ISTEDs of
By Bruce Isted (October 2007)
Introduction
For those who have an interest in the past there are probably few things more exciting than an account of one’s ancestral line. Each person uncovered by searching through the records is more than just a link in a chain. He or she is a personality who had a way of life that you also want to be able to comprehend. Where did they live? What was their occupation? How were they paid? What were their hopes, fears and possibilities? What social and political pressures were present in their lives? The questions are endless and it is these questions that, after a while, take over from the initial research of trying to establish a line of descent, from what was at the outset, a vague and shadowy distant past!
When I was aged about 15 years old, my first thoughts on tracing my ancestry came from a natural curiosity and a great interest in my own family roots and forebears, particularly my father’s paternal side - the “ISTED” family line. During my school years I was often asked where the ISTED name came from. As I could not answer this, I began by asking my parents and paternal grandparents as to what they knew, and also my father’s only ISTED first cousin, Berkeley Spencer Thomas ISTED of Timaru (in South Island of New Zealand). They did not know much about our ancestors except that only a few ISTEDs lived in New Zealand and that it was an uncommon surname. And that it was Spencer ISTED (my great-grandfather) along with his family which included my grandfather, Egbert (Bert) Thomas ISTED that emigrated to New Zealand in 1910 from Hailsham, county of East Sussex , England . With this small amount of information it furthered my interest to find out more about my ancestors, the origins and history of the name. Soon I obtained the necessary birth, marriage and death certificates. I was then able to draw up an “ISTED Family Tree” as well as starting my “ISTED Family History”. I was determined to find out all I could and it was not long before this research became an obsession.
In 1982 I joined the New Zealand Society of Genealogists and also the local Wanganui Genealogy Branch. Then in 1986 I joined the Sussex Family Roots Society of Eastbourne, Sussex, England . My research activities also entailed frequent visits to Libraries and Archives in NZ to obtain further information by looking up: indexes, reference books, microfiche/microfilm, telephone directories and genealogical magazines, etc. I wrote to various overseas departments (particularly in England ) such as County Record Offices and Archives as well as to more than 100 people - many of whom bore the surname ISTED. The main aim was to get further information on my ancestors as well as to come into contact with direct ISTED descendants. I also did research at some Latter Day Saints Family History Centres in New Zealand . They hold valuable genealogical information on microfiche and microfilm such as: IGI, GLC, Census Records, GRO (ex - St Catherine’s House) indexes of Birth, Marriage, Death, and Parish Register/Bishops Transcripts.
In October 1988 I travelled to England to further my family history research. Fortunately I was able to find work and accommodation in the village of Herstmonceux , East Sussex . Little did I realise that I was almost right in the heart of the area where my ancestors had lived for at least 625 years; ie from the 1200s until 1910 my direct ancestors hardly moved further afield than about a 12 mile radius. Just being in the vicinity gave me a real buzz, for it felt as though I was walking in my ancestors’ footsteps all the time. This proved to be an extremely lucky and successful venture for me. I soon joined the Sussex Family History Group in 1989. I returned home to NZ in November 1989 with a wealth of information and the satisfaction of having managed to trace my proven direct line of ISTED ancestors back eight generations – to the approx birth (c1650/3) of Thomas ISTED, my 6x great-grandfather. From him, I can trace back another seven generations to the mid-1400s – to my possible 13x great-grandfather, Laurence ISTED(E) of Framfield. During all this research into my forebears I also collected many other references to the ISTED surname, even of those who were not immediately connected to my ancestors. Furthermore, having successfully traced my direct lineage I conceived the idea of trying to research the ISTED and variant names in general; ie to do a One-Name Study on “ISTED”. I officially registered in 1993 with the Guild of One-Name Studies in England . What a challenging adventure it was to be because it led me to a never-ending hobby! Currently I have around 20,000 records on ISTED and its variants, which has helped to compile 100s of pages of family trees and notes. In October 2006, my probable distant cousin, Kevin ISTED established an ISTED family history website: www.isted.info and as you will see, we both have contributed quite a bit of data. We do hope you find something of interest.
I must emphasise that with this paper, “ISTEDs of Sussex to New Zealand ”, I have tried to keep to my direct ancestors as much as possible. To branch out into other families, descendants and siblings would result in a publication that would be far too long to grasp and keep the reader’s attention. Although having said this I have several files on most ISTED Descendants. I have not included many economic and social views on the times that these ISTED ancestors lived through. While this would help to put flesh on my ancestors’ bones, it would be far too long to include in this paper. To get a basic understanding of the history at a particular period in time you might like to check out the website link: www.isted.info/page21.html for an Isted/ISTED Timeline. There are many history books that you can also consult, as well as looking online.
Of course there still remain some unanswered questions and loose ends – all very frustrating, but the rules of the game, I’m afraid. A family history will never be complete but at least I can share the results leading from my curiosity about the family line to which I have always felt an especial affinity. Lastly, I have included numerous sources/references [in square brackets] and they usually follow directly below the transcribed &/or quoted text. In most cases I have either sighted &/or got a copy of the reference. Also note that my direct ancestors listed in the family groups (near start of each chapter), are in bold font which helps to more clearly identify them from other siblings.
The Chapters in this paper are as follows :
1 Historical Background (Origins, Meaning, Overview of ISTEDs)
2 ISTED Coat of Arms
3 Mythology & Lineage
4 Laurence ISTED (mid-1400s-pre1486) & family
5 John ISTED (late 1400s-early 1500s) & family
6 John ISTED (pre-1522-1557) & family
7 Richard ISTED (c1554-1617) & family
8 Edward ISTED (1584-c1651) & family
9 John ISTED (c1600/5?-c1668? or c1683?) & family
10 John ISTED (1626-1701) & family
11 Thomas ISTED (c1650/3-1744) & family
12 Richard ISTED (1719-1808) & family
13 Thomas ISTED (1772-1841) & family
14 Henry ISTED (1804-1872) & family
15 Egbert Thomas ISTED (1832-1903) & family
16 Spencer ISTED (1867-1932) & family + last 2 ISTED generations
17 Conclusion
18 Acknowledgements
19 Bibliography
1 Historical background on ISTED
Origins of the ISTED name
The family name “ISTED” is of Anglo-Saxon/Nordic/Germanic origin derived from a place bearing the same or a similar phonetic name. There are, however, a number of reasonable competing theories regarding the whereabouts of the place, and the meaning of its name, from which the ISTED family name is derived. In summary, these are:
a) The ISTED family name originated in Mayfield, county of Sussex or the surrounding High Weald, from the name of the place where the family once lived.
b) The ISTED family name originated from Isteda/Histede/Isted/Istead in county of Suffolk with the family moving to Mayfield , Sussex prior to 1241.
c) The ISTED family name originated in Scandinavia , with the family moving to Mayfield , Sussex prior to 1241.
For a more complete and well researched paper on this topic “Possible origins of the Isted family and name” (by Kevin ISTED) see www.isted.info/page6.html
ISTED Name Variants & Spelling + Pronunciation of the ISTED name
For a more complete and well researched paper on these topics (by Bruce & Kevin ISTED) see www.isted.info/page11.html
Meaning of the ISTED name :
1 “I sted or I stad” means in ancient Low German as well as in Old Danish “diese Stätte” = “this place / this location” or “hier ist die Stätte” – “here is the place”, a place where yew trees grow . [ Schleswig-Holstein Archives]. Of particular interest is that the only place names apparently commencing with an “I” syllable were those associated with yew trees.There were 3 in Sussex : Iden (woodland pasture where yew trees grow), Ifield (open land where yew trees grow), Iford (ford where yew tree grow). For more information on this topic see www.isted.info/page6.html
2 “ISTEDE” is a combination of 2 Latin words “iste de” which are used in combination to mean “this place”, or “of this”- commonly used with a following name to indicate a connection with a person, family or clan. [a historian contact]
3 “in the choice place/piece of land”. [Source: in the 1980s from an ISTED cousin of Bruce’s who got this from a letter from a John ISTED of Surrey , pre-1980; original source unknown and no correspondence kept unfortunately.]
4 The Danish word for “place” is “sted” [Lund Archives in Sweden ]
5 ISTED - from “eye” meaning “island or raised ground in marsh, and “stead” means “home”.
[Book – Burwash & the Sussex Weald – an English History in Miniature by James GOODWIN]
6 ISTED – probably of local English origin – Highstead, “the lofty situation”.
[ A Dictionary of Family Names in UK by Mark Antony LOWER, 1860]
7 “Dweller at the ISLAND - or RIVERSIDE-STEAD”. Old English i(e)g = “ Island ”, low riparian land + stede = “place”. Is the same meaning for HISTED & IRSTEAD. [Source: Surnames of the United Kingdom Volume 1 , page 231 by H HARRISON, 1912] {NB Irstead is also a parish in Norfolk , but I think it has no bearing on the surname ISTED and its origin.}
For a more complete and well researched paper on these topics including Isted & Variants “Place names” + “First names & Middle names” (by Bruce ISTED) see www.isted.info/page22.html + www.isted.info/page24.html
Overview of the ISTEDs
At least we do know that the ISTED surname was established in England before the Custumals of Mayfield c1285 (this is the earliest document located so far that mentions ISTEDE/YSTEDE). It was the county of Sussex where they remained for centuries. From the 14th century onwards the name appears in several medevial documents: Sussex Subsidy Rolls of 1327 & 1332 and a 1330 Rental Account of William de ISTED. What is fascinating in this latter document [Brockman Estate Archives in East Kent Record Office: KAO U1402/M42] is that it mentions, ‘… all the tenants give suit at the court of Isted every three weeks and are required to give heriot.’ This would seem to indicate that “Isted” was a mesne manor within the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Baliwick of South Malling which William de ISTED held in Lordship. Indeed, the Manorial Documents Register held on behalf of the Master of the Rolls at the National Archives was sunsequently found to have it recorded as the Manor of Isted in Mayfield. Let us not forget that several ISTED families may have been wiped out due to the plague (Black Death in 1348-9) or war (ongoing). There appears to be hardly any further trace of the ISTED name at all in the 1400s, probably only because of the lack of any documents available for this period (as well as lack of research in this area). There is reference (in The Black Books ) to a Thomas HISTED (and other “H” variants) of Hythe in Kent who was deputy of the Hythe Cinque Ports in 1440, 1444, 1446 & 1448. Unfortunately there is nothing to indicate that there is any connection to my ISTED ancestry. There are references to a Laurence ISTEDE of Framfield in the late 1400s and it is he who I think could be my possible 13x great-grandfather.
From the 1500s onwards the surname begins to appear more frequently in various documents; especially in the parish registers of: Mayfield, Framfield, Ashburnham, Brightling, Hastings (all in Sussex ); Bletchingley, Nutfield and Lingfield (all in Surrey ); Tonbridge and Lamberhurst (in Kent ). In the 1600s many were still in above mentioned parishes plus Warbleton (my ancestors), Buxted, Waldron, Dallington, Lewes, Maresfield, East Grinstead , Balcombe, Worth. Evidence of any ISTED are relatively low key until one sees the records of the Civil Service set-up by Cardinal WOLSEY to harvest the revenues for Henry VIII. Enough is recorded here to enable not only a firm line of descent to be worked out but also a clear idea of their status in society. Probates (Wills/Admons), entries in Subsidy Rolls, Land Tax records and other state papers of all types, record where the ISTED family came up against the established system of its day. Two of the earliest probates (wills) that I have come across are: 1532 William YSTED of Bletchingley (SRY) & 1542 Richard ISTED of Mayfield (SSX).
Many of my direct ISTED ancestors during the 16-19th centuries were classified as Gentleman and Yeoman. Other early historical records list some that were involved in various other important occupations. There is record of a Richard and Joan ISTED who were Ironmasters of Moat Mill Forge (c1520s-1557) in Mayfield , Sussex . John ISTED (possible brother to Richard the ironmaster) was a Freeman, Jurat, Baliff as well as Burgess of the Cinque Port of Hastings (in Sussex ) and in 1547 he presented an account to Parliament (during reign of King Edward VI). A Thomas ISTED was Ironmaster of Hawksden Forge in Mayfield pre1590; another by the same name was Clerk to the Winchelsea Cinque Port from 1609-1617. His possible brother, John was a Brewer in the town of Hastings . His name is listed among other brewers ( 20 Aug 1614 ) permitted to exercise their trade in the town on a payment of a fine (his being 13s & 4d) for so doing. Perhaps the same John ISTED was also Chamberlain for the Cinque Port of Hastings in 1616. There is a probate record of a Richard ISTEED who was a Physician in the county of Devon , who made his will in 1623. In 1662 a death is recorded for a Thomas ISTED, citizen and Apothecary of London. One early branch of the ISTEDs (of Framfield and Lewes) had a considerable Estate; part of which continued with this gentry family until 1718 when it was sold by a Thomas ISTED (1677-1731), Esquire of Ecton in the county of Northamptonshire , England . (For a more complete well researched paper on “ISTEDs of Ecton (by Bruce ISTED) see www.isted.info/page28.html )
However, among the so called “well-to-do” ISTEDs, there were also a few scandalous, law breaking ISTEDs! In 1643 a Richard ISTED was fined one shilling for an assault at Maresfield , Sussex . In 1646 Edward ISTED (probably my 9xgt) appeared in the court books for digging up roads (for iron ore) in Warbleton. In the 1648 Sussex Quarter Sessions , Thomas and Margaret ISTED of Heathfield were fined for stealing portions of a lamb. In December 1830 there is a Sussex newspaper report, ‘William ISTED, labourer, was indicted for having tumultuously and riotously assembled with a mob of 300 persons, on the 12th November last, and endeavouring by force and menaces to compel – BURDON, assistant overseer of the poor for the parish of Warburton (sic Warbleton?) to quit that parish’. On 3rd April 1850 , John ISTED already in Hastings gaol, was charged with burning his name in a bench with a hot wire. John appears to have been the ring-leader. On 6th April he blackened Samuel WELLER’s eye, and on the 20th lead a minor riot, broke combs, singing, etc. In 1870 a John ISTED, aged 40, who was an inmate of Hailsham Workhouse, had stolen some wine and was found drunk in the male ward. He had already been convicted twice of felony plus numerous other convictions. This time he was given ten years Penal Servitude, commuted to Transportation to NSW, Australia , with seven years under police supervision. On 3rd January 1889 , a James ISTED of Scaynes Hill , Sussex was further charged with attempting to murder Thomas WYBORN at Chailey Workhouse on 30th November 1888 ; the list goes on…
In later years (19th century onwards) the ISTED family became quite numerous around the county of Sussex (SSX). Hence the ISTEDs certainly lived up to the Sussex Motto, “We won’t be druv”.
Nevertheless there were some families that moved away to the nearby South East counties of: Hampshire (HAM), Surrey (SRY), Kent (KEN) as well as London (LND), Middlesex (MDX) and Essex (ESS). Very few ISTEDs settled outside these English counties. As transport technology progressed, a few more adventurous ISTEDs went abroad from the mid-late 1800s onwards and settled in the countries of: USA , Canada , South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . But the greater majority of ISTEDs definitely remained in the English county of Sussex . In 1974, the County of Sussex was split into two separate counties: East Sussex and West Sussex . It appears that many ISTEDs preferred the east to the west as that was and still is more populated with ISTEDs as seen on the spatial literacy website: www.spatial-literacy.org I have estimated that over fifty percent of all ISTED births, marriages and deaths occurred in the county of Sussex .
Also check out the (H)ISTED Statistics paper on the website (as at Nov 2007 still to be completed).
Also check out the (H)ISTED Family Trees paper on the website (as at Nov 2007 still to be completed). For more interesting references to ISTED and variants 1000-1900, see this paper by Bruce & Kevin ISTED at www.isted.info/page12.html
There is a good description of the county of Sussex which was transcribed from Bartholomew’s Gazetteer of the British Isles , 1887 – see website: http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/SSX
There is also a lot of helpful Sussex Genealogy info/links for those that are researching this county.
Also see website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex + http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/SSX/
2 ISTED Coat of Arms
For a more complete and well researched paper on this topic (by Bruce ISTED) see www.isted.info/page8.html
3 Mythology and Lineage
The ISTED family legend has been recorded in several publications such as: Burkes Commoners of Great Britain & Ireland (1837), Huxford’s Arms of Sussex Families (1982), Lower’s Dictionary of Family Names of UK (1860), various pedigrees in College of Arms . They all mention that the ISTED family came from Scandinavia (some say Sweden , others say Denmark ) and settled in Sussex probably in the time of Edward the III (1327-1377). While it is possible that the ISTEDs did originally come Scandinvia; they were certainly already settled in Sussex before the 1300s.
My own family mythology (as told by my father and grandfather), says that our ISTED ancestors were descended from or related to “John of Gaunt” who was Duke of Lancaster 1340-1399 (he was the 3rd surviving son of King Edward III of England). Perhaps an ISTED married one of his descendants? As yet, I have not come across any record or evidence to back up this statement. Many families like to embellish their family histories by saying that their ancestors had royal and/or wealthy connections and I tend to think this is how my family forebears got our heritage slightly mixed up. It is also said that there is supposed to be a large amount of money (many thousands of pounds – how much, who knows?) held in Chancery in England , which is connected with my ISTED ancestors. My grandfather (Egbert Thomas ISTED 1903-1996) and my 1st cousins once removed stated (in the 1980s) that an ISTED ancestor or descendant went to Australia at some stage (possibly in the 1800s?) and he disappeared (could find no trace of death). It is said that his details may have provided the missing link enabling the money to be claimed. Believe it or not!
In the “Bernau Index” held by the Society of Genealogists in London , there are records dealing with Chancery and Court cases. Unfortunately although indexed by name (there are 85 references to the ISTED name with two being from Warbleton , Sussex ) it does not tell you where to find the rest of the information. It would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack! Furthermore, it would also be far too costly to delve into this without the assurance that you would at least recoup any costs involved. In any case, “Money in Chancery” is no longer available to anyone. All claims had to be submitted by a certain date after which applications were closed. So there is no longer any option to research Chancery Cases in the past. The only known wealthy ancestors seem to have been the ones living in the period before 1750. Those were the only times that my ISTED ancestors were of “Gentleman” status. From about the 1700s many of them were Yeoman &/or Farmers. In the 1800s the ISTEDs gradually slipped down the social ladder. Many ended up as tradesmen (Tailors, Plumbers). Suprisingly not many ISTEDs (in the main family groups) ended up as Ag Labs.
I have managed to successfully trace and prove beyond reasonable doubt (mainly by researching Parish Registers and Probates) my ISTED lineage back to mid-1600s; ie to my 6x great-grandfather, Thomas ISTED (born c1650-3, died 1744, gent of Trumpets Farm in Warbleton, East Sussex , England . Tracing his baptism to establish the correct line further back remains a slight stumbling block. It may well be that he was not baptised; especially if his parents were non-conformists or church dissenters, which seems likely. Sussex county was well known for its high proportion of church dissenters and particularly so in Warbleton and surrounding parishes. Moreover many parish registers were not accurately kept during the mid-late 1600s as a result of the Civil War and poor leadership of King Charles I and II. Also a fee of one shilling had to be paid to register baptisms, marriages and burials all of which was a disincentive. Another possibility was that Thomas was born illegitimate (ie born out of wedlock). With good assumptions based on some of the documentation of sources such as Land Tax Records, Deeds and Manor Court Rolls - I can trace this line back two more generations to a John ISTED, collier and gent of Warbleton who married 1st in 1621 and then 2nd in 1623. Possibly he was born about 1600, but so far I have not located a positive baptism; however in a 1683 Court document, he was mentioned as being a son of Edward ISTED gent of Trumpets Farm, Warbleton. I am sure this Edward was born 1584 Hastings .
(see chapters: 8 & 9). If so then the ancestral line goes back a further 100 years (another 5 generations) to a Laurence ISTED probably born mid-1400s & died pre1486. This line has not been totally proven and may never be. If I have shown the correct lineage, then Laurence would be my 13x great-grandfather indicating a span of 15 generations, or about 500 years, from myself back in time to him.
With documentation and parish registers being of limited supply pre-1600, it is very hard for many researchers to successfully trace further back. Unless one’s ancestors were very rich then there is little hope of finding documentary proof. There is a high probability that the majority of ISTEDs (born with this name since the 1300s) probably all descend from William de ISTEDE of Mayfield who lived mid-late 1200s as he was recorded in the Custumals of Sussex Manors of the Archbishop of Canterbury c1285. Whether this William was a descendant of earlier ISTED(E)s that may have had links back to the Domesday Book (1086) and/or even further back to the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066, one has to remain sceptical! At this stage no evidence has come to light. Should you find record of an ISTED or variant pre-1285 I would be delighted to hear from you.
Historically Mayfield is very ancient. For more useful background notes on the parish of Mayfield in East Sussex – see website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfield%2C_East_Sussex
Parish church of St Dunstan in Mayfield (1988)
4 Laurence ISTED (mid 1400s-pre1486) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s possible 13x great-grandfather)
Family of Laurence ISTED (mid 1400s-pre1486) & ..?.. an unknown spouse (mid-late 1400s?) married c1460-70s? Framfield? Sussex :
1 John ISTED b c1470s? Framfield?, m c1500? Framfield? = …?… , d early 1500s Framfield?
There could have been more issue of Laurence but only John has been mentioned in a 1486 document as being a son.
Laurence (also spelt as Lawrence ) ISTED was probably born in the mid 1400s (c1440-50s?) possibly in the parish of Mayfield or Framfield county of East Sussex . His parents are not known. One might suspect (but can’t prove entirely) that he was a descendant of the earlier ISTEDs (ie: William, John, Simone, Andrew, Robert) of Mayfield that were settled there from the late 13th century (c1285) until the early 14th century (c1332). Laurence probably married c1470s possibly at Framfield to an unknown spouse. It is not known how many children they had but it appears there was at least one son named John. He must have owed property in Ashburnham and must have died before 1486 at Framfield as per documents below extracted from A2A archives website:
Ashburnham family archive: Deeds, Creator(s): Ashburham family, Earls of Ashburnham, Ashburnham family of Ashburnham , Sussex .
1. File - Grant [ref. ASH/4501/121] date 1 Oct 1474 (from Scope and Content ) -
‘ By John PONT, senr., of Asshbornham and Laurence ISTEDE of Framfeld to John SMYTH of Asshbornham and Agnes his wife, of lands, rents and ferm in Asshbornham, which they had by feoffment of Thomas CAPONERS decd.’
2. File - Quitclaim [ref. ASH/4501/130 ] date 10 Nov 1486 (from Scope and Content ) -
‘ By John ISTEDE, son and heir of Laurence ISTEDE, late of Framfeld, to Agnes SMYTH, late wife of John SMYTH of Asshbornham of and in lands, tenements, & called Scottys in Asshbornham which descended to the said John ISTEDE on the death of his father, which the said Laurence ISTEDE, with John PONTE decd., had by feoffment of Thomas CAPENORE, father of the said Agnes SMYTH. Seal.’
There is another uncatalogued reference in the year 1498 re Lawrence ISTED + mentions the whole virgate of Isted and Isteddes Rede; but more on this will appear in one of Kevin’s papers on the website in due course. It could well be that Lawrence was the last ISTED to own the original ISTED land.
‘Framfield parish is bounded by Buxted on the north; by Mayfield on the north-east; by Waldron on the east and south-east; by Laughton and Ringmer on the South; and by Uckfield on the west. It is nine miles from Lewes and 47 from London . Not less than 11,520 acres of land are within the boundaries of this parish; about 5,700 acres of which are meadow and pasture grounds, 1,400 are common and woodlands and nearly 4,400 are in tillage. The population in 1831 was 1468. Several good and substantial, and some elegant mansions, are erected within this parish. The WARNETT, GAGE, DONOVAN, STONE, SMITH families were prominent in Framfield.’
[ The History & Antiquities & Topography of county of Sussex Vol 1 page 362 (published 1834)]
The church of St Thomas a Becket, Framfield was built in the early 13th century but much of it was destroyed in a fire in 1509. The first Rector was appointed in 1223. Framfield is one of the few churches that possess a complete series of Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials from 1538 (the earliest date when they were ordered to be kept) until the present date. The approach to the parish church is one of the loveliest in the county, a row of Tudor houses which form the core of the village.
parish church of St Thomas a Becket, Framfield county of East Sussex , 1988
5 John ISTED (late 1400s-early 1500s) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s possible 12x great-grandfather)
Family of John ISTED (late 1400s-early 1500s) ..?.... an unknown spouse (late 1400s-early 1500s) married c1500-1515 Framfield? Sussex :
1? Richard ISTED b c1500-05? Framfield? Mayfield?, m c1525? Framfield? Mayfield? =Joan(ne) ..?.., d 1541/2 Mayfield
2 John ISTED b pre-1522 Framfield?, m c1541? Framfield/Hastings? =Anne .?.. , d 1557 Hastings
{1st child Richard not proven as being a son of John. Richard & Joan were Ironmasters in Mayfield in early 1500s.}
John ISTED was probably born in the late 1400s (c1470?) possibly in the parish of Framfield county of East Sussex . He was the son of Laurence ISTEDE of Framfield and an unknown spouse. John probably married (spouse’s name unknown) in the parish of Framfield c1500-15. It is not known how many children they had but appears there was one son named John. It is only speculation that they had another son (Richard the ironmaster) – he could have been an uncle or cousin to John senior. Nothing much is known about John senior. He might have been a fairly prominent person such as a merchant, or even an ironmaster himself. It was his sons and their descendants who certainly made their mark in society. John probably died in the early 1500s, possibly in the parish of Framfield and that was probably where he was buried. The only evidence I have on John ISTED who is possibly one of the earliest links in my ancestry is from two records found in the following publications - one from Visitation of Sussex 1662 and the other from Burkes Commoners of Great Britain & Ireland, volume 2 (1837) pages 462 & 463.
