From the Sussex Express, 1868

A PLEASANT DAY AT GLYNDE PARK

The Cottagers' Show, it may be remarked at the outset, is promoted and supported by the owners and occupiers of land and others in the parishes of Glynde, Beddingham and Heighton. The Right Hon H Brand, as owner of property in the three parishes, is patron of the show. The executive staff consists of Mr Colgate, Hon Secretary, the Rev W de St Croix, Hon Treasurer, and Mr McLeod, Hon Superintendent. The Rev W de St Croix, Mr Colgate, Mr Hart, Mr Ellis and Mr Page, form the committee; and these gentlemen may be congratulated on the success which crowned their efforts.

For a first attempt the show was a most creditable one, and although in some of the classes there was little or no competition, this will, in all probability, not occur another year, and the liberal sums offered in prizes will doubtless be an incentive to the cottagers to cultivate their garden produce to the utmost in their power. Unlike most cottagers' exhibitions, it was not strictly confined to garden produce, good and substantial prizes being offered for needlework, etc, upwards of £20 was given in prizes altogether.

The exhibition took place in a large tent belonging to Mr Phillips of Lewes and the manner in which the various specimens were arranged and the tent was decorated, reflected the greatest credit on Mr McLeod, the superintendent. The Rev W de St Croix, who is always one of the foremost and most energetic in a good work, took a leading part in the affair, and to him much of the success attending the show is due. In mentioning the reverend gentleman's name, many of our readers will be glad to learn that his interesting and valuable paper on 'The Parochial History of Glynde'* has been reprinted in a neat and cheap form from the Sussex Archaeological Society's 'Collections', and a limited number of copies may be obtained on application to him.

Mr McLeod, who is gardener to the Right Hon H Brand, contributed some choice ferns, gladiolus, and geraniums - one of the latter being a particularly good seedling - and at the far end of the tent was a very neat device, the work of miss Bell and Miss Colgate. It consisted of the Brand Arms, with the cross swords and the motto 'Pour bien desirer', asters, French marigolds and evergreens being brought into skilful requisition. Mr Woollard, of Cooksbridge Nurseries, had a capital collection of roses and dahlias, which were a great attraction. Three devices in wild flowers, etc, exhibited by the mistress and children of Glynde School, deserve favourable mention, and the judges were so pleased with the skill displayed that they awarded them a special prize. The side tables were occupied with the specimens of horticulture, and the centre table was devoted to the industrial work, of which there was a good display, and the contributions of needlework, etc, by various ladies added much to the attraction of the latter department of the exhibition.

Considering that this has been such a dry summer, and that much of the soil in the neighbourhood is not adapted to the growth of vegetables, the display, more particularly of potatoes, was capital, inducing the remark from more than one of the villagers, 'I couldn't have thought there had been such vegetables grown'.

Amongst other articles on the centre table were noticed four drawings from life by Miss Gertrude Brand, also specimens of work done by peasant women of Vosges, a department in the north-east of France, and photographs of Glynde Place; and some splendid wool work was exhibited by Mrs Thomas of Ratton. Miss E de St Croix contributed raw silk, and Mr T Colgate, junior, a collection of birds' eggs, all named. Specimens of woolwork and needlework, and various articles of handiwork, too numerous to particularise, were exhibited by Miss Underwood, Miss T Moore, junior, (Beddingham), Miss Greenlaw, Miss Priscilla Colgate, Mary Ann Peters (Beddingham), Emily Elizabeth Unstead, Elizabeth Stevenson, Jessie McLeod, A Weller, Arthur Baker, Henry Geall, and others.

The judges of needlework were Mrs Ellman, Berwick Rectory; Mrs Dempsey, and Mrs Saxby of Firle. The judges of vegetables were Mr Woollard of Cooksbridge; Mr Passey of Firle, and Mr A Kenward of Lewes. Mr Holmden, of Glynde, acted as judge of sack mending, in which class there was a spirited competition. Miss Bell of Glynde kindly undertook the labour of receiving and arranging the needlework, etc.

The prizes were awarded as follows:-

GARDEN PRODUCE

Class 2. - Beddingham. Potatoes (late kind) - 1st, William Prodger; 2nd, John Davey; 3rd, Henry Bartholomew; 4th, William Kennard; extra, G Green. Potatoes (early kind) - 1st, James Nell; 2nd, G Green; 3rd, Samuel Moore; 4th, Henry Tompsett; extra, Thomas Moore. Onions - 1st, Richard Ford; 2nd, Henry Geall. Carrots - 1st, Henry Geall; 2nd, Henry Bartholomew. Parsnips - 1st, Henry Geall; 2nd, Mrs Tester; 3rd, Richard Ford. Nosegays - 1st, Harriet Tompsett.

