The farms in Beddingham

Glyndiana was begun in 1869 by Henry Bouverie William Brand (later Viscount Hampden) and comprises a record of events and occurrences affecting Glynde Place or the Glynde Estates, with many gaps, since that date.

The following excerpts contain an account of farms in Beddingham by Henry Bouverie William Brand, son of Henry Otway Trevor, and Henry's son Thomas Seymour Brand.

(page 10) 1869

Two sons of Mr [John] Ellman, the steward, also occupied farms on my father's accession. The one, George, a large farm at Preston, Beddingham, and the other, Thomas, another large farm at Court House, also in Beddingham.

My father, after a few years, took Preston farm in hand and occupied it till his death in 1853. During his occupation he reclaimed much of the Down Land about Toy Farm and Blackcap. All the buildings on the Preston Down were built by him.

The property in Beddingham was considerably improved in 1866 through an exchange with Lord Gage. I surrendered to him about 200 acres in Alciston for an equivalent in Beddingham. After that exchange Preston House Farm was created by forming into one farm all my property in Beddingham, except Preston Court Farm and the small farms at each extremity of the parish – Durham Farm on the west and Balcombe Farm on the east, let to the company of limeburners.

• Preston House Farm, let to Crosskey – consisting of about 800 acres
• Durham Farm, about 60 acres
• Balcombe Farm, about 40 acres
• There are also a few acres let to Hart, Lord Gage's tenant, for his Accommodation.

(page 5) 1886

I have found, however, that as farms fall vacant from accidental circumstances that in order to secure a new tenant it is necessary in some instances to make considerable reductions of rent. For instance, this year, Mr Nash having given up Glyndebourne Farm, as he wished for his wife's sake to have the advantage of Town life, I have been obliged to lower the rent quite 20 per cent, the original rent having been at a high level. The same may have been said of the rent of Preston Farm, reduced in consequence of Mr Hodson proposing to leave unless a reduction was made.

(page 22) 1886

In addition to Glynde and Preston Farms which, as I have said, I have occupied, I had to take in hand against my will for limited periods:

• Heighton, now occupied by Wilshire
• Toy Farm, Beddingham

These, however, are now in tenants hands. Thus I have had considerable experience at several farms in the central part of my estate, ie, comprising land in the parishes of Glynde, Beddingham, Tarring, Heighton and Ringmer.

(page 25) 16 Sep 1895

By Thomas Seymour Brand, who inherited the estate in much debt after the death of his father on 14 March 1892.

Well, having made up my mind to struggle through if possible, I set about raising the necessary money to pay off the mortgages. I sold Mount Farm and two or three fields to Mr Christie for £6500, some land at Ripe to Lord Gage for [not stated], some land belonging to Horsted Keynes property (but detached) to Mr McDonald for [not stated], 42 acres close to Horsted Keynes station to Mr Stephenson Clarke for £1684. Littledene House to my brother Charles for £9500 and other detached property, amounting in all to about £25000 worth; I then mortgaged the whole of the Glynde Estate (with very small reservations) to the London Life Association for £44000; with this capital I paid off all my brothers and sisters except Arty, self, Alice Farquhar and Mabel Thomas; and I paid off my mother, whose capital in the estate will pay off my three brothers and sisters mentioned above, and myself.