6 John ISTED (pre1522-1557) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s possible 11x great-grandfather)
Family of John ISTED (c1515?-1557) & Anne ..?.. (c1515?-1556/7+) married c1541 Framfield? or Hastings ? Sussex :
Robert ISTED b c1540? Hastings?, m ?, d 1556+ {Robert was mentioned as “my base son” in the Will of John ISTED proved 1557 so mother unlikely to be Anne.)
1 Barnard ISTED b c1542 Hastings ?, m 1570 Hastings = Barbara GOTFREY, d 1570 Hastings
2 Mary ISTED b c1545 Hastings ?, m 1565 Hastings = John HYLLS, d ?
3 Bridget ISTED b c1547 Hastings ?, m c1570s? Hastings ? = ..?.. LOWE, d ?
4 Elizabeth ISTED b c1550 Hastings ?, m 1571/2 Hastings = William BRYMESTEED, d ?
5 Ellen ISTED b c1552 Hastings ?, m c1570s? Hastings ? = .?. WENHAM, d ?
6 Richard ISTED b c1554 Hastings ?, m c1575? Framfield? =Ann WARNETT ,d 1617 Hastings .
John ISTED was probably born about 1515-1522 in the parish of Framfield in the county of Sussex , son of John ISTED and an unknown spouse. It is possible (but not proven) that this John was a brother of Richard ISTED who was an Ironmaster in Mayfield in the early 1500s. During the period of 1544-1554, John is recorded as holding various offices: Bailiff (the Chief Officer of the Hundred of Hastings or in other words, The Monarch’s representative and head of the town’s government), Jurat (one of 12 Council Members - a municipal officer of the Cinque Port of Hastings) and Burgess (Member of Parliament for the Cinque Port of Hastings). He appears to have owned several pieces of land, mainly in the parish of Framfield, and some buildings (fish shops) in the parish of Hastings . He also owned a ship. John was amongst the increasingly wealthy gentry and regarded as having the obligations and privileges of holding land to the value of a Knight’s fee to qualify for election to Parliament.
Many parish registers were not kept before 1550, so there are no definite dates for John’s baptism, marriage and burial. However I have a copy of his will which was proved in January 1556/7. From this we can deduce his approximate dates of birth and marriage. I don’t think he would have been much older than 40 when he died, if one takes into account the average age (35-45) of death for this period of time in history. So I think the more likely range of dates for his birth is 1515 to 1522 (perhaps closer to 1515?) and the more likely date of marriage being 1535 to 1541. His date for first holding office (1544) being a factor in determining the limit of the higher end of the ranges. Furthermore i n John’s will it mentions at least three sons (Robert, Barnard & Richard) and that they will not receive anything until the ages of 22. It has not been proven that John and Anne had six or seven children in total but all were known at the time of John’s will was made on 8 January 1556/7 and proved 9 February 1556/7 [PROB: PCC 11/39 4 Wrastley].
John ISTED died in January 1556/57 and was presumably buried in the churchyard of St Clement at Hastings (not proven as unfortunately the parish registers for St Clement did not start until 1558 and All Saints was from 1559). No burial record located of John’s wife Anne; perhaps she remarried, although there is nothing in Sussex Marriage Index.
For a more complete & well researched paper on John ISTED (by Kevin ISTED) see: www.isted.info/page26.html
Hastings has been in existence since well before the famous Battle of 1066; as far back as Roman times. One of the principal trades during the 16th & 17th century was boat building and fishing. Smuggling was also rife in the area. During the late 1700s and into the 1800s Hastings became more of a resort town and saw a great number of people go there for the air and bathing. The population of Hastings in 1831 was 10,097 so it was quite a large place compared to Mayfield (2,738), Framfield (1,468), Warbleton (1,225), Wartling (948), Herstmonceux (1,338), Hailsham (1,445) – all of which were still only villages. For more info and geography, etc on Hastings see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings
7 Richard ISTED (c1554-1617) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s possible 10x great-grandfather)
Family of Richard ISTED (c1554?-1617) & Ann WARNETT (c1550s?-1628+) married c1575 unknown place - possibly London ?:
1 Thomas ISTED b 1577 Framfield, m c1604 (not Sussex ?) = Elizabeth TWINE, d 1648/9 Hastings
{It is only through the descendants of eldest child Thomas that had the right to use the ISTED Coat of Arms. Also these descendants were of gentry class; many settled in Lewes , Sussex ; London ; & Ecton in Northamptonshire.}
2 Richard ISTED b 1578/9 Hastings , m 1604 Framfield = Margaret TAYLLER d 1648 Framfield
3 John ISTED b 1580 Hastings , m 1612 Battle = Sarah BLINGOE, d 1637+ Bexhill?
4 Elizabeth ISTED b 1582/3 Hastings , m 1605 Framfield = George WATERMAN, d ?
5 Edward ISTED b 1584/5 Hastings , m 1609 Hastings = Margaret AVERY , d c1651 Warbleton?
6 William ISTED b 1586 Hastings , d 1586 Hastings .
Richard ISTED was probably born c1554 in the parish of Hastings, son of John and Anne ISTED (maiden name unknown). His baptism would not have been recorded as the Hastings parish registers did not start until 1558/9. Not much has been uncovered on the early life of Richard. He most likely married at about the age of 21, in 1575, possibly in Framfield as that is where his spouse Ann WARNETT came from; however I have not located a definite marriage. Ann was possibly born c1550, daughter of William WARNETT and an unknown spouse of Framfield (their descendants became large land owners in Framfield). Richard and Ann had six children: 5 sons and 1 daughter (as listed above).
Richard ISTED of Hastings is mentioned in t he book - White and Black Books of the Cinque Ports 1432-1955 , vol XIX, 1966 [Hastings Reference Library & ESRO] - All meetings appear at General Brotherild (Brotherhood) held at Romney in Kent; page references are in brackets, year precedes this: Commoner 1582 (pages 320, 322); Jurat 1588 (page 334); audited by Messrs ISTEDE 1588 (page 335). The references (above & below) to Richard indicate he was a Jurat in 1588 but resigned in the same year.
In the book Hastings Elizabethan Charter by John Manwaring BAINES, 1962 page 8 & 35 -
‘And also we have nominated, assigned, made and ordained and by these Presents do assign, nominate, make and ordain our beloved George PORTER, Richard LYFFE, James BREHAM, Thomas LAKE, Richard CALVERLEY, Roger FERRES, Richard FRANCKE, James LASHER, Richard FRENCHE, Thomas LOVE, John LUNSFORDE and Richard ISTED , being at and before the making of these Presents Jurats of the same town and port of Hastinge and Barons and Inhabitants of the same, to be the first and present Jurats of the town and port aforesaid incorporated anew by these Presents, and so to be continued in the same office so long as, and in such manner and form as has been the custom and usage of the town and port aforesaid before the making of these Presents.’
The importance of the Cinque Ports to the Crown had declined since the foundation of the Royal Navy by King Henry VII in 1496, although they continued to retain their obligations and privileges. However, after the ships of the Cinque Ports saw action against the Spanish Armada in 1588 (only one ship from Hastings took part) Queen Elizabeth I issued new Charters to the Cinque Ports regarding their governance. This removed the Cinque Ports obligations to provide ships and much of the independent power and privilege that went with it. It is possible these changes were the reason, or a contributory factor, why Richard ISTED resigned as a Jurat shortly after the new Charter came into force.
Richard would have been a Jurat in 1588 and 1589, up to the Sunday after the second Tuesday after Easter, as that is when the elections of the Bailiff and the appointments of Jurats were made. No records of the meetings or of the elections of that period survive. All we can be sure of about Richard is that he was a member of the ‘commonality’ (ie one of the 37 Freemen) in 1582 when he attended a General Brotherheld of the Cinque Ports as a 'commoner'; and was a Jurat (one of the 'brethren') in 1588/89 as he attended another general Brotherheld on 23 July 1588 as a Jurat, and his period of office would have run on until after Easter 1589. He may, of course, have been a member of the 'commonality' before 1582 and could have been a Jurat on more occasions before 1582 and after 1589, but was not one of those to attend any of the Cinque Port ‘Brotherhelds’ or ‘Guestings’. Sometimes only one or two Jurats out of a total of 12 from Hastings attended these meetings.
In a 1592 document on the A2a website, Richard ISTED is mentioned as being the “Beadle” in Framfield . The Beadle had control over the property of the parish and was responsible for enforcing discipline within the parish and to settle disputes.
Copies of Court Roll of the manor of Framfield; File - Surrender [ref. SAS-H/49 ] date 1 Mar 1592 - ‘ By John WICKERSHAM senr., out of Court on 7th Feb. last lying in extremis, by the acceptance of Wm. MARTEN deputy of Richard ISTED, beadle, in the presence of Richard FULLER, gent., and Thos. SLECHE, customary tenants, of All his lands and tenements to the use of the said John WICKERSHAM senr. for life and after his decease, one tenement in the occupation of Wm. JOBE and a close adjoining containing 6 ac. to the use of Anne WICKERSHAM his daughter for life and the heirs of her body for 21 years following her decease. And all the residue of his lands and tenements with the reversion of the said tenements and close to the use of John WICKERSHAM, his son and his heirs for ever, the said John to pay the said Anne WICKERSHAM, Mary WICKERSHAM and Alice WICKERSHAM and Jane WICKERSHAM, daughters of the said John WICKERSHAM senr., certain sums mentioned ….’
In volume 39 of the Sussex Record Society , page 78 there is a section titled, “The Buckhurst Terrier 1597–1598”. The list of free and customary Tenants for the parish of Framfield in East Sussex mentions several people, amongst them Richard ISTED , gentleman, who had a yearly rental payment of £1 18 shillings & 3 pence. Also the same Richard for “ Lucais Land ” paid 4 shillings and 6 pence.
In a Sussex Deed dated 9 James 1 (1611) Trinity Term (old English/Latin text which is very hard to transcribe) [ESRO: SAS/FA939] it basically states –
‘Recovery by Richard ISTED gent, and John AYNSCOMBE gent, against Thomas AVERYE of 2 messuages, 4 gardens, 40 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 40 acres of pasture &10 acres of wood in Warbleton and Ashburnham.’
It is not clear whether Richard ISTED senior (1554-15617) or junior (born 1578 son of Richard/Ann) is the person in the Deed, but probably was Richard snr. Thomas AVERY possibly could be the yeoman of Ashburnham/Warbleton/Hastings who died in 1613 Hastings and left a will. Both men would have been about the same age and more likely doing business together. Could this have been part of a marriage settlement for Margaret AVERY when she married Edward ISTED 1609? However the word “recovery” suggests otherwise. Perhaps AVERY was broke? The property could be “Trumpets Farm & Hugletts land” as the AVERY family were original owners before the ISTEDs.
Richard ISTED “the elder” was buried 13 November 1617 St Clement’s parish churchyard Hastings [ESRO: XA30/58 (Hastings Parish Registers on microfilm)]
Richard ISTED made his will on 10 November 1617 and it was proved in London on 21 November 1617 [PROB: PCC 11/130 105 Wealdon] A partial transcription is as follows -
‘... one part of my house to wife, Ann, for life then to Richard eldest son of my son Thomas; other part where Jonas BREDD? dwells to son John and Sarah his now wife, for life, then same and after to Richard my grandson. Tenements occupied by Richard WHYTE & Edward MAY to son John. To grandson Richard tenement and lands bought of Richard APPS in Framfield; silver salt celler, silver beaker, 6 silver spoons and my gold ring. To son John, all houses at the upper end of the town bought of Thomas LASHER, shop at the seaside, debt due from Edward AVERY of Winchelsea and £20 owing by my son Edward . The £200 for which son Thomas stands bound to pay after his death; to Thomas son of my son Richard £115 to be equally divided between children of son Richard and to rest of my grandchildren (said Richard excepted) £40 each; remainder I forgive him. Son Thomas an iron trivet in his house at Framfield. Residue of household stuff, etc to wife Anne for life, then son John; forgives son Richard all debts and gives him £50. Son Edward and daughter Elizabeth 12 pence each; sister WENHAM 5 shillings, John LOVE 2 shillings & 6 pence, to the poor of St Clement, Hastings, 5 shillings and residue to son John, sole executor. (signed by his mark ‘X’). Witness: Jeremie WOODMAN & Geo EASTONE.’
Edward ISTED obviously owed his father money (in purchase of a property? If so could that be Trumpets Farm?). It appears that Edward and Elizabeth have received help or were given something of value (land/stock?) from father Richard, which is why they have not been left much in the will. But at the very least by mentioning their names in the will, it is a legal safeguard. Because they are named and beneficiaries, they cannot them claim/sue for a larger share of their father’s estate. One name that is of interest is the AVERY name. I have record of a 1616 marriage record of an Edward AVERY to a Mary ISTED. They had at least one son, Thomas AVERY bpt 01 Mar 1617/8 Winchelsea. As yet I can’t prove who Mary ISTED & Edward AVERY of Winchelsea was but is likely there is some link to the ISTEDs of Hastings & Warbleton. Perhaps via Edward AVERY bpt 1596 Warbleton son of Thomas/Dorothy. Edward had a sister Margaret and she married an Edward ISTED in 1609 (see next chapter). The AVERY surname is very common and was well established in the 1500s-1600s in the parishes of Winchelsea, Westfield , Ashburnham, Dallington, Warbleton.
Ann ISTED probably remarried Thomas WOODE on 2 October 1628 at Framfield. The parish register entry states Ann as being a widow. I have not located any burial for Ann but need to recheck parish registers (especially Framfield).
8 Edward ISTED (1584-c1651) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s probable 9x great-grandfather)
Family of Edward ISTED (1584-c1651) & Margaret AVERY (1590-1655?) married 1609 Hastings :
1 John ISTED b c1600-5? Hastings ?, m 1621 Warbleton =1 Mary SHARLANDE, d 1668? or c1683+? Warbleton? (John remarried 1623 Lewes =2 Joane TIPPET )
{John ISTED probably an illegitimate son; no record of his baptism/burial located as yet; either died in 1668 or 1683+}
2 Thomas ISTED b 1610 Framfield, m 1624/5 Warbleton =1 Dennis CROUCH, d 1651 Heathfield
(Thomas remarried 1632 Warbleton =2 Margaret CROUCH)
3 Richard ISTED b 1612/3 Framfield, d 1612/3 Framfield
4 Edward ISTED b 1613/4 Framfield, m 1658 Penhurst SSX =1?/2? Martha POTTER, d 1671 Wn
5 Mary ISTED b 1616/7 Framfield, m 1636 Hellingly SSX = Edmund SHEPHEARD d ?
6 Elizabeth ISTED b 1619 Framfield, unmarried, d 1640 Framfield.
Edward ISTED was born 1584/5 and baptised 2 February 1584/5 at the parish church of Saint Clement’s, Hastings, county of Sussex [ESRO: XA30/58 page 25]. He was the 5th child of Richard and Ann ISTED nee WARNETT.
Edward ISTEIDE (spelt that way) married on 23 Aug 1609 (IGI has 28th Aug 1609 ) at the parish church of All Saints Hastings to Margaret AVERIE [ESRO: XA30/53]. Margaret was baptised 21 June 1590 Warbleton, daughter of Thomas & Dorithie AVERY nee JARVICE [ESRO: XA30/21].
Edward and Mary had at least five children – 3 sons and 2 daughters (as listed at start of this chapter). Possibly Edward had an illegitimate son John (born c1600-5 – no baptism located). In a 1683 court case Edward ISTED (deceased) gent of Trumpets Farm is mentioned as being father of John ISTED, current owner of Trumpets. [ PRO E134/34 Charles 2, Michaelmas 19 + E126/14 folio 20] – see next Chapter.
Edward appears in two Sussex Coroners Inquests at Framfield in the early 1600s. [Sussex Coroners Inquests 1603-1688 published by Public Record Office 1998, edited by R F HUNNISETT]
a) ‘30 January 1612 Framfield , Sussex - John AYLWYM, gent, county coroner. Jurors: William WARNETT, George TAYLOR, John SMYTER, Richard BROKE, John PACKHAM sen., William TESTOR, John WOOD, John MARTYN, John CHAMBER, John ALCOCKE, John GOWER, John LAMBERT, Richard GOLDSMITH. {NB I bet it was difficult in the pub afterwards. Of the thirteen jurors eight of them were Johns!} On 19th January when John LEVETT of Framfield, yeoman, Barnabas CADE late of Framfield, laborer (sic) and Edward ISTED late of Framfield were playing together with several others at Framfield, LEVETT, who held a cudgell (sic cudgel – a short club used as a weapon) worth ¼d in his right hand “did throw” it, intending to hit “a hen” which was nearby. When he had thrown it, suddenly and without his knowledge Anthony DEANE came into the road where he had thrown it, whereby LEVETT struck him with the cudgel on the head, giving him a wound 2 inches deep and 1 inch wide of which he immediately died; and so LEVETT killed him by misadventure and not feloniously or malice aforethought. At the time LEVETT had no goods or chattels, lands or tenements to the jurors’ knowledge.’
{Obviously a “bunch of yobos” making a nuisance of themselves! A pity no occupation listed for Edward. The above document is also catalogued in ESRO under “Calendar of Assize Records; Sussex Indictments James I” – Edward ISTED of Framfield, #233 – Inquisition held at Framfield 1612.}
b) ‘ 7 October 1636 Framfield - Edward RAYNES, gent, county coroner. Jurors: John DELVE, Thomas WICKERSHAM, Samuel WATSON, William SMITH, Edward ISTED , Zacchaeus SKINNER, Robert DROWST, John TILER, Henry HESMAN, John WELLER, Lawrence WESTON, John AWCOCKE. About 11am on 6th October, when John SMITH late of Framfield, yeoman, was going to take up water out of a marle pitt (sic) on the common or waste land called Framfield common near his house in Framfield. He suddenly fell into the pit, which was full of water, and was drowned by misadventure and not otherwise to the jurors’ knowledge.’
In the 1620s Edward and Margaret ISTED were mentioned in a deed document as owners of “ Northweek Field” (called Netterweeke Field in 1624) parish of Wartling [P46 U67]. This was part freehold tenement (no buildings just land) in Dallington Manor owned by Edward ISTED (held in the right of his wife Margaret) 1624-1630 and lost in 1630 when the owner refused to do suit.
If one looks at what Edward’s father (Richard) left him in his will (12 pence) compared to what the rest of the family were given, then he appears not to have inherited much. However if he was not as wealthy as the rest of his brothers and sisters, he certainly was an enterprising chap, as the following paragraph shows! In the mid-17th century, when Warbleton was still an iron-working area (though the industry was running down) Edward ISTED owned Trumpets Farm and also the land on either side of the steep hill down to Hugletts Stream. What he and his tenant William PRICE got up to there appears in the “Lewes Quarter Sessions Order Book” for 1649 [QO EW1] –
‘At the general quarter sessions of the peace holden at Lewes on 14 January 1646, the highway leading from Bodlestreete to Hoods (Woods) Corner lying in Warbleton was presented to be very dangerous and unpassable by reason of Edward ISTED , owner of the lands in the occupation of William PRICE, his diggings of myne pitts near the sayd way. And the parishioners of Warbleton have been at great charge in repayring the sayd way and in discharge of the Indictment it is ordered that the sayd Edward ISTED and William PRICE shall pay the sayd parishioners the moneys and charges by them layd about the premises and upon theire refusall to be bound over to the next sessions to answer refusall and contempt.’
He is also mentioned in another similar legal document in the Quarter Sessions Rolls [ESRO: QR/E 87/61] dated April 1650 at Lewes , Sussex (is quite hard to transcribe and last few lines are in Latin).
‘The Condition? of this Recognizance is such that if the ..?.. is bounden Edward ISTED doth formally appear? at the next generall quarter Sessions of this year to be holden for the East half of this county. Then and thereto anymore for bringing an order issued out against him at the generall quarter Sessions of .?. year & holden at Lewes the 4th October 1649 . That then this unto? Recognizance hereto be void & of none effect or .?. continue until force? and dated? ….’ {next 5 lines are in Latin; probably sums up document with legal proceedings & oath sworn, etc.}
As three years had passed since the original complaint, it seems that Edward ISTED and William PRICE had found digging up the road profitable! [ Warbleton People , publication No 9 page 17 by Warbleton & District History Group, 1985] (NB In Ruth AYRES 1981 booklet, The Story of Bodle Street Green , it states the above event took place in 1638.)
I have not located definite burials for Edward and Margaret, but Edward must have died about 1651 as per 1683 Court Case of son, John ISTED. I suspect both died in Warbleton and their burials not recorded due to the Civil War because parish registers were poorly kept. No probates have been located for Edward or Margaret, which is a pity as it could have shown useful data.
From the Land Tax Assessments of Warbleton, Wartling and Herstmonceux from c1692-c1840 , it shows that the ISTED generations of Warbleton owned &/or occupied several pieces of land at various times from c1640s-1840s. The main home of my ISTED ancestors for nearly 200 years (c1646-1823) was “Trumpets Farm”, situated in the hamlet of Bodle Street Green in the parish of Warbleton, East Sussex , England . Trumpets Farm/Farmhouse [P45/55] has also been referred to in Land Tax Records of Warbleton as “Home Farm” and/or “Old House”. This house was a Hall House of medieval date probably built in the late 16th century although a piece (date uncertain) survives in the north face of the 1590 chimney. The building had overhanging gables set above the bay windows at both ends of the wing, fitted with curved bargeboards, one of which has been reused as an added in strut within the roof. The reason for including elaborate facades to both front and rear of the cross-wing is the location, flanked as it is by public roads on east, south and west. Beneath the eastern bay is a contemporary brick built cellar. Trumpets Farm was originally owned by the AVERY family at least from 1539 to mid-1600s. Upon Edward AVERY’s death {PCC will proved 7 May 1624 gent of Lamberhurst, Kent} the property appears to have descended jointly to his widow, Lucy (who later married Peter FARNDEN of Sedlescombe in 1631) & Edward ISTED (probably a brother-in-law, as Edward AVERY’s sister Margaret AVERY=Edward ISTED 1609 Hastings). So t he ISTEDs were in possession of Trumpets Farm by 1646 (if not before) and in 1651 are found jointly leasing it (then described as a messuage, barn, littlehouse {ie an outhouse} and lands) to William PRICE and his son John. In the meantime, the ownership had passed to John ISTED , and he was still alive in 1683 when he was found in dispute with Thomas MARTIN, lord of the manor of Bucksteep, regarding an alleged portion of the farm called Dillands, held of Bucksteep at the annual quit rent of 4/-.’ [PRO E134/34 Charles 2 Michaelmas 19 and E126/14 folio 20]. The farm appears to have remained virtually unaltered in its 1683 reduced form until at least 1843, when the tithe award described it as being Trumpets (43½ acres) and Huggletts (39 acres). Dilland and “Whiteford field and brook” are here covered by the blanket title of “Trumpets”. [David & Barbara MARTIN’s 1988 Report of Trumpets Farmhouse Warbleton NGR TQ 65071477 (No.521]) .
a 1930 real photo postcard of Trumpets Farm, Bodle Street Green
(ancestral home of the ISTEDs from c1646-1823)
When I was in East Sussex during 1988-89, I was fortunate to visit Trumpets Farm and take some photos. It was a strange feeling knowing that I was walking in the footsteps of my ancestors. In February 1989, Trumpets Farm was on the market via the real estate agents GA Town & Country, Uckfield. Offers in the region of £350,000 were invited for the freehold, subject to contract. The property was briefly described as follows:
‘A beautifully situated 16th century farmhouse in lovely parkland gardens and grounds of about 3½ acres. The property has been tastefully restored by the present owners and offers some very generous accommodation with the exposed oak timbering to the interior. Entrance hall, study, drawing room, dining room, principal suite of bedroom, dressing room & bathroom, 5 additional bedrooms & 2 bathrooms (1 ensuite with bedroom 2), attic room, oil fired central heating, outbuildings & garaging.’
The next two paragraphs provide a brief overview on Warbleton & Bodle Street Green.
