By Richard Bryant and Rosemary Davies, Lindfield History Project Group

A couple of years ago, a website message was received enquiring if the group would like some old documents relating to the village. It appeared a gentleman in Ewell, Surrey had purchased, at auction, a box of old documents relating to that area and, to his surprise, at the bottom were Lindfield papers. A parcel duly arrived containing hundreds of invoices dated between 1835 and 1845, for shopping and services supplied to the Tuppen household.

After extensive research a comprehensive analysis of purchases was completed and each trader identified. This gives an intriguing insight into shopping by a wellto-do household and the commercial life in Lindfield during the early to mid 1800s. In those days, virtually all needs were supplied by traders in Lindfield village and the wider parish. Unlike today, residents did not have the benefit of supermarkets in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill nor online shopping. Neither was there refrigeration, frozen foods or canned goods. Also, if something was broken, repair took precedent over replacement. Life was much simpler.

Who were the Tuppens? – Dr Richard Stapley Tuppen lived with his sister, Sarah Tuppen, at Froyls in the High Street, having inherited the house from their father Dr Henry Tuppen, upon his death in 1814. Their mother Mrs Sarah Tuppen, nee Stapley, was a member of the wellconnected and wealthy Stapley family, whose seat was at Hickstead Place, Twineham. Dr Richard Tuppen died in 1840, aged 59. Froyls passed to his sister Sarah and she continued to live there as a spinster, until her death in 1857 aged 72 years.

Throughout the Tuppens’ time at Froyls, they maintained a household of three live-in servants and at least one outside staff. They were typical of the more comfortably off residents living in Lindfield at the time. Their spending power with local traders was therefore in excess of the working population and this is reflected in their purchases, which were all made ‘on account’.

The most perishable food purchased was raw meat, which was bought two or three times a week from either Comber Turner, butchers, who traded from an open fronted booth type shop where Tallow Cottage stands today or George Jenner, butchers, also in the High Street. In February 1834 the Tuppens purchased in total 28lb of beef including steak, 3lb mutton chops and a 7lb leg of mutton from the two butchers.

Pork does not appear to have been bought from the butchers but purchased direct from farmers as either a half fat pig or a whole hog. The former cost £2.15s.9d (£2.73). How such quantities of meat were kept edible is not known. It is also thought the Tuppens kept a pig or two in their back garden, as there is a reference to a repair of a ‘hog pound’ among the invoices. Similarly, chickens were kept for eggs. No invoices exist for vegetables and fruit so presumably these were also home grown by the gardener. Milk was delivered daily to the door.

Butter was bought direct from farmers in large quantities of at least 15 pounds in weight a month and on occasions 30 pounds with custom regularly given to Thomas Bannister, Beech Farm, Cuckfield. Additionally, on occasions two pound butter pats were purchased from village grocers.

A grocer favoured by the Tuppens was P. Caffyn, situated to the rear of the churchyard. Regular purchases included cheese, currants, peel, sugar and tea. Flour was purchased in bulk at one bushel every month or so, from John Coomber, farmer and miller at Cockhaise Farm and also Freshfield Mill and East Mascalls Mill. Similarly, sugar was purchased in bulk from grocers. More specialist provisions such as Souchong Chinese black tea, Green tea, Caraway seeds and surprisingly, yellow soap, were purchased from J. Collard, believed to have traded in Lewes.

Copious quantities of beer were purchased at the rate of six gallons every two or three weeks, from William and Edward Durrant, grocers, brewer and general store, at Morelands (today Lindfield Eye Centre and Mansell McTaggart). Intriguingly, gin was bought from Mr. B. Beckett, a brick maker and victualler, with two gallons being purchased in April 1834 and again in February 1835. In June 1834, Mr. Beckett supplied 200 bricks – an odd combination!

Throughout 1834 and 1835, one and a half bushels (90lbs) of malt (germinated grain) was purchased each month from Samuel Molineaux, a maltster at Boltro Farm, Haywards Heath. Hops were also bought suggesting beer was also being brewed.

Turning to household purchases and repairs local traders met most of the Tuppens needs. During 1834, Edward Batchelor, with a smithy in the High Street, provided a new rake, spade and shovel, a bell for the gate and fixed a plate to the fire range, all at a cost of 18 shillings. In the following year, a sewer grate, chimney bar and fastenings to the hog pound were made and fitted. Repairs to saddles, reins, bridle straps, dog chain and even a carpet broom, were provided by Abel Brown of Viking Cottage. Repairs to barrels with new hoops were undertaken by Edward Dann, Cooper, of Back Lane, Cuckfield.

John Harland, draper and tailor, at today’s 103-105 High Street, supplied 28 yards of sheeting and 27 yards of ‘homebid’ binding totalling £1.13s.5½d., suggesting that bed sheets were made and not purchased ready-made.

To fire the kitchen range and heat the house, hundreds of faggots (bunch of sticks tied for burning) and wood were purchased from Henry Morley at Nether Walstead. Henry Morley also provided stakes, bean sticks and pea boxes for the garden. Hedging plants were purchased from Henry Pierces, woodsman and plantsman of Bedales Hill. In later years, coal by the ton was supplied by George Saxby from his yard by the Ouse; however, coal invoices for 1834-35 appear to be missing.

Boot and shoe repairs, including servants’ shoes, were carried out by Henry Wells, a shoemaker, at Froyls Cottage, today Chantry Cottage. While Charles Bish, a fellmonger (dealer in hides) and breeches maker provided new gaiters and repairs to breeches for the Tuppens’ groom.

A significant number of invoices from local builders exist for building work, such as repairs to windows and doors in the house, stables and outbuildings plus household repairs ranging from tables and chairs, to beds and even tea caddies, presumably all carpentry tasks. Like with food, specialist items such as cut glass, fine china and Japanese lacquered waiter (small table) and tray were purchased from retailers in Lewes.

The Tuppen papers do not include any invoices for clothing but, as with other items, would mainly have been purchased from Lindfield’s tailors, dressmakers, glovers, milliners and shoemakers.

The invoices illustrate that life in the 1830s was much simpler than today. Even for the well-to-do, food shopping was largely limited to the basic ingredients from which a meal could be prepared. Lindfield village and its parish was a self-sustaining community. It had to be, and it was not until long after the coming of the railway in 1841 that Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill started to grow into towns. Although close by Cuckfield had similar facilities to Lindfield. The closest large town and easiest journey was Lewes, but this was only available to those fortunate residents with their own horses and carriage, and then for only occasional trips.

Contact https://lindfieldhistoryproject.group/ or 01444 482136.

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