PETWORTH

PETWORTH

Petworth is a small town and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. The parish includes the settlements of Byworth and Hampers Green and covers an area of 2,690 hectares (6,600 acres). At the 2011 Census the population was 3,027

The town is mentioned in Domesday Book. It is best known as the location of the stately home Petworth House, the grounds of which (known as Petworth Park) are the work of Capability Brown. The house and its grounds are now owned and maintained by the National Trust.

In the early 17th century, the question of Petworth's status as an honour or a town came up when the Attorney General charged William Levett of Petworth, Gent., son of Anthony Levett, with "having unlawfully usurped divers privileges within the town of Petworth, which was parcel of the Honour of Arundel." William Levett's son Nicholas became rector of Westbourne, West Sussex.

Another historic attraction in the town, Petworth Cottage Museum in High Street, is a museum of domestic life for poor estate workers in the town in about 1910. At that time the cottage was the home of Mrs. Cummings, a seamstress, whose drunkard husband had been a farrier in the Royal Irish Hussars and on the Petworth estate.

Petworth fell victim to bombing in World War II on 29 September 1942, when a lone German Heinkel 111, approaching from the south over Hoes Farm, aimed three bombs at Petworth House. The bombs missed the house, but one bounced off a tree and landed on the Petworth Boys' School in North Street, killing 28 boys, the headmaster, Charles Stevenson, and assistant teacher Charlotte Marshall.

Several branches of the Lucas Family have lived in the area for many generations

William, was born Petworth 1584.

William born Petworth 1623

William born 1647 in Petworth,

William Lucas born 1675 Petworth.

Henry born 1704 in Fittleworth.

Henry born 1735

Henry, was born in Petworth circa March 1760.

Thomas Lucas born 25th November 1801

John Lucas born Petworth on 17th March 1845.

The buttons below link to a page of family members.

The reference is the senior (head) of that particular page

Acknowledgement.

These Petworth pages have been compiled with the assistance of Peter Lucas.