The Estate - Bevendean History Project
Richard Rann at Bevendean Farm in the 1850s and 1860s
Diane Rann contacted the website with the following information and questions.
Both the 1851 and 1861 census for Bevendean shows a Richard Rann as Farm Bailiff.
He is my husband’s 3 x great grandfather and Richard’s son William is his 2 x great grandfather.
Bevendean Farm on the right viewed from Race Hill in the early 1900s.
I am trying to trace back in time to find Richard’s parents, and his wife, Sally’s, maiden name.
I know they were born in the 1790’s and died in 1866 and 1879 respectively.
Burial records show that both are buried at St Lawrence Church in Falmer.
Falmer Church in July 2020
Results of a search of the Falmer Church Registers at the Keep
There is one marriage at Falmer church involving a Richard Ranns (not Rann), bachelor of the parish of Falmer. This took place on 16 April 1814 and the spouse’s name was Sarah COOTER, spinster of the parish of St. Anne in Lewes.
Marriage Register Entry
Marriage solemnized in the Parish of Falmer in the County of Sussex in the year 1814.
Richard Ranns of this Parish Bachelor and Sarah Cooter of the Parish St. Ann’s Lewes Spinster were married in the Church by Banns with consent of ……………….. this Sixteenth Day of April in the Year One thousand eight hundred and fourteen.
By me Tho. Baker (Thomas Baker - Vicar).
This Marriage was solemnized between us Richard Ranns X mark, Sarah Cooter.
In the Presence of Jonas Cooter, D. S. Thornton.
Diane replied that Sarah Cooter and Sally Rann are likely to be the same person, as Sally used to be a well know pet name for anyone called Sarah. I have found baptism records for Richard and Sarah/Sally’s eldest children, where the mother’s name is given as Sarah, but subsequent baptisms for the younger children show the mother’s name as Sally.
There is a record of Richard Rann of Falmer being buried at Falmer on 2 September 1866 at the age of 73, while Sally Rann of Falmer was buried on 11 November 1879 at the age of 80.
Diane asks about the role of the Farm Bailiff.
The Farm Bailiff was employed by an estate owner, and his main task was to oversee the tenant farmers making sure that rents were paid and farms were well looked after. The Farm Bailiff was really the farm manager, who had the power to evict any tenants that were not using the land effectively.
He had to be proficient in book keeping and knowledgeable about all things relating to farming – right down to the milking of a cow. Many estate owners wanted their Bailiffs to be able to work on their own initiative as well as coming up with ways to save money.
Very often a farm labourer gained the trust of the farmer, and after some years was promoted to the post of Bailiff, which seems to be the case with Richard Rann, who in 1841 was working as an Agricultural Labourer at Balmer Farm near Falmer.
By 1862 Bevendean Farm was owned by Charles Beard who was the owner until about 1876. Again he employed a Farm Bailiff.
This means that Richard Rann was the Farm Bailiff to both Steyning and Charles Beard.
In 1843 Bevendean Farm was owned by Mr Mabbett Esq and Steyning Beard was the tenant although he did not farm the land himself but employed a Farm Bailiff.
By 1862 Bevendean Farm was owned by Charles Beard who was the owner until about 1876. Again he employed a Farm Bailiff.
This means that Ricard Rann was the Farm Bailiff to both Steyning and Charles Beard.
Diane further comments that it is interesting to note that at the time of his marriage, Richard Rann just marked the register with a X, although his wife could write her name and therefore probably could read, at least a little too. However, by the time of the 1851 census Richard had become the Bevendean Farm Bailiff, a job which would have required him to both read and write. These literacy skills he must therefore have acquired as an adult rather than as a child.
The 1871 Census for Falmer
Diane also comments that there was a Sarah Rann listed on the 1871 census as living in Falmer aged 72 on Parochial Relief.
Her details indicate she was a widow, and was born in Lewes. Sally Rann is shown on the 1851 and 1861 census returns as having been born in Lewes and her age is given as 52 and 62 respectively, so again these census records tie up.
Diane continues by writing “ultimate proof I think would be if Richard and Sally are buried in the same grave”. Both burials took place at St Lawrence Church, Falmer.
Results of a visit to Falmer Church
The original graveyard on the south side of the church was in use until approximately 1900, when a new burial ground was opened about 150 metres south west of the church.
The church has a map of the burials in the new graveyard and a record book listing who was buried where, but this was only started in the 1890s, which is too late to include the burials of Richard and Sally Rann.
There still are a few stones standing in the old graveyard but most of the older ones are illegible.
Further Research
There is a record of a baptism for Sarah Cooter at St. John the Baptist Church at Lewes on 20th March 1799 to a James Cooter and mother named Sarah.
An extract from the Sussex Marriage Index provides information on a marriage at St. John Church, Southover, near Lewes in East Sussex.
“On the 16th October 1796, James COOTER, of St. Anne (Batchelor) married Sarah DAVEY, of the parish of St. John the Baptist, Southover.”
Census entries give Richard as born about 1794 in Plumpton, which is near Lewes.
There are two churches at Plumpton. All Saints which was built about 1893, this is far too late to have a baptism record for Richard.
The second church is St Michael and All Angels which has a nave dating from c1100. Unfortunately there are no Baptism records for this church at the East Sussex Records Office between 1729 and 1813.
John Phillips
9 June 2021
Both the 1851 and 1861 census for Bevendean shows a Richard Rann as Farm Bailiff.
