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292 Glimpses of Our Ancestors. |
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a wise and provident woman; and also, no doubt, a loving one. She desired, when she died, to be laid by the side of her first husband, at Preston ; but she knew what Sussex roads were, and that the possibility of her being so buried— the home of her second husband being in Kent—depended upon the season of the year at which that event took place. So, in her will, dated the 10th of January, 1728, she directed that her body should be buried at Preston, if she should die at such a time of the year as that the roads thereto were passable; else, where her Executors should think fit. Dying in June, her wishes were complied with.
The earliest legislative action with respect to Sussex roads appears to have taken place in the reign of Henry VIII. (quoted by Mr. Dodson in a paper to the Sussex Archaeological Society), but its object was simply for the diversion of roads, not their improvement. The extension of the iron-works in the Sussex Weald made some steps towards this latter object necessary by reason of the heavy traffic to and from the mills, and an Act was accordingly passed with this view in the 27th year of Elizabeth's reign, entitled "An Act for the preservation of Tymber in the Wildes of the Counties of Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, and for the amendment of High Waies decaied by carriage to and fro Yron Mylles there." The " occupiers of all manner of yron workes whatsoever as Owners or Farmours of the same which shall at any time hereafter cariee, or caused to be caried, any coales, mine, or yron to or for anie their yron workes," &c, are, for every six loads of coal or one ton of iron, to lay down one cart-load of " sinder, gravel, stone, sande, or chalke " for the repairing and amending of the said highways.
This payment in kind not succeeding in its purpose, in the 39th year of the same reign a money-payment was substituted of 3s. for every three cart-loads of coal or mineral and every ton of iron conveyed a mile along any roads within the county. This statute was not repealed until the Act of |
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