Warbleton is a parish (in the Hundred of Hawkesborough, Rape of Hastings) for the most part situated on high ground about seven miles north of Hailsham, containing, with the hamlets of Bodle Street Green, Rushlake Green, and The Three Cups Corner - 6,226 acres. The four major manors were: Bucksteep, Bathurst , Cralle and Iwood. Corn and hops are grown, but more than half the parish consists of pasture land; so farming and agriculture played a big part in Warbleton’s lifestyle. The iron industry flourished in Warbleton in the 16th century. Chicken rearing was an important industry (1800s). The population of Warbleton may well have been more than 1000 in the 17th century, but it may have dropped off over the next century. Evidence shows that the population then rose steadily from about 900 in 1801 to a peak of over 1500 in 1851; after this it began to drop again. The families of ROBERTS, DUNN & DARBY were influential and were large landowners. The village was dominated by two large mansions – The Stone House & Markly.
Bodle Street Green is a hamlet which lies seven miles north-east of Hailsham. To the north it is in the parish of Warbleton, and to the south in Herstmonceux – the boundary between the two parishes for the most part goes down the main village street ( Bodle Street ) – while Wartling parish almost touches the Bodle Street Green church. Up until late 1800s it also contained detached parts of Dallington and Wartling. In 1838 a chapel-of-ease was consecrated and in 1852 a church St John the Evangelist was built but was destroyed by fire in 1922. In 1855 Bodle Street Green became a separate parish. Some ISTED descendants in the late 1800s went to the Bodle Street Green church as they are recorded in the parish registers.
9 John ISTED (c1600/5?-c1668? or c1683?) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 8x great-grandfather)
Family of John ISTED (c1600/5?-1668? or 1683+?) & Joane TIPPET (c1590s?-1661) married 1623 Lewes , Sussex :
1 Joane ISTED b 1625 Warbleton, d 1625 Warbleton
2 John ISTED b 1626/7 Warbleton, m 1652/3 Wartling SSX =1 Elizabeth MILLES , d 1701 Wn
(John remarried 1676 Dallington =2 Elizabeth BENNET nee MERCHANT)
3 Elizabeth ISTED b c1628/9 Warbleton, unmarried, d 1628/9 Warbleton
4 Elias ISTED, b 1630 Warbleton, m?, d ?
5 Josias ISTED b 1633 Warbleton, m?, d?
6 Samuell ISTED b 1635 Warbleton, d 1635 Warbleton
7 Samuel ISTED b1636 Warbleton, m?, d 1668+
8 Mary ISTED b 1639 Warbleton, m 1659 Warbleton = John MARTIN, d 1687 Herstmonceux.
As yet I have not come across any baptism or burial date for this John ISTED. Hence it is a bit difficult establishing his exact birth/baptism place/date, but possibly he was born c1600-5? in Hastings ? From a 1683 Court Document it states he was the son of Edward ISTED (1584-1651) gent of Trumpets Farm and it would be unusual for a Court document to have false/misleading data. So if this was a fact, then it is doubtful that John was conceived by Edward’s wife Margaret AVERIE/AVERY (1590-1655?), unless John was born closer to 1605 rather than 1600 and thus she would have been of child bearing age. Another possibility is that John may have been an illegitimate son of Edward and an unknown spouse. Or perhaps he is one of the following:
1 John ISTED bpt 18 Dec 1580 Saint Clement Hastings son of Richard/Ann nee WARNETT -(but think this John = Sarah BLINGOE 1612 Battle and he was in Bexhill 1635).
2 John ISTED bpt 18 Mar 1581 All Saints Hastings son of Thomas/Dorothie - (but think this John married an Elizabeth c1595 and had issue {but no son named John is known} in Tonbridge , Kent ).
3 John ISTED bpt 12 Apr 1590 Tonbridge son of Richard/Anne nee WORCESTER (not sure if/when married, died but this John is an alternative contender as my direct ancestor).
4 John ISTED yet to be discovered! Possibly from parish of Ashburnham? (there was a family there in 1500s but I cannot trace any line of descent as they appear to die out, but they may have moved?)
At least I have evidence for both marriages of John. On 10 December 1621 at Warbleton, John ISTED married Mary SHARLANDE (possibly SHARNOLL? – surname is hard to read). There was record of a marriage licence at Lewes on 30 November 1621 ; the sureties were said John ISTED & John PAYNE husbandman of Warbleton [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/1].
John’s wife Mary died in childbirth as the parish register entry states: 20 March 1622/3 ‘buried Mary, ye wife of John ISTED & her infante’ (ie child must have been still-born; obviously complications during birth of child) [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/1] So far I have not located a baptism for Mary. It is likely she came from outside Warbleton parish; perhaps even from another county. Their marriage record states that they were both from Warbleton.
John remarried a few months later to Joane TIPPET on 18 December 1623 in the parish church of All Saints Lewes (by licence at Lewes on 18 December 1623 ); sureties said John ISTED collier and John PAINE husbandman of Herstmonceux. The parish register entry (record) also stated that John was of Warbleton and Joane of Wartling [ESRO: XA30/82; PAR410/1/1/1]. I have not located a baptism for Joane as yet so assume she was born in another parish and she later settled in Wartling. Banns had to be called for three Sundays in open church, but formal records are rare before 1754. If people wanted to marry in a hurry (useful for women who wanted to get married before their children were born), or without local publicity, or outside their own parishes, they obtained a Marriage Licence. It was partly a status symbol, used at first by the gentry, and then by better-off farmers and tradesmen, to show they had arrived socially. It was also used by non-conformists. Licences could be obtained from the Bishop or Archdeacon, or a deputy appointed to serve a rural area. John and Joane had 8 children - 5 sons and 3 daughters (as listed near start of this chapter).
We are lucky to be able to draw some good conclusions as to John’s lifestyle and whereabouts from several documents. John ISTED is listed in the Eastern Sussex Contributors to the Relief of Irish Protestants 1642 - ‘On 23 March 1642, Parliament passed an Act for speedie contribution & loan towards the reliefe of his Majesties distressed subjects of the Kingdom of Ireland . Warbleton parish: 30 March 1642 lists a John ISTED donating 6/-.’ (NB Total Number of Eastern Sussex Contributors: 3871 from 57 parishes.)
In the 1662 Hearth Tax Records , for the Hawksborough Hundred the list for Warbleton had 83 records; amongst them was John ISTED , collier with Thomas BURT assessed at 2 flues. (NB John’s name appears to be crossed out) [PRO E179/258/20 page 13]. The Hearth Tax was a supplementary tax instituted in 1662 by Parliament. From 25 March of that year every dwelling in England and Wales was to be assessed as to the number of hearths, fires & stoves set therein. A tax of two shillings per hearth, etc was set. This was to be paid in two equal installments, the first to be paid on 29 September 1662 .
A collier was one who carried coal (&/or a coal miner) so he might also have been involved with charcoal burning and the iron industry. Charcoal provided the fuel for the iron industry, particularly during the 16-17th centuries. Charcoal burning has continued to be carried out in Sussex and today there is a revival in the craft to supply the barbeque market. The traditional method using an earth kiln, shown bottom picture at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, took approximately three days and two nights to burn and a six cordwood kiln could produce about one and half tons of charcoal.
There is another interesting piece of evidence regarding a John ISTED (probably one born 1600/5 son of Edward/Margaret nee AVERY; who was mentioned in a legal wrangling [PRO: E126/14 folio 20] briefly - ‘In 1683 a curious case was heard before the Exchequer Chamber at Westminster that Hilary term . The plaintiff was Thomas MARTIN, Lord of the Manor of Bucksteep, and the defendant was John ISTED of Trumpets Farm. John ISTED , who admitted holding the freehold lands of Trumpets, Whiteford Field and Brook, had conveniently managed to lose a 20-acre holding called Dill/Dillands on which the rent was 4s. The case was heard by the Rt. Hon. William MONTAGUE, Lord Chief Baron. Rent for the land called Dill had always been paid until a few years ago. Yet now the defendant denied that he'd ever heard of it, let alone concealed or destroyed its boundaries. After hearing witnesses, the court declared it was fully satisfied that John ISTED did indeed hold Dill, and he was ordered to pay the two years missing rent. A commission was appointed to set out the missing lands by meets and bounds.’
In another similar 1683 Court document [PRO E134/34 Charles 2 Michaelmas 19] it mentions that in about 1651 John ISTED was the son of Edward ISTED, gent of Trumpets Farm, deceased.
According to some Sussex Land Tax Records & Deeds , John ISTED appears to have inherited Trumpets Farm as per 1683 Court Document and then it appears to have been passed to his grandsons John and Thomas by 1692. However just to confuse things further, there is another document regarding a John ISTED who I previously thought was John born c1600/5 but there is a difference of death dates! Was it John senior? or junior? or another John? that died in 1668 or 1683+? In the Burwash Manor Court Books it mentions a John ISTED as the owner of a farm named “Scarthill” (Scar(e) Hill) which was situated north of Rushlake Green in the parish of Warbleton, from 1662-1668. He died in 1668 holding the property, leaving it to his son Samuel who immediately sold it. [P45/88; TQ6219; copyhold of Burwash Manor called Jennings (M36/132)]. {I thought this John was still alive as per 1683 Court Case.} By 1838 the house had been rebuilt up on the road on what was a piece on wasteland taken out of Warbleton Down.
The old Post Office Building [P45/1] was also possibly owned by some ISTEDs for the initials NI, MI, EI , RI and the date 1709 appear engraved on the first floor fireplace jamb. The initials NI & the date 1709 are located together. Original house may have been built c1695 +/- 15 years. The only record I have of a possible NI was Nicholas ISTED bpt 1623 Buxted son of Richard; re other initials: MI possibly Mary ISTED, EI possibly Elizabeth ISTED, RI possibly Richard ISTED – too hard to prove whether a link as the “I” may well stand for another surname.
I have not located a burial record for John, but he either died c1668 in Warbleton as this was the time that his property “Scarthill” was left to his son, Samuel; or he died c1683+ (last mention of him in a court document) probably in Warbleton. Joane appears to be the one buried on 19 October 1661 in St Marys Churchyard at Warbleton - ‘buried the wife of John ISTED ’ [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/1]. There are no probates located for John or Joane which might have solved a few mysteries!
10 John ISTED (1626-1701) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 7x great-grandfather)
Family of John ISTED (1626-/7-1701) & Elizabeth MILLES (c1620s?-1672) married 1652/3 Wartling , Sussex :
1 John ISTED b c1650-3 Wartling?, m 1669 Dallington = 1 Anne BUCKSTEAD?, d 1704? or 1712? Wartling? (John possibly remarried? 1701 Wartling = 2? Mary EASTON )
{1st child John ISTED & his descendants form a very large branch re ISTEDs of Ashburnham & Dallington & nearby. Kevin ISTED & Carole VIDLER and many others have a link here.}
2 Thomas ISTED b c1650-3 Wartling?, 1701/2 Lewes = Elizabeth SYNNOCK , d 1744 Wn.
3 Elizabeth ISTED b c1654-6 Wartling?, d 1656 Wartling
4? Robert ISTED b c1656-64? Warbleton?, d 1664 Warbleton
5? William ISTED b c1660s? Warbleton?, unmarried, d 1687 Warbleton
6? Richard ISTED b c1660s? Warbleton?, unmarried, d 1690 Warbleton
7? Edward ISTED b c1660s ? Warbleton?, unmarried, d 1690 Warbleton.
John ISTED was born in 1626/7 and baptised on 28 January 1626/7 in the parish church of St Marys Warbleton, eldest son of John and Joane nee TIPPET [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/1]. Not much is known about his life except what is recorded in parish registers a few other documents. On 13 January 1652/3 in the parish church of Wartling county of Sussex , John ISTED married Elizabeth MILLES [ESRO: XA/30/20; PAR503/1/1/1]. Elizabeth MILLES may have been baptised on 31 May 1629 in the parish of Horsted Keynes daughter of Thomas [IGI]; otherwise no definite baptism located so far (Perhaps need to recheck Wartling PRs to see if any MILLES). John and Elizabeth may have possibly been living in the parish of Wartling and perhaps Trumpets Farm in Warbleton was leased out to other tenants for a short time, or a son (John or Thomas may have taken the property over c1683-1692) because there is no mention of Trumpets Farm in John’s will (1701), only lands held in Wartling. John and Elizabeth probably had 7 children (listed at top of this chapter; not all proven as no baptisms have been recorded/located) – 6 sons and 1 daughter; most died young. John’s first wife Elizabeth was buried on 18 May 1672 in St Marys Churchyard, Warbleton [ESRO: XA/30/21; PAR501/1/1/1].
John ISTED (“Mr ISTED” in PR) remarries on 27 April 1676 in Dallington to Elizabeth BENNET (widow of Thomas BENNET b1624 Dallington son of Thomas/Ellen who married her first on 26 September 1650 in Dallington; Thomas was buried there in 1675; he made a will). She was born c1624 in Mayfield (baptism not located) but was known to be the daughter of Richard/Mary MERCHANT nee ELLIOTT. No issue known from second marriage of John and Elizabeth.
During the late 1500s, and more so during the 1600s, attendance at Church of England services fell with the rise of more extreme Protestant sects. Normally, people still used the CofE for marriages, baptisms, etc for legal purposes. However, some conducted their own marriages and baptisms while other more extreme sects didn’t even have such ceremonies. Even where non CofE services were carried out they were not regarded as legally recognised. Indeed, it took a specific Act of Parliament in the 17th century to make Quaker marriages legally recognised. It is thought that some people may have been baptised and married in a CofE churches, years after the event to ensure the appropriate legal status - proof for inheritance purposes where property was an issue. However, it is virtually impossible to find out the extent at which this might have happened, let alone individual cases. This appears to be the case with some of my ancestors, because du ring the mid-late 1600s the ISTEDs seem to mysteriously disappear from the parish registers of Warbleton and the surrounding districts. In my research I have not located any baptisms for the children of John and Elizabeth. My guess is that they were not baptised, but if they were it was privately and/or not recorded. This was quite often the case, especially if they (ie John & Elizabeth) were Dissenters or Non-conformists. The Sussex county – (especially Warbleton parish) whereby some people were baptised at a place named “ Christians River ” was well known to be a strong area of church dissenters, who formed their own religious groups such as: Quakers, Anabaptists, and Baptists. Many parish registers were poorly kept during the mid-late 1600s as a result from the Civil War and poor leadership of King Charles I and II. Also a fee of one shilling had to be paid to register baptisms, marriages and burials, all of which was a disincentive.
This brings to light a couple of interesting cases that I found in two books – one of them being,
The Friends Book of Sufferings [ESRO: SOF 5/1f 115] –
‘In 1675, a Quaker, widow ISTED of Warbleton , (was among others indicted for not coming to church &/or paying tithes) had a cow taken from her worth four pounds for tithes, although what the priest demanded of her was but only one pound nineteen shillings. Not withstanding there was nothing returned to the poor widow again.’
Also the above quote was mentioned in Sussex Record Society Volume 50 “Churchwardens Presentments 1674-77”, part II, pages 34 & 50, as well as the following quote -
‘In Easter 1678, widow ISTED of Warbleton was again among others presented by churchwardens for not coming to parish church to hear divine service and sermons.’
I am fairly certain that this widow ISTED is not one of my direct ancestors. It is more likely to be another branch (cousins), such as Martha ISTED (nee POTTER) the wife of Edward (who was either the one born 1613 & died 1671 son of Edward/Margaret nee AVERY or possibly Edward bpt 1631 Warbleton son of Edward). One of these Edward’s was an Overseer of the Poor in the parish of Warbleton, because in the Parish Registers [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/2] on the flyleaf of the cover is inscribed - ‘1657, Overseers for the poore of Warbleton in that yeare before named - John WOOD & Edward ISTED , Churchwardens – Joseph STOAR & John ELLIOTT.’
John ISTED was buried on 11 June 1701 in Warbleton churchyard (there is no headstone) [ESRO: XA/30/21; PAR501/1/1/2 page 20]. John’s second wife Elizabeth died in March 1704 and was buried on 19 March 1704 in St Giles Churchyard at Dallington. Elizabeth is mentioned in John’s will 1701/2.
John ISTED made his will on 2nd June 1701 ; proved Jan 1702 [ ESRO: XA26/27; A44 p141-142] -
‘In the Name of God Amen. I John ISTED of Warbleton in the county of Sussex , Gent , being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory (praise be therefore given to Almighty God for the same). First and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my heavenly Creator hoping thro’ the merits - Death and passion of my saviour Jesus XT to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit Everlasting Life. And my body I commit to the Earth, to be decently buried at the discretion hereafter named by my Executor. And as touching the disposition of all such Temporal Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me. I give and dispose thereof as followeth, Imprimis I will that all my Debts and Funeral Charges be satisfied, contented and pay’d. Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson John ISTED, son of my son John ISTED - all my Lands called Beinfields? {Bemsells?} lying in Wartling, to him and his heirs for ever. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Thomas ISTED, son of my said son John ISTED - the sum of £50. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas ISTED {my 6xgt} - my Copper Furnace. Item I further give and bequeath unto my said son John ISTED - all the rest of my goods and chattels whatsoever being. Said son paying unto my wife Elizabeth the sum of three shillings by the week during her natural life. And I do hereby nominate ordain and appoint my said son John ISTED full and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament. Witness my hand and sealed this second day of June in the year of our Lord 1701. John ISTED Sign’d & Seal’d published & declared in the presence of the mark of Thomas OXLEY, Thomas BARNETT, Edward HEMSLEYS. Probate first? ….?.. John ISTED of Waldron? {sic? Warbleton?} (a few words are hard to decipher) Jan’y 1701 {ie 1701/2} , {a few more words can’t decipher} to John ISTED Executor.’ {2 more lines, possibly more? – very hard to read (looks like Latin) and is very near bottom of page I have.}
From John’s will it appears he was reasonably well off (he was a Gent ) and may have been involved with the iron industry (like his forebears) as the mention of a “copper furnace” was most likely to have been used for smelting copper. Perhaps at one time he was a collier, like his father. He also owned land (possibly stock & farm produce) and probably had other people farming it. As there is no mention of “Trumpets Farm” in Warbleton I suspect that either he did not inherit it but it had already been passed down to his sons, John and Thomas sometime after John father (senior) had died c1668-1683. The 1692+ Land Tax Records and 1736 Deed give a few more clues as to ownership and relationships.
The property named “ Bemsells” was in parish of Wartling (now in Herstmonceux) [P46/164; TQ636 148]. ISTEDs only had an interest (possibly farming) in a block of land of about 20 acres belonging to Dallington Manor with no record of any buildings on the land. Ownership details:
John ISTED (1626-1701) held the land sometime pre1701 and his death presented in Dallington Court 1701. Son & heir John ISTED (bc1650/3 d 1704? or 1712?) owned it 1701-1712, his death presented in 1721 {sic 1712?}. Thomas ISTED (bc1650/3 d1744) brother of John ISTED owned it 1712-1722 and then sold property in 1722 to John BAKER of Wartling, gent. From 1722-1840+ merged into Hole Farm (P46/20). [ESRO: ASH 200a, 241-267, 276, 735-736; BL Add Ms 33173, 33176, 33178; Add Ch 31502-31523 – Dallington Manorial Documents].
There is also record of two other properties named “Bemzells” – one is in parish of Wartling [P46/128 centered at TQ636 145] described as freehold of Herstmonceux manor and the other one is also in the parish of Wartling P46/165 centered at TQ637 147] described as freehold of Herstmonceux manor. Both these properties have no references to buildings upon this site &/or any reference to any ISTED owning the land (only land called “Bemsells”). Above property/relationships slightly confusing as I have not seen all the PR entries &/or documents to link/prove everything!
The parish of Wartling , including Boreham Street and part of Windmill Hill, contained 3,287 acres of land of which 6 acres are covered with water. It is surrounded by parishes: Warbleton & Ashburnham (to north), Ninfield & Hooe (to west), Pevensey (to south), and Herstmonceux (to east). Wartling is situated about 4½ miles south-east of Hailsham; or 4 miles north of Pevensey. The village is in the extreme south of this parish, and when approached from Pevensey it is entered by a steep shady hill, above which stands the church, with the vicarage and school to the north. Much of the parish consists of pasture. Agriculture has been the occupation of the inhabitants from an early date, but the land often suffered severely from the floods of the Ashburn and other streams. The population in 1831 was about 948.
11 Thomas ISTED (c1650/3-1744) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 6x great-grandfather)
Family of Thomas ISTED (c1650/3-1744) & Elizabeth SYNNOCK (c1675-1763) married 1701/2 Lewes , Sussex :
1 Thomas ISTED b 1702 Warbleton, unmarried, d 1789 Warbleton
2 Elizabeth ISTED b 1704/5 Wn, m 1724/5 Salehurst = Benjamin NOAKES, d 1767 Mountfield
3 John ISTED b 1707 Warbleton, unmarried, d 1733/4 Warbleton
4 Mary ISTED b 1710/11 Warbleton, unmarried, d 1781 Warbleton
5 Ann ISTED b 1716 Warbleton, m 1759 Warbleton = Francis MORRIS, d c1760-86? Mountfield?
6 Richard ISTED b 1719 Warbleton, m 1763 Wn = Philadelphia CORNFORD , d 1808 Warbleton.
Thomas ISTED was the second son of John and Elizabeth ISTED nee MILLES and was born about 1650-53 in the parish of Wartling or Warbleton. The Civil War and the non-conformist religions at the time, when lots of people weren’t baptised into, or married in, the Church of England have contributed to no baptism record of Thomas. However I have enough other information to establish a link as per Deeds/Wills. On the grave of Thomas is an inscription of his age at what appears to be either 91 or 94. A grand old age which it was especially for this period in time and even by today’s standard! In fact to this date he remains as having attained one of the oldest ages by my ISTED ancestors. One can probably assume Thomas was extremely fit and healthy and was well looked after (by wife and children). His lifestyle and genes must have aided his longevity. He could be known as Thomas (“Methuselah”) ISTED!
Thomas ISTED appears to have married late in life (aged c47-51) unless he had an earlier marriage that was not recorded, or that I do not know about. He definitely married on (Shrove) Tuesday, 17 February 1701/2 at the parish church of All Saints Lewes (by licence at Lewes on 16 February) to Elizabeth SYNNOCK, a maiden; both of Warbleton. The licence record states sureties: Thomas ISTED and John WOOD, butcher [ESRO: XA30/82; PAR 410/1/1/4].
No baptism located (born c1675) for Elizabeth , but SYNNOCK/SINNOCKs were in Westham in 1600s so possibly that is where she came from?
Deed re Thomas ISTED [SAS/FA941] 5 Anne (1707) Michaelmas Term –
‘Fine between Thomas ARCOLL querent and Thomas ISTED gent, and Elizabeth his wife deforcients of 2 messuages, 1 barn, 20 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, 10 acres of pasture, 10 acres of furze & heath in Warbleton.’ {NB Land mentioned was probably Trumpets Farm & Thomas was one born c1650/3 m1701/2 d1744.}
There is a Deed/Indenture [ESRO: SAS/E427] dated 1st May 1736 Warbleton , which has vital evidence of ISTED relationships over three generations. It is about A2 size, of parchment with red seal and contains c1600 words; is very repetitive, lots of legal waffle, but a summary of it is -
‘Release and Confirmation by Thomas ISTED {bc1670s s/o John/Anne nee BUCKSTEAD? {surname not certain for this name might have meant to indicate that is was the parish of Buxted?} married 1706 Rye to Ann CATT} of Ashburnham, gent, eldest son and heir of John {bpt 1650-3 s/o John/Elizabeth nee MILLES; married 2x; died 1704? or 1712?} late of Ashburnham, gent, dec’d - who was eldest son of John ISTED {bpt 1626 s/o John/Joane; married 2x d1701} late of Warbleton, gent, dec’d - to Thomas ISTED {bc1650-3 s/o John/Elizabeth nee MILLES; married 1701/2 Elizabeth SYNNOCK d1744} of Warbleton, gent, youngest son of the said John ISTED {bpt 1626 s/o John/Joane nee TIPPET; married 2x; died 1701} late of Warbleton dec’d for £105 - of All those, two messuages or tenements, barns, buildings, orchards, gardens, and several pieces of land belonging containing 55 acres called Trumpets, Whitefoot Fields and Huglets in the parish of Warbleton in the occupation of the said Thomas ISTED {bc1650-3 s/o John/Elizabeth nee MILLES; m1701/2 Elizabeth SYNNOCK d1744} of Warbleton. Which premises by lease of 19 Jan 1692 were granted by the said John ISTED {bpt 1626 s/o John/Joane nee TIPPET; married 2x; died 1701} senr, late of Warbleton gent, dec’d to the said Thomas ISTED {bc1650-3 s/o John/Elizabeth nee MILLES; m1701/2 Elizabeth SYNNOCK d1744} of Warbleton his then youngest son for ever. Signature: Thomas ISTED and seal. {I think this latter Thomas was one born c1670s; if not he was my direct ancestor 1650/3-1744} Witnesses: Thos. BENNETT & Wm SHADWELL.’
