The first cast iron (as distinguished from brass) cannon in England was made at the Buxted furnace by Rafe Hogge about the year 1543, and portions of his early trial pieces have been lately found there. Nearly all the iron-ordnance used by England from the time of its introduction to the end of the Stuart period and, to a lesser extent, up to the end of the 18th century, emanated from the Weald: the foundries of Ashburnham, Robertsbridge and Brightling being among the last to produce it. This manufacture was carried on under Royal licence, but notwithstanding this precaution a considerable amount of illicit exportation existed.
Among the most striking examples of Sussex iron from a decorative point of view may be mentioned the iron fire backs or plates. Scarcely injured by ages of wood-fire, they have been preserved to us in an innumerable variety. The periods of their manufacture are indicated by the designs upon them, or the methods adopted in producing the designs.
The principal sites of the iron furnaces in the Rape of Hastings, with the names of some of their old masters in parentheses are as follows: Ashburnham (Ashburnham family) Relfe Courthope G. Brown); Battle, Park Mill (R. Jarvis); Beauport, Westfield (Roman); Beech, near Battle (The Abbot of Battle R. Hay - J. Lord Ashburnham - Sir T. Webster); Beckley [also glass] ; Bibleham, near Mayfield (Pelham family) ; Barnhorne (R. Longley ?) Brede (Lenard Sackville J. Browne Western) ; Brightling (Fuller) ; Buckholt, near Bexhill ; Bugshill, near Salehurst (The Abbot of Robertsbridge) ; Chitcombe, near Brede ; Cowbeach, near Herstmonceux ; Cralle, near Warbleton (Cheney) ; Crowhurst (Pelham); Dallington (Pelham Ashburnham); Darvell (Pelham) ; Etchingham (Sir T. Webster) ; Ewhurst (S. Carey) ; Frant, Sussex border (Shoesmith Barham H. Neville); Hammerden ; Hastings, Alexandra Park[a]; Lamberhurst, (Gloucester furnace) Sussex Border (Prickett Benge Legass and Gott Tapsell) ; Riverhall, near Wadhurst (Fowle and Courthope) ; Robertsbridge (Abbot of Robertsbridge, Sydney family - Culpepper - H. English - T. Snepp - W. Pohill - D. Guy - J. Bourne - Jukes - Harrison) ; Robertsbridge Steel Mill (Glaziers) ;Sedlescombe (Farndens Baker Bishop) ; Scragoak, near Wadhurst (Fowle - Barham - Manser) ; Snape, near Wadhurst (Barham Culpepper) ; Sokenersh, near Brightling (Collins family) ; Ticehurst ; Udiham (J. Culpepper and H. English) ; Wadhurst at Ferredge (Barham Shoesmith) ; Warbleton (Woodman " the Martyr ").
The cinders and clinkers of the old furnaces are to be found on many farms throughout the Weald, for the business of local agriculture was strangely blended with that of iron production by -
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