A Complete History of the Eade Family of Surrey, Sussex & Hampshire 1250–1990
Robyn Lane and Andrew Eade

Front cover: The 1774 Bond that bound George and William Edde
to John Osborn

Back Cover . Contents . List of Maps and Illustrations . Acknowledgements . Foreword . About the Authors

We follow the fortunes of the Eade family over seven and a half centuries as, with an eye for the main chance, they attempt to climb the ladder of prosperity by constructing, amassing and then protecting their land holdings over the centuries while diversifying into trades such as bricklaying and stonemasonry.

From 13th century Chiddingfold in Surrey they spilled over the adjacent county border into West Sussex around Northchapel and Lurgashall and then into Bramshott and Headley in Hampshire via the Sussex settlement of Linchmere, relentlessly pursuing their aspirations.

When all of this eventually began to unravel in the Hampshire village of Hawkley at the end of the 18th century, family fortunes stuttered on for a while with a Market Garden Business located in Petersfield. However it was courtesy of the empire's Armed Forces that poverty was staved off and Eades visited much of the globe then marked pink.

The available records provide a fascinating glimpse into past times throughout the centuries where events such as the plague, diseases, war and market downturns make their indelible mark on a family line that survives to this day.

Dedication
Contents
List of Maps and Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Foreword
DNA
Author's Family Tree

Section 1. - Late Medieval Period
Chapter 1. - The Eudes of Pockford and Combe
Chapter 2. - The Edes of Southneys
Chapter 3. - The Edes of Killinghurst

Section 2. - Early Modern Period
Chapter 4. - Yeoman Peter Ede Senior of Dunsfold
Chapter 5. - The William Edes of Hambledon & Munstead
Chapter 6. - Peter Ede of Linchmere
Chapter 7. - Thomas Ede of Linchmere
Chapter 8. - Stonemason William Ides of Bramshott
Chapter 9. - The Stonemason Sons of John Edde of Hollywater
Chapter 10. - Stonemason & Yeoman George Edde of Bramshott

Section 3. - The Agrarian Exodus and Industrial Age
Chapter 11. - Yeoman William Eede of Bramshott
Chapter 12. - Market Gardener John Eads of Bramshott
Chapter 13. - Gardener Charles Eade of Petersfield

Section 4. - Empire and War -The Path to Social Change
Chapter 14. - Soldiers Edward and Alfred Eade of Petersfield
Chapter 15. - Soldier William Eade of Horndean
Chapter 16. - Civil Servant Albert V.H. Eade of Secunderabad

Appendix 1 - Surrey Lay Subsidy Rolls 1487 to 1641
Appendix 2 - Inventory of Henry Ede of Ash 1579
Appendix 3 - Inventory of William Ede of Linchmere 1623
Appendix 4 - 1825 Description of Paces Farm at Ludshott
Appendix 5 - Eade Papermakers of Headley Parish
Appendix 6 - Extract from the 9th Lancer's War Diary
Appendix 7 - List of Sources