This deed is a very important document and while it is not 100% proven in terms of the ISTED relationships I reckon: John ISTED senior gent of Warbleton {b1626 m1652 & 1676 d1701} had 2 sons: John late of Ashburnham, gent {bc1650-3 d1704} & younger son Thomas gent Warbleton {bc1650-3 d1744}. John jnr had 2 sons: (i) Thomas gent of Ashburnham {bc1670s} (he sold land to his uncle Thomas {1650/3-1744} in 1736) & (ii) John {bc1670s m 1697 Sarah BAKER d1730}.
To try and clarify the John’s & Thomas’s in the Deed I have indicated their birth/bpt/mar/bur dates in {braces}; and the names in red are my direct ancestors. Certainly numerous ISTEDs descendants ended up in Ashburnham 1704+ (but none are located in Ashburnham PRs in the 1600s). I feel it is highly probable that the Ashburnham ISTEDs have links to Warbleton ISTEDs pre1700. A check was made to see if there was a 1692 Deed, alas nothing located so probably document destroyed or lost. If located it would’ve had more evidence.
From 1720-29 it was recorded that 3/- in the pound was to be paid upon all lands and 18/- in the hundred on stock in trade and road money to be paid by two half yearly payments. “Elliotts” was an earlier name used for “Tiles Farm”; “Averys” was probably another name for Trumpets Farm as the AVERY family were the original owners pre-1646; White Brook and Hug(g)letts were lands attached to Trumpets Farm; Old House/Farm also known as “Trumpets Farm”.
Warbleton Land Tax Records [ESRO: P45/55 + Warbleton & District History Group records] were a very useful rescource and listed below are some that concern - Thomas ISTED bc1650/3 d1744 & his son Thomas ISTED b1702 d 1789 + another son Richard b1719 d1808. {NB There is still a possibility that from 1692-1736 the John & Thomas ISTED mentioned are not my direct ancestors - ie could be John 1650/3-1704/12 or even his son John born c1670s Dallington son of John/Anne & died 1730 Ashburnham; & the Thomas might be one born c1670s Dallington a son of John/Anne?}
YEAR, DETAILS of OWNER/OCCUPIER, TAX ASSESSMENT, OTHER DETAILS
1692, John ISTED & Thomas ISTED, ?, - {probably Trumpets Farm}
1702-11, Thomas ISTED, £18, - { probably Trumpets Farm}
1720-36, Thomas ISTED, £18, - { probably Trumpets Farm}
1737-63, Thomas ISTED, £9, late Elliotts
1737-63, Thomas ISTED, £18, more for late Avery’s
1742-63, Thomas ISTED, £2, more for ye White Brook
1764, Elliotts & Avery’s to Richard ISTED {Thomas’s younger brother b1719 d1808}
1765-79, Thomas ISTED,£2? , White Brook for he lives in
1780-82, Thomas ISTED, £20, house & land & White Brook
1783, home farm & White Brook to Richard ISTED.
Thomas ISTED is recorded in some Poll Books:
i) 1705 Sussex Poll Book of Sussex (Poll for Knights of the Shire): 24 May 1705 Thomas ISTED of Warbleton voted for Pa & T. There were 23 other people from Warbleton who voted. [ESRO: Sussex Record Society Voume 4 page 62].
ii) 1 734 (9/10 May) Poll Book of Sussex: Thomas ISTED of Warbleton was listed as having voted for: The Rt Hon. Henry PELHAM Esq & James BUTLER Esq (two out of the four candidates; the other two being: Sir Cecil BISSHOPP Bart & John FULLER Esq). Again t here were 23 other people from Warbleton who voted. [copied from fiche booklet]
Thomas ISTED aged 91 (or 94 as per Sussex Church Memorials held at Barbican House) died on 3 May 1744 in Warbleton and was buried on 10 May in the churchyard of St Mary’s the Virgin, Warbleton [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR 501/1/1/3 page 9].
Thomas’s Will was made on 16 Feb 1736 , proved 12 July 1744 [ESRO: XA26/34; A57 p 80-83] -
‘ In the Name of God Amen. I Thomas ISTED of Warbleton in the county of Sussex , Gentleman, being of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding praised be Almighty God for the same. I do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in writing in manner and form following (that is to say) – First I give and devise unto my eldest son Thomas ISTED all that my Messuage or Tenement wherein I now dwell - with the Barn and Buildings thereto belonging. And also all that little house on the green near and adjoining called Bodle Street . And also all those several pieces or parcels of Land - arable, meadow and pasture thereto belonging lying and being in Warbleton aforesaid containing by estimation fifty and three acres more or less commonly called or known by the name of Trumpetts, Dilland, Whiteford Fields and Hugletts or by whatsoever other name or names the same are called or known with the appurtenances to hold to the said Thomas ISTED, his heirs and assigns for ever subject and liable to the Dower of Elizabeth my now wife. And also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth the now wife of Benjamin NOAKES - the sum of thirty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to her by my Executors hereinafter named within two years next after my decease. And also I give and bequeath unto Thomas NOAKES my grandson the son of my said daughter Elizabeth - the sum of thirty pounds of lawful money to be paid to him by my Executors hereinafter named at his age of one and twenty years. And also I give and bequeath unto my grandsons, John NOAKES, Lawrence NOAKES, Benjamin NOAKES and William NOAKES sons of my said daughter Elizabeth - and unto each of them the sum of ten pounds apiece of like lawful money to be paid to them at their several ages of one and twenty years by my Executors hereinafter named. And my further Will and meaning is and I do hereby declare it to be that in case any of my said Grandsons herein before mentioned shall happen to die before his or their legacies become due and payable that then and in such case the legacy and legacies of him or their dyeing, shall be paid to the survivors or survivor of them, share and share alike. And also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary ISTED - the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to her by my Executors hereinafter named within one year next after my decease.
And also I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Mary ISTED - the further sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money to be likewise paid to her by my Executors hereinafter named in the month of February, which shall be in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred forty and one (if she shall be then living) otherwise to remain in the hands of my Executors hereinafter named. And also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Anne ISTED - the sum of one hundred pounds of like lawful money to be paid to her by my Executors hereinafter named within one year next after my decease. And also I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Anne ISTED - the further sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money to be likewise paid to her by my Executors hereinafter named in the month of February, which shall be in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred forty and one (if she shall be then living) otherwise to remain in the hands of my Executors hereinafter named. And also I give and bequeath unto my son Richard ISTED - the sum of five shillings of like lawful money to be paid to him by my Executors hereinafter named within one month after my decease.
All the rest residue and remainder of my goods, chattels, rights and its personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever, any debts, legacies, funeral expenses and probate of this my Will being first satisfied, contented and paid - I give and bequeath unto my said wife, Elizabeth and my said eldest son, Thomas ISTED who I do hereby make nominate substitute ordain and appoint Executors of this my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I the said Thomas ISTED the Testator to this my last Will and Testament contained in two sheets of paper, set my hand and seal to earth. Sheet thereof this sixteenth day of February in the tenth year of our reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second, by the grace of our Lord of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland being defender of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred thirty and six. The mark of Thomas ISTED, signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Testator Thomas ISTED to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of and who in the presence of the said Testator have subscribed our names as Witnesses hereunto: Jn HOLMWOOD, William HACK, Wm SHADWELL.
The Will of Thomas ISTED of Warbleton, within the Archdeaconry of Lewes was proved the twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord - one thousand seven hundred and forty four, before the Reverend Mr Edward LUND, clerk surrogate upon the oath of Thomas ISTED, one of the Executors in the said Will named to whom was committed the administration of the goods and having first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same and so forth. Power being reserved for granting the like commission to Elizabeth ISTED, relict of the said deceased & the other Executor named in said Will to how she shall come in due form of Law to ask the same.’
It is interesting to see that youngest son, Richard receives only five shillings. Perhaps he caused offence within the family? Or was he the “black sheep” of the family? Perhaps he was already well catered for? Youngest sons were usually at a great disadvantage in a father’s will! He eventually owns Trumpets Farm (as per 1789 will of his brother Thomas).
Elizabeth ISTED aged 88, died on 28 January 1763/4 and was buried next to her husband in St Marys Churchyard at Warbleton on 1 February 1764 [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR 501/1/1/3]. Both have headstones (see ISTED website: www.isted.info/page23.html ).
Elizabeth ISTED’s Will was made 9 April 1760 and proved 18 February 1764 [ESRO: XA26/36; A61 page 5-6] –
‘In the Name of God Amen. I Elizabeth ISTED of the parish of Warbleton in the county of Sussex , Widow Spinster {not sure why spinster listed as well but suspect written in error} being in good health and of sound and disposing mind and memory (Thanks be to God for it). I make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in writing in manner and form following (that is to say) - principally and first of all I give and bequeath my soul unto the Lord of Almighty God who gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be decently buried in a Christian manner at the discretion of Executors hereinafter named. And as forthing such worldly goods who with it hath pleased Almighty God to blessing. I give and dispose of them in form and manner following Viz. (namely):
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my loving sons Thomas ISTED and Richard ISTED - to each of them the sum of ten shillings and sixpence of good and lawful money of Great Britain , to be paid unto them by my Executors hereinafter named in, two months after my decease.
Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Thomas NOAKS {spelt this way without ‘E’} the sum of twenty four pounds of like lawful money of Great Britain , to be paid unto him by my Executors hereinafter named in two months after my decease. Also I give and bequeath unto my grandson Thomas NOAKS the further sum of five pounds of like lawful money of Great Britain to buy him a sute {suit} of mourning. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Richard NOAKS - the sum of twelve pounds of like lawful money of Great Britain , to be paid unto him by my Executors hereinafter named in, two months after my decease.
Item, all the residue and remainder of my estate whatsoever or wheresoever I give unto my three daughters, namely: Elizabeth the wife of Benjamin NOAKS of Mountfield, and Mary ISTED and Ann the wife of Francis MORRIS of Mountfield, aforesaid whom I appoint as my Executors of this my last Will and Testament, to them and their heirs forever equally to be divided between them share and share alike. They first paying and discharging out of the same all my debts legacies and funeral expenses and probate of this my last Will & Testament.
And I hereby revoke and make void all former Will or Wills by me and declare this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this ninth day of April in year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty. The mark of Elizabeth ISTED - Signed, Sealed, published and declared be the last Will and Testament of the said Testator in presence of us who in the Testators presence have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses: Thomas CORNFORD, William TICK, Richard BUTCHER.
The Will of Elizabeth ISTED of Warbleton within the Archdeaconry of Lewes, widow deceased was proved the eighteenth day of February in the year of our Lord - one thousand seven hundred and sixty four, before the Reverend Mr William WILLIAMS clerk surrogate and so forth upon the oath Elizabeth the wife of Benjamin NOAKS, on e of the Executors in the said Will named to whom was committed the Administration of the goods, etc. She being first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same and so forth; a power being reserved for granting the like commission to Mary ISTED & Ann, wife of Francis MORRIS the other Executors named in the said Will named when they shall commission in due form of Law to require the same.’
12 Richard ISTED (1719-1808) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 5x great-grandfather)
Family of Richard ISTED (1719-1808) & Philadelphia CORNFORD (1742-1819) married 1763 Warbleton , Sussex :
1 Henry ISTED b c1766? Warbleton?, m ?, d 1789+ 1828? Ashburnham?
2 John ISTED b 1769 Warbleton, m 1798 Herstmonceux = Mary FO(R?)STER, d 1808 Hx
3 Thomas ISTED b 1772 Warbleton, m 1794 Hailsham = Hannah LONGLEY, d 1841 Hx
(= not married) Charity COLLINS + (= not married) Mary POOK.
4 Betsy ISTED b 1774 Warbleton, m 1792 Warbleton = Thomas DAN(N), d 1842-9 Warbleton?
5 Richard ISTED b 1776 Warbleton, m 1798 Hastings = Anna Maria PHILCOX, d 1858 Hailsham
6 William ISTED b 1778 Warbleton, m 1802 Warbleton = Sarah LADE, d 1861 Herstmonceux
7 James ISTED b 1780 Warbleton, m 1808 Lewes = Philadelphia WHITING, d 1842 Portsea, HAM
8 Mary ISTED b 1782 Warbleton, m 1801 Warbleton = John LADE, d 1816 Herstmonceux
9 Benjamin ISTED b 1784 Warbleton, m 1819 Bexhill = Sarah BUTLER, 1851+
10 Hannah ISTED b 1786 Warbleton, d 1786 Warbleton
11 Ann ISTED b 1788 Warbleton, m 1816 Warbleton = James EASTON , d 1830 Warbleton.
In the Bishop’s transcripts of Warbleton PR “baptisms” it is interesting to note all the various spellings for Philadelphia ISTED – eg: Phylidelfya, Phillipa, Tilly, Filley. Richard ISTED was born in the early part of 1719 and was baptised on 10 May 1719 at St Marys Church in Warbleton, county of Sussex . He was the sixth child and youngest son of Thomas and Elizabeth ISTED nee SYNNOCK [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/2 page 25].
Richard ISTED {actually spelt as EISTED on the record – so yet another but less common variant} married (by licence) on 20 October 1763 at St Marys Church in Warbleton to Philadelphia CORNFORD (bpt 12 August 1742 daughter of Samuel and Martha CORNFORD, nee CLIFFORD). The parish register record (No.46) stated both were of this parish; both used their “mark” instead of signatures; witnesses: John TRILL & Henry DURRANT; curate was Richard JOHNSTON. [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/4 page 12 no.46]
Unlike his father and grandfather who were of Gent status, Richard for most of his life was probably only of Yeoman status. This occurred probably because he did not inherit much money (as a result of his father’s 1744 will) compared with his siblings. Land Tax Records show that he did own/occupy Trumpets Farm c1783-1808 and inherited lands upon the death of his elder brother, Thomas (d1789) and his sister, Mary (d1781) – Richard was sole executor of their wills. Richard does get mentioned a few times in the Herstmonceux Manor Court Record Books in 1732, 1760, and in 1777. In 1732 it was documented that Richard was to be given 16 acres of land called Kerpsies, lying in Herstmonceux [P23/13 & 14; TQ619 145] when he reached the age of 21; meantime custody was granted to his brother Thomas. In 1760, Richard is given permission to cut down trees to use for repairs of buildings and fences on his lands. In 1777, Richard surrendered the 16 acres of land to Nicholas FOORD, a yeoman of Herstmonceux. NB There were no ISTEDs owning/occupying Kerpses Farmhouse, just an entry on the “Merry Harriers” section in Cowbeech (hamlet of Herstmonceux) – which became a pub in the mid-late 18th century. The property originally known in 1624 as “Kyrkesbye” was a messuage with 13 acres of land and there was also a cottage with another acre which was known by the same name. By 1683 it was known as “Kyrpseys and divided into three parts. John BAKER of Wartling was the owner of both parts of Kyrpseys from c1699 to early 1700s.
[ESRO: ACC2797 Book 1, page 232-234] Herstmonceux Manor - Manor Court held 20 October 1732 – a transcription is as follows –
‘Presented by the homage that out of court 4th day of March last, Sara{h} BAKER, a customary tenant surrendered into the hand of the Lord of the Manor, by acceptance of William SHADWELL, deputy steward, according to the custom of the manor – a messuage, barn, garden and certain customary lands containing by estimation 16 acres called Kerpses lying in Herstmonceux, to use & behoof of Richard son of Thomas ISTED of Warbleton in county of Sussex, gent, his heir in perpetuity. And to this court comes Richard ISTED in person and seeks admittance to the customary tenement aforesaid called Kerpses according to the terms of a document of surrender of the aforesaid Sarah BAKER to Richard ISTED. The Lord of the Manor aforesaid, by his steward, granted the customary messuage and premises aforesaid with that pertaining unto it {appurtenances} with possession by jurisdiction of the court to have and to hold the messuage & premises aforesaid pertaining to it, to the said Richard ISTED & his heirs for ever by copy of the Court Role {Roll} at the will of the Lord according to the custom of the manor aforesaid by accustomed rent and all service in respect thereof previously paid & by right accustomed and he is admitted thereupon to take possession by jurisdiction of the court & gives to the Lord in fine £10 sterling as obliged to by custom. And because the aforesaid Richard ISTED is an infant {minor} and has neither power to look after himself nor his land, therefore custody of his body & land of the aforesaid Richard ISTED is given to Thomas ISTED his brother, to have and to hold until Richard ISTED comes to his full age of 20 & 1 years, by copy of Court Roll at the will of the Lord according to the customs and all services thereof formerly owed and by right accustomed on condition that the aforesaid Thos. ISTED looks after the tenement prudently and well & keeps the buildings in sufficient repair and provides food and drink, clothing and all other things suitable and necessary and at full age to tender an account of the premises and is given custody (put in possession) and gives to the Lord as a fine 5/-.’
[ESRO: ACC2797 Book 2, page 87] – Herstmonceux Manor - Manor Court held 9 June 1760 -
‘At this Court the Licence granted the 9th June 1760 to Richard ISTED one of the customary tenants of the said Manor, to cut down and to use such and so many trees growing and being upon his Customary or Copyhold Lands and premises holden of the said Manor & shall from time to time be assigned and set out by the Woodward or Woodreeve of the said Manor for the time being for the necessary reparations {repairs} of the buildings and fences belonging of and belonging to the said estate or premises. So as such trees and earth? and every of them be from time to time employed in and about such repairs aforesaid otherwise the said licence to be void and of no effect is recorded.’
[ESRO: ACC2797 Book 2, page 221] – Herstmonceux Manor A special Court Baron, 2 Jan 1777 -
‘A Special Court Baron of the Reverend Robert HARE?, Clerk, Lord of the said Manor there held at the instance and request of Richard ISTED , yeoman, the second day of January in the 17th year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France & Ireland, King defender of the faith and so forth. And in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven before John SINNOCK gentleman Deputy Steward for this ..?. of Charles GILBERD gentleman Chief Steward of the said manor. Witness: Thomas CHRISMAS & Edward BROMLEY. At this Court the said Richard ISTED surrenders into the hands of the Lord of the said Manor by the .?. and acceptance of the said Deputy Steward according to the custom of the Manor aforesaid – one messuage, barn, garden and certain customary lands containing by estimation sixteen acres called Kerpses situate lying and being in Herstmonceux and holden of the said Manor. And the reversions and reversions .?. remainder and remainders rents, issues & profits thereof and every part and parcel thereof. And also all the estate right title interest use first properly claim and demand whatsoever of him and the said Richard ISTED of in or to the said premises and every or any part of or parcel thereof to the use and behoof of Nicholas FOORD of Herstmonceux aforesaid yeoman and his heirs and assigns for ever. And the said Nicholas FOORD being present in Court desires to be admitted to the premises aforesaid with the appurtenances according to the tenor and effect of the said surrender. To whom the Lord of the said Manor he pays for a fine £12.’
In 1767 Parliament voted £15,000 derived from a duty on foreign linens to be used to encourage the growth and preparation of flax and hemp in the country. By 21 George III, c58 (1781) continued by 26 George III, c43 (1786), Quarter Session Courts were used to check claims to the bounties. The claimant had to get his claim countersigned by a justice and two parish officers, which was then submitted to the Quarter Sessions. The lists were then advertised; the Court finally determined the claims and sent in a list to the Commissioners of Trades & Plantations. Bounties were later distributed by Quarter Sessions from money released by the Receiver of the Land Tax for the County. In 1790, Richard ISTED is mentioned in a “Register of Claims for Hemp & Flax Bounties”. He had 12 acres of flax on a farm called Old House {ie Trumpets} in Warbleton, which produced in weight 255 stones 10 pound for the market; the claimant was Michael GOLDSMITH of Warbleton. [ESRO: QDH/EW1 page 120]
Warbleton Land Tax Records mostly re Richard ISTED (1719-1808):
YEAR, DETAILS of OWNER/OCCUPIER, TAX ASSESSMENT, OTHER DETAILS
1764-83, Richard ISTED, £11 + £2, for Elliotts & Avery’s
1783-94, Richard ISTED, £30 + £11, home farm & Whitebrook & late Elliotts
1795, John ISTED, £30, home farm his own land (from Richard)
1796-97, R ichard ISTED, £30, home farm (from John ISTED {his son})
1798-1801, John ISTED & Thomas ISTED, £30, own land in own occ (from Rich. ISTED)
1802-4, Thomas LADE, £12, house {Thomas probably b1761 d1838}
1805-6, Richard ISTED, £12, house & land
1807, Fill LADE, ?, house {Fill prob Trill LADE bpt 1782}
1808, Edward HART, ?, house {Richard d 1808, but his sons inherit}
East Sussex “Land Tax 1785”
PARISH, OWNERS , OCCUPIERS, LANDS, RENTAL {my remarks}
Herstmonceux, Richard ISTED , himself, -, £5, {Richard b1719 m1763 d1808 “Alehouse”?}
Warbleton, Thomas ISTED, Richard ISTED, Home Farm & Whitebrook £20, {1702-1789, re “Trumpets Farm”}
Warbleton, Richard ISTED, Richard ISTED, late Elliotts, £11, {Ric. 1719-1808; re “Tiles Farm”}
Wartling, Richard ISTED, himself, part of Bemils £4, {Richard 1719-1808; still to locate “Bemils”}
Wartling, Richard ISTED, Richard ISTED, part of Barns, £7, {Richard 1719-1808; still to locate “Barns”} NB It is confusing how Richard can occupy several houses at one time! But that is what the records show; I’m sure there are no other miscellaneous Richard ISTED’s that link. Bemils/Barns might be “Bemsells”? Or it might have something to do with Fareham Farmhouse?
Richard ISTED also owned/occupied Tyles/Tiles (also known as Elliotts) Farmhouse in parish of Warbleton & Bodle Street Green [P45/30]. The history of this property has not as yet been fully researched though it is known that it formed two tenements of Bucksteep manor, the one being a messuage, barn and 30 acres of copyhold land called Tiles, the other, 11 acres of freehold land called Mill land [ESRO: D 165 Box 11]. In 1735 the property was conveyed by Peter ELLIOTT to Thomas ISTED, the latter having obtained a deed of enfranchisement the same year (ditto). In 1838 the farm was in the owner-occupation of Jesse SMITH and comprised 44½ acres, sufficiently close to the 41 acre manorial holding to suggest that the ancient boundaries then survived intact. A two bay building incorporating an exceptionally short (11 foot 9 inch) terminal hall at its western end (described as medieval - no specific date). The western bay was added in the 16th century, the chimney in the early 17th century. The building was tile hung, the roof rebuilt at a lower pitch, and the lower half under-built in brick in the late 18th, 19th centuries.
Richard ISTED is also mentioned in several other Deeds:
i) 16 February 1736 Deed of Covenant by Thomas ISTED junr. of Warbleton, gent with Joseph MORFEY of Warbleton, miller and Richard ISTED of the same place, gent, youngest brother of-the said Thomas in consideration of natural love and affection to stand seized of a messuage, barn, buildings and lands called Tiles containing 30 acres at Bodle Street in Warbleton. And also 2 pieces of land containing 11 acres called the Freehold land in Warbleton. Signature: Thomas ISTED junr. [ESRO: SAS/HB329]
ii) In a Warbleton lease dated 27 September 1804 , Richard ISTED leases to his son, William for one year - a messuage or tenement barn, buildings and land containing 30 acres called “Tiles” in Warbleton in the occupation of John ISTED. And two parcels of land in Warbleton containing eleven acres called Freehold land. + 27 September 1804 - Lease for a year by, Richard ISTED of Bodle Street Green, in Warbleton, yeoman, to William ISTED of Bodle Street Green in Herstmonceux, wheelwright and John SINNOCK, jnr of Hailsham, gent, a trustee for the said William, of a messuage or tenement barn, buildings and land containing 30 acres called Tiles near Bodle Street Green in Warbleton, in the occupation of John ISTED {another son of Richard}, late of Peter ELLIOTT and of 2 parcels of land in Warbleton containing 11 acres called the Freehold land, abutting to the highway from Bodle Street Green to Rushlake Green, N and W. Mark of Richard ISTED and seal. [ESRO: SAS/HB330].
Richard appears to not have been able to write, perhaps due to him being the youngest son and not expected to inherit much. We can therefore assume that he wasn’t provided with much education when he was younger and never learnt during later life.
28 September l804 - Release in fee between the same parties - Philley the wife of the said Richard ISTED being also a party - for £1050 of the said messuage, lands and premises described in lease for a year. Marks of Richard and Philley ISTED & seals. Witnesses: Wm LAMBERT, John SINNOCK junr [ESRO: SAS/HB331].
Richard ISTED was involved with two more properties:
i) Fareham Farm in parish of Wartling [TQ642 143+ 640 147; P46/94] - Basically a house and field comprising c13 acres 1767-1806: owned by Richard ISTED 1780-1806 and rented by him 1767-1806, owner 1750-1779 Thomas KING. Described in 1844 Wartling tithe award as a cottage + 13a 3r 12p of land. Further data is on the A2a website re [ Additional Manuscripts, Catalogue T, Catalogue Ref. AMST/ ..?.. {no ref number}] - Deeds of Fareham Farm , Herstmonceux – ‘ On 28 & 29 Sep 1804 Richard ISTED of Bodle Street Green in Warbleton yeoman and his wife Philly sold a toft where a house called Beards had stood, otherwise called Coppers Farm with 12a arable, meadow, pasture and wood, in Wartling, formerly occupied by John CROUCH and by ISTED, to William LAMBERT of Hailsham, grocer and draper, in trust for John LADE of Bodle Street Green in Herstmonceux, yeoman, for £220. ISTED had purchased the farm from Daniel DAVIS of Ewhurst gent in 1753 (1, 2).’
