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Directory: 1840 Directory of Sussex.

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Name: Introduction to Sussex.

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Introduction to Sussex

This is a maritime county, being bounded on its whole southern side by the British channel; the counties of Surrey and Kent are its boundaries on the north; the latter county, for a short distance, skirts its eastern border; and on the west it is bounded by Hampshire. In length, from Emsworth, on the confines of Hampshire, on the west, to Kent Ditch, on the east, it is seventy-five miles; its greatest breadth, from Beachey Head, on the south-east to Groom Bridge, near Tonbridge Wells, on the north, is twenty-eight miles; and its area comprehends one thousand four hundred and sixty-three square miles, or 936,320 statute acres. In size Sussex ranks as the thirteenth county in England, and in population as the eighteenth.

NAME and ANCIENT HISTORY.- At the time of the invasion of this country by the Romans, this part of it was inhabited by the Regnii. In the year 1731 one of the oldest inscriptions in England, in Latin, was dug up from under the place where the present council-house in Chichester was erected; the translation is to the following effect: ‘For the preservation of the Imperial Family this Temple was dedicated to Neptune and Minerva, by the College of Artificers belonging to Kind Cogidubnus, the Lieutenant of Augustus in Britain; and by those who officiated as Priests, or were honoured in it, at their own expense; the ground being given by Pudeno the son of Prudentinus.’ This interesting piece of antiquity is possessed by his Grace the Duke of Richmond. Camden says that Cogidubnus, above mentioned, was king of the Regnii, that is, of all Sussex, part of Surrey, and Hampshire; and that he resided in the city now called Chichester; but that he held his crown in subordination to the Roman Emperor; and it seems probable that this part of the country continued in the possession of the Romans until their final departure from Britain, in 446. After that event the Britons were hard pressed by the Scots and Picts, and Vortigern was eleceted their commander, who called in the power of those whose assistance he had solicited, and married Rowenna, a Saxon lady. The Britons, after many terrible conflicts with the Saxons, were at length driven from their native province, and forced to seek an asylum beyond the Severn, in the mountains of Wales, where their descendants remain to this day. The South Saxon (or Sussex) monarchy lasted about three hundred and twenty years: during its existence the most remarkable occurrence was the conversion to Christianity of King Adelwach (who took the baptismal name of Wilfred, and was the first Bishop of Sussex), in the year 650. In 800, Egbert, king of Wessex, united the crown of Sussex to that of his own, and a few years afterwards, was crowned, at Winchester, King of England. Subsequent to the above events the most memorable incidents that distinguished Sussex were the two great battles: the first fought near Battle, in 1066, between William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, King of England (the former by his victory obtaining the crown and the appellation of ‘the conqueror’); and the last near Lewes, in 1263, between the barons and Henry III, in which that monarch was defeated and taken prisoner. In the war between Charles I and the parliament, Chichester was, in 1643, garrisoned for the king; but being attacked by Sir William Waller, the town, after a siege of ten days, was surrendered to him in December. About this time Lord Hopton suddenly appeared before Arundel castle and obtained possession of it for Charles; but he only retained it for about two months, when it was retaken by Sir William Waller. In 1690 and engagement took place, off Beachy Head, between the combined fleets of England and Holland, on the one side, and the French fleet on the other, which terminated in the defeat of the allied navies. The towns of chief note in the county are, the city of Chichester, famed for its noble cathedral, Brighton, raised from a small fishing village to almost metropolitan consequence by the countenance of royalty, and celebrated for its splendid Pavilion, for many years the favourite residence of his Majesty George IV; and Arundel, where is the magnificent castle and the principle seat of the Dukes of Norfolk.

SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES.- All the various SOILS of chalk, clay, sand, loam and gravel, are to be found in Sussex: chalk being the universal soil of the South Downs; clay, that of the Weald; sand, of the north part of the county; loam prevails on the south side of the hills; and gravel lies between the rich loam on the coast and the chalk on the elevated grounds. The surface of the county is carried by several considerable eminences, commencing on the borders of Hampshire, on the north-west, and extending to Beachy Head, on the south-east: that part running from Lewes to the sea is distinguished by the name of the ‘South Downs,’ and is noted for feeding innumerable sheep, in great estimation for the fineness of their wool and the goodness of their mutton. The more north-western tracts of this ridge abound in iron ore, for the smelting of which Sussex was formerly celebrated; but the works have, of late years, been almost abandoned, owing to the too great consumption of wood, the only species of fuel indigenous to the county. The north and middle districts of the shire are well furnished with timber, growing on a strong clayey soil, of the same nature as that of the Weald of Kent. The western part of the coast is a stripe of arable land, of uncommon fertility; and the east side is a strong well cultivated soil, intermixed with rich pasture. The CLIMATE of Sussex, on the south side of the South Down hills, is very warm, and exceedingly favourable to vegetation; but, upon the exposed and bleak situation of the hills open to the south-west, the winds are frequently so boisterous as to strip the thatch from buildings and corn-stacks, and blow the cord out of the ear at harvest. These winds, when impregnated with saline particles, occasioned by the western blast beating the spray against the beach, destroy all hedges and trees – every lead, and in general everything green, being discoloured into an unsightly brown: the hedges are cut by the spray, on the side open to the wind, in the same manner as if done by an artificial process. The system of agriculture is in general good, and latterly has been very much improved. The PRODUCE, on the heavier lands, consists of wheat, beans, oats and cabbages; whilst the barley and turnips grown on those of a lighter staple are equal to any cultivated in England. Sussex is highly extolled for its farming stock, particularly its cattle and sheep. The former are nearly of the same kind as those of Devon, and like them are worked in the yoke, being strong and active in their labour, and prove excellent beef when fattened. The sheep, by the care of some judicious breeders, yield heavy fleeces, of a superior quality – are hardy in the fold, fatten quickly, and when killed their mutton is of fine flavour; they are deservedly become the favourite breed all over the island. In the western parts of the county are some considerable orchards, from which cider is made, but chiefly for home consumption. Sussex, from a very early period has been distinguished for its fine growth of oak timber, preferred by the naval architects to that produced from any other district; the principle and most extensive forests are those of St. Leonard, Ashdown, Waterdown and Tilgate. The MANUFACTURES of this county are neither various nor extensive. At Battle gunpowder is made, and in some other towns paper, being all that can with propriety be placed under this head, as regards the county generally; but the local and shipping trade of many of the towns is flourishing; and in ship-building, and the manufacture of various articles necessary for the equipment of vessels, many descriptions of limestone, some of which are of a very superior quality, and susceptible of a beautiful polish; and a considerable quantity is used, under the name of ‘Sussex marble,’ for chimney-pieces.

