Mayfield, East Sussex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mayfield is a village nine miles south of Tunbridge Wells in East Sussex, England. It is one two parishes that make up the civil parish of Mayfield and Five Ashes.
Its name derives from Maghefeld or Maid's Field. It is at .
The village is home to a thriving Bonfire Society, one of many such organisations throughout the county. See the following link for more information: Mayfield Bonfire Boyes & Belles
It used to be a part of the manor of Malling, to the north west of Lewes in East Sussex. It belonged to the Kings of Wessex. Between 823 and 836 CE, King Egbert and his son Ethelwolf gave it to the Church of Christ, Canterbury. It became an Archbishop's 'peculiar' in the Diocese of Canterbury up until 1846. Then it was transferred to the Diocese of Chichester.
Both village and church are said to have been founded by St Dunstan in 960. The Anglican church is called St Dunstan's. St Dunstan also built an Archiepiscopal Palace at Mayfield.
In 1389 much of the village and most of the church were destroyed by fire.
In 1556 four Protestants were burnt at the stake here on 23 September.
Mayfield Palace was sold in 1567 to Sir Thomas Gresham and Elizabeth I was a visitor.
Mayfield was at its height during the boom in the iron industry.
During the early 18th century Mayfield became a centre for owling - smuggling wool for brandy and silk. Gabriel Tomkins was their leader. In 1721 he was chased from Burwash to Nutley and then was arrested. The gang then disbanded with a reputation for not using violence and applying their profits to the benefit of the local community.
In 1830 the Swing Riots affected the area with army arriving on November 15. Some local workers were imprisoned or transported.
Mayfield is also the home of St Leonards-Mayfield Roman Catholic girls' boarding school, which has existed for 125 years, and was previously the home of Mayfield College, a now-defunct boys' boarding school. It also has a pub called The Middle House located in the High Street.