{NB Some of the above data was also given to me in 1998 by the Warbleton & District History Group and it stated that Richard ISTED rented Fareham Farm 1767-1806 although owned it 1780-1806. Probably Coppers Farm was near Fareham Farm. A toft is an enclosed “yard” adjacent to a farmhouse, off of which there are usually some outbuildings - sheds, stables, possibly a small barn, etc. It seems likely that the farmhouse - Beards - had been demolished or destroyed leaving the toft with some commercial use and value.}
ii) Alehouse (or Ale House) Farm in parish of Herstmonceux [TQ649 142; P23/14] This is a 15th century hall house with a very fine moulded beam. In pre-1643 it was two freehold tenements of Cowden Manor; from 1675-1839 it was about 27 acres and owned/occupied by three ISTEDs from 1780-1808:
1 Richard ISTED (1719-1808) yeoman and out-dweller of Warbleton bought property from Nicholas FOORD in 1780 and occupied it until c1799.
2 Later it was sold (at an uncertain date) to his son John ISTED (1769-1808) who owned it 1805-8.
3 It was rented/occupied by James ISTED (1780-1842) from c1800-1808; then sold to Jesse SMITH in 1809. In the late 19th century this place would have been in the area known as Bodle Street Green.
Richard ISTED died mid-April 1808 in Warbleton, having lived to a good age of 88 years. There is an interesting word (comment) made beside his burial entry in St Marys Warbleton Parish Register ‘April 19th Richard ISTED (88) – Sermon’ [ESRO: XA30/21; PAR501/1/1/5]. P erhaps the parish clerk gave a moral lecture &/or a religious speech from the church pulpit or when he was actually buried. It wasn’t usual for a vicar to give a sermon at burial services, unless it was requested and paid for.
Unfortunately it appears he did not make a will, which would have provided interesting reading, as he and his wife had produced up to eleven children and no doubt they would have been mentioned. At least there is a reasonable amount of information on the children that has been gleaned from several documents in my research. Philadelphia ISTED died aged 77 in Warbleton and was buried in St Marys Churchyard at Warbleton on 24 April 1819 at Warbleton [ESRO: XA30/22; PAR501/1/1/5 page 9]. There is no headstone for Richard & Philadelphia; nor is there any probate.
13 Thomas ISTED (1772-1841) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 4x great-grandfather)
6th Generation (Bruce ISTED’s 4x great-grandparents)
Family of Thomas ISTED (1772-1841) & Hannah LONGLEY (c1764-1845) m 1794 Hailsham:
1 Thomas ISTED b 1800 Hailsham, m 1822 Herstmonceux = Mercy DEEPROSE, d 1876 Hx.
{Thomas & Mercy and their descendants all used surname as HISTED from 1822+!}
Family of Thomas ISTED (1772-1841) & Charity COLLINS (1777-1852) not married only defacto/partners:
1 Henry Isted COLLINS born (as COLLINS) 1804 Ashburnham, married (as COLLINS) 1830 Herstmonceux = Elizabeth SAXBY , d (as ISTED) 1872 Southsea, HAM.
2? Mary ISTED b c1806 Hailsham? Hx?, m 1830 Herstmonceux = John MILES, d 1864 Southsea
3 Ann Isted COLLINS b 1808 Warbleton, m 1838 Hailsham = Richard WHITE, d 1872-1881 BKM
{Issue 1-3 born illegitimate, 1 & 3 baptised as COLLINS (had middle name as Isted) and in 1836 took on ISTED surname; issue 2 (ie Mary ISTED) is not proven as a child of Thomas & Charity but she coincidentally married on same day as Henry and her husband (John MILES) worked in the Brewery trade in Southsea, Hampshire, as did Henry ISTED in the last few years of his life; and they all died in Hampshire.}
Family of Thomas ISTED (1772-1841) & Mary POOK (1784-1874) not married:
1 Delia ISTED/POOK b 1811 Herstmonceux, m 1829 Hx = Joseph MERCER, d c1861-71 Ashb?
Thomas ISTED was born in 1772 in Warbleton parish, county of Sussex in England . He was baptised at St Marys Church in Warbleton on 31 August 1772 , son (3rd child of 11) of Richard & Philadelphia ISTED nee CORNFORD [ESRO: XA/30/21; PAR501/1/1/5 page 4].
Thomas ISTED was one of the more (dare I say it) “scandalous” ancestors as he had at least two affairs (while still married or he may have been separated?) with spinsters Charity COLLINS (Bruce’s 4xgt-grandmother) and Mary POOK. Offspring was produced from each partner. It is possible that both Charity and Mary were servants in the household of Thomas. Whether he intentionally changed his surname from ISTED to HISTED it is not known but more likely the name was initially written down how the name sounded by the parish clerk. It is highly probable then that he was the same Thomas HISTED (bachelor of Herstmonceux) who had married Hannah LONGLEY (spinster of Hailsham) on 13 October 1794 at St Mary the Virgin Church in Hailsham. Both parties used their mark “X” Witnesses: James LONGLEY (father or brother of Hannah?), Walter JENNER [ESRO: PAR353/1/1/9]. Banns were called in August/September 1794 for Thomas & Hannah. Hannah LONGLEY was born c1764 possibly in the parish of Hailsham or Frant; the latter parish had several occurrences with this surname but so far no definite baptism has been located.
Thomas and Hannah had one child, Thomas ISTED (by 1822 his surname had became HISTED) born 25 December 1800 and bpt 18 January 1801 Hailsham. He became a Tailor and married Mercy DEEPROSE on 22 June 1822 in Herstmonceux. They had 10 children born in this parish, some with similar Christian names (eg: Spencer, Frederick & Herbert) to those used in other branches of my ISTED families. The Thomas (H)ISTED (junior, born 1800) would have been a half brother to my 3x great-grandfather, Henry ISTED, born 1804.
Hannah ISTED was admitted into the membership of the Hailsham Baptist Church on 3 July 1814 . In the 1841 Census, Hannah (ISTEAD) aged 75 is found living in “Hearbety” Harebeating (outskirts of Hailsham) with the BURTON family: George ag lab 30, Harriott 30, Lucy 2, George 10m [HO107/1114 folio 10 page 11]. At the age of 80 Hannah died on 27 February 1845 at Hailsham. Cause of death was “decay of nature” and her occupation “widow of Thomas HISTED, lab”; the informant was her son Thomas HISTED of Herstmonceux (ie one born 1800 Hailsham). Death registered 28 Feb 1845 [GRO death certificate]. Hannah was probably buried in the churchyard of the Hailsham Baptist Chapel in Feb/Mar 1845 (a plan dated 1911 of this Chapel is held at ESRO and it features a Mrs HISTED marked on Plot 61 – situated just to the left of the centre path and close to the outer wall). If this plot is not her’s then it must be Ellen ISTED died 1907 (widow of Spencer).
In the Sussex Militia List of 1803 , Southern Division, Pevensey Rape is listed:
Hailsham, Thomas ISTED , labourer, class 4 (ie married & aged between 17 & 55), “blind with one eye” (in remarks). This is highly likely to be Thomas 1772-1841 despite the fact he is listed as a labourer at that time. The remark is interesting and at first I wondered if that might be a hereditary/genetic trait because my father is also blind in one eye (was said to born blind but was not discovered until he was about 10 years of age!). It would be hard to prove whether Thomas was born blind or whether it was a result of an accident between 1772-1803.
Thomas’s first known affair was with Charity COLLINS who was baptised as Charetey COLLINGS on 13 August 1777 in the parish of Warbleton, daughter of Thomas and Ann COLLINGS {sic COLLINS}. [ESRO: XA/30/21; PAR501/1/1/5?]
Thomas and Charity had at least two (possibly three?) illegitimate children: Henry Isted COLLINS (1804 Ashburnham – I have his Bastardy Bond as proof), Mary ISTED (born c1806 Hailsham – no baptism located & not proven), Ann Isted COLLINS (born 1808 Warbleton).
Thomas ISTED (Yeoman of Trumpets Farm 1798-1823) became a Gamekeeper (to Henry JACKSON, Esquire and William COOPER, Gent ) on the Manor of Bucksteep in the parish of Warbleton on 27 August 1811 . [ Sussex Record Society Volume 51 page 97 “Deputations of Gamekeepers ”]. The gamekeeper’s life was a busy one, in which he devoted all his skill to raising birds which would, after a successful shooting season, end up in the game larders of his “Gov’nor” and friends. His responsibilities included rearing the birds, keeping down predators, discouraging poachers and organizing shooting parties.
The second affair that Thomas had was with Mary POOK and they had an illegitimate child Delia Isted POOK baptised on 7 April 1811 Herstmonceux (PR actually stated both parents). Delia would have been a half sister to Henry ISTED (COLLINS) and also to Ann ISTED (COLLINS); and also to Thomas 1800-1876. Delia married as a POOK 16 August 1829 Herstmonceux to Joseph MERCER an ag lab from Pevensey. It would appear that Thomas & Mary would have been living together because there was a licence of marriage at Lewes on 8 January 1819 for: Thomas ISTED , farmer of Warbleton, bachelor, age 46, & Mary POOK of the same parish, single, age 33. It appears that this marriage did not take place as the affidavit was signed but the bond was not. (Probably because someone found out that he was already married which would have resulted in Thomas being a bigamist if this marriage took place!) The Bondsmen were: Thomas ISTED (himself) and Joseph MORFEY of Warbleton, bricklayer. Mary POOK was baptised on the 3 October 1784 Herstmonceux and was the daughter of William and Elizabeth POOK nee COLLINS. Mary eventually married Samuel MESSAGE a farmer & widower on 3 April (or Nov? [VRIBI]) 1830 Herstmonceux (no issue from this couple). Samuel died on 11 February 1870 and Mary died on 13 June 1874 , both buried in Herstmonceux churchyard.
So there were at least three proven illegitimate children born to Thomas. At this period of time there would not be many people who did not have at least one illegitimate child in their ancestry. Although one might think this is scandalous, it is no more so than what happens today in our modern world; except in those days it would have been kept hushed up! At least the (paternal) ISTED name was carried on, even though the COLLINS surname appears to have been used for at least 32 years (1804-1836). It was about early 1836 when the COLLINS name was officially dropped, as this appears to coincide with Henry ISTED being appointed as “Clerk to the Hailsham Union Workhouse” on 25 April 1836 .
Thomas ISTED and his brother, William both of Warbleton are listed in a Sussex Election/Poll Book of 1820 [page 113]. Both Thomas and William voted in the Hastings Rape for Walter BURRELL Esq & Edward Jeremiah CURTEIS Esq. To be eligible to vote, one usually had to have freehold land of a certain annual value. Tenants of land, whatever the value weren’t included until the 1832 Parliament Act and only about one seventh of the adult male population voted then, so presumably in 1820 it was much less than that.
Warbleton Land Tax Records mostly re Thomas ISTED (1772-1841):
YEAR, DETAILS of OWNER/OCCUPIER, TAX ASSESSMENT, OTHER DETAILS
1798-1801, John ISTED & Thomas ISTED, £30, own land in own occ (from Rich. ISTED)
1802-1822, Thomas ISTED, £12, old house & lands
1802-1822, Thomas ISTED, £6, Hugletts
1822, Thomas ISTED , £?, Stonelands (proprietor Mr SYMS from him & to Jesse SMITH in 1823)
1823, James LADE, £12?, old house & lands + Hugletts.
In 1823, Thomas ISTED, Yeoman of Warbleton, sold Trumpets Farm to James LADE of Warbleton. James may have been either bpt 1779 Warbleton son of Thomas/Elizabeth nee HALL or bpt 1786 Dallington son of Thomas/Elizabeth nee TRILL. The LADE family were closely associated with the ISTEDs in the 1800s (three marriages resulted).
Thomas HISTED, labourer of Gardner Street, Herstmonceux aged 77 (sic should have been Thomas ISTED age c68-70; unless he was in fact born c1764 which is a possibility) died on 12 March 1841 in Herstmonceux, The cause of death was “decay of nature”; informant was his eldest son, Thomas HISTED of Herstmonceux [GRO death certificate]. He was buried on 15 March 1841 in the churchyard of All Saints Herstmonceux [ESRO: PAR399/1/1?/? page? #504]. There is no headstone.
It is a pity that a will (probate) for Thomas (H)ISTED snr has not turned up in my research, as it could have thrown more light on this rather controversial ancestor and his family. My 4x great-grandmother Charity COLLINS (partner of Thomas ISTED) has so far not been located in the 1841 census. Perhaps she was under a different surname? Or had she missed being enumerated. There were only a few Charity’s living in Sussex but none were expected surname. The closest match (age wise) is in the 1841 Census parish of Hellingly [HO107/1114/11 folio 22 page 1]
ADDRESS: Willshurst
NAME, AGE, OCCUPATION, BORN IN COUNTY
John RICHARDSON, 30, Farmer, Y
Orpah RICHARDSON, 25, -, Y
Mary RICHARDSON, 1, -, Y
NK {not known} RICHARDSON , 1m?, Y
Stephen DANN, 25, Ag Lab, Y
Stephen GANDER , 20, Ag Lab, Y
James BENNETT, 15, Ag Lab, Y
Mary WOODGATE, 15, F.S., Y
Caroline KITCHEN, 14, F.S., Y
Charity POORY? {was this a mistake for COLLINS?}, 65, F.S.,
1851 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex [HO107/1638 folio 80 page 16] ADDRESS: Hawkes House (57). {The main headings/columns of the census are}:
NAME, RELATIONSHIP, CONDITION, SEX, AGE, OCCUPATION, BIRTHPLACE
Charity COLLINS, Head, Unmarried, F, 73, -, Warbleton , Sussex
NB the next household (58) was at Hemsted Lane ; the household before Charity was the SMITHs (schedule 56) and it appears that there were two dwellings within the same property.
Charity COLLINS, aged 75 years, died on 20 May 1852 at Hailsham and was buried on 26 May 1852 (in an unmarked grave) in St Mary’s Hailsham churchyard. She died from Phthisis Pulmonalis (a bacterial disease that affected the lungs – what we now call TB or Tuberculosis), one (or14?) years certified. The informant present at her death was her son, Henry ISTED of Hailsham. Death registered on 22 May 1852 ; Registrar: Henry POTTER [ESRO: PAR353/1/5/1 page 104 #828].
General Background notes on Herstmonceux
The parish of Herstmonceux (sometimes spelt Hurstmonceux) is in the Foxearle Hundred and Pevensey Rape in the county of East Sussex . It includes hamlets of: Flowers Green, Gardner Street , Stunts Green, Gingers Green, Cowbeech and part of Windmill Hill. Herstmonceux is three miles east of Hailsham and 10 miles south-west of Battle , and is 4 miles from the Sussex coast. The parish area is 5,039 acres and is somewhat sparsely wooded, there being only about 500 acres of wood and plantations. Herstmonceux is famous for being the only place in Great Britain where trug baskets are made, formed of slips of peeled wood. The “Trug” is an oval shaped wooden basket that is a Jack-of-all-Trades in the garden and home. Also well-known is Herstmonceux Castle that was built in 1441 by Sir Roger FIENNES. The moated Herstmonceux Castle , which in 1946 became the home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, is one of the earliest important brick buildings in the country. The church of All Saints at Herstmonceux consists of chancel, north chapel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, north and south porches, and tower at the west of the north aisle. The existing church dates from about 1190 but was rebuilt and extended at later stages. The ancient village would have been sited near the Castle and Church but moved to its present site (ie Gardner Street ) probably at the time of building the Castle in 1441. The population of Herstmonceux between 1831-1931 was generally between 1,200 to 1,500 people.
14 Henry ISTED (1804-1872) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 3x great-grandfather)
Family of Henry ISTED (1804-1872) & Elizabeth SAXBY (c1805-1872) married 1830 Herstmonceux , Sussex
1 Spencer ISTED b 1828 Battle , unmarried, d 1847 Hailsham {1st child born illegitimate bpt as SAXBY, died as ISTED; issue 2 & 3 bpt as COLLINS, in 1836 took ISTED surname.}
2 Egbert Thomas ISTED b (born as COLLINS) 1832 Herstmonceux, married (as ISTED) 1854 Lewes = Ellen ELLIOTT , died (as ISTED) 1903 Hailsham
3 Osa Selwyn Albert ISTED b 1835 Herstmonceux, unmarried, d 1856 Hailsham
4 Albert Alwin ISTED b 1837 Herstmonceux, unmarried, d 1866 Southsea, HAM
5 Agnes ISTED b 1838 Hellingly, m 1873 Hackney = William Bartholomew CLEVERLY, d 1901+
6 Flora Ja ISTED b 1840 Hellingly m 1866 West Hackney =Thomas YOUNGMAN, d 1901+
7 Jane ISTED b 1842 Hailsham, d 1842 Hailsham.
(NB issue no.1 Spencer was an illegitimate child of Elizabeth ; issue 2 & 3 were actually baptised as COLLINS!)
Henry ISTED was my favourite ancestor because he had a very interesting life which is well documented; plus I give him full credit for changing his birth surname of COLLINS back to ISTED! He was born on 14 April 1804 in the parish of Ashburnham, county of Sussex and was the illegitimate son of Thomas ISTED and Charity COLLINS. I was extremely fortunate to locate a Bastardy Bond for Henry dated 14 August 1804 at Ashburnham. Without this document it would have taken much longer to track and prove Henry’s parents! Furthermore, to find Henry’s baptism that mentioned his full name was even more proof that he used “Isted” as part of his name – Henry Isted COLLINS baptised 19 August 1804 St Peters Ashburnham, son of Charity COLLINS. Charity was baptised on 13 August 1777 Warbleton, daughter of Thomas and Ann COLLINS. Charity may have worked as a servant in Thomas’s house in Warbleton and as soon as she was found to be pregnant, perhaps Mrs ISTED told her to leave! But why did she go to Ashburnham? Did she go there to get employment? Or did she have family or friends living there? [ESRO : PAR233/1/1/3] {NB The Bishops Transcript looked more like 29th August.}
The 1804 Bastardy Bond reads as follows [ESRO: PAR233/34/4/7] –
‘The Order of Lords as appt and John FULLER Esq; two of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace in and for the said County one whereof is of the quorum, and both residing next unto the limits of the Parish Church within the parish of Ashburnham in the said county made the fourteenth day of August in the year of our lord 1804, concerning a male Bastard child, lately born in the said parish of Ashburnham aforesaid of the body of Charity COLLINS late of Ashburnham aforesaid single woman. Whereas it hath appeared unto us the said Justices, as well upon the Complaint of the Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Parish of Ashburnham as upon the Oath of the said Charity COLLINS … that the said Charity COLLINS on the fourteenth day of April now last past, was delivered of a male Bastard Child, at the parish of Ashburnham in the said county and that the said male Bastard Child is likely to be chargeable to the said Parish of Ashburnham and further, that Thomas ISTED of the parish of Warbleton in the said county, yeoman did beget the said Bastard Child on the Body of her the said Charity COLLINS and Whereas the said Thomas ISTED hath been summoned to appear before us this day to show cause why he should not be deemed the accused father of the said Bastard Child. We therefore, upon Examination of the Cause and Circumstances of the Premises, as well upon Oath of the said Charity COLLINS as otherwise, do hereby adjudge him the said Thomas ISTED to be the reputed father of the said Bastard Child. And thereupon we do order, as well for the better Relief of the said Parish of Ashburnham as for the Sustentation and Relief of the said Bastard Child, that the said Thomas ISTED shall and do forthwith, upon Notice of this our Order, pay, or cause to be paid to the said Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said parish of Ashburnham or to some or one of them, {next 5 lines crossed out} the sum of three shillings Weekly and every Week from the present time for and towards the Keeping, Sustentation, and Maintenance of the said Bastard Child for and during so long Time as the said Bastard Child shall be chargeable to the said Parish of Ashburnham.
And we do further order, that the said Charity COLLINS shall also pay or cause to be paid to the said Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor of the said Parish of Ashburnham for the time being, or to some or one of them, the Sum of six pence Weekly and every Week, so long as the said Bastard Child shall be chargeable to the said Parish of Ashburnham in case she shall not nurse and take Care of the said Child herself. Given under our Hands and Seals, the Day and year that above written. Signed: …?.. & John FULLER.’ [ESRO: PAR233/34/4/7] {NB A2A Archives has reference ending with 6.}
Ashburnham is a scattered community. In its steep and twisting lanes are two important reminders of the county’s industrial past. Near Ponts Green (a hamlet) was a brickworks with the last wood-fired kiln in Sussex, still in use until 1968, and near Ashburnham Forge was the last iron furnace (1813) to be worked in the county, where firebacks were the specialty. The history of the village is interwoven with the ancient family that bears its name. The church stands beside the family mansion ( Ashburnham Park – landscaped by Capability BROWN) given to the Ashburnham Christian Trust as a centre for the training of lay members of the Church of England. In 1831 the population of Ashburnham was about 721. The parish is fairly small in area and is surrounded by parishes of: Warbleton, Dallington, Penhurst, Catsfield, Ninfield, & Wartling. In the 1800s many ISTEDs (not my direct line but another large descendant branch) were mainly living in Ashburnham. Many of them (the males) were farmers or ag labs.
Britain was still at war with France and under severe threat of invasion, which was not lifted until Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, on 21 October 1805 , when Henry would have been 18 months old. We can assume Henry was probably brought up by his mother, with his father Thomas helping to pay for his education, maybe at one of the private schools in the area (possibly at the Gentleman’s School in Herstmonceux). U niversal elementary education was not provided until 1870 and even then the local School Boards could, but not necessarily, charge a small fee. So, during most of Henry’s lifetime most people would have been illiterate, or at least would not have received anywhere near the standard of education that Henry had apparently received.
In his early years Henry was either living in Ashburnham, Warbleton or Herstmonceux. Henry’s first known occupation was as a Shoemaker/Cordwainer, according to the two baptisms of his children born between the years 1832-35. But he might have been an apprentice in the trade c1817-early 1820s. His residence was then listed as Stunts Green, which was a hamlet north-west of Herstmonceux. The English term “cordwainer”, meaning shoemaker, first appears in 1100 and was originally a leather worker using high quality Cordovan leather from Spain for such things as harness, gloves and riding boots. This occupation is distinct from a cobbler, who repaired shoes. Shoemakers were said to be literate before most craftsmen and were noted for their strong interests in politics. The shoemaking trade encompassed many different tasks, of varying skill and status. Though some shoemakers bought and cut their own leather and did all the work in their own establishment, most were employed in a “putting out” system. One wonders if Henry was apprenticed to one of several known shoemakers in the villages of Warbleton and Herstmonceux in the early 1800s.
Henry Isted COLLINS married Elizabeth SAXBY on 12 April 1830 at All Saints parish church Herstmonceux. It is recorded that both were of this parish; witnesses: Ann Isted COLLINS {sister to Henry} & Richard SMITH (all parties signed); curate/minister was George MATTHEWS. Elizabeth was baptised on 9 April 1806 in the parish of Battle , East Sussex – daughter of John SAXBY (a Sawyer) and Elizabeth nee ALFORD. Banns took place on March: 21, 28 & April 4th [ESRO: PAR399/1/4/1 page13]. 1830 marriage record of Henry ISTED in Herstmonceux parish register [ESRO: PAR399/1/3/1 page 47 No.140]
Early 1900s postcard of All Saints parish church Herstmonceux
It must have been sometime between about mid-March 1835 to early 1836 that the COLLINS/ISTED family moved from Herstmonceux to the parish of Hellingly because three of the children (Albert 1837, Agnes 1838, Flora 1840) were born and baptised there. The following quote was taken from parts of the introduction of the book, Hailsham in Old Picture Postcards by Hailsham Historical Society 1985 –
‘The chief glory of Hellingly can be said to be its church, churchyard and picturesque group of surrounding cottages. The stiff yellow clay (Weald Clay) upon which a good deal of the parish stands gives rise to the local industries of pottery, brick and tile making, but sadly these have now died out. It is 2¼ miles NW Hailsham & in 1831 had a population of 1,504. The parish of Hailsham is an old established market town situated within half a mile of the main road from London to Eastbourne , and also within about 5 miles from the coast. During the 19th century the town started to grow, the population swelling from 897 in 1801 to 3,369 in 1891. The reasons for this are various. The chief ones being the employment given by the newly introduced rope and string industry and the appearance of the railway in 1849, and also the large market in cattle and corn.’
The COLLINS surname appears to have been dropped in early 1836 and the ISTED surname took over . This coincides with Henry being appointed as Clerk to the Board of Guardians of Hailsham Union Workhouse, 25 April 1836 at the monthly meeting of the Guardians –
‘Resolved that Henry ISTED be appointed Clerk to the Union Pro-tem.’
