THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

JOHN BRIGHT'S ENCOUNTER IN NEPCOTE

Copyright Valerie Martin 2008

The following is a true account of a chance meeting in Nepcote on the way to Cissbury Ring.  

The story concerns John Bright who was born at the end of the 1700s and lived a simple country life in the village of Findon.  Later he married a West Tarring girl, Jane who was four years his junior.   This son of the soil lived in one of the cottages in Nepcote (exactly which one is now lost to me but I know his employment was that of a gardener before he retired).  

Mr. John Bright was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham and was on a visit to Sussex in the spring of 1872.   One of his hosts during his trip that April was the brewer, Ernest Henry Willett (known as Henry Willett) of the Manor of Findon.  The owner of Findon Place was an outstanding figure of his day and an early pioneer of archaeological science.   He resided at the manor house with his wife, Frances and their three daughters — Edith, Florence and Margaret — together with a bevy of servants.

During the stay of the Right Honourable gentleman in Findon, John Bright M.P. accompanied his host, and together with the Reverend Dr. Griffith, they passed through Nepcote with the intention of going to Cissbury Ring.   My guess is that Mr. Willett was intent on showing his friends the site of his archaeological finds on the summit.

About half way between up the lane, they came upon a gentlemen of the agricultural stock......an old smock-clad labourer, hoeing the edge of a field separated from the road by a low flint wall.    The old-timer's head raised as they passed and Henry. Willett gave him a cheery, "Good day", adding some trifling remark that it was nice weather for gardening.    This somehow provoked the beginning of a conversation.

Following the remark about the weather, the conversation went something like this.....

Smock-clad worker:  "Yes, but it's hard work for an old man".

Henry Willett: "How old are you, then?"

"Well, I'm just owre eighty-two and I have been on the land ever since I was able to do anything".

The owner of Findon Place enquired kindly:  "Do you live in Nepcote?"

"Yes, I live close by in Nepcote".

Henry Willett:  "And what is your name?"

"My name's John Bright".

Henry Willett: "John Bright!  Well, at all events that is a good name".

John Bright of Nepcote:  "Yes, the name's good enough;  but the owner aint so good as some that owns it".

Henry Willett:  "Why, how's that?"

John Bright of Nepcote  "I meant that great man, the Member of Parliament".

Henry Willett:  "Well, there he is" — (pointing to his Right Honourable visitor.)   "Would you like to shake hands with him?"

The old man slowly approached the wall, leaned heavily upon it, and peered keenly at the M.P.   Then he said:

"Yes, I should like to; but I don't think he's the man".

Henry. Willett enquired:   "Do you know who I am?".

"No".

Henry Willett:  "Do you know who this is?" — (Pointing to the Reverend Dr. Griffith, who had been silent throughout.)

"No".

The M.P. interjected:  "You don't trouble the church much, then?"

John Bright of Nepcote:  "No, you see I'm an old man, and it's a good way off.

M.P.:  "And how do you manage to get your living?"

"Oh, I wants for naught.  You see when I were young, I saved when others spent".

Henry Willett:  "Well, that's a good plan.  That's what my father did.   He began life a poor man, and laid down a rule that if he earned a shilling, he would only spend eleven pence".

John Bright of Nepcote:  "Well, you see there's some what profits by the experience of others, and they're prudent men.   There's some that profits by their own experience, and they're wise men:  and there's some as won't profit by nothing; and they're fools".

M.P.:  "You say you don't go to church;  what sort of a parson have you got?"

John Bright of Nepcote:  "Oh, he's a good enough man in his way.  I think he would do anybody a kindness if he know'd how".

Henry Willett:  "Then you don't know who this is?"  (Again indicating to the Reverend).

"No".

Henry Willett:  "This is Dr. Griffith".

"Oh, that's Dr. Griffith, is it?  Well, my niece counts a good deal o' him".

Reverend:  (pointing to Mr. Willett):  "And this is Mr. Willett".

"Oh well, that aint a bad name nayther".

Henry Willett:  "Well, now, do you think I should tell you a lie?"

"Well, I dunno.  You see some people tells a sort o' white lies, just to take in an old man".

Henry Willett and the Reverend joined in assuring the Rustic that he saw the Right Hon. Member for Birmingham before him.  John Bright of Nepcote took some persuading  but eventually he shook hands with John Bright the Statesman.

The M.P. continued the conversation:  "So you have lived a long time in this place?"

"Yes, ever since I wur a boy, and I've seen a good bit".

M.P.  "You have seen changes in the church, then?"

"Yes, and they've bin fools enough — and Mr. Willett one of the worst of 'em — to spend pretty nigh £2,000. upon our old church and did not want anything;  and I've got to pay my share of £400.".

The old man proceeded as if in soliloquy: "Yes, I've seen a good many sorts, I have.   Sometimes we've had a man who had a glass of wine or two too much the day afore, and on Sunday morning he didn't feel very well;  and then he'd send us all down below picklin'!  Another time I s'pose he'd had a glass before he went to church and then he wur in pretty good humour and he'd say "Bai, bai;  bai, bai;"  — just ike putting a child to sleep".

M.P.  "Well, you seem to have observed closely;  if I were you, I would write down what you have seen in your life".

"Ah, but I can't write — only my name".

Henry Willett (to  John Bright of Nepcote):  "You would not like to say what was not true, if you knew it, Mr. Bright, would you?"

John Bright of Nepcote:  "No, I wouldn't".

Henry Willett: "Now, what did you mean when you said 'Mr. Willett is one of the worst of 'em'?"

John Bright of Nepcote:  "Why, because you giv' so much money to that church".

Henry Willett:  "Well, I have never given anything;  I said I should prefer to give it to the schools".

The Nepcote inhabitant replied:  "Then I shall think better of you than ever I did afore.  But they don't learn much at school, nayther.  I never knew one on 'em as could add up".

Henry Willet:  "Well, Mr. Bright, if you will of an evening talk over with your niece what you have seen, and if she will write it down, I will get it printed and I will send a copy to our friend and your namesake".

The old gardener took the hand proffered to him during the last remark.   The Reverend gave his also;  the M.P. again pleased his humble namesake by a hearty grip.    John Bright of Nepcote thus found his conversation with his illustrious namesake brought to a end as he watched them continue their way up the hill to Cissbury Ring.

The gist of the above conversation is a true record of that which took place in Nepcote.   It appeared under the rather condescending heading of "The Statesman and the Clodhopper" on Saturday 27th April 1872 in the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle.   The newspaper referred to John Bright of Birmingham as "the statesman" .... and John Bright of Nepcote as "the peasant".

Ernest Henry Willett did not live at Findon Place for very long after the conversation took place....but he had nevertheless become  popular during his tenure at Findon Place with the villagers.   Upon his departure from Findon Place, he was informed of a proposed testimonial.    On being asked what form he would like it to take, he promptly replied —

"I should like money, there is nothing like money”.  

When in due course a presentation of the money was made to him, he added a good deal more and gave a school clock to the parish.

John Bright the rustic countryman of Nepcote died in 1879, seven years after talking to his more famous namesake in the Nepcote lane.

Continue if you would like to read about Yesterday On Nepcote Green

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.