Class 3. Heighton. Potatoes (late kind) - 1st, William Tucknott; 2nd, Arthur Herriott; extra, Jarman, G Kemp. Potatoes (early kind) - 1st, Jarman; 2nd, G Kemp. Onions - 1st, A Tucknott. Parsnips - 1st G Kemp; 2nd, Jarman.

Class 4. The three parishes. Vegetables, best collection (eight varieties) - 1st, G Saunders; 2nd, J Harris. Ditto six varieties - 1st, Amos Weller. Ditto four varieties -1st, G Holder; 2nd W Taylor senior; 3rd, A Harriott; 4th, Henry Geall. Best plate apples - 1st, T Gorringe; extra, L Page, James Hilton, G Saunders and G Kemp. Pears - 1st, James Hilton; extra, L Page. Plums - 1st, J Harris; extra, Mrs Peters and Mrs Kennard.

Class 5. Sack mending - best three sacks - 1st, Henry Tompsett; 2nd, Ephraim Baker; 3rd, W Bedwell.

Extra prize to Mistress and children of Glynde School, for wild flowers, three devices.

NEEDLEWORK

Class 7. Needlework to girls under 16 (Glynde). For garment - 1st, J McLeod; 2nd, Mary Weller. Hemming and marking pocket handkerchief, 1st, Mary Weller; 2nd, not awarded; 3rd, Agnes Turner; 4th, Indiana Stevenson.

Class 8. The same (Beddingham). No garment exhibited. Sewing and marking - 1st, not awarded; 2nd, Harriet Bartholomew; 3rd, Margaret Bartholomew.

Class 9. (Heighton). Nothing exhibited. Prizes were also given to girls under 12 for garments, with hemming, sewing and marking, marking on canvas, etc. The condition was that none of the work should be done in the National Schools.

During the afternoon the Glynde Butterflies, who have gained considerable celebrity as stoolball players, entered heartily into their favourite game, and a cricket match, of which we subjoin the score, was played between eleven of Lewes, consisting principally of young gentlemen from Mr T R White's, Cliff House School, and 11 juniors of Glynde. W Catt scored 26 for the Lewes side; for Glynde C Lines and T Colgate batted well, and T Ellis was in good form as a bowler. As will be seen by the score the Glynde party wee victorious:-

LEWES

GLYNDE

At 5 o'clock the teas given by the Right Hon H Brand was partaken of by both old and young, and subsequently that gentleman distributed the prizes, and in doing so said the only fault he had to find with the show was that in a good many of the classes there was no competition, but he trusted this would not be the case another year. It gave him great pleasure to see so many present and, believing that these meetings were conducive of great good, he hoped they might be spared to meet together in this way on many future occasions.

The Rev W de St Croix then called for three cheers for the right hon. gentleman and his family, which were given with the utmost heartiness, and the visitors then left the park. Amongst those who visited the show in the course of the afternoon we noticed Sir James and Lady Duke, Hon Miss Gage, Col the Hon H Gage and Mrs Gage, Right Hon H Brand, MP, and Mrs H Brand, Capt H Brand and Mrs H Brand, Rev H Smith, Mrs and Miss Smith, W L Christie, Esq., and Mrs Christie, Rev W de St Croix and Misses St Croix, Rev W Neame and Miss Neame, Rev P de Putron, Mrs and Miss de Putron, Mrs and miss Ellman, Miss Mann, Miss H Mann (Firle), Mr M A Lower (Seaford), Mr H P Hart and Mrs Hart (Beddingham), Mr John Crosskey and Miss Crosskey (Beddingham), Mr G P Bacon, Mrs and Misses Bacon (Lewes), Miss Scrase, Mr and Mrs Briscoe (Firle), Mr T R White and Mrs White (Lewes), Mr W Harvey (Lewes), Miss Alice Harvey-Smith, Miss Davey (Plymouth), Mr J Verrall and Mrs Verrall (Swanborough), Mr Colgate, Miss Colgate, Miss Bell, Mr Medhurst, Mr Vale, junior, Mr W Catt, Mr J Catt, Mr R Turner, Mr G Newington, Mr G Hother (Lewes), Mr W Verrall, etc.

* The Parochial History of Glynde by the Rev W de St Croix was first published in Sussex Archaeological Collections, volume XX, in 1868.