Henry Otway Trevor, owner of the Glynde Estates, leased part of a field called Pickfield, in Beddingham, for 21 years at an annual rent of £4 10s to John Harvey of Cliffe, near Lewes, spirit merchant, 25 June 1845. Harvey built the Trevor Arms on this site south of Glynde station in anticipation of the opening of the London, Brighton and South coast Railway in June 1865. The lease was renewed on 24 June 1863 for 24 years at £2 5s a year by William and Henry Harvey of Lewes, brewers, wine and spirit merchants, from H B W Brand.

In 1906 Alice Smith, trading as Harvey and Son of Bridge wharf Brewery, Lewes, took out an insurance policy with the Licencees’ Insurance Corporation and Guarantee Fund, insuring the Trevor Arms for £1000, premium £1 5s. The property has been leased by the estate to Harveys Brewery ever since.

There is a mistaken belief that the Trevor Arms was built facing a road to the north of the building and the railway. However, all maps of the area between 1838 and 1855, including the tithe map and three surveys for the railway, as well as a plan of the site on the original lease in 1845, clearly show the road passing to the south of the site of the pub.

The early landlords appear to have been generally long-standing tenants, holding the tenancy for several years each. Probably the first tenant was William Underwood, born in Northrepps in Norfolk, who was landlord in 1850 when the empty West Firle Benefit Society cashbox, stolen from the Ram Inn, was rescued from the nearby lime kilns and brought to the pub. Underwood did outside catering, supplying the food for, amongst other events, the cricketers of Glynde and Seaford who played a match in Glynde Park in 1867 and the pub hosted post-match cricket dinners for members and guests of the Southdown Cricket Club, a team of local gentry who were also based in Glynde Park. The Trevor Arms was also occassionally used for other purposes, such as the inquest into the death of 13 year old George Moore in 1863. Underwood was landlord for at least 22 years and he was succeeded by George Gregory for 9 years, Thomas Gorringe, 3 years, Frank Beck for 15 years and Albert Pitcher followed for 4 years.

Albert Pelling became landlord in 1903 and, despite being convicted at the Lewes Police Court and fined £5 with one guinea costs on 25 Aug 1903 for allowing drunkenness in the pub, he remained landlord until 1926. His widow Mary Pelling then took over the licence and she was succeeded by her son-in-law Charlie Lusted in 1947. Charlie left the pub in 1950 and then a number of tenants had the pub for brief spells, the longest serving being Cecil Richardson.

It was during Richardson’s time as landlord that Mervyn Plunkett brought Scan Tester, the now legendary Sussex traditional concertina player, and his brother Will to the Trevor Arms in March 1958. Art Winter, on melodeon, and Hilary Burgess, on fiddle, were also in the bar and Mervyn recorded at least two songs, a Schottische and the Wearing of the Green (later released by Topic Records’ on I Never Played to Many Posh Dances, Scan Tester, 1887-1972, Topic 2-12T455/6 in 1990).

Des and Pam Byrne had the pub from 1962 and Cecil (known as Cyril) Wigman took over the licence on 1 Nov 1966. Peter and Sheila Bennett, the most recent long-standing tenants, took over the tenancy in 1991 after leaving the Green Man at Ringmer providing a warm and friendly welcome until they retired in 2009.