(NB Pro-tem is short for “Pro tempore” meaning “for the present” &/or “till confirmed”.)
[ ESRO: Hailsham Union Workhouse Minute Book G5/1a/1 page 15R]
The appointment happened very quickly because the Sussex Weekly Advertiser 18 April 1836 had the following notice - ‘HAILSHAM UNION. Notice is hereby Given, that a CLERK to this Union is immediately wanted. The Salary is £80 per annum. Persons desirous of obtaining the situation are requested to send in their written applications, and be in attendance at the Board Room, in Hellingly Workhouse, on Monday, the 25th day of April inst., at Ten o’clock in the forenoon. Testimonials as to ability and character will be required. Hailsham, 11 April 1836 .’
One wonders exactly how many other applicants there were and the selection process they had to go through. Obviously Henry must have had a reasonable testimonial as to ability and character. Perhaps he had already been working as a Clerk in a Solicitor’s office in the preceding months (or past year) leading up to this job vacancy? It certainly was a jump up occupation ladder, going from a humble shoemaker to a Clerk! There were many duties that the Workhouse Clerk was responsible for. These mainly included organising meetings and taking the minutes, organising elections, submitting reports and accounts to the Commissioners, etc.
In 1834 the Poor Law Amendment Act introduced a new national system of poor relief covering the whole of England and Wales . Poor Law Unions were formed and each Union workhouse was required to operate a Union workhouse as the main channel for providing relief. The organisation and administration was a very complex operation. The Hailsham Poor Law Union was formed on 10 April 1835 . A workhouse was built in 1835 at Hellingly - at the junction of Union Road (known as Hawks Road) and Horsebridge Road . This was to serve the poor of the following parishes: Arlington , Chiddingly, Hailsham, Heathfield, Hellingly, Herstmonceux, Hooe, Laughton, Ninfield, Warbleton, and Wartling, with Chalvington and Ripe added in 1898. Up to 250 inmates could be housed (men, women and children in separate quarters) in the new Workhouse. It was self sufficient with kitchens, laundry, a delousing oven, an infirmary and a mortuary. The Central House was on the Hellingly side of Hawks Road (formerly known as Union Road) while the Guardians met in the Board Room on the Hailsham side of the road. The workhouse closed in 1932 and was demolished to be replaced by bungalows and houses. There is a very good website that covers the Poor Law Act and Workhouses, including Hailsham, plus gives a very good description of the various posts/occupations, and a lot more - it is Peter HIGGINBOTHAM’s website: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/homepage.html
+ http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/Hailsham/Hailsham.shtml
Also the booklet, Hellingly in the old days , as recollected by Charles William PITCHER and written down and augmented by Ernest PITCHER, 1973 – reprinted 1989 by Hellingly Parish Church – on pages 12-13 gives a good insight into this institution.
The minutes of the Guardians’ meeting provide a valuable insight into the operation and management of the workhouse. In particular there is an incredible amount of data covering Henry ISTED’s career in the Workhouse as indicated by some of the following references (only listed some of the more interesting references).
13 May 1836 – Letter to the Secretary Poor Law Commissioners at Somerset House, London from Stephen MARTIN –
‘As Chairman of the Board of Guardians of Hailsham Union I feel it my duty to address the subject of the Clerkship of this Union . The Board on the 25th day of April last elected a Mr ISTED as Clerk in the room of Mr Henry HILDER, the latter refused to quit office and I am afraid{?} that this Union will be called upon to pay both the parties. Under these circumstances I feel obliged if the Poor Law Commissioners will meet to advise the board on the subject. I have the honor to be Sir, Your most obedient Servant, Step. MARTIN.’ [National Archives Kew : MH12/12931 #148888]
On 30 May 1836 at the weekly meeting of the Guardians held at the Board Room Hellingly -
‘Resolved that Mr Henry ISTED be appointed Clerk of the Union at a salary of £80 per annum and that the Poor Law Commissioners to be requested to confirm his appointment such appointment to commence from the 9th day of May instant. Also that he be the boys schoolmaster and his wife to superintend the boys clothes, and for these services he be allowed board and lodging for himself, wife and children.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/1 page 29L]
16 Sep 1836 – ‘The following persons were appointed and recommended as Superintendent and District Registrars - Henry ISTED – Superintendent, John HOLMAN – Registrar Hailsham District, Thomas ELLIS – Registrar Hellingly District. Samuel SKINNER – Registrar Herstmonceux District.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/1 page 56R]
7 Jul 1837 – ‘Resolved that the Girls above seven years of age and under sixteen be entirely under the control of the school mistress and in no case to be permitted to associate with the other classes. That the boys above 7 & under 13 be properly employed as far as practicable in accordance to the rules & regulations of the Poor Law Commissioners under the superintendence of the school master and in no case to be allowed to go into the mens apartments. That all the children under 7 years of age {+ 9 words unreadable} unless placed in the schools by order of the Presiding committee / be placed in the nursery under the care of such of the inmates as the Governor may appoint. That the wearing apparel of the girls under the care of the school mistress and a separate account thereof kept. {page 137R} That the wearing apparel of the boys be under the care of Mr ISTED and a separate account thereof kept. That no article of wearing apparel be torn up or destroyed unless by order of the visiting committee who are to make entry of such articles and also appoint some person to cut up the same. That all articles belonging to the Union be inspected by the visiting committee previous to the same being cast off or destroyed. That if any article be lost or stolen the person who has the care thereof to report the same to the Board of the Guardians at their next meeting. That the Porter be directed to examine all parcels brought in or taken out of the house except such as belongs top the Clerk or Governor. That the porter enter or cause to be entered in a book to be provided for that purpose the name of every person visiting the establishment the purpose of their visit & the hour of their entering & leaving. X {in left margin another sentence} – This would be conduct{?} as far as related to Porter & Clerk – but …?.. the ..?.. That the Governor clerk and porter each keep an account of the provisions & consumed by themselves & families respectively such as to be laid before the board weekly. That the governor be directed to keep a separate account of the provisions consumed by those directed and discretion such amount be the laid before the board weekly. That all books and invoices be sent to the clerk every Thursday by 10 o’clock in the fore noon such accounts to be complete to the previous Saturday. That the clerk be directed to report to the board every case in which the above rules are not strictly {next page possibly finishes sentence with words “adhered to”?}.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/1 pages 138L & 138R]
11 May 1838 - ‘Resolved that Mr ISTED should in future take the exclusive management of the Boys (except at meal times) and also of the Garden.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/2 page 11L]
1 Jun 1838 – {13R} ‘It is with regret the Guardians have heard that misunderstandings exist amongst the official residents of this House and from the formal manner in which complaints have been laid before the Board consider it their duty to state as follows:- The duty of the Governor and Matron are clearly laid down by the Poor Law Commissioners. {14L} - The duties of Schoolmaster & Clerk, being now vested in the same person render it frequently impossible, more particularly on Board days; that he can’t give the requisite attention to the school department. We therefore determine that Mr ISTED shall have such an assistant as may render it unnecessary for the Governor to take charge of the Boys when Mr ISTED is otherwise engaged in the business of the Union . But Mr ISTED is to take care that his assistants properly attend to the instruction and general conduct of the Boys. Mr ISTED undertakes the superintendence of the Boys clothing and to see they are properly washed and cleansed, their heads examined and combed daily. Let us all henceforth join with temper, unanimity and goodwill in affording such neutral aid as that peace, order, regularity and economy may prevail in every department of this establishment.’ [HUW Minute Book G5/1a/2 page 13R & 14L]
19 Mar 1841 - ‘Resolved that Mr ISTED be appointed to superintend the management of Hailsham Workhouse, Pro-tem.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/3 page 31L] {appears he did some of the Master’s duties – also see 1841 census}
16 Apr 1841 – ‘Resolved that Samuel MOON and Mary MOON be sent to the sea coast. Mr CUMMING have stating, sea bathing to be necessary to their recovery, and that the clerk write to Mr Wm GREENFIELD on the subject. It being considered expedient that in future the Clerk do not reside in the Union House. It is resolved that the Clerks salary be increased to 120 pounds per annum, for which sum he shall perform all such services as may be required by the Board of Guardians.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/3 page 42L]
1841 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex , England [Reference: HO107/1114 ED3 book 10 folio 51 page 1] ADDRESS: Hailsham Union Workhouse (Institution)
NAME, AGE, OCCUPATION, BORN IN COUNTY
Henry ISTED, 35, Master, Y (yes means born in Sussex )
Elizabeth ISTED, 35, -, Y
Spencer ISTED, 13, -, Y
Egbert Thomas ISTED, 9, -, Y
Osa Selwin Albert ISTED, 6, -, Y
Albert Alwin ISTED, 4, -, Y
Agnes ISTED, 2, -, Y
Flora Ja ISTED, 7m, - Y
NB This institution had 55 inmates in 1841 (63 in 1851) and was actually based in the parish of Hellingly, although the Board Room and staff lodging quarters were said to be on the Hailsham side. The ISTED family lived in the staff quarters. Interesting to note that Henry’s occupation in 1841 census was listed as being “Master” of the Workhouse. Whether this was a fact is debatable, as I thought the official Master was Thomas ACTON, aged 40, who is listed as such later in the census. Perhaps Henry was performing the Master duties temporarily. Had ACTON been the Master prior to, or after, Henry’s period of doing the job? Had ACTON retired, been sick or on suspension? Perhaps Henry may have had designs on, or some expectation of, becoming Master, as he had become the Clerk following a similar ‘pro tem’ appointment. Could his failure to have been given the job and then having to continue to undertake some of the duties for some period have caused some resentment in him that may have led to the later trouble with the Guardians. In those days, even more than now, it was more a case of who you were, or who you knew, that counted more than what you knew. Could this have added to some resentment he may have felt regarding his illegitimate birth that would have probably denied him some things which automatically went to the legitimate child? Also mentioned in the Hailsham Union Workhouse Minute Books 1836-1843, are several references to Henry ISTED being the “Schoolmaster”, as well as his main occupation / title being “Clerk to the Guardians of Hailsham Union Workhouse” so he certainly had to perform a great deal of duties!
More Hailsham Union Workhouse references:
18 Mar 1842 – ‘Whereas unfounded reports have been recently propagated containing insinuations, injurious to the character and integrity of a valuable officer of this union, - We the Guardians avail ourselves of this opportunity, prior to the expiration of the period of our years services, to express our unqualified approbation of the services, and general conduct of our Clerk, Mr Henry ISTED , the correctness of whose accounts so clearly and readily afforded us the means of reflecting these unjust reports.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/3 page 154L]
10 Jun 1842 - ‘Resolved that Mr ISTED leave the Hailsham Workhouse that he have only one months notice previous to his leaving and that he be paid the salary of £120 per annum as sanctioned by the Poor Law Commissioners. Fol.42. Resolved that advertisements be inserted in the Lewes papers for a man and wife without encumbrance as Master and Matron of the Hailsham Workhouse. Salary £25 per annum.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/3 page 185L]
24 Jun 1842 – ‘Resolved that the Resolutions of the 10th inst. in reference to Mr ISTED leaving the Hailsham House be reminded of 7 days previous notice having been given. Resolved that Mr ISTED remain at the Hailsham House and to pay to the Union for the maintenance of his family at and after the rate of £5 per annum for each child. Salary to be £120 per annum as per Resolution of the 10th April 1841 .’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/3 page 190L]
12 Sep 1845 – ‘Common seal of the Union was affixed by the Chairman to the following Deeds of Conveyance of Property from the Guardians of the Union and parishes of Hailsham to: {amongst the 18 names} Henry ISTED lot 3 for £50.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/6 page 9R]
On 3 Jan 1845 , a first cousin of Henry ISTED’s was appointed to work in the workhouse. This was William ISTED (son of William/Sarah nee LADE) and he was appointed as the Porter and his wife Sophia assisted the matron. William was paid a salary of £25 per annum with board and lodgings. In 1857 William was appointed as the Farm and Labour Superintendent. He resigned in June 1859 which was a voluntary resignation but there does appear to be slight incompetence in his work duties as recorded in the Union Minute Books. Also interesting to note that not long after William resigns, Henry does as well! {NB for some reason I have a gap of nearly 10 years from Feb 1848 to Sep 1857 with no references extracted from the HUW Minute Books. I think there were no records for this period but this needs to be rechecked.}
1851 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex [HO107/1638 folio 33 page 8]
ADDRESS: Hailsham Union Workhouse (Hailsham side) schedule number 31
NAME, RELATIONSHIP, CONDITION, SEX, AGE, OCCUPATION, BIRTHPLACE
Henry ISTED, Head, Married, M, 46, Clerk to Guardians & Master of Workhouse, SSX, Warbleton
Elizabeth ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 46, -, Sussex , Battle
Albert A. ISTED, Son, -, M, 14, at home, Sussex , Hellingly
Agnes ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 12, Scholar , Sussex , Hellingly
Flora ISTED, Daughter, F, 10, Scholar , Sussex , Hellingly
NB Later in the 1851 Workhouse Census records it mentions the official Master as Joseph DAVIS, aged 57. Henry’s birthplace listed as “Warbleton” was incorrect as his Bastardy Bond says “Ashburnham”. Perhaps Henry was not aware that he was born in Ashburnham; but if he did and knew that he was born out of wedlock, he may not have wanted other people to know his birthplace!
Henry ISTED was the “Superintendent Registrar” for the 1841 & 1851 Census Records of the Hailsham Union, (ie Registration District of 11 parishes) and he may have held the same position (at various periods) for signing Birth/Marriage/Death certificates in the Hailsham Union. An example of this occurs on 1st October 1859 when Henry signs the 1854 Birth Certificate of Alwyn Albert ISTED (grandson of Henry).
By 1854, Henry and his family were living in Hawk(e)s Farmhouse, in Hawks Road , Hailsham not far from the Workhouse. Henry was leasing the property from the Hailsham Union Board of Guardians (one year rent was about £15) and so did not own it as evidenced by the Hailsham Union Correspondence Books re letter 5 April 1860 demanding settlement of Henry’s account [G5/8/1 page ?].
In 1854 Henry was Secretary of the Hailsham Horticultural Society and he distributed printed folders to selected people inviting donations towards prizes. These awards were to be given for the best cultivated cottage garden [ESRO: PAR353/6/19]. Obviously Henry must have had an interest in horticulture and it would seem that he was a fairly prominent figure in the Society, although it is not known for how long he held this position or any others. Henry could be classified as a typical middle class person.
Sussex & Kent Audit District. Reference to the Books of the Hailsham Union for the half-year ended 25 March 1854 as to the Books required to be kept by:
The Clerk, Mr Henry ISTED
The Master of the Workhouse, Mr Henry ISTED
The Master of the Workhouse, Mr Joseph DAVIS
[National Archives Kew : MH12/12937 #150535]
{In all cases the auditor Mr P KELL stated that there were no defects in the documents. Strange having 2 Masters! Was this a fact or did Henry just assume the title – although he does appear to be performing a number of duties.}
Collectors Monthly Statements of the Hailsham Union re parish of Hailsham for the month of September 1856. H ISTED (signature} Collector. [ESRO: PAR 353 / 31/1/31 ]
9 Oct 1857 – The Clerk reports of his visit to the Lunatics in the Asylums in London belonging to the Union . [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/7 page 14L&R + 15L & R]
27 Nov 1857 – ‘The Clerk reports that he has examined the Master Day books and inspected the other Books kept by the Master, and that he has examined the Relieving Officers Outdoor Relief Lists, Abstract of outdoor Relief Lists and Receipts and Expenditure Books in conformity with the Order of the Poor Law Board on that behalf.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/7 page 23R]
On 24 September 1859 Henry ISTED resigned from his position at the Workhouse. He wrote a letter to the President of the Poor Law Board in London informing them of this. And it was officially recorded in the Hailsham UW Minute Books on 7 October 1859 . Apparently he was accused of not performing his duties (neglect) and the books, particularly the letter book being irregularly kept especially during the period 1854-56 and in 1859. This might be more an accusation of inefficiency than dishonesty. Even then, this period might have been partially explained by him having had to take on the responsibilities of the Master and Teacher, as well as his duties as the Clerk. Henry owed about £22 but this was mostly for the rent due on the house he leased from the Board, and not from embezzlement of the Workhouse’s money. Henry might have became dissatisfied in his work by 1859, or he might have been involved in another business venture such as in the corn and flour trade? I t is possible that Henry’s resignation may have been tied up in some way with the resignation of his cousin William, who I suspect was forced to resign in June 1859, three months before Henry apparently went the same way. Below are some references concerning his departure.
23 Sep 1859 - ‘Resolved that the Chairman be requested to forward the following resolution to the Poor Law board – It is the opinion of this Board that the Clerk, Henry ISTED is no longer to be trusted, from his gross neglect of his duties to the Board, and to ask the Poor Law Board to suspend him from the office at once. H BRETON, Chairman.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/8 page 20L]
24 Sep 1859 – Letter written & signed by Henry ISTED, Clerk to the President of the Poor Law Board, London – ‘Sir, As from what occurred at the meeting of the Board of Guardians of this Union yesterday it appears that I no longer possess the confidence of a majority of the Board. I shall at their next meeting tender my resignation of the office which I have held for more than 20 years. I have the honor to be Sir, your most obedient servant, Hy ISTED , Clerk.’ [National Archives Kew : MH12/12938 #150535]
21 Oct 1859 – ‘Resolved that Mr William BARBER be appointed the office of Clerk instead of Hy ISTED resigned. Ordered that in reply to the letter of the Poor Law Board dated 20th inst. they be informed that it is the opinion of the Board that there has been great neglect on the part of the Clerk and that the letter book in particular has been irregularly kept, there having been no entries made between 1854 to 1856 and during the last year. As to the ..?.. application of the funds of the Union the Board do not consider themselves in a position to give an opinion. H BRETON, Chairman.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/8 page 26L]
28 Nov 1859 – ‘Ordered that the Clerk do write to the Poor Law Board informing them of the position of matters in regard to their late Clerk, Mr ISTED and requesting their opinion thereon. Ordered that the Clerk do write to Mr ISTED demanding the whole of the Books and Papers in his hands belonging to the Union be sent to the Board Room forthwith. Ordered that the Clerk do write to Mr VERRALL informing him that the Guardians were not, through the neglect of their late Clerk, aware of his claim against them but that the matter should now receive immediate attention. Ordered that the Clerk do enquire whether the sum demanded for Hailsham Vaccinal Tithes is for the whole of the property belonging to the Guardians in that Parish or whether the sum in question is for the land occupied by them and not inclusive of the portion occupied by Mr ISTED.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/8 page 38L]
1 Dec 1859 – Letter from William BARBER junr clerk Willingdon, Hurstgreen to Hailsham Union weekly meeting Monday – ‘My Lords & Gentlemen, I am directed by the Board of Guardians of this Union to seek the opinion and advice of your Honorable Board in regard to the following circumstances. At the recent audit of the accounts of this Union Mr KELL the auditor found that the late clerk Mr ISTED owed to the Guardians a balance of £37.18.0 to the 29th September and reported that that sum was covered in a great measure by the salary due to him at the time of his resignation.’ [ESRO: HUW Letter Book G5/8/1 page 10]
{NB letter from Henry ISTED to Wm BARBER re The Guardians of the Hailsham Union account with Henry ISTED and shows a Balance Book type page with £30 for salary from 24 June to 27 Oct and £7 18 cash paid to Treasurer. Henry writes, ‘As above I hand you account which pleased to acknowledge.’ [National Archives Kew : MH12/12938]
2 Apr 1860 [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/8 page 80R] + similar text for 5 April 1860 Letter Book as follows – letter from Wm BARBER junior clerk of Hailsham Union, Willingdon, – to Mr Henry ISTED of 119 Bermondsey St, London, SE - ‘Dear Sir, I am directed by the Board of Guardians to demand immediate settlement of the following account and to mention that in the want of your failing to comply with this requisition the guardians will without further notice take the necessary proceedings to force payment. Collecting particulars and making up the undermentioned returns with expenses of two journeys to Battle with vouchers and ledger to obtain the necessary audit and signature of auditor weekly returns to Poor Law Inspector 5th 6th 11th 12th & 13th weeks of September quarter 1859; 1st 2nd 3rd weeks of December quarter 1859; Return to Poor Law Board for repayment of salaries of Medical Officers to Michaelmas 1859; Financial and Statistical Returns to Michaelmas 1859; Vaccination Return to Michaelmas 1859, 3 10 6
4½ years Tithe Rent charge to Michaelmas 1859, 11 3¼
4¾ years Insurance of Hawkes House to Christmas 1859, 2 14 3½
{Sub Total}: £6 16¾
One year Rent of Hawkes House to 25th March 1860 , 15 10 0
{Total}: £22 6¾
9 Apr 1860 - ‘Resolved unanimously that Mr I G LAUGHAM, solicitor of Uckfield, be employed to bring Mr ISTED to a settlement and that the Clerk do furnish him with a copy of the correspondence.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/8 page 82L]
18 Jun 1860 – ‘Ordered that the Clerk do inform Mr LAUGHAM that the Guardians are willing to accept the balance of Mr ISTED’s account provided he pays the legal expenses and gives up his Lease.’ [ESRO: HUW Minute Book G5/1a/8 page 98R]
During the 1840-50s Henry ISTED was also very involved with Hailsham community affairs.
He led an active life within the Hailsham vestry as the following extracts show.
13 Nov 1844 – Hailsham Vestry Minutes ‘At a meeting held at the Vestry Room on the 13th November 1844 and afterwards adjourned to the George Inn to consult and ascertain what steps have been taken as to the sale of the Parish Property. Resolved that Mr H ISTED be appointed to take the necessary steps to facilitate the sale of the farm? and he is to be paid for so doing.’ {signed by:} Richard King SAMPSON, John .?., Benj? OSBORN? [ESRO: PAR353/12/1/27]
In a Notice of Vestry for parish of Hailsham 20 March 1858, Henry ISTED signed as Assistant Overseer (of the Poor) [ESRO: PAR353/37/10/13].
‘Notice is hereby given, that a Vestry Meeting will be held in and for this Parish, on Thursday the twenty-fifth day March at eleven o’Clock in the forenoon at the Vestry room and by adjournment at the Crown Inn for the purpose of nominating persons to serve the following officers viz: Overseers of the Poor, Surveyors of the Highway, Assessors and Collectors of the land and assess taxes, Assessors and collectors of the property and income taxes. Wm EDWARD; Hy ISTED Assistant Overseers.’
From 1854-1860, Henry ISTED was the Assistant Overseer of Hailsham parish and I have two interesting extracts re this –
31 March 1854 re Henry Letter of Application for Assistant Overseer of Hailsham parish.
‘Gentleman, I beg to offer myself a candidate for the office of Assistant Overseer of the parish of Hailsham to make out, and collect all Parochial Rates and Taxes, and perform all other duties of the said office for the sum of Thirty pounds a year / exclusive of the poundage allowed for the collection of the Government Taxes / and such travelling expenses as may be considered reasonable when called to perform duties at a distance from the parish. I have the honor to be Gentleman, your obedient servant, Henry ISTED . PS Security to any reasonable amount will be given for the parochial or other taxes collection. HI {initialed}.’ [ESRO: PAR353/37/10/5]
11 Jan 1860 – Letter to the Wm? BEENY Overseer of Hailsham from Henry ISTED of 119 Bermondsey Street , Southwark, January 11th 1860 – ‘Gentleman, I hereby tender my resignation of the office of Assistant Overseer and Collector of Taxes for the parish of Hailsham. Yours Truly, Henry ISTED.’ {signature} [ESRO: PAR353/37/10/29]
In 1858 Hailsham Directory he is listed under Traders, ‘Clerk to the Hailsham Union’. [ESRO]
In a Post Office Directory “ Sussex ” 1859: ‘ISTED Henry , Clerk to Board of Guardians, Hailsham’.
Henry was listed in the section regarding Commercial and also Public Officers.
So we see that Henry and his family had by January 1860 moved right away from Sussex , probably because of his problems involved with the Workhouse during the 1850s. The Board did threaten Henry with legal action and outlined the settlement but in the end it appears that it was settled by the end of June 1860. The ISTED family was located in an 1861 Post Office Directory of London – ‘Bermondsey Street 119: ISTED Henry , corn chandler.’
The unanswered question is how did he get into this business (corn & flour) - could he or his wife have inherited it? I don’t know of any other family connections in this industry but perhaps Henry had contacts within the industry? Could this be why he was perceived to have neglected his work again in 1859 and resigned suddenly? The 1861 census returns show the family as Corn & Flour dealers, which seems to indicate that is was a family business, rather than them all being employees. They may have been involved in import and export of corn and flour; probably more import as this was after the repeal of the corn laws governing the import of foreign corn.