i. Godalming Hundred & Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey Parish Maps
ii. Ede Landholdings in and around Chiddingfold c. 1250 - c. 1650
1. Udes Landholdings at Pockford and White Beech
2. Eudes of Pockford and White Beech Family Tree
3. Location of Edes de Combe otherwise Sevyers
4. The 1507 Rent Roll of Thomas Purvoche
5. Ede Land Holdings South of Chiddingfold
6. Edes of Southneys Family Tree
7. Killinghurst Estate and Adjacent Sussex Holdings
8. John Ede de Killinghurst Lay Subsidy Rolls 1524
9. Edes of Killinghurst Family Tree
10. Chiddingfold Lay Subsidy Rolls 1560
11. Extract from the 1568 Will of Peter Ede of Dunsfold
12. The Sussex Edes Family Tree
13. Peter Ede of Dunsfold Family Tree
14. Approximate location of Spottersleye in the Parish of Hambledon
15. Marriage entry of Peter Ede and Jane Punter 1578
16. Locations of Combe, Hallands and Munstead Farms
17. Henry Ede of Shalford Final Concord of 1596
18. William Ede of Hambledon and Munstead Family Tree
19. William Ede's known Land Holdings in Hambledon
20. Will of William Ede of Hambledon 1610
21. Map and Terrier of Munstead Farm 1726
22. The Edde Family at Linchmere
23. Location of Danleys, Stanleys and Causey End in Linchmere
24. Peter Ede of Linchmere Family Tree
25. Donation for the Relief of Irish Protestants 1642
26. Extract from the 1649 Will of Richard Boxall of Haslemere
27. Burial Record of Katherine Eades at Bramshott 1678
28. Thomas Edde of Linchmere Family Tree
29. Fine Book of Bishops Sutton Manor 1703
30. The 1737 Will of Mathew Eed of Headley
31. Location of Paces, Hollow Water, Farr's, & Stone Cottage
32. William Ides of Bramshott Family Tree
33. Eade Family Properties in Hollywater
34. Location of Eade Family Holdings around Linsted
35. Location of John Eads House at Arford
36. Location of Stonemasons at Arford - C18th & Early C19th
37. The Location of Richard Eads Dwelling at Godalming c. 1808
38. Marriage Licence and Allegation of George Edde 1744
39. George Edde of Hollywater Family Tree
40. Relationship between Hollow Water and Lower Mead
41. Location of Sickles Farm at Kingsley
42. George Eads' handwritten note to Sir Thomas Miller
43. 1792 Survey of Ludshott Manor Estate
44. Foot of Fine for Hollow Water 1793
45. The Location of Hollow Water in 1739
46. William Eede of Bramshott Family Tree
47. Bond binding George & William Edde 1774
48. The changing Signatures of William Eede
49. Manorial Court Record for Pistles Mead at Kingsley 1784
50. The location of Lower Green and Farewell Farm at Hawkley
51. Burial Record of Enoch Eade at Petersfield 1830
52. Portion of Petersfield Tithe Map of c. 1842
53. John Eads of Petersfield Family Tree
54. Congregational Records of Petersfield Independent Chapel
55. The Burial Record of Ebenezer Eade at Dorking 1886
56. Marriage Entry for Charles Eade and Sarah Plasto 1846
57. Charles Eade of Petersfield Family Tree
58. Map of Catherington, Horndean and Blendworth
59. Henry Eade's entry into the Royal Navy
60. Map of Little Ilford 1882
61. William Harris Eade's 1908 Army Certificate of Education
62. William Eade's Attestation of 1878
63. William Eade of Horndean Family Tree
64. Map of India c. 1880
65. Announcement of William Eade's Continuation in the Service
66. Statement of William Eade's Estate
67. Metropolitan Police Recruitment Poster c. 1909/10
68. Police Examination Record for William Charles Eade 1909
69. Arthur Barry Eade's Entry onto the 9th Lancers Nominal Roll
70. Albert Eade's Baptism Certificate, Trimulgherry 1900
71. Army Reference for Sergeant Albert Eade
72. Marriage Certificate of Albert Eade and Florence Rook 1923
73. Albert Eade's letter to the Civil Service 1926
74. Albert Eade of Secunderabad Family Tree
75. Death Certificate of Albert Henry Victor Eade 1932
76. Florence Eade's letter to the War Office 1936
77. Postcard from Deal 1938
78. Florence Eade's Obituary 1938
79. Trevor Eade's Promotion Notification 1954

Acknowledgements

Most of the following research has been undertaken by the authors themselves and has provided many interesting, funny, sad, and moving moments. However, this could not have been done without the invaluable assistance provided by staff at the county archive offices of Winchester, Chichester and Woking. Those archives, which cover the counties of Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey, provide much of the material used within this book. The same also applies to The London Metropolitan Archives, who also restored a vital will of 1568 in order to make it available for research. The LMA likewise made available an early 18th Century marriage license, which had been tagged as unavailable due to its general condition. In turn, both the National Archives at Kew and British Library provided many records in a very helpful and explanatory manner.

The Surrey museums of Haslemere and Godalming proved incredibly rich sources of information, the former a repository of Chiddingfold historian, Reverend T.S. Cooper, and the latter providing the resting place of Percy Wood's encyclopaedic works. Although to single out individuals is of course quite wrong, mention must be made of the late Greta Turner of Haslemere for her generous assistance and friendship. The information provided by Greta included her unpublished work on the Sussex manor of Shulbrede (and Linchmere), which bridged a huge 17th Century void.

John Owen Smith's detailed website covering the parish of Headley in Hampshire prompted a comment that "wouldn't it be marvellous if our family came from there," they did and it certainly was. Without Jo's help, and patience, the publication of this book would not have happened. It was through Jo's site that contact was first made with Jennette Gest, a 'cousin' in Australia who had already investigated much of the family's 19th Century exploits. Many thanks are also given to the late Sara Eade who held a huge amount of 'pre-internet' records concerning many aspects of the worldwide Eade family. Although no family ties exist, Sara supplied much information which knitted family relationships together.

We are also grateful to those who opened up their homes which, at one time or another, had been occupied by the Eade family. Marilyn Metcalfe and her daughter at Hollywater, the late Colonel Baker at Rovehurst, and the Dimbleby family of Linchmere, are all singled out amongst a number of others. Finally we wish to thank a number of family descendents who also supplied information which is recorded within.

