THIS IS FINDON — These Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

Copyright Valerie Martin 2002.

Peeps into the past......

1771

In 1771, William Boldery was the postboy on the mail run and would have called at the dropping off point in Findon, which was undoubtedly The Gun Inn, to deliver the letters. One day the journey did not go as planned and he was robbed while travelling on the King's highway.

1773

Gilbert White, the writer and naturalist from Selbourne who frequently passed through Findon in his chaise en route for Ringmer, recorded the following entry in his diary under 15th December: -

As this was worth a mention in his writings, it is assumed he alighted at the inn for refreshment and took some interest in the water from well, together with the measurement of its depth. The well was situated where the twentieth century toilets later stood.

1781

A sketch plan dated 1781, indicates that a cock-pit was situated on glebe land behind the Gun Inn, where the barbaric sport of cock-fighting was organised for both rich and poor.

The Findon Manor Court was conducted at the Gun Inn premises in the late 18th century (and may have done so also in the seventeenth century). The main business at this Court was recording the changes in local tenancy agreements in the village. Up until at least the end of the 18th century the Court was also concerned with the management and regulation of pasture on the Common Downs.

During William Frankland's ownership of Muntham Court from 1765-1805, alcohol was brewed at his estate. Occasionally in the late 1700s the cellars of Muntham ran dry. The Gun Inn promptly came to the rescue and supplied the mansion with the required hogsheads of beer. It is known that over the years some of the Muntham Estate staff were noticed to be absent from their normal duties - and were discovered risking losing their jobs and consuming more ale and mead than was good for them at the Gun Inn premises.

1790

The tithe dinner was at held at the Gun Inn and attended by many villagers. Two bottles of port were bought and provided for each man and, no doubt, a jolly time was had by all.

1798

The innkeeper was John White. He was one of the few in Findon who enjoyed the title of a county freeholder.

The Sun Fire Insurance Office issued a certificate, enhanced with an official badge in copper, to cover the public house. This was made out in the name of the Reverend William Lasseter-French and embraced the Gun Inn, the adjoining stables and brewhouse, and also a London property known as No. 39 Sloane Square.

Coach traffic escalated to and from London at this time and inn needed further accommodation and was extended southwards.

The Gun Inn was listed in the Universal British Directory as "a very good inn". The substantial plate of beef or "pidgeon pye" on the menu having, no doubt, been improved upon. Findon was one of the stops where the horses were changed. Hungry passengers alighted with some relief at the cosy inn after a bumpy journey over the stony Downs in their coaches. The relative comfort of the passengers who travelled inside the coach was often marred by the presence of crawling fleas, silver fish, and the coach fabric being riddled with woodlice. The alternative was to travel on top in the cold of winter (or the heat of summer).

In 1798 the Post Office was housed at the Gun Inn premises (called the Receiving House). It was most likely accommodated as a post office much earlier as innkeepers were well placed to offer post horses and stabling for His Majesty's riders. Mail now arrived promptly three times each week from London and elsewhere. The post was despatched six times each week. The postmaster and shopkeeper was Francis Weller and he was responsible for post collection and sending out letters on the passing mail coach. He held his premises by copyhold, had a vote in county elections to Parliament, and was, therefore, a villager of some importance and respect.

At this date, the nearby town of Worthing was considered to be far too insignificant to be one of the official "post towns" to which mail was regularly delivered by the official mail coach service.  It was until serveral leading residents of Worthing implored Princess Amelia, (daughter of King George III), to intercede, that a change was promised.   As a temporary resident of Worthing (when on her holidays), she no doubt suffered from frequent delays inthe delivery of her corresondence to and from London.

The nearest post town was Shoreham.   The cost of conveying a letter was very high, averaging ten pence ....this was at a time when thirty shillings would have bought a ton of coal.   The letters were carried by post boys on horseback who were subject to frequent delays and the vulnerability of robberies. 

Valuable packages were therefore often entrusted to stagecoach drivers calling at The Gun Inn.   This led in turn to all kinds of sharp pratice among dishonest guards and coach office porters.  A favourite trick being to construct a dummy parcel and demand a fee from the unsuspecting recipient.

To remedy this unfortunate state of affairs, John Palmer the Member of Parliament proposed that letters should be transported by properly appointed mail coaches which were subsidised by the government.   They were to travel the highways toll free and be protected by an armed guard.   There would be a fixed timetable and the number of passengers and amount of luggage carried strictly limited.

When they first appeared in Findon, these official mail coaches proved very popular with the travelling villagers and the mail coach contracts proved profitable to the contracting proprietors.

1799

The postal ride from Arundel, through Findon and on to Steyning, came to an end and from this date Findon was served by an extension of the Petworth to Storrington post. This stopped at the Gun Inn (the Receiving House). The villagers paid an extra one penny on delivery and collection if so desired. The Receiver in 1799 was given the handsome annual salary of two pounds.

Continue if you would like to read Dancing the Night Away at the Gun Inn.

This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.