Mid Sussex Times February 6, 1981

Parish magazine takes look back

The clock has been put back down the centuries at Cuckfield by continuing publication in the parish magazine of a 17th-18th century journal, which tells of a vicar there ejected from his living and dying in poverty.

This was because the vicar, the Rev. William Snatt, appointed in 1681, refused to take the oath of allegiance to King William and Mary.

The journal is that of Timothy Burrell, who records that Mr. Snatt was a high church Tory, notorious in his former Lewes parish for persecuting the Quakers, but showing himself true to his principles, and loyal to his king, James II, who fled the country and was replaced by William and Mary.

But it is assumed that Timothy was not in sympathy with James for taking refuge at the court of the Roman Catholic Louis XIV. This is indicated by the journal recording regular and generous contributions towards relief of Protestant refugees fleeing from the persecution of King Louis.

However, 1690—the year after William and Mary's accession—appears to have been celebrated in Cuckfield to mark “The glorious revolution.”

There is a record of expenditure on September 10, 1690 of “King William's return, 1s., bells and bonfires, 1s. 6d.; sacrament 1s.”

Timothy, says the writer, would have received the sacrament from Robert Middleton, appointed in 1690 Vicar of Cuckfield by his brother-in-law, the new Bishop. Timothy became closely associated with him, contributing to his appeals for charities at home and abroad, and to the embellishment of the parish church building.

Robert Middleton is described as having been a good vicar and kindly man. He kept careful parish records, including an annual perambulation of parish bounds—which has survived to this day.

He spent his own money on clothing for the poor, and on his death in 1713 left £30 “for putting to school poor children of the parish.” He appointed Timothy Burrell one of his charity's trustees.

Timothy added £20, and the charity—still in existence—was named the Middleton and Burrell Charity.

How Cuckfield was served by newspapers long before the Mid Sussex Times began publication seems under review. For Timothy Burrell’s journal refers to the Gazette, a twice weekly newspaper founded in Oxford in 1665, when Charles II and his court had fled there from London because of the plague.

SEPULCHRAL URN

Timothy records: “March 28, 1706. Paid Mr. Middleton my 4th part for the Gazettes to this day 6s.”

It was usual for several people to share the Gazette. Another newspaper started about this time was a single news-sheet, half blank for writing personal letters and sending on to a friend.

The journal records: “1694. The first three Flying Posts were brought to me by Chatfield the Carrier on November 12.” “1694. The first letter I received was on November 24. I am to pay 6d. a letter.”

The church magazine writer observes: “We can imagine Timothy sitting in the small, low ceiling parlour at Ockenden House, reading his newspapers and letters by the light of candles for which he paid £2.8.0 for 12 dozen.”

Timothy recorded: “April 5, 1703. There was this day found in the King's highway at Highbridge Hill in Cuckfield near Ansty, a Roman sepulchral urn filled with human bones and ashes, with various platters of different forms standing round it made of red shining clay.”

There is no record of what became of this find, and no other Roman remains have ever been found in this area, it is claimed.