Last updated: 24 August 2026
About this Website
This website is the official website relating to the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey, alias Medes, Meades or Meads, an historic Sussex manorial lordship.
Its principal purpose is historical and educational: to preserve, examine and make accessible information concerning the history of Eastbourne Medsey; to identify documentary and archival sources relating to the Manor; and to record the continuing stewardship of the Lordship.
The website is operated by The Right Revd Dr Damien Steven Robert Mead, the present holder of the Lordship of the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey.
References on this page to “the Manor”, “we”, “us” or “our” should be understood as references to this website and its administration. They do not imply that the historic Manor constitutes a company, public authority or other incorporated legal body.
The Legal Status of the Lordship
The Lordship of the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey is held as an incorporeal hereditament.
English land law distinguishes between:
● the lordship or title of a manor;
● land which historically formed part of a manor; and
● any manorial rights or incidents which may historically have existed.
These are separate legal interests and need not remain in common ownership.
Accordingly, the present ownership of the Lordship of Eastbourne Medsey should not be interpreted as ownership of the land which historically formed part of the Manor.
The present Lord does not claim ownership of land merely by reason of its historic inclusion within Eastbourne Medsey and does not claim or exercise any feudal jurisdiction or manorial rights over residents, landowners or property within the area historically associated with the Manor.
References to the Lord of the Manor denote the holder of the manorial lordship. They do not imply a peerage, a title of nobility, public office, governmental authority or jurisdiction.
Further general information concerning the legal distinction between manorial lordships, manorial land and manorial rights may be found in HM Land Registry Practice Guide 22: Manors.
Historical Information
Considerable care is taken to distinguish on this website between:
● matters established by surviving documentary evidence;
● conclusions which may reasonably be reconstructed from available evidence;
● traditions associated with the Manor; and
● modern developments relating to the Lordship.
The history of a medieval manor extending over many centuries cannot always be reconstructed with complete certainty. Records may have been lost, dispersed between archives, incorporated into wider estate collections or described historically under differing names.
Where the evidence does not justify certainty, the website seeks to make that clear.
Historical research concerning Eastbourne Medsey is continuing, and information published on this website may therefore be corrected, qualified or expanded when further documentary evidence becomes available.
Maps, descriptions of historic areas and references to former manorial lands are provided for historical and illustrative purposes. They should not be relied upon as evidence of modern property boundaries, ownership, title to land or the existence of legal rights.
Nothing on this website constitutes legal, conveyancing, genealogical or heraldic advice.
Researchers who identify an error or possess documentary material capable of adding to the history of Eastbourne Medsey are warmly invited to contact us.
Privacy Notice
Our Approach to Privacy
We respect the privacy of visitors to this website and seek to collect no more personal information than is reasonably required for its proper administration and for responding to enquiries.
For the purposes of applicable United Kingdom data-protection legislation, personal information submitted directly through this website is administered by the website operator.
Questions concerning
privacy or personal information may be sent to:
Information We May Collect
Information You Provide to Us
If you contact us through the website or by email, we may receive information including:
● your name;
● your email address;
● your telephone number, if you choose to provide it;
● the contents of your message;
● documents, photographs or other historical material which you choose to send; and
● information contained in subsequent correspondence.
Please do not provide sensitive personal information unless it is genuinely necessary for the purpose of your enquiry.
Technical Information
The website, its hosting provider and services used to maintain its security and performance may automatically process limited technical information when the website is accessed.
This may include information such as:
● IP address;
● browser and device type;
● approximate geographical information derived from an IP address;
● date and time of access;
● pages visited;
● referring pages or websites; and
● information required for website security and fraud or abuse prevention.
Such information may be processed in server logs or through website analytics and security services.
How We Use Personal Information
Information received through the website may be used to:
● respond to enquiries and correspondence;
● communicate with researchers and persons providing historical material;
● administer, protect and maintain the website;
● investigate technical or security problems;
● understand how the website is being used;
● improve the historical and educational material provided;
● maintain appropriate records of significant historical research or correspondence;
● comply with applicable legal obligations; and
● establish, exercise or defend legal rights where reasonably necessary.
Personal information submitted through the website is not sold to third parties.
We do not use information submitted through the contact form for unsolicited commercial marketing.
We do not use such information to make automated decisions about individuals.
Lawful Basis for Processing
Depending upon the circumstances, personal information may be processed because it is necessary for our legitimate interests, including:
● responding to correspondence;
● administering a historical and educational website;
● preserving information concerning the history of Eastbourne Medsey;
● maintaining website security; and
● protecting the website and its operator against misuse.
Where the law requires consent for a particular form of processing, including certain uses of cookies or similar technologies, consent will be sought where appropriate.
Information may also be processed where necessary to comply with a legal obligation or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal rights.
Historical and Archival Material
An important purpose of this website is the preservation and study of the history of Eastbourne Medsey. If you voluntarily provide historic deeds, photographs, correspondence, genealogical material or other documentary evidence, we may retain information relevant to the historical record where there is a legitimate reason to do so.
Publication will be considered separately from retention. The fact that material has been supplied to us does not automatically mean that personal information contained within it will be published.
Particular care will be taken where material relates to living persons.
How Long Information is Kept
Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was obtained.
The appropriate period will depend upon the nature of the information and may include consideration of:
● whether an enquiry remains active;
● whether information forms part of continuing historical research;
● whether correspondence has enduring historical or evidential significance;
● legal or administrative requirements; and
● whether retention is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal rights.
Information which no longer serves a reasonable purpose will be deleted or securely disposed of where practicable.
