Hidden Horsham - Howard Dudley
The History and Antiquities of Horsham

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ply each house by means of pipes. At Tower Hill, is a spring, by whose waters everything over which it passes is encrusted, in consequence of its depositing a small portion of carbonate of lime, with which it is impregnated in passing the limestone strata, through which it flows.

Population

The population of Horsham, has of late years greatly encreased, and at present amounts to nearly 600,0. The following table will afford a view of its advance during the present century.

Roads

Horsham, though at present remarkable for the excellent state of its turnpike roads, was, before the year 1750, one of the most extraordinary instances of non communication in the kingdom: previously to the above mentioned period, the London road was so execrably bad, that whoever went there on wheels, was compelled to go round by Canterbury!

It is intended to make the great London and Brighton rail road pass through the town, which cannot fail to encrease the business and traffic of the place.

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Fairs

The fairs of Horsham are on April 5th: Monday before Whitsunday, sheep and lambs: July 18th cattle and pedlary; the Cherry fair, Sep 5th. cattle: Nov 27th cattle and toys. Last Tuesday in every month, for cattle

“Nicholas Hostresham, whose name is contracted to Horsham, may justly be placed in this town, as descended from it: families of note often taking their names from their places of residence; and if that be admitted, he will give some lustre to it, for he was a very learned man, and so famous a physician, that the nobility coveted his company on any conditions, so high an esteem had they for him. It seems it was something of peculiar art in him, to cure and yet to please his patient, which he would not do nevertheless it was consistent with the disease; for his aim was, to cure and please if possible, but displease if unavoidable. He was of a middle temper, neither so rough as to af-

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fright, nor so gentle, as to humour his patient into his own destruction; so that he was almost two physicians in one man. He died in the year 1448.”

(From a survey of the county of Sussex, printed in the year 1730; at present in the possession of Miss Cove, Albion Terrace.)

Appendix

Having principally confined the limits of the foregoing account, to a circle of about 4 or 5 miles around the town of Horsham, we have omitted previously to notice the priory of Rusper, a building of great antiquity, and closely connected with that borough, by the endowment of the church to its nuns. Very little of the ancient edifice remains at present, I shall therefore insert a very brief account of the nunnery, as given by Sir William Burrell, in his interesting MSS. preserved in the British Museum.

“On the north wing of the east front of the nunnery, towards the orchard, the foundations of an additional building, and the arch of a cellar are visible, 58 feet in extent, and east of the present house. It is probable a similar wing was on the south aspect and thereby formed a Greek II. The ancient apple trees which cover the flank, render such an idea very problematical.” Near the building is a very deep well, said to have been used as a place of destruction for those members of the convent, who had dared to break their vows of chastity.

Near Mrs Delves tomb at Horsham, is the headless brass figure of an ecclesiastic, supposed from the letters TC in the cope, to cover the remains of Thomas clerk, a former rector.

Rusper Nunnery

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Rusper Nunnery, brass figure two

INDEX

INDEX

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Printed by Howard Dudley, Millbank St.

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