RIVERS, CANALS and RAILWAYS. – The principle RIVERS OF SUSSEX are the ARUN, the ADUR, the OUSE, the ROTHER and the CUCKMERE; a few other less considerable streams also rise within the limits of this county, as the Lavant, the Ashbourn and the Asten. The Arun has its origin in St. Leonard’s forest, near Horsham; and after running a few miles westward, turns due south, visits Arundel (where it becomes navigable to the sea), and falls into the British channel about three miles south of that town; this river is also made navigable, for boats and barges, from near Midhurst, through several parishes, to Petworth, and, by a navigable cut, to some other neighbouring districts: in the Arun are caught vast quantities of trout, mullet and eels. The Adur (sometimes called the Beeding) rises in the same forest as the Run, and, running almost parallel with that river, passes by Steyning and Bramber; from the latter place to the sea, at New Shoreham, where it discharges itself, it receives the name of the Bramber Water. The Ouse is formed of two branches, one rising in St Leonard’s forest, near the spring of the Adur, and the other in the forest of Worth, north of Cuckfield; these uniting not far from Cuckfield, the river runs south by Lewes, and falling into the British channel, forms the harbour called Newhaven, about eight miles south of Lewes: this river is navigable, for large boats, from Newhaven to within five miles of Cuckfield. The Cuckmere has its source near Hailsham, and, flowing from south-south-west, passes several considerable villages, and falls into the channel at the haven of its name. The principle artificial navigation is the Portsmouth and Arundel canal, for which an act was obtained in 1815. It commences from the Arun river, a short distance below Arundel, and proceeds in nearly a direct line to the broad estuary of the Lavant below Chichester, with which city there is a communicating branch: from the Lavant the navigation is continued through the channels that separate Thorney and Hayling islands from the main land, to the east of Portsea island, where the canal recommences, and then proceeds to Portsmouth. RAILWAYS:- The London and Brighton railway enters this county about two miles to the north of Crawley, and passes that town about a mile and a half to the east; it then runs on, within two miles east of Cuckfield to Brighton. From the main line there will be a branch to Lewes, another to Newhaven, and a third to Shoreham.

ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL DIVISIONS, and REPRESENTATION. – Sussex is in the province of Canterbury and dioceses of Chichester; is included in the home circuit, and is divided into the six rapes of Arundel, Bramber, Chichester, Hastings, Lewes and Pevensy; these are subdivided into sixty-six hundreds, containing two hundred and ninety-seven parishes and three parts of parishes, one city and one county town (Chichester), three of the cinque ports (Hastings, Rye and Winchelsea), and twenty market towns. Previous to the passing of the reform bill the whole county returned twenty-eight members to parliament, viz. – two each for the three cinque ports before named; and Arundel, Bramber, Chichester, East Grinstead, Horsham, Lewes, Midhurst, New Shoreham, Seaford and Steyning also sent two each, and the county two. The boroughs disfranchised, by the late enactment, are Bramber, East Grinstead, Seaford, Steyning and Winchelsea – Arundel, Horsham, Midhurst and Rye are restricted to one each; Brighton has obtained the privilege of returning two members, and those for the county have been increased to four: by these alterations Sussex is now represented by eighteen, instead of twenty eight members. Under the new bill the county is apportioned into two representative sections – the Eastern Division and the Western Division: the return of county members for the former is made from Lewes, and for the latter from Chichester; the Eastern Division polls also at East Grinstead, Battle and Mayfield, and the Western polls at Arundel, Steyning, Petworth and Horsham. The present sitting members for the Eastern Division are the Hon. Compton Cavendish, and George Darby, Esq.; and for the Western, Lord George Lennox and the Earl of Surrey. The title Duke of Sussex is borne by His Royal Highness Prince Augustus Frederick, sixth son of George III, born in 1773; the title was conferred in 1801.

POPULATION, &c. – According to the census taken in 1831 the county of Sussex contained 135,326 males and 137,002 females, total, 272,328: being and increase, since the returns were made in 1821, of 39,309 inhabitants; and from the census of 1801 to that of 1831 the augmentation amounted to 113,017 persons. The total annual value of Real Property in this county, as assessed April, 1815, amounted to £915,348.

Transcription details

The text for this section was transcribed by: Mark Collins.

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