The Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Brambletye House    Forest Row  East Grinstead  

Books and other documents
PublishedTitle, author and references
1766The History of Tunbridge Wells by Thomas Benge Burr ⇒ p. 268
1810Tunbridge Wells and its Neighbourhood by Paul Amsinck and Letitia Byrnep. 82
1827Brambletye House ⇒ p. 265
1830Guide of Tunbridge Wells ⇒ p. 165
1835The History, Antiquities and Topography of the County of Sussex by Thomas Walker Horsfield, F.S.A.p. 388
1840New Guide for Tunbridge Wells by John Colbran and edited by James Phippen ⇒ p. 288
1868Notes on East Grinstead by J. C. Stenning ⇒ p. 135
1883Pelton's Illustrated Guide to Tunbridge Wells by J. Radford Thomson, M.A. ⇒ p. 187
1902Historical Notes of Withyham, Hartfield and Ashdown Forest by C. N. Suttonp. 359
1904Highways and Byways in Sussex by E.V. Lucas ⇒ p. 229
1906The History of East Grinstead by Wallace Henry Hillsp. 109; p. 225

Historical records

1087HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
Domesday book records: "Ralph holds Brambertei of the Earl. Cola held it of King Edward. It has constantly been rated at one hide. The arable is one plough land and a half. Here is a priest with a villain, one plough and a half and thirteen bondsmen. A wood and herbage yield twelve hogs. There are five acres of meadow, and a mill of two shillings. In the reign of the Confessor the value was thirty shillings; the present estimate is twenty."

1272 to 1327HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
From the beginning of Edward I to the beginning of Edward III it was held by a family of the name of Audeham ; but at the latter period, John, son of John de St. Clere, was seized of the lordship. In this family it continued many years.

c 1429HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
In 7th Henry VI Galfridus Motte, clericus, re-conveyed to William Cheyne, Knt., and to others (inter alia) his right in the manor of Brambertye.

1631HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
At the commencement of the reign of James I, Sir Henry Compton was lord of the manor, and by him it is supposed Brambletye House was built [in 1631]. Sir Henry married, as his first wife, Lady Cicely, daughter of Robert, Earl of Dorset, by whom he had two sons and three daughters; his second wife was Mary, daughter of Sir George Browne, of Balten, Knt., by whom he had four sons and two daughters.

1660HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
The Comptons were seized of the lordship [of Brambletye] in 1660.

1683 to 1684HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
From the court rolls of the manor, it does not appear who succeeded the Comptons in the possession of the mansion ; but so much is certain, that Sir James Richards, in his patent of baronetcy, dated 26th February, 1683-4, is described as of Brambletye House. To this gentleman, the tradition which accounts for its premature decay is supposed to apply. It is related, that on a suspicion of treasonable practices, against a proprietor of this house, officers of justice were dispatched to search the premises, where a considerable quantity of arms and military stores were discovered. The owner, who was just then engaged in the diversion of the chase, receiving intimation of the circumstance, deemed it most prudent to abscond; and the mansion being thus deserted, was suffered to go to decay. ...... it was occupied during the reign of Charles II. by Sir James Richards, who was of French extraction, his father having come into this country with Queen Henrietta Maria. Being first knighted for an act of bravery in the sea-service, he was afterwards advanced to the dignity of a baronet; and married, for his second wife, Beatrice Herrara, apparently a Spaniard. It is recorded of him, that he quitted this country and settled in Spain, where some of his descendants have occupied high stations in the Spanish army. These circumstances, coupled with that of his being the last known resident at Brambletye, render it more than probable that the destruction of the house, attributed by report to the rebellious propensities of its owner, ought to be dated from his occupation.

1735 to 1835HistoryBrambletye HouseHorsfield's Sussex
The manor [of Brambletye] has been, for about a century, in the possession of the Biddulphs, a Roman Catholic family, of which John Biddulph, Esq., of Burton Park, is the present representative.