1861 Census parish of Bermondsey borough of Southwark, county of Surrey (now SE London ) [RG9/324 folio 96 page 35] ADDRESS: 119 Bermondsey Street (220)
Henry ISTED, Head, Married, M, 56, Corn & Flour Dealer, Sussex , Winchelsea
Elizabeth ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 56, Corn & Flour Dealer, Sussex , Battle
Albert ISTED, Son, Unmarried, M, 26, Corn & Flour Dealer, Sussex , Hellingly
Agnes ISTED, Daughter, Unmarried, F, 22, Corn & Flour Dealer, Sussex , Hellingly
NB Once again Henry’s birthplace is different from the 1851 Census; his actual birthplace was neither Winchelsea or Warbleton, as his Bastardy Bond and baptism state that he was born in parish of Ashburnham. Perhaps Henry wanted to disguise his correct birthplace for personal reasons.
Bermondsey is on the River Thames, close to the Surrey Docks which was one of the busiest docks on the South Bank of the largest and busiest port in the world in the mid to late 1800s. In 1831 the parish of Bermondsey had a population of 29,741 and was originally situated in the county of Surrey . In 1889, the London County Council was created, consisting of the City of London and 28 Metropolitan Boroughs taking areas from Middlesex, Surrey & Kent. So in 1889 Bermondsey became situated in the county of London , which was fast developing and growing. In 1963 this County was replaced by Greater London which also took in the rest of Middlesex and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire as well as some county boroughs.
By about 1866 Henry and family had moved and were living in the town of Southsea in the county of Hampshire . Hampshire was a maritime county (including the Isle of Wight ), in the South of England; bounded north by Berkshire , east by Surrey and Sussex , south by the English Channel , and west by Wiltshire and Dorset. Its greatest length (exclusive of the Isle of Wight), north to south, 46 miles; greatest breadth, east to west, 46 miles; 1,037,764 acres, population, 593,470 (1887). The county is noted for its agriculture and the shipping is very extensive.
The family probably moved to Southsea because one of their sons, Albert Alwin (1837-66) suffered from phthisis 5 months certified. ( Phthisis was a wasting disease that people now associate as having been what was often called “consumption” now recognised as having been pulmonary tuberculosis). Perhaps t he doctor may have recommended that he was in need of good fresh, sea air. The town of Southsea was situated right by the coastline. Southsea is to some extent covered within the area (or parish) of Portsea which is about 21 miles SE of Southampton and about 72 miles from London . In 1831 Portsea & Southsea had a population of 42,306. Southsea was an extensive and beautiful suburb and by the 1820s it had become the fashionable residence for those who visited this part in the bathing season.
1871 Census parish of Portsea county of Hampshire [RG10/1143 folio 112 page 28] ADDRESS: 23 Eldon Street , Southsea (157)
Henry ISTED, Head, Married, M, 66, Brewery Manager, Sussex , Warbleton
Elizabeth ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 66, -, Sussex , Battle
Agnes ISTED, Daughter, Unmarried, F, 28, -, Sussex , Hailsham
NB On Henry’s death certificate (1872) his occupation was listed as a Brewer’s Clerk.
There were three breweries that operated in the Portsea/Southsea area throughout the 19th century:
1 Brickwoods Ltd (1705-1983)
2 Lush & Co. Ltd (1757-1910)
3 J.J. Young & Sons Ltd (1835-1959).
Henry ISTED worked nearby at the “Elm Street Brewery” in Southsea . This was established in 1840 by John MILES (who married a Mary ISTED 12 April 1830 – same marriage date as Henry so possibly they might have been brother/sister or half-brother/sister). This was probably how Henry got a job at the brewery. One of the sons of John & Mary MILES (ie Thomas James MILES b1845) was a witness in the 1872 will of Henry ISTED. In 1896 Elm Street Brewery was acquired by Portsmouth & Brighton United Breweries Ltd. Then it was acquired in 1953 by Brickwoods & Co Ltd Portsmouth and ceased operating about that time. Elm Street Brewery has since been demolished (c1960s?) and “Scotts Wine Bar” (near intersection of Eldon Street & King Street) is occupied on/or nearby the site (I visited the place/area in 1989).
Henry ISTED, aged 68, died on 21 August 1872 at his residence of 23 Eldon Street , Southsea, Hampshire. He died of Typhoid Fever which is a bacterial disease from infected water. The informant at his death was Ann WHITE from Newlands, High Wycombe county of Buckinghamshire . She was Henry’s sister (born 1808 Warbleton, married 1838 to Richard WHITE, died 1872-1881). Probably Ann was visiting Henry because she knew he was sick &/or dying. Henry was buried on 23 August 1872 at Kingston Cemetery , Portsea in an unmarked grave (#71 “Brambles Plot” – 17th row 6½ grave). It seems ironic that Henry tragically died of Typhoid as one of the reasons that people drank so much beer in those days was that the water was unsanitary and brewing killed off the waterborne bacteria. It was also ironic that he may have moved to Portsmouth for his son’s health, as London was beginning to get its act together regarding the supply of clean water at that time (1860s). Perhaps Henry was a “teetotaler”? Enteric Fever is typhoid. So it appears that Henry and his wife died of the same thing within a couple of weeks of each other.
Henry ISTED’s Will was made 2 July 1869 & proved 24 Sep 1872 [Hampshire Record Office]
‘This is the last Will and Testament of Henry ISTED of 23 Eldon Street , Southsea, Portsmouth , Hants. I give bequeath and devise unto my wife Elizabeth ISTED all my Freehold Leasehold and Copyhold property together with all my monies, household furniture, tools and personal property of every description to have and to hold the same to her own sole use and benefit; and I hereby appoint her the said Elizabeth ISTED as sole Executrix of this my Will dated this second day of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine. Signed sealed published and declared by the said Henry ISTED as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us and at his request and in the - presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses - Thomas James MILES, James HALL. Proved at Winchester , the 24th day of September 1872 by the oath of Elizabeth ISTED, Widow, the relict, the sole Executrix to whom administration was granted. The testator Henry ISTED was late of No.23 Eldon Street, Southsea, Portsmouth in the parish of Portsea in the county of Southampton - Brewers Clerk and died on the twenty first day of August 1872 at Number 23 Eldon Street, Southsea, aforesaid. Under £200’. (seal) COUSINS & Co. Solicitors Portsea.’
In Henry’s will it is a pity his property whereabouts were not mentioned above but is presumably the same property as mentioned in his wife’s will. The witnesses in above will were mostly likely family friends of Henry. Thomas James MILES (born 1845 France son of John MILES & Mary ISTED) was a brewer at Elm St Brewery (as per 1881 census 45 King Street , Portsea [RG11/1157 f131 p23]). As for James HALL, he is most likely the one in 1881 census of Portsea, living at 7 Lansdowne Street [RG11/1157 f37 p23] a brewer’s labourer, aged 47, born Portsea, living with his wife Harriett, and a niece Susan M TRIBE aged 16.
Elizabeth ISTED, aged 68, died on 9 October 1872 at 23 Eldon St , Southsea. She died of Enteric Fever which is a disease causing high body temperature. The informant at her death was Ann PARISH of Southsea, who may have been a friend? neighbour? or nurse? (In the 1881 census of 78 High Street, Ryde, Hampshire [RG11/1178 f95 page 18] there is record of an Ann PARISH, head, housekeeper, widow, aged 65, born Loberton? Hampshire.) Death registered on 11 October 1872 ; Registrar James C CHILDS. Elizabeth was buried (with her husband) on 12 October 1872 in Kingston Cemetery , Portsea. A son (Albert Alwin ISTED bpt 1837 died May 1866) is also buried in the same plot as his parents.
Will of Elizabeth ISTED made 16 September 1872 and proved 24 March 1873 [Hampshire RO]
‘This is the last Will and Testament of me Elizabeth ISTED of number 23 Eldon Street , Southsea, in the parish of Portsea in the county of Southampton , widow. I give all my household goods and furniture and other household effects and all other my personal estate and effects (except my leasehold, messuages and premises) unto my daughter Agnes ISTED for her own absolute use and benefit. I give devise and bequeath my four Messuages, tenements, lands, hereditaments and premises situate in the parishes of Warbleton and Hailsham in the county of Sussex and all other messuages, tenements, lands, hereditaments and premises wheresoever situate and whatsoever tenure - unto my friend John Taylor BERSEY of Southsea in the parish of Portsea, aforesaid Assistant Clerk to the Justices of the Borough of Portsmouth, his heirs, executors and administrators and assigns respectively. Upon trust that the said John Taylor BERSEY his heirs, executors and administrators shall receive the rents and profits thereof and pay the same unto or permit my said daughter Agnes ISTED to receive the same during her life if she shall so long remain unmarried. And from and after the decease or marriage of my said daughter Agnes ISTED, then in trust to sell the same and to stand possessed of the monies arising from such sale in trust for my son Egbert Thomas ISTED , my daughter Flora Ja the wife of Thomas YOUNGMAN and my said daughter Agnes ISTED in case of her marriage in equal shares. Provided always that if either of them - the said Egbert Thomas ISTED and Flora Ja YOUNGMAN shall die in my life time or before the death or marriage of the said Agnes ISTED leaving a child or children, him or her surviving then in such case such child or children shall take the share which his or her parent would have taken if such parent had survived me and been living at the time of the death or marriage of the said Agnes ISTED. I declare that any money which under this my Will shall become payable to a female shall be for her sole and separate use and disposal free from the debts control and engagements of any husband and her receipt alone not withstanding coverture shall be a sufficient discharge for the same and every part thereof. I revoke all Wills and Testamentary dispositions by me at any time heretofore made. And I appoint the said John Taylor BERSEY sole Executor of this my last Will. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September one thousand eight hundred and seventy two. Signed by the said Elizabeth ISTED the Testatrix as her last Will and Testament on the day of the date in the presence of us present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunder subscribed our names as Witnesses: John STREET & George GRANT – (Clerks to Mess’rs COUSINS & BURBRIDGE, Solicitors Portsmouth). Proved at Winchester the twenty fourth day of March 1873 by the said John Taylor BERSEY the sole Executor to whom administration was given. The Testatrix Elizabeth ISTED was late of No.23 Eldon Street , Southsea, parish of Portsea in the county of Southampton , widow, and died on the ninth day of October 1872 at No.23 Eldon Street , Southsea aforesaid. Under £200.’
NB re above will: I have no further details about the four properties situated in parishes of Warbleton and Hailsham (would be interesting to find out exactly the names of the properties and to know whether they actually belonged to ISTEDs (or SAXBYs) or whether Elizabeth purchased them sometime in her lifetime? Although Henry refers to property in his will he does not state where, so cannot prove if his wife inherited it (needs more research!). In any case the properties mentioned in the will would have been Henry’s regardless of whether they were inherited through his wife’s family. Until the Married Woman’s Property Act (1882), married women were not allowed to own property. It automatically became the property of their husband. However, widows and single women were allowed to hold property in their own right. I assume that this is why Elizabeth made her will in such a convoluted way, ie making sure that her unmarried daughter had an income from the property, without actually owning the property that would have gone to her husband when she married. Then when she did get married and she became the responsibility of her husband, the property was sold and split between the surviving children. It would be interesting to see if a record existed of this actually happening. Perhaps the Solicitors named in the will still exist and may have a record of the transaction, or their records may be lurking somewhere in the A2A Archives.)
15 Egbert Thomas ISTED (1832-1903) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s 2x great-grandfather)
Family of Egbert Thomas ISTED (1832-1903) & Ellen ELLIOTT (1830-1907) married 1854 Lewes , Sussex :
1 Alwyn Albert ISTED b 1854 Hailsham, m 1875 Southover = Ann HERRIOTT, d 1934 Croydon
2 Henry Egbert ISTED b 1857 Hm, m 1876 Hastings = Julia Emily COLEMAN, d 1949 Croydon
3 Frederick William ISTED b 1859 Hailsham, m 1878 Hastings = Helena MARTIN, d 1920 Bristol
4 Herbert Thomas ISTED b 1861 Hailsham, m 1880 Croydon = Mary HERRIOTT, 1932 Croydon
5 Ida Ann Elizabeth ISTED b 1863 Hailsham m 1884 Brentford = Walter John WHITE, d 1901+
6 Flora ISTED b 1865 Hailsham, m 1894 Croydon = John TEAGO, d 1916+
7 Spencer ISTED b 1867 Herstmonceux, m 1899 Hm = Elizabeth FUNNELL , d 1932 Wanganui
8 Ellen Agnes ISTED b 1872 Hailsham m 1892 Hailsham = Charles Henry LADE, 1961 Hellingly.
Egbert Thomas ISTED was born 13 May 1832 (baptised 12 August 1832 as Egbert Thomas Isted COLLINS) in the parish of Herstmonceux, county of Sussex - son (2nd child of 7) of Henry & Elizabeth COLLINS (ISTED) nee SAXBY. [ESRO: XA30/74; PAR399/1/2/1 page 82 no.649]
1841 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex , England [Reference: HO107/1114 ED3 book 10 folio 51 page 1] ADDRESS: Hailsham Union Workhouse (Institution)
NAME, AGE, OCCUPATION, BORN IN COUNTY
Henry ISTED, 35, Master, Y (yes means born in Sussex )
Elizabeth ISTED, 35, -, Y
Spencer ISTED, 13, -, Y
Egbert Thomas ISTED, 9, -, Y
Osa Selwin Albert ISTED, 6, -, Y
Albert Alwin ISTED, 4, -, Y
Agnes ISTED, 2, -, Y
Flora Ja ISTED, 7m, - Y
On 30 January 1845 , Egbert, aged 12, became an Apprentice Tailor to Thomas HOLLEBONE of Hailsham. I have the original Indenture which is on vellum parchment. Transcription of the 1845 Indenture re Egbert Thomas ISTED, Apprentice Tailor - (NB spelling/grammar as per original document, it measures approximately 350mm across by 245mm down.)
‘This Indenture Witnesseth that Egbert Thomas Isted son of Henry Isted of Hailsham doth put himself Apprentice to Thomas Hollebone of Hailsham in the county of Sussex - Tailor, to learn the Art and with him after the Manner of an Apprentice to serve from the First day of November one thousand eight hundred and forty four unto the full End and Term of Six Years from thence next following to be fully complete and ended. During which Term the said Apprentice his Master faithfully shall serve his secrets, keep his lawful commands everywhere gladly do, he shall do no damage to his said Master nor see to be done to others but to his Power shall tell or forthwith give warning to his said Master of the same, he shall not waste the Goods of his said Master nor lend them unlawfully to any, he shall not commit fornication nor contract matrimony within the said term, shall not play at Cards or Dice Tables or any other unlawful Games whereby his said Master may have any loss with his own goods or others during the said Term without Licence of his said Master, he shall neither buy nor sell, he shall not haunt Taverns or Playhouses nor absent himself from his said Master’s service day or night unlawfully. But in all things as a faithful Apprentice he shall behave himself towards his said Master and all his during the said Term. And the said Thomas Holebone doth agree to instruct (for and in consideration of the sum of fourteen pounds ten shillings to be paid by the said Henry Isted the receipt of which is his acknowledgment, and a further sum of fourteen pounds ten shillings to be paid by the said Henry Isted on the first of November 1847) his said Apprentice in the Art of a Tailor ... which he useth by the best means that he can shall teach and Instruct or cause to be taught and instructed. Finding unto the said Apprentice sufficient Meal, Drink, Lodging and all other Necessaries during the said Term except clothing and Medical Attendance and washing and ironing.
And for the true performance of all and every the said Covenant and Agreements either of said Parties bindeth himself unto the other by these Presents. In Witness whereof the Parties above named these Indentures interchangeably have put their Hands and Seals the Thirtieth day of January 1845 and in the Eighth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland QUEEN Defender of the faith and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and forty five.
NB The Indenture Covenant Article or Contract must bear date the day it is executed and what Money or other thing is given or contracted for with the Clerk or Apprentice must be inserted in Words at Length otherwise the Indenture will be void the Master or Mistress forfeit Fifty Pounds and another Penalty and the Apprentice be disabled to follow his trade or be made Free.’ ( signatures): Henry Isted (seal); Egbert Thomas Isted (seal); Thomas Hollebone (seal)
Witness: Stephen Breads (seal).
The term Indenture comes from the medieval English “indenture of retainer” — a legal contract written in duplicate (or sometimes in triplicate) on the same sheet, with the copies separated by cutting along a jagged (toothed, hence the term “in dent ure”) line so that the teeth of the two parts could later be refitted to confirm authenticity. Each party to the deed would then retain a part of the indenture. Then if there were a dispute the various parts were brought together to both compare the texts; and to physically put them together to make sure that each part was a part of the original document, as a means to prevent forgery or alterations by one party. Perhaps its best known use was in establishing a contract for slavery or apprenticeship. Most apprentices aspired to becoming master craftsmen themselves on completion of their contract (usually a term of seven years), but some would spend time as a journeyman and a significant proportion would never acquire their own workshop; if they did they would become a “Master” of their trade. T he wavy edge at top of Egbert’s Indenture indicates this was the bottom section cut from the complete indenture.
Egbert Thomas ISTED’s Tailor Indenture 1845
By 1851 Egbert had become a Journeyman Tailor, earning about 21 shillings per week. It was a fairly good wage when one compares this to the average weekly wage of an Ag Lab who usually received only 10 shillings sixpence.
1851 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex , England [HO107/1638 folio 36 page 15]
ADDRESS: The Town Hailsham (Schedule number 49)
NAME, RELATIONSHIP, CONDITION, SEX, AGE, OCCUPATION, BIRTHPLACE
Thomas HOLEBONE, Head, Married, M, 63, Master Taylor – 1 Man 1 App., Sussex , Firle
Eliza HOLLEBONE, Wife, Married, F, 45, -, Sussex , Buxted
Edgar ISTED, Lodger, Unmarried, M, 19, Journeyman Taylor , Sussex , Warbleton
Edward HILLMAN, Apprentice , Unmarried, M, 15, Taylor ’s Apprentice , Sussex , Lewes
NB One wonders if Egbert was called “Edgar”? His birthplace was not known as Warbleton, it was more likely to be Herstmonceux, as mentioned in later census records and he was more likely to be born where he was baptised.
Egbert Thomas ISTED, full age (21), married (after Banns) on 2 April 1854 at the parish church of All Saints in Lewes, East Sussex to Ellen ELLIOTT, full age (23). They both resided at St Mary’s Lane in Hailsham. The witnesses were: William Edward and Caroline MILLER. Ellen ELLIOTT was born on 1 November 1830 and baptised 16 January 1831 All Saints Lewes, daughter of Stephen ELLIOTT (a Tailor) and Sarah DIVALL. One interesting thing is that on the GRO marriage certificate there is a blank space under “Rank or Profession of Father”; whereas the parish register entry has this filled in! [ESRO: XA30/83; PAR 410/1/3/3 page 107 #213]
1861 Census of the parish of Hailsham in the county of Sussex [RG9/568 folio 23 page 2] ADDRESS: Brewery Lane (6)
Egbert T. ISTED, Head, Married, M, 28, Tailor , Sussex , Warbleton
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 30, -, Sussex , Lewes
Alwyn A. ISTED, Son, -, M, 6, Scholar , Sussex , Hailsham
Henry E. ISTED, Son, -, M, 3, -, Sussex , Hailsham
Frederick W. ISTED, Son, -, M, 2, -, Sussex , Hailsham
NB Brewery Lane was formerly known as Battle Road in the 1800s (not sure when name changed).
By October 1867 Egbert ISTED and family may have been living in Gardner Street , Herstmonceux because in October 1867 their son, Spencer ISTED was born there. Egbert’s birthplace in 1861 is once again listed as being in the parish of Warbleton, but he was baptised in the parish of Herstmonceux, which is a bordering/neighboring parish.
1871 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex [RG10/1042 folio 68 page 21] ADDRESS: Hamlet of Cacklebury (108)
Egbert ISTED, Head, Married, M, 38, Tailor, Herstmonceux
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 40, -, Lewes
Alwyn ISTED, Son, Unmarried, M, 16, Blacksmith Apprentice, Hailsham
Frederick W. ISTED, Son, -, M, 12, Spinner, Hailsham
Herbert T. ISTED, Son, -, M, 9, Scholar, Hailsham
Ida A. E. ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 7, Scholar, Hailsham
Flora ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 5, -, Hailsham
Spencer ISTED, Son, -, M, 3, -, Herstmonceux
NB In original census the county was not listed in birthplace column, but all were born in Sussex .
By 1872 the family was living at Alma Place , Hailsham (as per birth certificate data of Ellen Agnes born 1872). Egbert is listed in several Hailsham Directories from c1874-1902; his wife Ellen is listed in the 1905 Directory.
Egbert Thomas ISTED was a member of the “Hailsham Provident Institution” (established 1834). His name is listed on 3 June 1873 in the Annual Statement of the Income and Expenditure [ESRO: AMS 5767]. (On left hand side under Receipts:) Fined for not attending Meetings -Thomas BONIFACE, Egbert ISTED : 2 shillings. (On right hand column under Expenditure:) ISTED Egbert , Hailsham .... £2 11s & 4p. It is almost certain that Egbert was unable to work due to illness for a short period (a couple of weeks?) during 1872/3. As it was founded in 1834, it was most probably one of the earliest to be formed - certainly before the first Act of Parliament that regulated such societies (National Provident Society was introduced in 1835). It sounds as if it was a society for the benefit of those in the Hailsham area; and may have provided a whole range of services to its members and possibly the wider community. However, membership may, or may not, have been open to everyone. It could have been restricted throughout, or at some stage, in its history, eg membership might have been restricted to local traders like Thomas Egbert ISTED; and was probably restricted to men, at least in its early history. Perhaps a quick cross check of those listed in the Institution’s accounts against Kelly’s Directory of the time plus 1871 census of Hailsham might provide a clue as well.
The Provident Insitution was like a friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society , benevolent society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. It is a benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose. Before modern insurance and the welfare state, friendly societies provided social services to individuals, often according to their religious or political affiliations. Unlike guilds, society members do not necessarily share a common profession. In their heyday, members typically paid a regular membership fee and went to lodge meetings to take part in ceremonies. If a member became sick they would receive an allowance to help them meet their financial obligations. The society would have a regular doctor who the member could visit for free. Members of the lodge would visit to provide emotional support (and possibly to check that the sick member was not malingering). When a member died, their funeral would be paid for and the members of their lodge would attend in ceremonial dress - often there was some money left over from the funeral for the widow. Friendly societies also had social functions such as dances, and some had sporting teams for members to participate in.
It is recorded in the Admission Books of the Baptist Chapel in Hailsham that Ellen ISTED was named/admitted by being baptised into the Chapel 12 July 1874 and her husband Egbert baptised 25 July 1875 . This adult baptism made them full members of the chapel thus indicating their “Baptist” religion (a member of any Protestant sect teaching that only adult believers should be baptised). The Chapel was built about 1793 and about 1800 their own burial ground was opened. The Chapel was enlarged about 1902 and rebuilt about 1909 but the graveyard closed about 1910. There are very few burials with headstones and it would appear to be the case with Egbert and Ellen.
Egbert Thomas ISTED c1880s Hailsham , Sussex , England
In the 1881 census, Egbert was classified as a Master Tailor. He was living with his family in South Street , Hailsham. 1881 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex [RG11/1041 folio 30 page 14] ADDRESS: South Street (69)
Egbert ISTED, Head, Married, M, 48, Master Tailor emp.1man, Herstmonceux Sussex
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 50, -, Lewes , Sussex
Flora ISTED, Daughter, Unmarried, F, 15, -, Hailsham , Sussex
Spencer ISTED, Son, -, M, 13, Apprentice, Hailsham , Sussex
Ellen A. ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 9, Scholar, Hailsham , Sussex
James KINSLEY, Boarder, Unmarried, M, 26, Tailor Journeyman, Bloomsbury , London
NB Sometime in the 1900s, South Street was renamed Market Street . The above house is situated near the building (closer to Market Square) of what was to become the Hailsham Fire Station (built 1889) and then from the other direction (south) ISTEDs residence was right next door to a building known as “South Lawn” which in turn was next to a grand house “The Old Vicarage” (now “The Grange”). Heading south further down the street is the Baptist Chapel.
It is not known whether Egbert mainly tailored for lower, middle or upper class levels of society. If he was a tailor for the middle-upper class he was probably earning in excess of £100 per year - a respectable wage. He employed one man, James KINSLEY and took on an apprentice tailor – Spencer ISTED (youngest son of Egbert Thomas and Ellen).
The Land Tax records for 1881/2 show that Egbert was the occupier of a house and premises, but the Proprietor was David GUY. Rental paid was £1 10/- (assessed at 4/ in the pound). By 1899/90, Egbert was the sole Proprietor and Occupier.
_c1881-1910_taken_1988.jpg)
Market Street (formerly South Street ), looking north into Market Square & High Street 1988
(NB the white house 2nd from left known as “Southerden House”.
This was a lawyers office when I visited the place and in later years it became a café bar.)
