A History of Newmarket Farm – Including Castle Hill, Kingston & Balsdean Downs
By David and Peggy Cuthbertson
5th August 2024
Contents
Location and prehistory
Romans
Saxons
Early Medieval Downs
Norman Downs
Medieval Brighton
Smuggling
Shepherd scholar
Chapter 3. Origins of Newmarket Farm
1825 — Thomas Rogers loses his family lands
1830 — James Hodson and the Kingston Enclosures
Chapter 4. New Owner, New Farmers, Old Managers
1833 — Gorings of Wiston
1837 — Hodsons move to Falmer
1841 — Davies family in Newmarket Farm
1842 — Hodsons move to Kingston
1843 — Hodsons in Kingston—Tithe Map
1851 — Rich family in Newmarket Farm
1861 — Rich family — Poverty in Kingston
1864 — Hodsons’ second son dies
Chapter 5. Hunting and Mock Battles
Chapter 6-1. 1868 — David Baldy of Newmarket Farm
Chapter 6–2. 1846–1868 — Martin Brown
1830 — Buxted, the Browns, and Captain Swing
1841 — Marriage in Buxted
1843 — Back in Buxted, and Joseph Brown
1846, April — Martin Brown, and sister Eliza
1851 — Rotherfield
1851 or ’52 — Brighton — Life, death and poverty
About 1856 — Rural outings — Buxted & Tuppen
1861 Census — Elder Street
1863, Oct. 11th — New Step-Mother
1863, Nov. 28th — Stealing sweets — 3 months
1864, April 27th — Out of gaol
1864, July 5th — Brotherly love? — 6 months
1865, March 17th — Stealing from lodgings & beach
1866, March — Freedom, but death of sister
1866, Oct. 4th — Reuben Vinall signs up
1867, Dec. 10th — Desertion
1868 — Sailor — America & France
1868, Spring — Carter in Brighton
1868, July — Henry Brown on the run
Chapter 6–3. July 1868 — Brighton to Newmarket Hill
1868, Sat 18th or Sun 19th July? — Newmarket Hill
1868, Sat 18th or Sun 19th July?— Newmarket Cottage
1868, Sat 18th or Sun 19th July? — Baldy’s family and lodgers
Chapter 6–4. End August 1868, Newmarket to Kingston
Between Mid-August and early Sept 1868 — From Baldy’s to Wickham’s
Sometime mid- to late September 1868 — Intent
Beginning October 1868 — New coat
Friday 2nd October 1868 — Bullets for a gun
Thursday 8th October 1868 — People on Hill
Breakfast, Friday 9th October 1868 — Scared
5:30am, Friday 9th October 1868 — Morning work
12–1pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Dinnertime
3:15pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Bullocks
Shortly before sunset, 5pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Leaving for wages
Dusk, 5:45pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Wages
Dark, shortly before 7pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Waiting
Chapter 6–5. October 9, 1868, Murder
Total darkness, about 7pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Murder
9:20pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Lodgings
About 10 pm, Friday 9th October 1868 — Bed
Twilight, about 5:45am, Saturday 10th October 1868 — Discovery
Sunrise, 6:30am, Saturday 10th October 1868 — Help
8:50am Saturday 10th October 1868 — Examination
Evening, Saturday 10th October 1868 — Whispers
About 6:45pm, Saturday 10th October 1868 — Escape
8:00am Sunday 11th October 1868 — Belongings
Chapter 6–6. October 12, 1868 — Coroner’s Inquest
2pm Monday 12th October 1868 — Inquest
6pm Monday 12th October 1868 — Enquiry
Chapter 6-7. October 13–19, 1868 — Cave and Capture
Tuesday Afternoon, 13th October 1868 — Newmarket Plantation
Wednesday 14th October 1868 — Arrest warrant
Saturday Afternoon, 17th October 1868 — Maidstone
Saturday Evening, 17th October 1868 — Royal Horse Artillery
9pm Saturday 17th October 1868 — Arrest of Brown
Sunday 18th October 1868 — Train to Lewes
Monday afternoon, 19th October 1868 — Magisterial Inquiry
Chapter 6–8. October 19, 1868 — Adjourned Inquest
Chapter 6-9. December 29, 1868 — The Trial — Day one
11:20 Tuesday 30th December 1868 — Witnesses
Chapter 6-10. January 1869 — Confession and Execution
Saturday 16th January 1869 — Gun Barrel
Monday 18th January 1869 — Execution
Wednesday 20th January 1869 — Newspaper report
MARTIN BROWN’S OWN CONFESSION, JANUARY THE 11TH, 1869
NOTE.
Chapter 6-11. January 18, 1869 — Inquest and Postscript
THE INQUEST
Postscript for the Baldys
Chapter 7. Life After Death — 1871–1908
1871 — Timms family in Newmarket Farm
November 1871 — J. Hodson dies—R.J. Woodman new manager
1880 — James Stacey—New manager
1881 — Davey family in Newmarket Farm
1891 — Barrow family in Newmarket Farm
1895 — John Hodson new manager—Baldy’s Stone
1901 — Davey family in Newmarket Farm
1908 — John Hodson replaced by Howell
Chapter 8. New Developments — 1911–1925
1911 — Goring sells Kingston to Howell—Moon in Newmarket Farm
1913 — Woodendean Farm sells land for housing
1914 — WWI—Scantlebury, Percy buys Balsdean
1918 — End of War—Land for veterans—Emma Daisy Sayers Smith
1919 — Selbach buys Balsdean—Edwards his farm manager
1920 — Howell starts selling Kingston property
1921 — Selbach buys Newmarket Farm
1922 — Oscar Selbach marries Emma Daisy Smith
1924 — Edwards in Newmarket Farm
Chapter 9. Brighton Corporation — 1925– Present
1925 — Brighton buys farms—Selbach’s land healthiest in Britain
1925, Nov. 25th — Woodman — Balsdean, Norton, Newmarket Farms
1931 — Gliding, cars, motorbikes & hunting
1934 — Phipps in Newmarket Farm—Country life
1937 — Government farm policies
1938 — Latham family in Newmarket Farm—Work for Dalgety
1939 — WWII—Reginald Latham signs up
1940 — Woodman and Dalgety in Home Guard
1941 — Pigs, cattle, & soldiers
1942 — Birth & military requisitions
1944 — Allied artillery destroys Newmarket Farm
1959 — BBC TV aerial on Newmarket Hill
1966 — Castle Hill National Nature Reserve—Conserving the past
Next: Chapter 1. Introduction
