RICHARD WOODMAN'S DOOR IN WARBLETON CHURCH TOWER.

DURING my various visits to Warbleton I have taken much interest in the reminiscences of Richard Woodman, which are to be met with in the immediate neighbourhood of the Parish Church.

To the South of the Churchyard stands a cottage that, in all probability, formed part of his residence. In the pasture field to the west, tradition points to vestiges of his garden wall, and a chamber in the church tower is supposed to have been his temporary prison after he came under the eye of the law ?) in consequence of his heretical tenets. But But my interest was most attracted by certain mysterious fragments of iron still affixed to the door of the tower room, and which have hitherto been popularly considered as remains of instruments of torture.

I made (so far as the uncertain light afforded by the tower windows enabled me to do so) accurate drawings of both faces of the door, and having shewn them to one of your members, he begged permission to have them printed in your forthcoming volume, and requested me to accompany them with a few remarks on the subject. While I feel flattered by his request, it is with considerable diffidence that I, a resident in Kent, intrude myself on a neighbouring Society. I am aware that to many of your members there is very little novelty in much that I advance; and I know that Woodman's memory is still green in East Sussex. Nevertheless, I suspect that few of the members of the Sussex Archæological Society have seen his door, and if what I have to say serves to interest them for a few moments, and tends to elucidate the subject of the supposed instruments of torture, I shall be well pleased.

They will bear with me, then, for a while, if I begin by refreshing their memories touching Woodman himself.

Mr. M. A. Lower, in his very interesting Historical and Archæological Notices of the Iron Works of Sussex, which

appeared in the 2nd vol. of the Sussex Archæological Collections, as far back as the year 1849, says:"Among the persons engaged in the [Iron] trade at this period was Richard Woodman, one of the ten protestant martyrs burnt at Lewes in 1557. He was a native of Buxted, where he probably learned the business. At the time

of his apprehension, at the beginning of Queen Mary's reign, he resided at Warbleton, and carried on an extensive trade. In one of his examinations before the Bishop of Winchester, he says, 'Let me go home, I pray you, to my wife and children, to see them kept, and other poore folke that I would set aworke by the help of God. I have set aworke a hundreth persons, ere this, all the yeare together.'" Foxe's Book of Martyrs is not found in every one's library, therefore I may be forgiven for extracting the following passages:—

"In the town of Lewes1 were ten faithful servants of God put in one fire, the 22 day of June [1557], whose names follow: Richard Woodman, George Stevens, W. Mainard, Alexander Hosman his servant, Thomasina Wood (Mainard's maid), Margery Moris, James Moris, her son, Denis Burgys, Ashdon's wife, Grove's wife."

"Richard Woodman by his occupation was an iron maker dwelling in the parish of Warbleton, Sussex, Diocese of Chichester, of the age of 30 years, and somewhat more. The occasion of his first apprehension was this: There was one Fairebanke who had some time been a married priest and served the cure of Warbleton, where he had often persuaded the people not to credit any other doctrine but that which he then preached, taught, and set forth in King Edward's days. And afterwards in the beginning of Queen Mary's reign, the said Fairebanke turning head to tail preached clean contrary to that which he had before taught. Whereupon Richard Woodman hearing him in the church of Warbleton so contrary to himself, admonished him of his inconstancy, how before time he had taught them one thing, now another, and desired him to teach them the truth. For which words he was apprehended and brought before Master John Ashbornham, Master Tofton, Master

In front of the Star Inn, according to Mr. Lower.

Culpeper, and Master Roberts, Justices of the Peace in the County of Sussex, and by them committed to the King's Bench, where he continued from June, the space almost of a year and a half, and from thence was transferred by Dr. Story into Bonner's coal-house, where he remained a month. before he came to examination. At length the same day when Master Philpot was burned, which was the 18 of December, he, with 4 other prisoners, was set at liberty by Bonner himself. Notwithstanding shortly after he was sought for again and at last found out and taken by means of his father, brother, and certain other his acquainted friends, and so was sent up again to London to Bishop Bonner, where he remained in the coal-house eight weeks. He was there 6 times examined and 26 before, so that his examinations were in all thirty-two from his apprehension to his condemnation." He possessed great readiness of wit and strength of mind, and could not by any means be shaken from the truth. Nine other martyrs suffered with him, none of whom except one, Stevens, had been apprehended above a day or two before their execution, so that no writ had been sent from London for that purpose.

In Murray's Handbook of Kent and Sussex, it is stated, under the head of Warbleton:-"A loft in the tower is said to have been used as a prison during the Marian persecutions, but the visitor need not place implicit confidence in certain so-called appliances for torture exhibited on the door."

Proceed we now to the door. I have doubts of its having been originally meant for its present position. I am aware that I am not borne out in this by Mr. Lower, who states his opinion that the door is coeval with the tower-he confesses it may be what shoemakers call a "mis-fit" (with which remark I fully agree), but says "if it was not made in the 15th century, when the tower was built, where did it come from ?" My impression is from Woodman's house. We have shewn that he employed 100 workmen-he must have had constant occasion for money, wherewith to pay wages; there was no banking accommodation in those days. Why should he not have had a strong room, or cupboard, or safe for keeping his valuables? the door of which we now see, with not instruments of torture-but remains of a patent Chubb or Bramah of its day still attached to it?