Welcome to
The Manor of Eastbourne Medsey
Alias Medes, Meades or Meads
An historic Sussex lordship
Today held as an incorporeal hereditament
Preserving and Protecting the Past for the Future
Welcome
As the present, and 25th, Lord of Eastbourne Medsey, I welcome you to my Manorial web site. I hope you will find it interesting and informative and that it will afford you a glimpse into an interesting and unique part of English history.
The Right Revd Dr
Damien Steven Robert Mead
HonDD. FRSA. MIoD. MSGB.
What is the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey?
An Introduction
The Manor of Eastbourne Medsey is one of the historic manorial interests associated with the ancient parish and later town of Eastbourne in Sussex.
Quite often people assume that “Manor” is simply a reference to a physical building, however, as you will see it is far more complex than that.
The surviving Lordship is today held separately from the land which historically comprised the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey. It is an incorporeal hereditament: a form of intangible property recognised by English law.
The present holder of the Lordship is reckoned as its twenty-fifth Lord according to the traditional succession adopted by the Manor.
This website exists principally to preserve, examine and make accessible the history of Eastbourne Medsey; to bring together documentary and archival sources concerning the Manor; and to record its continuing story under its present stewardship.
Modern possession of the Lordship carries no claim to ownership of the historic manorial lands and no feudal jurisdiction or manorial rights are exercised by the present Lord.
Eastbourne Medsey formed part of the complex pattern of medieval and early-modern landholding which developed within the ancient parish of Eastbourne.
The landscape with which the Manor became associated — including Meads and areas of the Eastbourne Downland — possesses a history considerably older than the surviving documentary identity of the Manor itself. Care is therefore necessary when distinguishing the ancient settlement and landholding of the locality from the later documented manorial institution.
The documentary history of Eastbourne Medsey becomes particularly substantial during the later medieval and Tudor periods and, especially, through its association with the Sackville family.
Surviving archival material includes surveys and records relating specifically to Eastbourne Medsey. Among these is a British Library catalogue entry for a “Survey of Estborne Medsey manor, annexed to Wilmington: 1571–1668”, demonstrating the Manor’s established documentary identity during the Sackville period.
The history also contains associations with Michelham Priory and, in the reconstructed Tudor descent, with estates connected with Anne of Cleves. Where the surviving evidence does not permit certainty, these associations are presented as historical reconstruction rather than established fact.
The purpose of this website is not to embellish the history of the Manor, but to distinguish as carefully as possible between what is documented, reasonably reconstructed, traditionally received, and modern.
The History of the Manor
The historic manorial landscape associated with The Lordship of Eastbourne Medsey, alias Meades, Meads, or Medes, lay in and around what is now Meads and the adjoining Eastbourne Downland.
The Village of Meads, is southwest of Eastbourne town centre, and between it and the famous cliffs of Beachy Head.
Medsey has been referred to as the place "Where the Downs meet the Sea".
One finds in 1296 that the surname De Medese appears connected to the area locally. Whether the family name influenced the name of the Manor or the Manor the name is uncertain.
Until the middle of the 19th century this was open country with a few farms. Records show that the downlands known as Bullock Down and South Down (which is not to be confused by the geographical area which eventually became the South Downs National Park) or 'Meads Tenantry Down', was used by the tenants of Medsey to pasture their livestock.
Until the town of Eastbourne was developed in the 19th century, this area was distinctly rural.
In a description for visitors written in 1858,
Homely Herbert writes
“…the small village at the foot of the lofty hill through which we are passing in The Meads.; it consists, as you see, of a few scattered houses, inhabited chiefly by farmers and fishermen.”
The Origin of Manorial Lordships
In medieval England, the distinction between manorial lordship, feudal barony and the later peerage was not always as sharply defined as it subsequently became.
The King governed with the counsel of his leading tenants-in-chief, ecclesiastical lords and other great landholders, many of whom were themselves lords of numerous manors and were bound to the Crown by obligations of military, financial and administrative service.
Their attendance upon the King in council formed part of the development of the magnum concilium, or Great Council, from which the parliamentary peerage and, ultimately, the House of Lords emerged.
Although possession of a manor alone did not confer nobility or an automatic right to sit in Parliament, many of the families who entered the medieval baronage and later peerage had first established their position as substantial feudal and manorial lords, their service to the Crown, territorial influence and relationship with the King providing the foundation upon which higher noble dignity might subsequently be built.
In this sense, the history of English manorial lordship is closely intertwined with the development of the nobility and of the King’s Council into the House of Lords.
Through its history many nobles have held the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey - including the Earls and Dukes of Dorset and, most recently, the Earls De La Warr.
the reconstructed medieval history of Eastbourne Medsey associates the Manor with the endowments of Michelham Priory, although a continuous documentary trail has not yet been established.
(A more detailed history in pdf format may be viewed below).
Historical Documentary Sources & References
The Present (and 25th) Lord of Eastbourne Medsey
Research into the history of Eastbourne Medsey draws upon material held by national and regional archives and libraries.
