Among the many thousands of names we have now collected in the family archives, there are a number of individuals who stand out from the rest. One of these is undoubtedly Peter Linfield of Storrington. Born in 1734 in the parish of Nuthurst, Peter was the youngest son of William and Sarah Linfield, who were married at Itchingfield in 1724. His grandfather, Peter Linfield of Snow’s Farm in Nuthurst, was a successful yeoman farmer who died in 1715, leaving his estate to his eldest son, also Peter (1677-1756) who appears to have sold his inheritance some time before 1744. William Linfield, one of his five younger brothers, had to make do with the 40 shillings he received in his father’s will; nevertheless, it would appear he owned and farmed his own land because, with his brother Peter, he was qualified to vote in the General Election of 1734. Both of them travelled to Chichester to cast their vote, the qualification being the ownership of freehold lands or tenements whose annual net value was 40 shillings or more. Continue reading Peter Linfield of Storrington 1734-1791
Professor Frederick Bloomfield Linfield
In 1874, my great-grandfather, Samuel Linfield (1839-1913), moved from his birthplace in Twillingate, Newfoundland to a farm on the outskirts of my hometown Goderich, Ontario. With him were his wife Rachel (Petten) and their four children, Frederick Bloomfield, Mary Jane Butler, “Eliza” Rhoda Elizabeth and my grandfather-to-be, John Petten. Shortly after settling on the land, Rachel gave birth to Samuel Jr. who died in infancy. Over the next five years, Harriet Grace and Alfred were born. Of the six living children, only my grandfather and his sister Eliza stayed on the farm. However, Eliza left the farm on January 3, 1914, moving to Bozeman, Montana to live with her eldest brother, Frederick, the principal subject of this story. Eliza died in Bozeman on December 2, 1916. Mary Jane married George Rice in 1892 and they moved to Guelph, Ontario. Mary Jane died in 1931. Harriet Grace, known as Grace, left the farm with her brother Alfred on August 18, 1908 to live with brother Frederick and family. Alfred worked at different jobs and soon had his own living accommodations. Grace continued to live with Frederick and family and was a great help to Frederick’s wife who was always ill with T.B. Continue reading Professor Frederick Bloomfield Linfield
Longshot Vol 2, No. 1
Professor Frederick Bloomfield Linfield, by Jerald A Linfield
Publications for Sale, by Malcolm Linfield
Carey Hampton Borrer, by Malcolm Linfield
Peter Linfield of Storrington, by Malcolm Linfield
Letter from America, by Barry Linfield
The Generation Gap, by Malcolm Linfield
William and Anne Linfield of Worthing, by Malcolm Linfield
Snapshots of History, by Alan Lindfield
A Whimsical Look at Genealogy, by Eric Peter Linfield
Sussex Probate Records by Malcolm Linfield
Still Trying to Connect You, by Alan Lindfield
The Spectre of the Spore, by Nick Linfield
Researching our Military Ancestors, by Alan Michael Linfield
The St Catherine’s House Index, by Alan Lindfield
Blood Relatives, by Alan Lindfield
Front cover: William Lindfield, born Slaugham 1842 who joined the Islington Division of the Metropolitan Police in 1862. The uniform is the original `Peeler’ style, which was withdrawn in 1864. Photo kindly supplied by Mrs Doris Maillardet.
Trying to Connect You
Thank you to all the members who have sent in details of their ancestors – I have attempted in each case to find a connection with one of the branches already on record, and in most cases this has been possible. Obviously, this linking becomes much easier where details are given back to the great-grandfather or beyond, particularly where the family were in Sussex or surrounding areas for which we have reasonably comprehensive records. Continue reading Trying to Connect You
Lest We Forget
It has been suggested that we should write a series of articles on the Lin(d)fields who have served in the armed forces and who have distinguished themselves or died in battle. We could extend this idea to cover the American Civil War, the Boer War and any other campaigns for which records are available. Continue reading Lest We Forget
The Bramber Castle Legend
There cannot be too many among our readers who haven’t heard something of the legend of William Lindfield, who was entombed at Bramber Castle. It’s a chilling story, not unworthy of a place in the fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. I first came across it in the local guide, published by the village museum. (Ref. The History and Legend of Bramber Castle. Herbert E. Erredge; Bramber Museum) Despite his obvious embellishments, Erredge has produced an entertaining account of a particularly gruesome episode, and what follows is a summary of his narrative. Continue reading The Bramber Castle Legend
Martha Lindfield of Stream Cottage Wivelsfield
No Family History is complete without the proverbial skeleton in the cupboard. I was a long time before I found mine, and then, to my surprise, it was as close as my own Uncle. My father – as I have said in a previous article – was the 13th child of John William Avery who had married Martha Lindfield the daughter of William Lindfield 1788-1862 of New House or Huggetts Farm, Chailey, and his 2nd wife Elizabeth neé Walker. Continue reading Martha Lindfield of Stream Cottage Wivelsfield
Henry Linfield of Nuthurst
Wills, Administrations and Inventories
Wills, administrations and inventories are valuable documents to family historians: they provide us with a glimpse of our ancestors not available in other records, of a nature which helps to bring them to life as people in their society and time. Wills not only help to clarify family relationships, but they usually give us information about occupation and property ownership. Of course, not everybody made a will, so they are a special bonus when found. Continue reading Henry Linfield of Nuthurst