He is my husband’s 3 x great grandfather and Richard’s son William is his 2 x great grandfather.
Bevendean Farm on the right viewed from Race Hill in the early 1900s.
I am trying to trace back in time to find Richard’s parents, and his wife, Sally’s, maiden name.
I know they were born in the 1790’s and died in 1866 and 1879 respectively.
Burial records show that both are buried at St Lawrence Church in Falmer.
Falmer Church in July 2020
Results of a search of the Falmer Church Registers at the Keep
There is one marriage at Falmer church involving a Richard Ranns (not Rann), bachelor of the parish of Falmer. This took place on 16 April 1814 and the spouse’s name was Sarah COOTER, spinster of the parish of St. Anne in Lewes.
Marriage Register Entry
Marriage solemnized in the Parish of Falmer in the County of Sussex in the year 1814.
Richard Ranns of this Parish Bachelor and Sarah Cooter of the Parish St. Ann’s Lewes Spinster were married in the Church by Banns with consent of ……………….. this Sixteenth Day of April in the Year One thousand eight hundred and fourteen.
By me Tho. Baker (Thomas Baker - Vicar).
This Marriage was solemnized between us Richard Ranns X mark, Sarah Cooter.
In the Presence of Jonas Cooter, D. S. Thornton.
Diane replied that Sarah Cooter and Sally Rann are likely to be the same person, as Sally used to be a well know pet name for anyone called Sarah. I have found baptism records for Richard and Sarah/Sally’s eldest children, where the mother’s name is given as Sarah, but subsequent baptisms for the younger children show the mother’s name as Sally.
There is a record of Richard Rann of Falmer being buried at Falmer on 2 September 1866 at the age of 73, while Sally Rann of Falmer was buried on 11 November 1879 at the age of 80.
Diane asks about the role of the Farm Bailiff.
The Farm Bailiff was employed by an estate owner, and his main task was to oversee the tenant farmers making sure that rents were paid and farms were well looked after. The Farm Bailiff was really the farm manager, who had the power to evict any tenants that were not using the land effectively.
He had to be proficient in book keeping and knowledgeable about all things relating to farming – right down to the milking of a cow. Many estate owners wanted their Bailiffs to be able to work on their own initiative as well as coming up with ways to save money.
Very often a farm labourer gained the trust of the farmer, and after some years was promoted to the post of Bailiff, which seems to be the case with Richard Rann, who in 1841 was working as an Agricultural Labourer at Balmer Farm near Falmer.
In 1843
Bevendean Farm was owned by Mr Mabbett Esq and Steyning Beard was the
tenant although he did not farm the land himself but employed a Farm
Bailiff. Bevendean Farm in the early 1900s viewed from Race Hill looking down into the valley at Bevendean. |  |
By 1862 Bevendean Farm was owned by Charles Beard who was the owner until about 1876. Again he employed a Farm Bailiff.
This means that Richard Rann was the Farm Bailiff to both Steyning and Charles Beard.
In 1843 Bevendean Farm was owned by Mr Mabbett Esq and Steyning Beard was the tenant although he did not farm the land himself but employed a Farm Bailiff.
By 1862 Bevendean Farm was owned by Charles Beard who was the owner until about 1876. Again he employed a Farm Bailiff.
This means that Ricard Rann was the Farm Bailiff to both Steyning and Charles Beard.
Diane further comments that it is interesting to note that at the time of his marriage, Richard Rann just marked the register with a X, although his wife could write her name and therefore probably could read, at least a little too. However, by the time of the 1851 census Richard had become the Bevendean Farm Bailiff, a job which would have required him to both read and write. These literacy skills he must therefore have acquired as an adult rather than as a child.
The 1871 Census for Falmer
Diane also comments that there was a Sarah Rann listed on the 1871 census as living in Falmer aged 72 on Parochial Relief.
Her details indicate she was a widow, and was born in Lewes. Sally Rann is shown on the 1851 and 1861 census returns as having been born in Lewes and her age is given as 52 and 62 respectively, so again these census records tie up.
Diane continues by writing “ultimate proof I think would be if Richard and Sally are buried in the same grave”. Both burials took place at St Lawrence Church, Falmer.
Results of a visit to Falmer Church
The original graveyard on the south side of the church was in use until approximately 1900, when a new burial ground was opened about 150 metres south west of the church.
The church has a map of the burials in the new graveyard and a record book listing who was buried where, but this was only started in the 1890s, which is too late to include the burials of Richard and Sally Rann.
There still are a few stones standing in the old graveyard but most of the older ones are illegible.
Further Research
There is a record of a baptism for Sarah Cooter at St. John the Baptist Church at Lewes on 20th March 1799 to a James Cooter and mother named Sarah.
An extract from the Sussex Marriage Index provides information on a marriage at St. John Church, Southover, near Lewes in East Sussex.
“On the 16th October 1796, James COOTER, of St. Anne (Batchelor) married Sarah DAVEY, of the parish of St. John the Baptist, Southover.”
Census entries give Richard as born about 1794 in Plumpton, which is near Lewes.
There are two churches at Plumpton. All Saints which was built about 1893, this is far too late to have a baptism record for Richard.
The second church is St Michael and All Angels which has a nave dating from c1100. Unfortunately there are no Baptism records for this church at the East Sussex Records Office between 1729 and 1813.
John Phillips
9 June 2021
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