Wendy Walker, County Archivist, writes: This detailed map of Steepwood Farm in the parish of West Chiltington provides a wealth of information about the property which, thanks to a generous grant from the Friends of the Nations' Libraries, is now available to researchers at West Sussex Record Office.
This map, as with other estate maps, is a valuable source for researchers seeking to trace changing boundaries, land usage, and land ownership over time, predating similar sources such as tithe and enclosure maps and awards. The surveyor, John Cross, has listed the names of the individual fields which made up the property, their acreage and the usage of each field (wood, furze, arable, pasture etc). The buildings which comprise the farmhouse and outbuildings are clearly shown, providing a helpful (and early) source for researchers interested in the history of the farm and its buildings. The map also includes the names of the surrounding landowners and tenants and will undoubtedly be of great interest to local and house historians.
The map identifies Reverend Robert Offley as the former owner of Steepwood Farm and there are references to the Offley family of Surrey and their connection with the farm in three other documents at WSRO: a receipt dated 4th December 1675 (Add Mss 8113); a release of legacies following the death of Gabriel Offley, 6th January 1712 (Add Mss 5621); and a quitclaim by James Grahme of Levens, Westmorland, and others to the Rev. Robert Offley of Abinger dated 16th January 1712 (Add Mss 8114). The map fills in an important gap in the history of the title of the property providing evidence that Robert Offley left the farm in trust for the benefit of the Chaplain and Curate of Oakwood Chapel in Wootton, Surrey, with the map having been commissioned by the curate of Oakwood Chapel at the time, John Hallam.
For this reason, and the fact that West Sussex Record Office otherwise does not have any estate maps which directly refer to Steepwood Farm, it is a particularly valuable addition to the collections. Its purchase with assistance from FNL will enable researchers to consult the map alongside the above records relating to the Offley family’s ownership of the property, as well as records relating to other property held by the Trustees of Oakwood Chapel, including correspondence relating to land sales between The Trustees of Oakwood Chapel and the Mid Sussex Railway Company, 1863-1865 (AM 1495/5).
