local history question Bulverhythe nr Hastings

[vicious_sid]

Who or what was "Harley Shute" that the road was named after?

[Jan1957]

Only down the road from me but sorry, don't know what it was named after.

[vicious_sid]

It's about 55miles from me, but my daughter works at the caravan site and she's suddenly got curious, but not curious to do the research herself

[Jan1957]

Will ask around sid, lived here for 24 years. If I find out will post for you.

[vicious_sid]

Many thanks it would be appreciated

[TCL-MUMPING]

Harley Shute is a village, in East Sussex.

[vicious_sid]

Sorry TCL-MUMPING am after the history of the name of the road - but if you could tell the origins of the village name that may give me some clues to work on

[TCL-MUMPING]

I knew that but it shows that the road is not named after a person but another village. I don't know the origin of its name but.

[vicious_sid]

Sorry TL Not paying attention - it's late

[Jan1957]

I've just spent last half hour trying to find out on tinternet but can't so will ask local people. Get back to you sid. I take it the daughter is working at Combe Haven.

[vicious_sid]

Yes thats right, for her sins - which are many

[jno]

according to my place name dictionary, there's a village called Harley in Shropshire which means rock wood or rock clearing and a village called Shute in Devon which means in the corner of the land. Put them together and you get something which appears to be total nonsense. It could mean something like a village that has grown up on rocky land in a clearing in the corner of a lord's estate, I suppose.

[kempie]

In southern Britain "shute" has derived from a number of Anglo-Saxon roots; one root sceat, along with corner of a parcel of land, also meant corner as of crossroads; another root scotian meant "straight road" (in the sense of a bow-shot); another root-word indicated a field which runs downhill. There are a number of hill-road "shutes" found on the Isle of Wight and I suspect this latter explanation is the most appropriate for the geography of Harley Shute.

Harley may have been the name of the landowner (or a corruption thereof) or could derive from the same root as nearby Hollington.

[Mr Veritas]

We live near Hastings.
The road in question is named after an early 20th Cetury Councillor Mr ***** Hsrley-Shute,sorry don.t have his christian name.
This information is courtesy of the present Mayor of Hastings.
and apologies to TCL but there has never been a village here called Harley Shute,before the road was cut through (sometime in the 20's) it was just farmland.

[vicious_sid]

Many thanks Mr Veritas,

I;ll look for verification of this next time I'm that way (not that I'm doubting what you say, I just like to see these things for myself)

I don't suppose you know what he'd done to get a road named after him. I was always under the belief that it was quite an honour for this to happen.

[kempie]

It certainly predates 20th Century councillors...

Harley Shute can be found marked on Ordnance Survey maps of the area from at least early 19th Century to present day.

The National Archives makes reference to a 16th Century manuscript held by East Sussex Record Office regarding the area in question. AMS5695/2 - An 18 year lease dated 15 July 1557 -

Rent 110s p.a for � the demesne of the manor of Harele (in Hollington, St Leonards and Bulverhythe).

John Sandell of Hollington by his will, proved May 1557, bequeathed his farm of Harlye to J H and J P.
J P covenants to repair hedges, banks etc. J H covenants to repay J P 16s. 8d. for each remaining year of the lease if J P is legally evicted from the property. Certain rights are also reserved to the heirs of Dame Mary Fitton.

Present at sealing: Richard Byshopp, jurat; Richard Russell, Edmund Smyth, Thomas Bryan

J H = John Hemelyng of Hastings
J P = John Poppe of Hollington

Dame Mary Fitton held the Manor of Filsham, a manor dating back to Saxon times. The manor house was rebuilt in 1682 and part of this remains on present day Harley Shute Road.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records .aspx?cat=179-amsj&cid=54-2#54-2

It also strikes me as unlikely that a road named after a Harley-Shute would have a side road (Harley Way) utilising only half the surname.

[kempie]

Furthermore, National Archives documents (railway plans held at East Sussex Record Office) reference "Harley Shute Road" in 1902...

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records .aspx?cat=179-q_2&cid=1-11-1-2-49#1-11-1-2-49

...and "Harley Shoot" in 1844...

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records .aspx?cat=179-q_2&cid=1-11-1-1-286#1-11-1-1-28 6

[vicious_sid]

Must ask Kempie, what do you do for a living, some type of researcher would be my guess

answers are truly brilliant