THE MID 1800s AT THE GUN INN

Copyright Valerie Martin 2002.

1831

Reverend William Lasseter-French of the Gun Inn died, aged 89 years, and was buried in the churchyard at St. John the Baptist Church in Findon.

1832

The reliability of the village well at the rear of the Gun Inn was put into question when in 1832 it nearly ran dry much to the consternation of the inhabitants.

c. 1833

Around the year 1833 the stables at the Gun Inn catered for some four legged aristocratic animals with prospects and sporting careers. Colonel George Wyndham, was one of the gentry of the 1830s and stabled seventeen of his fine hunters at the yard of the Gun Inn.

1834

The Beer Act of 1834 was brought in to ensure that only "respectable" persons were granted licences to sell alcohol. It required the licensees, such of premises of the Gun Inn, to produce a certificate, signed by ten householders (whose property had a nominal rental value of £10 per year), declaring that the applicant was "of good character, and likely to manage his house in a peaceable, orderly and respectable manner".

On the 11th January 1835, the Gun Inn narrowly missed being burgled. It was a Sunday and a robbery was committed during the Morning Service when a thief thought the villagers would be attending church.

As was usual at this time, (there being no estate agents), the particulars and maps for the auction of the entire Muntham Court Estate were to be obtained, prior to the sale, from the Gun Inn and other principle inns at Washington, Steyning, and Worthing. The Muntham Estate at this time covered 1,860 acres and stretched down on both sides of the London Road from Findon to Washington.

1839

The 25-in. to the mile Findon Tithe Map by Hide and Patching dated 1839 indicates a growing number of houses in the vicinity of the Gun Inn in the Square.

The coastal railway line to Worthing opened in 1846 and finally brought an end to the London - Worthing coaches that clattered through The Square. After 1846, the Findon inhabitants were forced to resort to their own horse transport, the friendly local carrier's cart, or Shanks' pony. Horse-drawn carts and panniered mules were still a familiar sight as they plied the stony trackways over the rolling downs.

c. 1850

At this date mail was being delivered to Findon via Steyning and Storrington by a cart drawn by a team of dogs, the postman sitting in a cramped position with his bag of mail slung over his shoulder. 

In 1931 a 91 year old Sussex man was reported to be still able to remember the dogs which drew carts carrying letters between Steyning and Storrington, lying down on the Green at Storrington for a rest in the middle of the day.

The Cruelty to Animals Bill had a clause added on 1st January 1855 prohibiting the employment of some 20,000 cart-dogs (according to one contemporary estimate) in England.  From then on a man was employed who pushed a mail truck to Steyning and back.

Suzie and Katie have pestered me and insist that I include this extract from one of the 1930 editions of the Sussex County Magazine writing about c.1837...

The village referred to is Southwater (north of Findon and south of Horsham).   There is no need to doubt that this practice went on in Findon as well.

c. 1851

The landlord at the inn was Edward Moodie. He was a Kentish man from Dartford, born in 1799. Jane was his wife and from Thakeham and she was also born 1799. Their daughter Emily aged fourteen years, born in 1837, lived with them.  Another assistant at the inn and residing at the property was Lydia Edwards who was Mrs Moodie's sister.

Also residing at premises was a hostler, Henry Aldridge who was a Findon man, born in 1831.

c. 1871

The publican at the Gun Inn by this time was William Goater, born in 1848 in Stockbridge - which was also "sheep country" where flocks abounded on the chalky Hampshire downs. His wife was Mary, born in 1846. They had two children born in Findon, Gertrude, in 1870, and a son, William, in 1871. Living with them at the inn were Jane Burgess who was a general servant; Mary Shoesmith, a cook and domestic servant; George Boswell, a gardener; Charles Norris who was described as a "helper"; and George Ratley, another "helper". A lodger at the premises was John Naldrett who was described as a "cab driver".

1875

Jane Moodie, the one time innkeeper, died and was buried in the churchyard of St. John the Baptist in Findon.

c. 1878

Frederick Barratt was listed as innkeeper at the Gun Inn.

Continue if you would like to read about Traffic Passing the Gun Inn c.1866..