The Mid Sussex Times, November 2 1979

A study of rural postal services is interesting and rewarding; many of the villages covered were in existence centuries before the railway towns of Hassocks, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.

Every Sussex village has a particular charm and character, a singular personality, now under threat of eradication from one source or another. As in past years and still today, the village post office provides essential services, a focal point for the community, and often as part of a shop or store.

Horsted Keynes is a proud and ancient Sussex village, with an equally distinguished postal history. Going back into the 17 century, one finds the private carriers of mail operated in areas such as this, because the post office had still to extend its services in this area.

In the journal of Reverend Charles Moore, rector of Horsted Keynes, his record of accounts show how he, between 1656 and 1678 made use of such carriers and continued to do so even when it became illegal, for these private posts were possibly more reliable.

What the Reverend Moore paid varied according to distance, though the rates were not only extremely high, but very erratic - 1s 6d (71/2 p) for a letter to Slaugham, which was 6 miles away, the same rate for a letter to the Isle of Wight, and again for a letter to Lewes. By the use of such carriers and local parishioners, the Reverend Moore kept contact with his own family in Suffolk, his wife's family in different parts of Sussex, a cousin in Poole and his brother in the Isle of Wight.

Towards the end of the 18th century, a regular Postal Service had been established in the area, with Horsted Keynes having a foot post from East Grinstead three times a week. Also, from about 1790, a receiver of mail (sub postmaster) had also been established in the village.

From 1803, the village was serviced from Uckfield; from 1814, this had changed to Cuckfield, and by 1840 the post came daily from here.

The arrangements lasted only a short while and then East Grinstead became the main post town for Horsted Keynes, which lasted until circa 1930, when the final such change, to Haywards Heath was made.

The list of sub postmasters and postmistresses does not, regrettably, reach back to 1790. So far, the first such personal record is Elizabeth Colvin, in 1845. There then follows a distinguished list of worthies. Edward Allcock (1866), William Adams (1870 to 1880), George Elliott Gilpin (1880 to 1903) and William Henry Noakes (1903-1925). Between 1925 and 1940, the following held office: C. J. T. Bromley, S. W. Darren, J. Galsworthy, Miss Bish and Mrs Sparks. 

One of the few remaining VR wall letterboxes as yet recorded is to be found at Horsted Keynes Railway station.

Birch Grove mystery

About a mile out of Horsted Keynes is the site of one of the postal mysteries of Mid Sussex. Just off the road which leads eventually to Chelwood Gate, is the delightful hamlet of Birch Grove, which is the setting for this mystery.

There is in existence a postcard of Birch Grove, published by an H. Homewood of Burgess Hill, in about 1910. It shows the hamlet very much as it is today, there on the left of the photograph is a sign- "Birch Grove post office." So far, contemporary directories make no mention of it, so it must have been in existence for a very short period.

For philatelists, the mystery deepens, for the only known card actually posted there bears only a single ring cancellation of Horsted Keynes, dated 1911. It was the practice then that all items posted at sub offices would receive a cancellation showing the date posted and the name of the office. Today, only a space in the garden marks the spot where this post office once stood.

Ditchling village, like Horsted Keynes, has seen the centuries come and go with dignity and charm. Unlike Horsted Keynes, Ditchling unfortunately, finds it self today desperately coping with ever-increasing traffic. Since 1904 its post office has been situated in East End Lane, and occupies the same premises today as in 1904.

Prior to 1850, Ditchling was serviced by postal communications with Lewes. After that date, the post town was Hurstpierpoint, with a new railway town of the then Hassocks Gate, giving the area a high level of postal services. In 1850, Henry Harvey Redmond was designated receiver of mail, and he was eventually replaced by Thomas Muddles in about 1855.

In 1874, a regular post office was established in the village, and was officially designated "Post and Money Order Office, and Savings Bank." The following year, the Fieldwick family took over the Post Office business and on 19th of December, 1875, the new post office opened at a site very near to the crossroads.

Thomas Fieldwick was the first "receiver of mail" at this office and he was succeeded by his son, John Shepherd Fieldwick, on July 4, 1892.

The next date was the move to East End Lane, June 10, 1904, when a shop containing the post office was opened by Mr J. Vincent. He remained the postmaster until 1938. Mr. Edwards then became sub postmaster, a position which he held until his retirement in 1974.