Sharing Information
Personal information may be processed by service providers necessary for the operation of the website, including website hosting, email, security, analytics and technical-support providers.
Such providers may process information
only to the extent necessary to provide their services and are subject to their own legal and data-protection responsibilities.
Information may also be disclosed where required by law or where reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, misuse, threats to security or other unlawful activity.
We do not otherwise disclose personal information to unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes.
Some technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, such processing is subject to the requirements and appropriate safeguards of applicable UK data-protection law and to the relevant provider's data protection arrangements..
Cookies and Similar Technologies
What are Cookies?
Cookies and similar technologies allow websites to store or access limited information on a visitor’s device.
They may be used for purposes including website functionality, security, remembering preferences and understanding how a website is used.
Cookies Used by this Website
This website may use:
Essential or security technologies
These enable the website to operate properly, protect forms and services against misuse, maintain security or provide functionality requested by the visitor.
Analytics technologies
These may provide statistical information about use of the website, helping us understand matters such as which pages are visited and how the website performs.
Where consent is legally required before a particular technology may be used, it will not be treated as accepted merely because a visitor continues to browse the website.
Visitors may use the website’s cookie controls, where displayed, to accept or decline optional technologies.
The law permits certain limited storage or access technologies to be used without consent where the relevant statutory requirements are satisfied.
Google reCAPTCHA
The website’s contact form is protected by Google reCAPTCHA, which is intended to reduce spam, automated submissions and abuse.
The operation of reCAPTCHA may involve the processing of technical information by Google and the use of cookies or similar technologies. Google’s own privacy policy and terms apply to its processing of information through that service.
Browser Controls
Most browsers also permit users to control, restrict or delete cookies through their browser settings.
Preventing certain essential technologies may affect the operation of some parts of the website.
Your Data Protection Rights
Subject to the circumstances and applicable law, you may have rights including the right to:
● request access to personal information held about you;
● ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
● request deletion of personal information in appropriate circumstances;
● request restriction of processing;
● object to certain processing based upon legitimate interests;
● withdraw consent where processing is based upon consent; and
● complain about the way in which your personal information has been handled.
Requests concerning personal information should in the first instance be sent to:
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the United Kingdom’s independent data-protection regulator.
Children
This website is a general historical and educational website and is not designed as an online service specifically directed towards children.
We do not knowingly seek to collect unnecessary personal information from children.
If a parent or guardian believes that a child has submitted personal information which should not be retained, they are invited to contact us so that the matter can be considered promptly.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
Except where otherwise indicated, original written material, photographs, artwork, design elements and other original content created for this website are protected by copyright.
© 2026 The Manor of Eastbourne Medsey. All rights reserved.
Material reproduced from archives, published works, museums, libraries, public bodies or other third parties remains subject to the copyright and other rights of its respective owner where applicable.
Reasonable quotations and extracts may be made for purposes permitted by law, including private study, research, education, criticism and review, subject to any applicable copyright requirements and appropriate acknowledgement of the source.
Brief extracts may also be quoted for legitimate non-commercial historical reference provided that the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey website is appropriately acknowledged.
Substantial reproduction, republication or commercial exploitation of original website material requires prior written permission unless otherwise permitted by law.
Nothing in this notice is intended to restrict any right of fair dealing or other use permitted under copyright law.
The Manor’s modern emblem, original illustrations and other graphical material should not be reproduced in a manner which falsely suggests official approval, authorship, association or endorsement.
Third-Party Copyright
Every reasonable effort is made to identify and acknowledge the creators or copyright holders of third-party material used for historical or illustrative purposes.
The age and provenance of some historic material can make ownership or copyright status difficult to establish.
If you believe that material appearing on this website infringes copyright or has been incorrectly attributed, please contact us with sufficient information to identify the material and the basis of your concern. Legitimate concerns will be considered promptly.
External Websites and Charitable Organisations
This website contains links to archives, public bodies, historical resources, charitable organisations and other third-party websites.
External websites are operated independently and we are not responsible for their availability, security, privacy practices or content.
A link is provided for information or convenience and does not necessarily imply endorsement of every statement, activity or opinion appearing on the external website.
Where the website encourages support for a charity or other worthy cause, donation links direct visitors to the relevant external organisation or its authorised payment service.
The Manor of Eastbourne Medsey does not solicit or collect charitable donations through this website and does not receive visitors’ payment-card information.
Visitors wishing to make a donation should satisfy themselves that they are using the official website or authorised payment facility of the organisation concerned.
Accuracy and Liability
The information on this website is provided in good faith for historical, educational and general informational purposes.
Reasonable efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but historical research necessarily develops as new evidence is identified and no guarantee can be given that every statement will remain complete or free from error.
Nothing on this website should be relied upon as professional advice or as evidence of legal title to land, manorial rights, property boundaries, genealogy, heraldic entitlement or any other legal interest.
Anyone requiring advice concerning property, title, manorial rights, genealogy, heraldry or another legal matter should obtain appropriate professional advice and consult the relevant primary records.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither the website nor its operator accepts responsibility for loss arising solely from reliance upon information published here where independent professional advice would reasonably have been appropriate.
Nothing in this notice excludes or limits any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
Changes to this Information
This page may be amended from time to time to reflect changes in the website, its services, applicable law or our approach to privacy and historical research.
The date of the most recent revision will appear at the top of this page.
Contact
Questions concerning:
● privacy or personal information;
● copyright;
● corrections;
● historical sources;
● documentary material; or
● the administration of this website
may be addressed to:
The Lord of the Manor of Eastbourne Medsey
Email: lord_of@eastbournemedsey.uk