield District, Sussex ref: 1917 Q2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albert | Ada | Susan | Elizabeth Anne | Trayton | Ellen | Mary Jane | Blanche | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1854 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 15th Jan 1854 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1858 Buxted, Sussex ch: 24th Oct 1858 St. Margaret's Church, daughter of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1861 Buxted, Sussex ch: 21st Jul 1861 St. Margaret's Church, daughter of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1863 Buxted, Sussex ch: 6th Dec 1863 St. Margaret's Church, daughter of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1866 Buxted, Sussex ch: 15th Jul 1866 St. Margaret's Church, son of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1869 Buxted, Sussex ch: 14th Feb 1869 St. Margaret's Church, daughter of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1872 Buxted, Sussex ch: 20th Jul 1872 St. Margaret's Church, daughter of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | b: 1876 Buxted, Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Job | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b: 1855 Maresfield, Sussex ch: 23rd Dec 1855 St Bartholomew Parish Church, son of Job Tester (labourer) and Jane Tester | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Weald is at Database version 13.7 which has ongoing updates to the 393,490 people; 9,000 places; 613 maps; 3,308 pictures, engravings and photographs; and 248 books loaded in the previous version