That it was possible to devote the past years to producing this history of our family was in no small part due to our respective spouses Becky and Ken who, for most of the time retained their sense of humour and at other times actively encouraged and joined in the research.

Foreword

The story within this updated edition (previously issued in 2010 and 2014) is divided into four distinct parts. Initially it follows a fairly interesting, but nevertheless unremarkable, late medieval and reasonably 'well-to-do' peasant (farming) family located in the West Surrey parish of Chiddingfold.

It is quite possible that this family's surname name of "Eude" had originally made its way across the channel either during, or shortly after, that famous 'set to' with the Saxon King Harold in 1066. "Eude" was the Norman French spelling of the name "Odo," a name carried at that time by both Norman and Flemish invaders. The most famous was William's half-brother, the pugnacious Bishop Odo ("Eude Eveque de Bayeux") who held a number of manors in the West Surrey parishes of Wonersh, Cranleigh, Hascombe, Dunsfold, Alfold, and Shalford.

The invaders were mainly responsible for the introduction of surnames into England, a practice which spread during the 13th century. Midway through that century an individual with the Anglo-Norman forename of "Robert" was applying the "Eude" surname to both himself and his eldest daughter, who was also his heir and successor. Although there is no suggestion that Robert had descended from Odo or any other Noble of that name, perhaps they were distant family, or servants who had adopted their master's name? Either way, Robert Eude was quite probably of Norman or Flemish descent.

Robert applied his name to a number of 13th Century documents which was recorded as "Eude" "Hude," "Oede," and "Ude;"spelling variations which differed little in pronunciation. Robert's known landholdings were over 30 acres, much of it freehold, and some possibly in return for military service. His dwelling at White Beech, near Chiddingfold, was referred to in 1337 as "a mansion called Udes" and its location later pinpointed by the late C19th Historian; the Reverend T.S. Cooper.

The "Eudes" continued their land tenure before, during and after The Great Plague, eventually joining the ranks of the fabled Yeomen Farmers of the Early Modern Period1. They survived pestilence and war, and trundled on their way touching civil war torn Sussex en-route. The Eade's departure from Sussex into Hampshire was forced upon them by circumstance. However, despite continuing to farm manorial lands, the start of the 18th Century would see the rise of Eade stonemasons, bricklayers and builders. That family trade would continue for a further 150 years, eventually dying out in 19th Century London.

However, it was the gradual advent of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions of the late 18th Century which finally prised centuries of farming from the Eade's grasp. Suddenly gone were the rural ways, manorial courts, and social structure by which the Eade's had lived and died for centuries past. It was also at that time that the spelling of the family name was finally fixed as "Eade" and a point at which this story fundamentally changes. However, that change did not consign the family into obscurity or the mass of mundane records of the Victorian period. Indeed they provided a wealth of information and a working class glimpse into empire and Great Britain's role as world policeman.

As the Victorian era eased into the Edwardian period and beyond, the 1914-1918 war exacted a terrible cost on the extended Eade family. A list of known family members who played their part in that awful conflict lies at the front of this book. The post war depression and second world conflict both make their mark, the latter of which fuelled the incredible social and technological changes of the late 20th Century.

The Eade family were probably little different to many, but luckily left behind a veritable blizzard of surviving records which have provided some insight into their lives, trials, and aspirations. Although some informed assumptions have been drawn to try and understand various players and events, this account is supported throughout by numerous historical records. At times their lives must have been joyous but, as ever, when dealing with death the overall direction must always veer towards sadness, but then isn't that just life?

Ironically, with a curious propensity to produce girls, this branch of the Eade family will reach its inevitable and unavoidable conclusion…

About the Authors

Andrew John Eade was born at his Grandmother's house; "Orion", The Priory, Leominster in January 1954. His family moved to Wellington in Shropshire during 1955 where he was educated and set down roots.

Having attended the local Grammar School he served an engineering apprenticeship and worked for several local companies before jointly starting a successful business in 1988.

Andrew still lives in Shropshire and is the father of three girls; Gemma, Victoria and Beatrice. He has been a Local Authority Councillor continuously since 1983 and an ex-Leader of the Borough of Telford and Wrekin Unitary Council.

Roberta (Robyn) Lane was born in London, Ontario Canada and is the eldest child of Bob and Ivey Spicer (Ivey is the daughter of John Beck and Edith Eade). She spent her life growing up in a Naval Military family moving from one coast of Canada to the other, which is an education in itself, and then continuing that way of life when she married her husband Ken.

Retired from secretarial work, and living in Sackville, Nova Scotia, Robyn now happily spends her time digging through and piecing together the family's history; a legacy she lovingly leaves to her daughter Taryn and her grandchildren.

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