A Stonemason of Lewes

[Chris in 1066]

Lewes Stonemasons.

The records of C.F.Bridgmans, a firm of Stonemasons (formerly Parsons) based in Lewes from the early 18th century, were deposited in the East Sussex Records Office in 1965 by Hillman Sons, Vinall and Carter, Solicitors of Lewes, and consists of some 98 volumes of Ledgers, Day Books, Letter Books, Wage and Cash Books together with Classified Accounts which cover the period 1834 - 1959.

The Universal British Directory of 1793 – 1798 lists both Isaac Hargrave and John Morris as Stone Masons in Lewes, and other local records further indicate that the above John Morris (1715 - 1792) who inherited the business in 1744, was the son of Arthur Morris, (1685 - 1744)  one of the earliest recorded Stone Masons in Lewes and the founder of the modern day Bridgmans.

John Morris Jnr. (c.1754 - 1822) joined his uncle John in the family business until the retirement of his uncle whereupon he partnered Edward May (c.1750 - 1803) until his own retirement in 1800. Edward May joined forces with Latter Parsons (1773 - 1848) until his death in 1803 when Charles Parsons (1766 - 1828) then partnered his brother Latter and was later joined by John Parsons with the firm continuing under the name Parsons until 1881 when it then became C.F.Bridgmans, a name it kept until 1962.

Through these surviving records of Parsons and C.F.Bridgman covering the period 1834 to 1959, it is possible to follow the firms extensive business interests in the general building and repair work that they undertook as well as the erection and maintenance of the tomb stones that are dotted around the many churchyards of both East and West Sussex.  Earlier records of both Edward May and Latter Parsons and covering the period 1799 through to 1842 are in private hands and todate have not been inspected.  

Arthur Morris who in 1712 was 'a foreign member' of the London Masons Company , used a riverside stoneyard at Cliffe until about 1727 when he moved his stone-works to 'new ground' on the opposite bank near Eastgate  and it was from here that together with his son John he did some of their best commissions for the Pelham Family (Duke of Newcastle) supplying Plymouth Marble, Purbeck Paving and other stone from Portland, Reigate, Lindfied and Buxton for the construction of Lewes Bridge, Pelham House, Glynde Church etc.


Lewes Stone Masons as obtained from local directories
                                       Born   Died
Arthur Morris                     1685 – 1744
John Morris (son)               1715 – 1792    (High Constable 1752)
Isaac Hargraves                 1738 – 1822
John Morris Jnr. (nephew)     1745 – 1822   (High Constable 1765)
Edward May                       1750 – 1803
Latter Parsons                   1773 – 1848
Charles Parsons                  1776 – 1828
John Latter                        1805 - 1885
Bridgman & Sons                 1885 onwards till closure in 1962

An Advertising page from a local Directory
(http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/9545/eastgate2.jpg)

The Auctual building in Eastgate Street - (still stands today)
(http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg593/scaled.php?server=593&filename=eastgateyard.jpg&res=medium)

[Chris in 1066]

The surviving records of Parsons and C.F.Bridgman give many specifications for the building of tombs, materials required, hours worked by the stone mason and others, plus of course the cost of the Inscription; often accompanied by a free hand drawing of the monument as detailed below:

December 10th 1842
The Exec of the late Mrs Hicks—Mr James Hicks, Wilders Farm, Chiddingly:-
A Portland Stone Tomb with York Stone Curb to be erected in Chiddingly Churchyard complete @ £12/15/-d
Fixing the above:
Winhurst 3¼days,
H Townsend 3¼days,
Labour @ 5/-,
Lodgings @ 9/6d 
17 Iron Cramps,   
2½lbs Pitch,   
100 Best Bricks,   
800 Inferior Bricks,
8lbs of Lead,   
12 Bushells of Sand,   
2 Bushells  of Cement.

Friday December 15th 1848
John W Burtenshaw -
Portland Stone Tomb as per drawing erected in Ditchling Burial Ground and to include fixing of same @ £27/0/0d
Engraving 117 letters at 1½d per letter = 14/7½d

(It would be interesting to know if either of those two tombs still survive)

Prior to 1852, burial grounds were controlled by the Church Vestry, but the Burial Act of that year empowered them to appoint Burial Boards whose responsibility was all matters relating to the control of the burial ground and its monuments.

Churchyard scenes carved on the base of a number of headstones found in the Sussex churchyards of Horsham, Hurstpeirpoint, Shipley, Steyning and Thakeham include both a wooden grave-board with elaborately moulded posts, as well as a Sussex type grave-board with connecting stone rail (the term ‘rail’ being used for the connecting slab) as listed in the early 19th century account-books of May and Parsons at a cost of just over £5.37

[Chris in 1066]

Reverend Richard Constable of Cowfold

[Chris in 1066]

Rev Richard constable - details and drawings from the Log books