In the 1891 Census, the ISTED family was still living in the same house as the previous census -
1891 Census parish of Hailsham county of East Sussex [RG12/776 folio 32 page 20] ADDRESS: South St (132)
Egbert T. ISTED, Head, Married, M, 58, Tailor , Sussex , Herstmonceux
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 60, -, Sussex , Lewes
Spencer ISTED, So, Unmarried, M, 23, Tailor , Sussex , Herstmonceux
Ellen A. ISTED, Daughter , Unmarried, F, 19, -, Sussex , Hailsham
Rose E. WHITE, Granddaughter, -, F, 6, Scholar, Middlesex, Ealing
NB Rose E. WHITE was a daughter of Ida Ann E WHITE (nee ISTED) and Walter John WHITE.
In March 1897, the people of Hailsham presented Edwin Isaac BAKER with a hand-painted, hand-printed album with the names of 227 “subscribers” written inside. Amongst the list of names was Mr E. ISTED. A descendant of Edwin Isaac BAKER, Susan GUHM of USA had this album plus many photos taken by Edwin; amongst them was a photo of Egbert & Ellen ISTED - (prior to year 2000, I had never seen a photo of Ellen, so this was really a bonus!) – see website: www.sussex-uk-ancestors.com/Pages/group2.html
1901 Census parish of Hailsham county of East Sussex [RG13/890 folio 60 page 10] Schedule No.64. ADDRESS: (no address for household but neighbours were at Tivolis Cottage & South Lawn in South St ; ie Market Street )
Egbert T. ISTED, Head, Married, M, 68, Tailor (employer home) Sussex , Herstmonceux
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 70, -, Sussex , Lewes
Spencer ISTED, Son, Married, M, 33, Tailor (worker home), Sussex , Herstmonceux
Elizabeth ISTED, Daughter-in-law, Married, F, 27, -, Sussex , Chiddingly
Egbert Thomas ISTED, aged 72, died on 19 November 1903 at Market Square , Hailsham, East Sussex . He died of Rheumatoid Arthritis (a disease affecting the joints of fingers and toes which progressively stiffen) and Asthenia (an outdated term for loss of strength and energy). His eldest son, Alwyn Albert was the informant at his death. He was probably buried in an unmarked grave (no headstone) in Hailsham Baptist Chapel churchyard. His death was recorded in the Admission Book but did not specify date and whereabouts of his burial. We can eliminate the churchyard at St Mary’s Hailsham as no burials took place there after 1872 because of over crowding and health problems, so land was purchased in Ersham Road for a cemetery (but there is no record of any of my ISTEDs buried there).
No record has been found in the local newspapers about Egbert’s death. Being a tradesman in Hailsham for many years right up until at least 1899 (Directory Records) it was felt that he may have been mentioned, but the following three newspapers were checked with nil results: Sussex Express , Eastbourne Gazette and Eastbourne Chronicle .
Ellen ISTED, aged 76, died on 26 January 1907 at Market Street in Hailsham. She died of Heart Disease and her youngest son, Spencer was the informant at her death. She was probably buried with her husband in an unmarked grave in the churchyard of the Baptist Chapel, Hailsham. Her death date and age is also recorded in the Admission Books next to her baptism entry; but no record of burial date/place. However at the East Sussex Record Office there is a 1911 plan of the Chapel plus a bundle of death certificates and amongst them was one for Ellen. These certificates are not like the GRO ones, they are much smaller (6x4 inches) and only record name and date of death. There was no small death certificate for Egbert, however looking at the others there is a large gap in dates so I should think there were a lot missing. There is no probate record for Egbert and Ellen.
16 Spencer ISTED (1867-1932) & family
(Bruce ISTED’s great-grandfather)
Family of Spencer ISTED (1867-1932) and Elizabeth FUNNELL (1873-1955) married 1899 Hailsham , Sussex :
1 Spencer James ISTED b 1901 Hailsham, m 1922 Wanganui = Eunice Myrtle DEANS, d 1964 Stratford , NZ
2 Egbert Thomas (Bert) ISTED 1903 Hailsham, m 1929 Wanganui =1 Maud Methenia SMITH , d 1996 Wanganui (Bert married again 1962 Wanganui =2 Hilda Maud MacKINNON).
3 Elizabeth Grace (Bessie) ISTED b1906 Hailsham, 1936 Wanganui = Roy Edward HAWTREE, d1998 Wanganui
4 Harold ISTED b 1908 Hailsham, d 1922 Wanganui
5 Ellen Lucy ISTED b 1915 Wanganui, d 1915 Wanganui.
Spencer ISTED was born on 22 October 1867 at Gardner Street , village of Herstmonceux , in the county of East Sussex , England . He was the seventh child of eight and youngest son of Egbert Thomas and Ellen ISTED nee ELLIOTT. No record of any baptism has been found. It is rather unusual that all of Spencer’s brothers and sisters were born in Hailsham, which was the parish next to Herstmonceux. Perhaps the family moved to Herstmonceux from c1866-1871?
Spencer ISTED probably attended the National School (Council School) in Hailsham from c1873-1878 (Primmer One to Standard Two) and then attended the Board School in Hailsham from 1878-1880 (Standard Two to Standard Four). The Board School in Battle Road , Hailsham opened in September 1878 and accommodated about three hundred children. This replaced the National School which had been built in 1827 on the Hailsham Common but closed in 1878 because it was in the way of the proposed extension of the railway towards Heathfield.
Extracts from Hailsham Board School Log Book 1878-1891:
‘ Dec 9th 1878 – Charles CROUCH (II), E HARRIOTT (IV) Spencer ISTED (III) {ie Standard 3} were reprimanded today for inaccuracy of arithmetic. Many of the boys were commended for improvement in writing. T FEARS Esq. MSB visited today at 9am .
Feb 4th 1880 – Form IX {was this a class number?) and the schedules were yesterday sent to the clerk for examination. 114 boys are qualified for examination and the average attendance is 98. Only 3 boys’ ( Spencer ISTED , Tom ROBBINS, and Charles RIGGLESFORD) are disqualified for examination without reasonable excuse. The Headmaster will show this to the Board on Saturday.
Feb 7th 1880 – The Clerk to the Board was instructed to write to the parents of the boys who had not qualified themselves for examination.’
Census details that recorded Spencer ISTED
a) 1871 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex [RG10/1042 folio 68 page 21] ADDRESS: Hamlet of Cacklebury (108)
Egbert ISTED, Head, Married, M, 38, Tailor, Herstmonceux
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 40, -, Lewes
Alwyn ISTED, Son, Unmarried, M, 16, Blacksmith Apprentice, Hailsham
Frederick W. ISTED, Son, -, M, 12, Spinner, Hailsham
Herbert T. ISTED, Son, -, M, 9, Scholar, Hailsham
Ida A. E. ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 7, Scholar, Hailsham
Flora ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 5, -, Hailsham
Spencer ISTED, Son, -, M, 3, -, Herstmonceux
b) 1881 Census parish of Hailsham county of Sussex [RG11/1041 folio 30 page 14] ADDRESS: South Street (69)
Egbert ISTED, Head, Married, M, 48, Master Tailor emp.1man, Herstmonceux Sussex
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 50, -, Lewes , Sussex
Flora ISTED, Daughter, Unmarried, F, 15, -, Hailsham , Sussex
Spencer ISTED, Son, -, M, 13, Apprentice, Hailsham , Sussex
Ellen A. ISTED, Daughter, -, F, 9, Scholar, Hailsham , Sussex
James KINSLEY, Boarder, Unmarried, M, 26, Tailor Journeyman, Bloomsbury , London
c) 1891 Census parish of Hailsham county of East Sussex [RG12/776 folio 32 page 20] ADDRESS: South St (132)
Egbert T. ISTED, Head, Married, M, 58, Tailor , Sussex , Herstmonceux
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 60, -, Sussex , Lewes
Spencer ISTED, So, Unmarried, M, 23, Tailor , Sussex , Herstmonceux
Ellen A. ISTED, Daughter , Unmarried, F, 19, -, Sussex , Hailsham
Rose E. WHITE, Granddaughter, -, F, 6, Scholar, Middlesex, Ealing
d) 1901 Census parish of Hailsham county of East Sussex [RG13/890 folio 60 page 10] Schedule No.64. ADDRESS: (no address for household but neighbours were at Tivolis Cottage & South Lawn in South St ; ie Market St )
Egbert T. ISTED, Head, Married, M, 68, Tailor (employer home) Sussex , Herstmonceux
Ellen ISTED, Wife, Married, F, 70, -, Sussex , Lewes
Spencer ISTED, Son, Married, M, 33, Tailor (worker home), Sussex , Herstmonceux
Elizabeth ISTED, Daughter-in-law, Married, F, 27, -, Sussex , Chiddingly
By April 1881, Spencer, aged 13 was an apprentice Tailor to his father Egbert Thomas who was a Master Tailor. They both lived and worked in South Street (known as Market Street in 1900s) in Hailsham. The house they actually lived in from c1881-1910 was situated about three houses south of Market Square (that is going on the 1881 census schedule, although in a 1906 Street Directory, Spencer ISTED was listed as being the 7th person in Market Street; but perhaps that included people living/working in the same dwellings? or some of the original houses were sub-divided?). It was a two storied brick house with a tiled roof, and three windows upstairs. It was said that the ISTED Tailor’s business was upstairs, while the main living area was downstairs. The house in the 1980s was known as “Southerden House” and was used as a lawyers’ office; but by late 1990s it was a coffee/food place. On the south side of ISTED’s house was a dwelling named South Lawn which was next to an impressive house known as “Old Vicarage” (now “The Grange”). On the other side (north) there was another residential house then the Hailsham Fire Station. Down an alleyway near ISTED’s house, people used to watch movies/slides by hanging up a large white sheet to use as a screen.
In the 1891 and 1901 census of Hailsham, Spencer ISTED was still living with his parents in South Street , Hailsham and his occupation was listed as Tailor. In the 1890s and up to c1910, Spencer served on the Hailsham Volunteer Fire Brigade. Living close by (two houses away) he would have been an obvious choice to serve as a volunteer fireman. The Hailsham Volunteer Fire Brigade was formed in 1877 as a result of a parish meeting, the first machine being loaned by Mr William STRICKLAND, a local corn merchant who resided at Cortlandt and who was the Hon. Captain of the Fire Brigade. In the event of a fire the volunteers were summoned by a fire-bell which used to hang under a gable at Cortlandt. The machine was housed at the Terminus Hotel and horsed by horses stabled there. Later it was horsed by a local undertaker.
On 8 May 1899 at the Baptist Chapel in Hailsham, Spencer ISTED, aged 31, bachelor, tailor, married Elizabeth FUNNELL, aged 25, spinster, domestic servant. Witnesses: Henry GOBLE and Lilly FUNNELL. Elizabeth was born on 13 December 1873 at Golden Cross, a hamlet in the parish of Chiddingly, East Sussex (she was baptised on 15 November 1874 Chiddingly, eldest daughter of James FUNNELL and Grace SMITH). Before her marriage, she worked as a Domestic Servant (for the GREEN family) in the 1890s at Eastbourne . By the late 1890s she was living at Hamlins Mill in Mill Road , Hailsham, which was where her father James worked as a Miller’s Carter/Loader. It has been said that Elizabeth (probably 1880s) had very long hair, almost long enough to sit on! Elizabeth was known as “Lizzie”.
Photo of Elizabeth & Spencer ISTED c1899
NB the above photo was taken by H. WARD, 2 Station Road, West Croydon.
I suspect WARD was a travelling photographer. Perhaps they had this photo taken not long after the wedding (or honeymoon?), or when they visited one of Spencer’s brothers who lived in Croydon?
In WARD’s Commercial & General Directory of Croydon 1932 (page 928) is record of H. WARD, photographer at 2 Station Road , Croydon.
Hailsham Baptist Chapel, 1988
From the newspaper Sussex Express 21 October 1910, there is a delightful article on Fireman, Spencer ISTED: ‘SMOKING CONCERT - Last week a well attended smoking concert was held at the Terminus Hotel for the purpose of assisting Fireman Spencer ISTED , an old member of the Hailsham Fire Brigade, who is leaving Hailsham to make a home in New Zealand. Chief-officer THOMPSON presided, and Lieut. J. H. MARYAN said that when in the brigade they had always found Isted ready and willing to do what was required of him. ISTED’s health was drunk with musical honours, and he thanked the members of the brigade and others present for their kindness. He had work to go to when he got to New Zealand , and was sorry he was obliged to leave Hailsham and England . Several songs were given, Mr C. DUMBLEBY being at the piano. On Friday evening, at the Hailsham Fire Brigade Station, a presentation of a purse of money was made to Fireman ISTED. The Chief Officer of the brigade (Mr. S. THOMPSON) handed over the gift, and said he hoped ISTED would have a good time in his proposed new home in New Zealand . Lieut. J. H. MARYAN endorsed the Chief Officer's words, and Fireman ISTED thanked his comrades in the brigade and others for their goodwill and friendship.’
One may wonder why Spencer was obliged to leave Hailsham and how did he manage to secure employment in New Zealand ? Perhaps there was a family member or friend who may have initially contacted Spencer? Possibly his tailoring business was not doing so well in Hailsham? Perhaps there was a tailor’s position in NZ that was advertised in Sussex ? Maybe this ISTED family wanted to have a change of life-style, thus prompting them to make a big move overseas? Certainly emigration to New Zealand was popular in the mid-late 1800s but this had declined significantly in the early 1900s. I guess one will never find the real reason why Spencer and family left England . I wish he had kept a diary (maybe he did and it has since been lost).
Spencer aged 43, a tailor, his wife, Elizabeth 36, and their four children: Spencer James 9, Egbert Thomas 6, Elizabeth Grace 4, Harold 2 - emigrated to New Zealand . They departed from London on the maiden voyage of the steamship “RMS Rotorua” (NZ Shipping Company) on 28 October 1910 , along with 534 people, 429 of whom were understood to be third-class passengers, with 70 coming out under the assisted scheme. The ISTED family travelled as third-class passengers as evidenced by the passenger lists held at Archives New Zealand (contract ticket number 14) [Archives NZ: SS1/512 #27]. It is not entirely certain whether they were immigration-assisted or whether they paid £8-12 fee as a reduced passage.
The Rotorua was built in 1910 by William DENNY & Bros, Dumbarton. Tonnage: 11.130 gross/7.150 net. Dimensions: 502x62ft/153x19m. Service speed: 14.5 knots. Engines: triple expansion. Propulsion: triple screws. The Captain in command was IA SUTCLIFFE. This ship was sunk on 22 March 1917 while approaching England with a full cargo; she was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-17.
1911 real photo postcard of the steamship “ Rotorua”
On 11 December 1910 , after a 43 day voyage the ship arrived at the first port of destination which was Wellington (the capital of New Zealand in the North Island ). It then sailed further down to Lyttelton (near Christchurch , on the east coast of the South Island ). On part of the passenger list it said that the ISTEDs were contracted to land at Timaru but it is not certain that the Rotorua took them; probably the family boarded a smaller vessel to get to Timaru. The following is from a report taken from a New Zealand newspaper, “ The Evening Post” (Monday) 12 December 1910 – ARRIVAL OF THE ROTORUA -
‘At 4.35pm yesterday the New Zealand Shipping Company’s latest steamer Rotorua , from London, dropped anchor in the stream, and after medical inspection, berthed at the Queen’s Wharf about two hours later. The vessel, which was already described in the Post, left London on the 28th day of October, and Plymouth ( Devon ) on the following day. A call for coal was made at Las Palmas on the 3rd November, and Capetown was reached fifteen days late. During this part of the trip, rough weather was encountered, but the vessel behaved excellently. A stay of eleven hours was made at Capetown, and then the third stage of the voyage was entered on; fine weather prevailing until arrival at Hobart on Tuesday last. After discharging 387 tons of cargo, the Rotorua resumed her voyage at 6pm on Wednesday and was again favoured by fine weather until arrival at Wellington . The vessel’s actual steaming time from Plymouth was 40 days 5 hours, her best day’s run being 337 miles. During the whole trip an average of 13.7 knots was maintained. After discharging 4169 tons of cargo here ( Wellington ) the Rotorua proceeded to Lyttelton, for which port she has 1826 tons.’
The ISTED family first settled in Browne Street (possibly at number 12) in Timaru where they lived for about 18 months [ Wises NZ Post Office Directory of 1912 had Spencer living at Browne Street]. Spencer worked at his trade of Tailoring at McGRUER DAVIES & Co, situated on the corner of Stafford and Woollcombe Streets in Timaru. His stay in Timaru did not last long as it was said that his work was “too good!”; so eventually he was told to leave and find employment elsewhere.
In the mid 1800s Timaru was a scattered village stretching along the coast, which was at times boisterous and with its approaches from north and south interrupted by large and dangerous rivers. Ships had to lie in an open roadstead and wrecks were not infrequent. With the development of the town and the provision of harbour facilities, however, the trade of South Canterbury grew rapidly, and the port safely handled the shipping business of a large productive area. One of the principal attractions is Caroline Bay – a fine sandy beach with safe bathing.
It was about June 1912 that the family decided to move up to the town of Wanganui , which was situated on the West Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Just why the family moved so far north from Timaru is still a mystery but perhaps he got a transfer from McGruer Davies & Co in Timaru to McGruer & Co in Wanganui. Or perhaps Spencer saw a notice/ad about Wanganui and decided to make a new move. It has been said that one of Spencer’s brothers? or cousins (I can’t figure out which one!) came out to NZ before 1910. They may have been in Wanganui for a few years, before crossing the Tasman to Australia , where they may have died not long after? This may have been another reason why Spencer and Elizabeth came up to Wanganui. My grandfather, Bert said that his father Spencer tried to trace his other brother (sic? maybe a cousin?) but to no avail. Could this have something to do with the money held in Chancery?
Wanganui (originally named Petre in 1840) became a city on 1 July 1924 ; with a population of 24,000. This was the fifth largest centre in New Zealand at that time. The provincial city is situated alongside a long river “ Whanganui River ” and is near the sea and has hills on 3 sides plus a port. Over the last half of the 1900s, the city has only made moderate progress (population in 1991 about 42,000; in 2002 about 44,000). Dairy farming was widespread on the rural outskirts of Wanganui and this probably had a slight impact on the growth of the city to a certain extent.
Wanganui (view from Durie Hill looking towards town) c1912
Upon arrival in Wanganui the family was living at number 23 Ball Street (renamed many years later as Pitt Street) Wanganui by July 1912, as evidenced by the Keith Street School Records that list Egbert ISTED as having attended the school from 10 July 1912 to 30 September 1913. Spencer ISTED, a storeman was listed in Wises NZ Post Office Directory of 1913 as living at 23 Ball Street , Wanganui. By 1915 the family had moved across the road and was living at 22 Ball Street . From c1921-25 the family lived at 61 Niblett Street and by 1925 at 50 Dublin Street until c1933. All these houses were quite small and were in close proximity to each other, within a mile of the shopping centre of Wanganui. They were probably rented by the ISTED family. The only houses still standing (as at 2002) are 23 Pitt Street and 61 Niblett Street . It is not known if these houses are the same as the ones they lived in but I would suspect they have not changed much (the exterior) in the last 70 years.
From c1913-1920s Spencer worked as a Storeman and Shop Assistant for McGruer & Co Store, situated on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Guyton Street , Wanganui. The store retailed mainly haberdashery and clothing. One could assume that Spencer might have been transferred from McGruer Davies & Co in Timaru to McGruer & Co in Wanganui. Why he did not continue with the Tailoring trade I do not know but possibly his eyesight might have deteriorated &/or he might have developed OOS/RSI (a form of arthritis? or over straining of his hands/wrists?).
Spencer’s interests were shooting and fishing. He owned a fox terrier, which was said to be a good hunting dog, especially when hunting rabbits. Spencer didn’t play any regular sport. He was a member of the Wanganui Cosmopolitan Club for some years.
The ISTED Family 24 August 1916 at Wanganui (taken by photographer, Frank DENTON)
Left: Elizabeth Grace (“Bessie”), Spencer, Harold, Spencer James (“Sonnie”),
Elizabeth (“Lizzie”), Egbert Thomas (“Bert”)
Spencer ISTED, aged 65, a labourer of 50 Dublin Street , died on 2 June 1932 at Wanganui Hospital – 6 days after an operation for a Strangulated Inguinal Hernia (ie interference with blood supply to a protruding organ such as the intestine, through the wall of its surrounding tissue) and Cerebral Haemorrhage (ie loss of blood to the brain). He was buried on 5 June 1932 at the Aramoho Cemetery , Wanganui. There is a headstone. After her husband died, Elizabeth, Bessie and eldest son, Spencer James and his wife Eunice all lived at 52 Campbell Street, Wanganui (only a couple of blocks away from 50 Dublin St) till 1941 (except Bessie when she married in 1936). Probably c1942 Elizabeth moved to either Stratford or Toko in the Taranaki district. In the 1940s up to c1954 Spencer James was licensee (Hotelkeeper) of Toko Hotel and in 1954 he was a shop owner (of a car business?) at 9 Juliet Street , Stratford . From c1957-1964 he worked as a Barman and later as a Hotel Receptionist/Assistant Hotel Manager at the Broadway Hotel in Stratford . By 1954 (and up to c1957) Lizzie was living in East Road , Toko with her grandson Berkeley Spencer Thomas ISTED and his wife. NB Toko is a settlement in good dairy pasture country and is 10 kilometres east of Stratford .
Elizabeth ISTED, aged 82, died on 15 November 1955 at the public hospital in Stratford . She had been living at 37 Orlando Street , Stratford . The cause of death was from Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries – many years) and Cerebral Thrombosis (the formation of a stationary clot in the brain which develops inside a blood vessel and blocks the flow of blood – 5 days). She was buried with her husband in Aramoho Cemetery , Wanganui on 17 November 1955 .
There is a headstone for Spencer and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was reputed to have made a will leaving a workbox and watch (which had been given to Elizabeth at the age of 12 when she went into domestic service) and most of her jewellery, china and household items went to her descendants.
NB it has been said that the Public Trust discards wills after 15 years from the death of the testator, which may explain why I have not found a will.
The next generation records the f amily of my grandparents, Egbert Thomas ISTED (1903-1996) & Maud Methenia SMITH (1904-1984) married 1929 Wanganui, NZ:
1 son (my father) b 1930s NZ, m 1950s NZ = my mother.
2 daughter b 1940s NZ, m 1960s NZ = .
Then the next generation is the fa mily of my parents (married 1950s, NZ):
1 son b 1960s NZ
2 Bruce ISTED (me) born 1960s NZ
3 daughter b 1960s NZ
4 son b 1960s NZ.
17 Conclusions
While this paper might only be of major interest to those that have some connection, I do hope others have enjoyed reading all about my family history – “ISTEDs of Sussex to New Zealand ”. It has been a mammoth undertaking to compile this paper but is a pleasure to finally be able to share some of my research with you. I have tried to keep to the direct line of my ancestry as much as possible, because if I detoured too much, it would mean a never-ending story and would be hard to keep your attention. While I do not mind you extracting bits of data from this paper, I do hope and it is only intended that this information is to be used for your own personal/private research.
Any errors, modifications, new data, etc: please report to Bruce ISTED email: bruce@isted.info or isted@one-name.org
18 Acknowledgements
Most of the information contained in this paper has been the result of about 30 years research by myself as well as some research information passed on from other people. I am grateful to the following: staff at East Sussex County Record Office, members of Sussex Family Roots FHS ( Eastbourne ), members of the Sussex Family History Group, members of the Warbleton District History Group. They all made available to me many documents, archives, works of reference and naturally provided me with their guidance and encouragement. Finally I must thank three other people who had a mjor part in proof reading this paper: my mother, a SMITH cousin, and one of the most helpful ISTED contacts, Kevin ISTED of UK . Without their advice and corrections, this paper may not have progressed to such a high level of satistaction.
19 Bibliography
I consulted many documents/records (most listed at appropriate place in the paper; majority were from East Sussex County Record Office at Lewes) and the Public Record Off ice at Kew . All these references I have added in the appropriate place within this paper.
Other books/publications which have provided some useful reading, with many making reference to the ISTED name are:
AYRES Ruth. The Story of Bodle Street Green (Bodle Street Green Womens’ Institute, 1981).
DOFF Elizabeth . Village Outline Warbleton 1800-1919 (no publisher mentioned, 1979).
MARTIN David & Barbara. Report (No.521) Warbleton - Trumpets Farmhouse (no publisher mentioned, 1988).
ROBERTSON C A. Hailsham & Its Environs (Phillimore & Co Ltd, 1982).
BAINES John Manwaring. Hastings Elizabethan Charter (1962); & Historic Hastings (1986).
HUNNISETT R F. Sussex Coroners Inquests 1603-1688 published by Public Record Office 1998.
The History & Antiquities & Topography of county of Sussex Vol 1 page 362 (published 1834).
Other useful family history/genealogical, etc websites which also mention ISTED are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ many historical/geographical facts from online encyclopedia
www.ancestry.com Census Records & other useful databases.
www.genuki.org.uk Major guide and gateway to online rescources for British & Irish Genealogy.
www.freebmd.org.uk Free GRO birth, marriage death indexes.
www.a2a.org.uk Database of millions of records from 100s of record offices in UK .
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk Official website of the National Archives for government records.
www.spatial-literacy.org spatial literacy website that gives surname distributions in UK .