Sources include:
- manorial surveys and estate records;
- Sackville family papers;
- material held by the British Library;
- records identified through the Manorial Documents Register;
- records relating to Michelham Priory and the medieval ecclesiastical landscape;
- conveyancing and documentary material relating to the modern Lordship;
- notices published in The London Gazette; and
- published historical and antiquarian works relating to Eastbourne and Sussex.
The Manorial Documents Register is a register of surviving manorial documents and should not be understood as a register of present ownership of lordships.
Where documentary evidence remains incomplete, this is stated openly.
Further discoveries will be incorporated into the history of the Manor as research continues.
A non-exhaustive list of sources for Eastbourne Medsey include:
1571-1668: survey, annotated to 1668 British Library
1613: estreats, with other manors (1 vol) Kent History and Library Centre
1618: rental, with 17th cent copy
1654-1656: rental
1656: list of quit rents
1618-1619: rental of demesne leases, with other manors East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office (ESBHRO)
1682: rental
1751: minutes
1829: rental, with other manors
The documents above are referenced as “Eastbourne Medsey Sackville Manor” in the records to avoid confusion with the Duke of Devonshire’s Manor of the similar name which are referenced “Eastbourne Medsey Burton Manor (Cavendish)” or “Eastbourne Medsey otherwise Lamport, Clapham otherwise Chambers, Meads otherwise Brode and Sessingham otherwise Sands. Devonshire Manors”
Another useful resource for The Manor of Eastbourne Medsey, and indeed other local Manors, is the book published in 1912 'Old Eastbourne - its Church, Its Clergy, Its People' by The Rev. Walter Budgen, MA. (Appendix A pp329-334).
The Present (and 25th) Lord of Eastbourne Medsey
The Present (and 25th) Lord of Eastbourne Medsey
The Right Revd Dr Damien Steven Robert Mead
is the present holder of the Lordship of the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey and is reckoned as the twenty-fifth Lord in the traditional succession adopted by the Manor.
A continuing Anglican bishop, he is also co-founder and Chairman of Credo Care Fostering Ltd, established in 2000 and specialising in fostering for disabled children and young people and those with complex medical needs.
He is Founder and Chairman of the Credo Care Foundation (a registered charity), a Freeman of the City of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is also Chairman of The Crown Society, a Member of the Manorial Society of Great Britain (Est 1906), and Chaplain to the Council of Manorial Lords.
Bishop Mead holds a Fellowship in Theology from Victoria College, London, and has received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity (HonDD) from Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Christian University, together with an Honorary Fellowship in Religious Studies from the National College of Music and Arts, London.
Since becoming the Lord in 2022, he has sought to
preserve and document its history while giving its modern stewardship a practical expression through support for appropriate local heritage, community and charitable causes.
He regards possession of Eastbourne Medsey not as an attempt to recreate the privileges or jurisdiction of the historic manor, but as an opportunity for stewardship: preserving its record, encouraging further historical research and maintaining a connection between the Manor’s past and the community occupying its former landscape today.
He lives in an historic house, circa 1420, in the Cinque Port Town of Lydd, on the Romney Marsh, Kent, some 30 miles along the coast, to the East of Eastbourne Medsey.
Supporting the Community:
Stewardship and Service
In the spirit of noblesse oblige
Historic manors once represented authority, property and responsibility within a particular community. Those structures have long since disappeared in, almost, every surviving manor.
Modern possession of the Lordship of Eastbourne Medsey carries neither governmental authority nor ownership of the historic manorial lands. Neither does the present Lord claim or exercise any manorial rights which may once have existed. Instead, he has therefore sought to interpret stewardship in a different way: through the preservation of the Manor’s history and through support for organisations serving the locality and wider community.
Among causes supported have been organisations associated with Eastbourne, especially those to be found in the area of the old Manorial lands, and its historic landscape, including:
- Meads Hall
- Beachy Head Chaplaincy
- Eastbourne Foodbank
- RNLI Eastbourne
Support for these organisations does not imply any special jurisdiction or authority within the former Manor. Rather, it reflects a voluntary commitment to the community with which Eastbourne Medsey has been historically associated.
The present Lord’s wider charitable interests, particularly in the care and support of disabled and vulnerable children and young people, form part of the same understanding of service.
He invites you to also support these worthy causes directly via the links below. However, please do not send any donations directly to us - we do not solicit donations for ourselves.
Meads Hall
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
Meads (Eastbourne) Community Centre (MECC) is a charity established with the aspiration of acquiring and operating St John’s Parish Hall for the benefit of the people of Meads, Eastbourne.
Meads (Eastbourne) Community Centre
is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1206558)
Beachy Head Chaplaincy
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
BHC is a valued search and rescue charity that seeks to save lives at Beachy Head, East Sussex.
We patrol on foot and by car and respond to emergency calls locating anyone at risk.
All our chaplains are Christians and are members of local churches.
