ANCIENT AND MODERN GOVERNMENT OF THE TOWN.
When king Alfred divided England into shires, the shires into hundreds,
and the hundreds into tithings, tithing men or headboroughs--heads of
boroughs--were the only guardians of the peace, and dispensers of justice
within their respective districts, the original limits being the
residences of ten _creorles_ or freemen, with their families and slaves.
Under the Saxon constitution, Brighton had two headboroughs; a proof that
its population, even then, was far from being inconsiderable. These
headboroughs sat alternately or together, at the borough court, at which
the decenners, or free, or frankpledges (friborgs) as had no causes to be
tried there, attended as jurors or sworn assessors to the presiding
officer. These free-pledges were the origin of the Society of Twelve,
which continued in Brighthelmston to the commencement of the present
century.
By the statute of Winchester, 13th Edward I., the borough of
Brighthelmston had a constable appointed for itself exclusively, an
indication of its respectability at that period. According to Alfred's
division, the hundred to which Brighthelmston belonged, contained,
besides that borough, those of Ovingdean and Rottingdean, called in
Domesday, _Welesmere_. The boroughs of Preston (Prestetune) and Patcham
(Patchame), which were originally hundreds of themselves, were, under
Edward I., united to the borough of Brighthelmston, and composed a new
hundred, called _Wellsbourne_, since corrupted into Whalesbone. The
boroughs of Ovingdean and Rottingdean were then united to the small
hundred of Falmer, under the name of _Evensmere_.
Wellsbourne took its name from a stream which till within the last few
years ran, in the winter time, nearly the whole length of the hundred.
It rose near the upper end of Patcham street, and entered the sea at the
Pool,--Pool Valley,--in Brighthelmston. Within the last thirty years it
burst out with so large a current as to inundate the Level to the north
of the town, and even the greatest part of the Stein. In the spring of
1806 it laid the north of the town under water. After the last
inundation, in the winter of 1827-8, a large sewer, called the Northern
Drain, was laid down from the northern boundary of the London Road, to
the sea, its outlet being in front of the Albion Hotel. The source of
this stream or bourne, being the well at Patcham, it had its name from
that circumstance, and lent it to the said hundred.
The _leet_ or law day, the view of frankpledge for this hundred, was held
on Easter Tuesday, when all the officers of the hundred, except the
headborough of Patcham, were elected. The Constable of Brighthelmston
was always chosen by and out of the Twelve of the town. The headborough,
afterwards styled the constable of the borough of Deane or Patcham, was
nominated in rotation for that office, according to the particular lands
he held within the borough. From and after 1618, by arrangement between
the two classes of inhabitants, the fishermen and the landsmen, "Twelve
out of the ancientest, gravest, and wysest inhabitants of the town, eight
fishermen and four landsmen, were selected for assistants to the
conestable in every public cause." The constable was then termed the
High Constable, and his twelve assistants were called Headboroughs. The
constable of Brighthelmston served at Quarter Sessions, musters, and
other public services for the whole hundred, the constable of the Deane
being only his assistant or deputy within the borough of the Deane or
Patcham. There was also chosen at the leet or law day for this hundred,
which is in the deanery of Lewes, an ale-conner and a searcher or sealer
of leather. Since the town became incorporated, in 1854, no headboroughs
have been chosen; but Mr James Martin, who was appointed at the last
annual Court Leet of the Earl of Abergavenny, by the steward of the Leet,
F. H. Gell, Esq., on Easter Tuesday, 1855, continues the High Constable
of the Hundred of Whalesbone: his duties however are very trifling,
merely consisting of taking charge of the Parish Jury List, and
presenting it to the Clerk of the Peace for the County.
