Old Images of Steyning, West Sussex

A bit of Steyning History

Extract from: “A History of the Castles, Mansions, and Manors of Western Sussex” by Dudley George Cary Elwes and Charles John Robinson

Published in 1876

Pages 213 – 215

THIS place is thought by some to have derived its name from a Roman road
Steyne , or Stone Street – on which it is situated , but Mr. Lower considers that
it is more likely to mean the settlement of Staen and his family .

The earliest
notice of it occurs in the will of King Alfred , by whom it was bequeathed as ” the
vill of Steningham , ” to Ethelwald , his brother’s son .

In the Domesday Survey
it is mentioned among the possessions of Edward the Confessor , which he had
bestowed upon the Abbey of Fescamp , in Normandy , but a portion of it was ,
at the date of the Survey , in the hands of William de Braose , the lord of
Bramber .

King William confirmed to the Abbey its rights in Steyning , and these ,
in spite of encroachments by the powerful family of de Braose , were retained
by the alien Abbey until its suppression in 1415.

The manor was then transferred
by Henry V. to Sion Priory , but , on the dissolution of religious houses , again
reverted to the Crown , and seems soon afterwards to have become the property
of the Earls of Arundel , from whom it has descended to their representative ,
the Duke of Norfolk .

In Steyning are included several manors , the most important being that of
CHARLTON , which was held successively by the Abbeys of Fescamp and Sion ,
after having been enjoyed for a short interval by Sir John Cornwall , and Elizabeth
his wife . In 1538 Agnes Jordan , Abbess , by indenture demised the manor of
Charlton cum Ashurst to William Pellatt and his assigns , for 99 years , at the
yearly rent of £ 12 16s . 8d .
Three years afterwards , at the Dissolution , the lessee obtained a grant of the
manor which his successor , Thomas Pellatt , sold to Dorothy Lewknor , of Kingston
Bowsey , whose sons , Edward and Thomas Lewknor , alienated it to Sir Thos .
Shirley , of Wiston . In 1634 it appears by a fine to have belonged to Lionel
( Cranfield ) Earl of Middlesex , and soon afterwards to Jonn , Earl of Thanet ,
who , in 1652 , sold it to John Eversfield , Esq . , for £ 4.500 . The Eversfields
retained possession of Charlton until 1815 , when Charles Eversfield , Esq . ,
alienated it to Charles Goring , Esq . , from whom it has descended to the Rev.
John Goring , the present proprietor . Charlton Court was occupied by the
families of Pellatt and Eversfield , until the beginning of the last century , when

it was given up in favour of Denne Place , Horsham , which , like Charlton , went
through the heiress of the Eversfield family to William Markwick , who assumed
the former name .

WICKHAM is an ancient manor which , in 1307 , was settled by Margaret ,
widow of William Graundyn , on John de Lychepole , and in 1313 upon John de
Ifield . The said Margaret died seised of it in 1330 , and three years later it is
said to have belonged to John de Wickham and Hawise his wife . Before the
close of the 14th century the manor was divided , one moiety being included
among the possessions of Reginald de Cobham , in 1397 , and in 1404 , Hugh
Queeche died seised of the other moiety . It is difficult to trace the descent of
the property with much accuracy , but one moiety of the manor was granted by
Sir William Percy and others , in 1406 , to John Norton , who probably resided
upon it . A little later ( 1427 ) , William Hystede and Alice his wife acquired a
moiety , and in the following century ( 1549 ) , the manor belonged to Richard
Farnfold , Esq . , and went , as his daughter’s dower , to Sir Edward Culpeper , of
Wakehurst . In the early part of last century the demesne lands were
purchased by Richard Trevor , Bishop of Durham , and from him have descended
to the Rt . Hon . H. B. W. Brand , Speaker of the House of Commons .
The manor of WAPPINGTHORNE is mentioned in Domesday , being at its
date in the tenure of William Fitzmanne , and of the value of £ 4 . Before the
thirteenth century it had passed into the hands of the family of Bonet , by whom
it was retained until the year 1351 , as appears by the annexed pedigree . The
Bonets were , however , only the mesne lords , and upon their extinction the manor
continued with the chief lords , the Dukes of Norfolk , who had inherited their
right from the Barons of Bramber . Its history is not very clearly traced during
the 16th century , but in 1606-7 , John Leedes , Esq . , died seised of the manor ,
which , in his Inquisition is described as holden of the Castle of Bramber by
knight’s service . Sir Thomas Leedes , K.B. , his son and heir , succeeded to it ,
and soon afterwards it passed , by sale or otherwise , to Edward Goring , second
son of Sir Henry Goring , of Burton , whose descendant , Sir Charles F. Goring ,
Bart . , now enjoys it .

The mansion was long ago converted into a farm house , but in the excellent
brickwork and stone – mullioned windows , there are evidences of its former
importance , and in the defaced armorial shield , above the portico , there are traces
of its occupation by a family of gentle birth .

The Vicarage house is said by Mr. Lower to be ” a good specimen of a parochial manse , with some curious carved wainscoting , having the arms of St.
Richard , of Chichester , Fitz James , Bishop of London , and the arms and
cognizances of Henry VIII . and Queen Catherine . ”

The church has still further
claims to notice , for , although it is only a fragment of what was intended to have
been a very noble structure , it possesses many very interesting features .

Much
of the church is Early English in style , but the piers of the tower arch are
Norman , and the capitals of some of the pillars and a rude bas – relief are of still
higher antiquity .

The town itself , albeit of sufficient importance in 1278 to return two
members to Parliament ( which privilege it retained till the Reform Act ) , has ,
from a variety of causes , and especially from the recession of the sea , become
very insignificant in size .

Its one long street contains a few timbered houses ,
the most interesting of which is the old ” Brotherhood Hall , ” within which is
the Grammar School , founded by William Holland , ald . of Chichester , in 1614 .

Gatwick , an ancient residence near the church , gave its name to a family , one
member of which is mentioned in the Nonæ Return , made in 1341.

Among
the burgesses occur the names of Bowyer , Farnfold , Filmer , Goring , Honeywood ,
Onslow and Shirley , and it would seem that from Sir John Honeywood ( M.P.
1784 to 1791 ) , the Duke of Norfolk purchased the borough with its seat in
Parliament .