Beckley, East Sussex Explained

Official Name:Beckley
Country:England
Region:South East England
Static Image Name:BeckleyChurchEastSussex.jpg
Static Image Caption:All Saints Church
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:22.8
Population:1037
Population Ref:(Parish-2011)[2]
Population Density:115/sqmi
Os Grid Reference:TQ852239
Coordinates:50.99°N 0.64°W
Post Town:RYE
Postcode Area:TN
Postcode District:TN31
Dial Code:01797
Constituency Westminster:Bexhill and Battle
London Distance: NW
Shire District:Rother
Shire County:East Sussex
Website:Beckley Council

Beckley is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is located on the B2088 minor road above the Rother Levels five miles (8 km) northwest of Rye and ten miles (16 km) from Hastings. The northern border follows the river Rother.

History

Beckley was part of the Wealden iron industry.[3] An iron furnace was built in 1578, at the small settlement still called Beckley Furnace. A watermill powered the bellows. Production ceased in 1770.[4]

The 1830s saw a mass emigration of Beckley residents to New South Wales. At the time, the developing colony of New South Wales was in need of skilled agricultural labourers, whilst the English labourers were suffering hard times. Various schemes were introduced to provide finance for workers to emigrate. 165 Beckley residents took up the offer and emigrated. Amongst those residents were Thomas and Maria Ann Smith (née Sherwood), the cultivator of the Granny Smith apple.[5] Another of those residents who emigrated at this time was Henry Charles Packham, whose son Charles, in Molong, New South Wales, was the cultivator of the Packham pear.[6] [7] A young emigrant who did well was George Fielder (1827-1913) the illegitimate son[8] of Hannah Bowlin and George Parsons of Yew Tree Farm, Northiam. He emigrated in 1838 on the "James Pattison"[9] with his mother and stepfather, became a miller in Tamworth and founded the flour milling company George Fielder & Co. now controlled by the international conglomerate Wilmar

The parish church is the All Saints church, which is located at the far west end of the town. The Revd William Glaister was the rector here in 1839 when his daughter Elizabeth Glaister was born. She would be an author and embroiderer.

Governance

The lowest level of government is the Beckley parish council which meets once a month. The parish council is responsible for local amenities such as the provision of litter bins, bus shelters and allotments. They also provide a voice into the district council meetings. The parish council comprises seven councillors with elections being held every four years. The May 2007 election was uncontested.[10]

Current details about the Parish can be found on the official Parish Council website.[11]

Rother District council provides the next level of government with services such as refuse collection, planning consent, leisure amenities and council tax collection. Beckley lies within the Rother Levels ward, which provides two councillors. The May 2007 election returned two Conservatives councillors.

East Sussex county council is the third tier of government, providing education, libraries and highway maintenance. Beckley falls within the Northern Rother ward. Peter Jones, Conservative, was elected in the May 2005 election with 49.7% of the vote.

The UK Parliament constituency for Beckley is Bexhill and Battle.

Prior to Brexit in 2020, Beckley was part of the South East England constituency in the European Parliament.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: East Sussex in Figures . 26 April 2008 . East Sussex County Council.
  2. Web site: Civil Parish population 2011. 7 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160113191814/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11120532&c=TN31+6TN&d=16&e=62&g=6421561&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1444225303115&enc=1. 13 January 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: Wealden Iron Series 2. 24 May 2008 . 2007 . Wealden Iron Research Group.
  4. Web site: Beckley Sussex . 24 May 2008 . Villagenet.co.uk . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516071603/http://www.villagenet.co.uk/rotherlevels/villages/beckley.php . 16 May 2008 . dead. dmy-all .
  5. Web site: Local History . 24 May 2008 . Beckley History Society . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060718173926/http://www.beckley-uk.com/History%20Folder/Local_History_Pages.htm . 18 July 2006 . dmy-all .
  6. Book: Finn, Rosslyn. Packham, Charles Henry (1842–1909). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Canberra.
  7. Web site: A village claims its slice of history: the birthplace of the Packham Pear. ABC Central West NSW. en-AU. 21 April 2016.
  8. East Sussex Record Office, PAR 369/34/3/10
  9. Web site: NRS5316/4_4784/James Pattison_11 Dec 1838/ . records.nsw.gov.au.
  10. Web site: Election of seven councillors . 24 May 2008. Stevens . Derek . 4 April 2007. Rother District Council.
  11. Web site: Beckley Parish Council . 10 June 2012 . Beckley Parish Council . https://web.archive.org/web/20130415234615/http://beckleyparishcouncil.co.uk/ . 15 April 2013 . dead.