Beachy Head Chaplaincy
is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1098885)
Eastbourne Foodbank
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
Eastbourne Foodbank doesn't think anyone in the area they serve community should have to face going hungry. They are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported Trussell, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
Eastbourne Foodbank
is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1149902)
RNLI- Eastbourne
ABOUT THE CHARITY
Established in 1822, Eastbourne Lifeboat Station is located in Sovereign Harbour. Notable events include taking part in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940 and being awarded 10 medals for gallantry.
Wider charitable interests of the present Lord.
Lendwithcare
ABOUT THE CHARITY
Lendwithcare is an initiative of poverty fighting charity, CARE International UK. They currently operate in eleven countries and 100% of the money loaned through Lendwithcare goes to the low-income entrepreneurs you choose to support.
CARE International UK
is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 292506)
Order of St George - Ukraine Appeal
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
The International Knightly Order Valiant of St George is a worldwide confraternity of men and women who seek to support, in a modest way, the timeless social virtues of compassion, charity, faithfulness and courage. The Order is working to help alleviate the suffering of those in Ukraine affected by the war there.
The U
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
The International Knightly Order Valiant of St George is a worldwide confraternity of men and women who seek to support, in a modest way, the timeless social virtues of compassion, charity, faithfulness and courage. The Order is working to help alleviate the suffering of those in Ukraine affected by the war there.
The United Kingdom Grand Priory of the International Knightly Order Valiant of St. George Is a registered Charity in England and Wales. (Number 1137397).
Building a Maternity Clinic in New Sawereso-Seinuah, Ghana
ABOUT THE CAUSE
Supporting the building of a new 16 bed Maternity Clinic in the New Sawereso-Seinuah, Ghana.
New Sawereso-Seinuah is recognised as a Traditional Monarchy by, and within, the Republic of Ghana.
The building of a maternity clinic will greatly increase the health, safety, and life, of mothers and babies.
Societi Foundation - the UK Foundation for Kawasaki Disease
ABOUT THE CHARITY
Kawasaki Disease is an acute inflammatory illness which primarily affects young children and can cause inflammation of the blood vessels, including the coronary arteries supplying the heart. Although treatable, prompt recognition and treatment are important in reducing the risk of lasting cardiovascular complications; it
ABOUT THE CHARITY
Kawasaki Disease is an acute inflammatory illness which primarily affects young children and can cause inflammation of the blood vessels, including the coronary arteries supplying the heart. Although treatable, prompt recognition and treatment are important in reducing the risk of lasting cardiovascular complications; it is now recognised as the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United Kingdom. Societi Foundation – the UK Foundation for Kawasaki Disease is a registered charity dedicated to improving awareness and earlier diagnosis, supporting children and families affected by the condition, encouraging improvements in clinical care and contributing to research and professional understanding. The Lord of the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey is pleased to support Societi and its work to ensure that Kawasaki Disease is better recognised and understood.
Royal British Legion - St James' Branch
ABOUT THE CHARITY
St James’ Branch is the central branch of the Legion and enables many people to join the Legion who might not otherwise be members. This includes those living in remote areas, people who are unable to take an active role in Legion activities because of business or other commitments, or those (often those men and women c
ABOUT THE CHARITY
St James’ Branch is the central branch of the Legion and enables many people to join the Legion who might not otherwise be members. This includes those living in remote areas, people who are unable to take an active role in Legion activities because of business or other commitments, or those (often those men and women currently serving in HM Armed Forces) who have not yet decided upon a permanent place of residence.
Membership is open to everyone.
Anglican Catholic Church
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
The Anglican Catholic Church is a ‘continuing’ Anglican Church. Internationally, from 1978, and in the UK from 1992, we have offered a home outside of the Lambeth Anglican Communion, for traditional Anglicans.
The Anglican Catholic Church - Diocese of the United Kingdom is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 106
ABOUT THE CHARITY:
The Anglican Catholic Church is a ‘continuing’ Anglican Church. Internationally, from 1978, and in the UK from 1992, we have offered a home outside of the Lambeth Anglican Communion, for traditional Anglicans.
The Anglican Catholic Church - Diocese of the United Kingdom is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1068168)
The current Lord of Eastbourne Medsey is the Bishop of the ACC Diocese of the United Kingdom .
The Credo Care Foundation
ABOUT THE CHARITY
The object of The Credo Care Foundation is to provide a financial contribution to looked after
children, young people and adults in England and Wales with disabilities, special and complex
medical needs in order to make the necessary adjustments to their homes, or the provision of
special equipment, for the purpose of accomm
ABOUT THE CHARITY
The object of The Credo Care Foundation is to provide a financial contribution to looked after
children, young people and adults in England and Wales with disabilities, special and complex
medical needs in order to make the necessary adjustments to their homes, or the provision of
special equipment, for the purpose of accommodating those disabilities and other needs.
Registered Charity: 1217757
The current Lord of Eastbourne Medsey is the founder and chairman of the Credo Care Foundation.