Constable, Sophia. 50. (Has had a paralytic stroke but has got over it. Has a little difficulty in pronunciation. She says she could travel very well.) Living at Ruttingham Farm, Fletching. Spinster. I was born at Ruttingham in 1828 and baptised at Fletching and have lived here all my life. Howards Down and Hurstland have always gone with it. My Father Thomas Constable (dead) used the whole from my earliest recollection till his death about 16 years ago and my Mother continued to use it afterwards till about 4 years ago. Sir Spencer Wilson has since then used Ruttingham and Mr. John Fleet now uses Howards Down and Hurstland with Malling Down Farm. One field on Howards Down is called Frankwell. From my earliest childhood, say when I was 6 or 7, my Father told me he came to the farm in 1817 and he used to say that he had had litter and turf from the Forest all the time he was here. He also told me that the Reeve of the Forest once tried to stop him cutting litter but my Father applied to his landlord Mr. Grantham of Barcombe about it who told him to go [on] taking it till the Lord could show they had no right. I well remember that we always had litter and turf for fuel every year from Ashdown Forest. We had litter after my Father's death while my brother Charles was at home, but we had none latterly. Sir Spencer has had none here because he has kept no horses or cattle here but he has bought the manure off other homesteads, but I cannot say whether the manure is made from litter.

My Father used to turn young stock on the Forest but my Mother never turned out. I many a time went on the Forest to turn the turf to dry and to rake up the litter ready for loading.

When I was quite young Mr. Durrant (dead) used Down Street Farm. He used to have litter from the Forest. I used to see it go by in wagons. He used to have as much as 6 or 7 loads of a winter. After he left Mr. John Martin took the farm till he died there about 5 years ago. He always had litter from the Forest, I constantly saw his wagons go by with it. He was succeeded by his son George Martin who lives there now and has also had litter. I saw 3 or 4 wagon loads go by last year.

When I was quite young, Mr. Thomas Diplock used Malling Down Farm and died there and was succeeded by his son Thomas Diplock who sold it after a time to Sir Spencer Wilson about 8 years ago, who let it to John Fleet. I well remember I used to see old Mr. Diplock's teams go by with litter, I should think every winter.