East Grinstead

Dr Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS (May 4, 1900 – April 11, 1960) was a plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.
Background
Archibald McIndoe was born May 4, 1900 in Dunedin, New Zealand, into a family of four. His [...]

Wallace Hills, the son of Matthew Hills, chief engineer of Lewes Prison, was born in Chiddingly on 16th July, 1863. After being educated at Ardingly College Hills became a journalist. In 1881 he was appointed editor of the East Grinstead Observer. Hills later joined the board of Farncombe and Company, the [...]

Dr. Thomas Hartigan lived at Heathcote House, London Road. He had an extensive private practice in the town. One of his most important patients was Sir Edward Blount of Imberhorne Manor. In 1894 Hartigan was appointed as Medical Officer of East Grinstead Workhouse.
Thomas Hartigan was also a member of the East Grinstead Urban Council. In [...]

Sidney Godley was the first Private to be awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War.
Early life
Sidney Frank Godley (1889-1957) was born at North End Imberhorne Lane), East Grinstead, West Sussex. His family had lived in the East Grinstead and Felbridge area for generations; the Godleys can be traced back to East Grinstead [...]

Charles Everard, the son of Rev. E. B. Everard, was born on 24th November, 1846. Everard was educated at Eton and Kings College, Cambridge. After obtaining a Ist Class Honours degree in 1872, Everard obtained employment as a master at Eton College. In 1883 Charles Everard married Maria Rogers from Penrose in Cornwall.
Everard taught at [...]

Charles Payne Crawfurd was born at Saint Hill on 14th March 1826. Charles was the son of Robert Payne Crawfurd (1801-1883). Charles entered the Anglican Church and was ordained in 1850.
The Rev. Charles Crawfurd married Mary Ogle and the couple had eleven children including Gibbs (1854), Arabella (1855), Caroline (1856), Robert (1857), Georgina [...]

The name Ashurst Wood (Aesehyrst Wilde) dates back to medieval times (1164) when it referred to an area of common or waste land at the top of Wall Hill. There was no village then.
The Manors of Shovelstrode to the north and Brambletye to the south are recorded in the Domesday Book (1086). They were linked [...]

St. Swithun’s is an open and friendly church in the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex, within the Diocese of Chichester. the building is 18th-century rebuilt in medieval style, with interesting round windows in the clerestory.
There has been a church on the site since the 11th century. It was struck by lightening in 1772 [...]

Standen was built in 1892-4 for a prosperous London solicitor, James Beale, and his large family. He chose Philip Webb as his architect, who was one of William Morris’ closest friends and colleagues. Standen takes its name from one of three farms which James Beale purchased in 1890 – Great Hollybush, Stone and Standen. Standen [...]

The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East Sussex and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between Sheffield Park and Kingscote, with an intermediate station at Horsted Keynes.
The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers, and has the largest collection of steam locomotives after the [...]