The following is a list of the Constables who have served the Hundred as
far as the records of them are made in the Town Books, or other proofs
are given:--
1589. Henry Gunn.
1597. Thomas Jeffery.
1618. Richard Stoneham.
1660. John Brooker. {23}
1670. Nicholas Tattersal (Captain).
1683. Richard Harman.
1690. Richard Masters.
1691. Richard Harman, senr.
1692. John Ellgate.
1694. Thomas Stanbridge.
1695. Richard Masters.
1696. Henry May.
1697. George Beach.
1698. Henry Stanbridge.
1699. John Woolger.
1700. Thomas Gillam.
1701. Israel Pain.
1702. Jonas Hunn.
1703. Joseph Buckall.
1704. Thomas Ridge.
1705. John Gold.
1706. Jonathan Wegeram. {24}
1707. William Gillam.
1708. James Friend.
1709. Nicholas Roberts.
1710. Richard Masters.
1711. Thomas Roberts, jun.
1712. Thomas Bewman.
1713. Richard Legate.
1714. John Peircy.
1715. Israel Pain, jun.
1716. Dighton Elgate.
1717. Richard Roggers.
1718. Henry Stanbridge.
1719. Thomas Swan.
1720. Philip Mighell.
1721. William Heaves.
1722. Thomas Scutt.
1723. John Masters.
1724. Nicholas Sanders.
1725. Samuel Dean chosen, but dying, Edward Heath served.
1726. Thomas Simons.
1727. John Tuppen.
1728. William Bradford.
1729. Henry Paine.
1730. Thomas Wood, alias Dine.
1731. William Friend.
1732. Richard Lemmon.
1733. Richard Harman.
1734. Richard Masters.
1744. Hugh Grover.
1745. James Ridge.
1746. James Brooker.
1747. Thomas Sanders.
1748. Richard Mighell.
1749. Israel Paine.
1750. William Grover.
1751. Thomas Roberts.
1752. Philip Mighell.
1753. Thomas Kent.
1754. David Vallance.
1755. Thomas Gillam.
1756. Hugh Saunders.
1757. John Lashmar.
1758. Thomas Measor.
1759. William Buckoll.
1760. Edward Smith.
1761. Richard Tidy.
1762. William Lucas.
1764. John Tuppen.
1765. Henry Beach.
1766. Francis Carter.
1767. William Chapman.
1768. Stephen Poune.
1769. Stephen Flemming.
1770. Beach Roberts.
1771. Harry Stiles.
1772. William Bradford.
1773. Robert Davis.
1774. James Buckoll.
1775. Richard Willett.
1791. Robert Williams.
1792. John Kirby.
1793. Thomas Tilt.
1794. William Wigney.
1795. John Baulcomb.
1796. James Vallance.
1797. William Chapman.
1798. Stephen Gourd.
1799. Richard Lashmar.
1800. Cornelius Paine.
1801. Stephen Wood.
1802. Philip Vallance.
1803. Daniel Hack, who affirmed.
1804. Thomas Newington.
1805. Thomas Saunders.
1806. Thomas Saunders.
1807. William Newbold.
1808. Adam Maiben.
1809. John Mills.
1810. John Hargraves.
1811. Harry Colbron.
1812. Edward Blaker.
1813. Alexander Baldey.
1814. Robert Ackerson.
1815. William Williams.
1816. George Richardson.
1817. John Williams.
1818. Richard Bodle.
1819. Richard Humber.
1820. John Myrtle.
1821. George Wood.
1822. George Wigney.
1823. William Blaber.
1824. William Boxall.
1825. Samuel Akehurst.
1826. Thomas West.
1827. Edward Hill Creasy.
1828. James Cordy.
1829. Thomas Palmer.
1830. J. G. Sarel.
1831. D. M. Folkard.
1832. Samuel Ridley.
1833. John Poune.
1834. William Hallett.
1835. John Yeates.
1836. John Ade.
1837. T. H. Wright.
1838. John Bradshaw.
1839. Henry Smithers.
1840. William Barnes.
1841. Thomas Fuller.
1842. Edward Humphreys.
1843. Edmundus Burn.
1844. George Chittenden.
1845. Robert Williams.
1846. William Catt.
1847. William Towner.
1848. William Lambert.
1849. George Cheesman, jun.
1850. Charles Smith, who appointed his brother George to serve.
1851. M. D. Scott.
1852. William Beedham.
1853. H. P. Tamplin.
1854. P. R. Wilkinson.
1855. James Martin, who continues to be the High Constable of
the Hundred. {25}
On the 5th of April, 1793, at a Vestry Meeting held at the Town Hall, it
was ordered: "That in future the Constable (High) be allowed twelve
guineas, to be paid in full, for all expenses during his office,
including four guineas for a dinner."
It was customary at the Court Leet, each Easter, to choose a
High-Constable Elect, but he was not always appointed at the next Court;
as, in 1814, Mr. Ackerson was chosen, although Mr. W. Williams was the
elect.