Mid Sussex Times, September 28 1979

Dogcart days when postman brought the milk as well

Until the coming of the L.B. And S.C. Railway, Burgess Hill as a town did not exist. That was prior to 1841.

There was, however, a settlement astride the London Road at the area known as St Johns Common, consisting of cottages, an inn and general stores. Northwards, as today was Cuckfield, to the south, Hurstpierpoint.

Traversing the road was a smaller track, giving rise to a crossroads of sorts, with the track going eastwards to the village of Wivelsfield and eventually to the village of Lindfield.

It is indeed at St Johns Common that the postal history of Burgess Hill begins. Prior to 1840, a foot postman used to make the journey up to St John's Common, to leave letters at the receiving house for anyone in that area, and to take any outgoing mail back to Hurstpierpoint.

That receiving house was at Fairfield Place, more or less in the same place where there is a general stores today, opposite the Kings Head.

One of the early receivers of post at St.m Johns Common was Joseph Glazebrook, who in 1855 was ‘Grocer and Draper’ at the general stores.

Although the town of Burgess Hill grew steadily from 1841 onwards, as a railway town, with its own post office dating from about 1850, the little office of St John's Common retained its independence until about 1870. It continued to receive its mail from Hurstpierpoint, as did the office in Burgess Hill, despite the railway, until about 1870.

The post office which opened in the newly developing settlement near the railway station was at a general stores, in about 1850. This was situated in what is better known today as Prospect Place, at the top of Junction Road. In fact, that is where the main post office for Burgess Hill was until 1965, when it moved into the purpose-built premises in Station Road, where it is today.

The first designated postmaster at the prospect Place office was William Brooker, the office being first, in about 1850, under the Keymer office, then Hurstpierpoint, and by 1874, under Brighton. 1874 was also the year that the Burgess Hill office received it own cancellor, known as a duplex cancellation, which had the name of the town in one part and the identifying code, “C 90”, in the other.

That year was quite a landmark, postally for Burgess Hill, as mail was now only brought to the town by the railway and the link with Hurstpierpoint disappeared.

The office at St John's Common now became the town's first proper sub office, with Richard Fuller as postmaster in 1874, shortly to be followed by Ebenezer Austin who would hold that position for some 20 years. At prospect Place, in 1874, William Curling Francis had become postmaster, a position that he, too, would hold for nearly 20 years.

As the town expanded, so did the need for more postal services which included additional sub-offices. Thus in about 1885, another such office was opened at a shop in the north end (Worlds End) area, where today a sub office still exists for me. The first sub postmaster here was Thomas J.Bardenstock.

Following shortly, in about 1898 another office was opened at a shop at the corner of Church Road, opposite St John's church, later to move where it is today, halfway down Church Road. Here the first sub postmaster was J. W. Atwood.

These basic facts stand as a reminder of the early development of the town, which in a relatively short period of time, historically speaking, has become the thriving community which it is today.

Early letters to Burgess Hill would be addressed as "Burgess Hill, near Hurstpierpoint." Prior to 1870, records describe the delivery of mail from Hurstpierpoint first by foot postman, as already described, and then by mail cart. The mail cart is referred to in several independent sources and seems to have been in use circa 1850.

The mail cart came up from the Hurstpierpoint Office, and according to the records it was first drawn by a couple of dogs, which were eventually replaced by a pony, when that practice was forbidden by law.

The cart would call first at the St John's Common Office and then come across to prospect Place.

From here, it would journey onto the village in Wivelsfield, which is not to be confused with either the present Wivelsfield station at North End (World’s End), or that detached part of the village now known as Wivelsfield Green.

Those were the days before postboxes, so besides distribution, the postman in charge of the cart collected letters and sold stamps. One name which is associated with this service, was that of postman Elliott, who according to tradition, was also a milkman. He appears to have sounded a post horn to announce his coming and goings. He is credited with very good eyesight, as it appeared to have been the practice to leave letters for posting in the windows of cottages.

The first postbox, a pillar box in the Burgess Hill area, appeared at St John's Common about 1870.

The oldest postbox still in use in Burgess Hill is also a pillar box, at the Church Road sub office, which bears the royal cipher of Edward VII, 1901 - 1911.