1782Brambletye HouseBrambletye House, Forest Row by S. EvershedStenning's East Grinstead

c 1785The Old House, BrambletyeThe Old House, Brambletye, Forest Row by Samuel Grimm and James Lambert (The Burrell Collection)The Burrell Collection
Samuel Hieronymous Grimm (1733-1794), artist, was born in Switzerland, studied in Berne and Paris before moving to Covent Garden, London in 1768. Besides his work as a commercial engraver and watercolour painter he is best known for some 2,500 commissioned watercolurs of antiquities, historic buildings and landscapes in the British Library (MSS 15537-48). Throughout the 1780s he toured Sussex, sketching churches, monuments, castles, abbeys and houses of the gentry
James Lambert, senior, (1725-1788) and his nephew James Lambert, junior, (1744-1799) were both landscape painters living in Lewes, Sussex. Between them they produced over 600 items, ranging from pencil sketches to large oils.
William Burrell (1732-96), antiquary, was born in Leadenhall Street, London, educated at Westminster School and Cambridge University. He became Chancellor of Worcester and Rochester Dioceses, M.P. for Haslemere and a Commissioner of Excise. From 1780 he employed Samuel Grimm and the Lamberts to make drawings of all the notable antiquities and important houses in Sussex, which he bequeathed to the British Museum in his will.
for more information refer to Sussex Views by Walter H. Godfrey and L.F. Salzman and Sussex Depicted by John Farrant, both published by the Sussex Record Society.

c 1795Forest Row, Sussex - c 1795Part of the 1 inch to 1 mile map of Sussex produced in 1795 by William Gardner and Thomas GreamBrambletye Place and Castle

1809BrambletyeBrambletye, Forest Row by Paul Amsinck & engraved by Letitia ByrneLetitia ByrneAmsinck's Tunbridge Wells

1809Moated House at BrambletyeMoated House at Brambletye, Forest Row by Paul Amsinck & engraved by Letitia ByrneLetitia ByrneAmsinck's Tunbridge Wells

c 1830Brambletye HouseBrambletye House, Forest Row by R.B. SchnebbedieHorsfield's Sussex

c 1830Brambletye House, interiorBrambletye House, interior, Forest Row by R.B. SchnebbedieHorsfield's Sussex

1840BrambletyeBrambletye, Forest Row by C. T. DoddColbran's Tunbridge Wells

1866HistoryThe Manor of BrambletyeThe History of East Grinstead
Mr. Donald Larnach purchased the land [in 1866], but not the manorial rights [of The Manor of Brambletye], and built the existing mansion, which was partially destroyed by fire on September 18th, 1903, but immediately rebuilt.

5th Apr 1891CensusCaroline E Tomsett, F, Head, single, age 33, born Northfleet, Kent; occupation: general domestic servantCaroline E Tomsett, general domestic servantBrambletye1891 Census
East Grinstead, Sussex
Charlotte Harris, F, Servant, single, age 25, born Tilling, Norfolk; occupation: general domestic servantCharlotte Harris
Arthur J Simmonds, M, Servant, single, age 17, born Forest Row, Sussex; occupation: general domestic servantArthur J Simmonds

5th Apr 1891CensusHenry Withey, M, Head, single, age 24, born Frome, Somerset; occupation: gardenerHenry Withey, gardenerBrambletye Botheys1891 Census
East Grinstead, Sussex
William Rolfe, M, Servant, single, age 26, born Bucknell, Oxfordshire; occupation: gardenerWilliam Rolfe
Charles Langridge, M, Servant, single, age 19, born Handcross, Sussex; occupation: gardenerCharles Walter Hills Langridge

5th Apr 1891CensusJohn Giles, M, Head, married, age 67, born Backwell, Somerset; occupation: retired butlerJohn Giles, retired butlerBrambletye Lower Lodge1891 Census
East Grinstead, Sussex
Emma Giles, F, Wife, married, age 66, born Ryde, Isle Of WightEmma Giles
Alfred A Giles, M, Son, married, age 32, born Hamilton, Scotland; occupation: draughtsmanAlfred A Giles
Evenlda I Giles, F, Daughter, single, age 27, born Dailly, Scotland; occupation: ladysmaid and domestic servantEvenlda I Giles

c 1899Forest Row and Brambletye House, Sussex - c 1899Part of the 6 inch to 1 mile map of Sussex produced in 1899 by Ordnance SurveyBrambletye House

c 1900BrambletyeBrambletye, Forest Row painted by Charles Essenhigh CorkeCharles Essenhigh Corke, artist and photographerEnglish Homes and Villages

1910Brambletye CastleBrambletye Castle, Forest RowPrivate collection

1911Brambletye CastleBrambletye Castle, Forest Row photographed by Sayers Bros., Enterprise SeriesPrivate collection

1911Brambletye HouseBrambletye House, Forest Row painted by Ernest Frank MarillierPrivate collection

1927Brambletye HouseBrambletye House, Forest Row photographed by A.G. WhellerThe Sussex Highlands

c 1950BrambletyeBrambletye, Forest RowPrivate collection

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