West Sussex County Council: Archive Gallery

Links to Sections

• Introduction
• Part I
• Part II
• Part III
• Scanning Order Form

Ref: Rsr 5-82 A section of "A" Company, 5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion, waiting in reserve trenches during the attack on Neuve Chapelle, 10 March 1915

Ref: Sl 634 Public Notice, issued by the General Register Office, regarding the system of registering births and deaths in England and Wales, June 1837

Ref: Par 206/33/1Apprenticeship Indenture from Westbourne, 1721

In 1601 a national framework was instituted for the organisation of poor relief. The administrative unit was the parish and relief was administered by parochial overseers appointed by justices from amongst the householders of the parish. Each parish was responsible for its own poor and one way to reduce the cost of poor relief was to remove the burden of pauper children by binding them as apprentices. This indenture, sealed on 3 April 1721, bound John Binsted as an apprentice to Francis Coats of Westbourne in the Business of Husbandry until "he shall accomplish his full age of twenty four years".

West Sussex County Council's Coat of Arms

Arms were used by counties long before the creation of county councils. Many were devised by the Tudor heralds. Blue and red shields with six golden martlets were already shown representing Sussex in 1611.The martlet has the distinguishing feature in heraldry for being shown without feet and with the upper parts of the legs feathered. While it is a slim and graceful bird it is portrayed by heraldic artists as being rather plump.  

West Sussex County Council was one of the first county councils to be granted a coat of arms, the cost of which was defrayed by Henry 15th Duke of Norfolk. The grant of arms was sealed by the three Kings of Arms on 18 May, 1889.In 1974 West Sussex was enlarged by the addition of parts of East Sussex and Surrey. Any changes in population or area of more than 10% meant that the new authority could not use the coat of arms of its predecessor. As a result the enlarged County Council sought a new coat of arms.The new coat of arms, as shown, were granted by Patent dated 14th January 1975. A helmet and ornamental scrollwork topped by a crown were taken from the arms of East Sussex together with oak leaves and acorns taken from the arms of Surrey, were added to the original shield to represent the newly acquired areas.West Sussex County Council's coat of arms should not be used without permission.If you wish to reproduce the coat of arms, please write to:The County Information Officer, West Sussex County Council, County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1RQ

Ref: Humphrey 9 Edward Booker at Walberton, 1902
(See the Humphrey Collection)

Ref: PD 2610 f.7 The Cottage, Washington. Watercolour from the sketchbook of Emily Carew-Gibson of Sandgate, Sullington, 1897