Offington House

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Overview

History

Bibliographic Sources

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19th c. view
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Venue Type & Location

Private Residence

Site Name: Offington House
Location: Offington House
County: Sussex
Location Type: Countryside - at determined location

Overview

Located near the main route along the S coast, Offington was one of the great houses of Elizabethan Sussex.

Nothing remains of the Tudor residence, built on an E-shaped plan.

Performance History

A probable performance venue. No West household records survive but performers under several family members' patronage performed elsewhere during the 16th c.

Current Status

Demolished.

History of the Venue

1354 Purchased by Sir Andrew Peverell.

1357 Manor house recorded on the site.

1387 Acquired by Sir Thomas West via marriage.

mid-15th c. Substantial courtyard residence built.

ca. 1540 Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr, forced to relinquish his principal residence at Halnaker to the king and to relocate to Offington (where his father had resided until his death in 1525). 'By the time of his death in 1554, when an inventory was taken, the old house had been enlarged to almost seventy rooms, including several well-appointed parlours, a great chamber, various galleries and a guest chamber tricked out in velvet. There were individual bedrooms for members of West's family and also for all his more important servants, including his steward, clerk of the kitchen, housekeeper, cook, baker and armourer' (Howard, Early Tudor Country House 108).

1557 Manor and park leased after William West was found guilty of treason in 1556. He was in possession of Offington again in 1583.

1597 Sold by Thomas West to Edward Barker of London (Smail, Offington 33).

1601 Sold to John Alford of Hamsey. The Alford family made it their principal residence.

1726 Sold to William Whitebread of Ashurst.

1746 Inherited by his nephew John Margesson.

by 1780 Rebuilt on a reduced scale with 2 storeys and 2 wings projecting from the E front but probably incorporating sections of the Tudor residence.

1816 Sold to John Theophilus Daubuz by William Margesson.

1838 Repaired and enlarged.

1858 Sold to Thomas Gaisford who added a new wing and library on W. E range refronted in flint.

ca. 1910 Sold to Lady Alice De Gex, widow of Sir John De Gex.

1935 Sold and subdivided into flats.

1963 Demolished.

Record Source

REED Coventry 281; Kent: Diocese of Canterbury 2.678, 680, 688; Somerset 1.51

Patrons who owned this venue

Name Dates Titles
West, Thomas 1457-1525 8th Baron , Baron , Knight of the
West, Thomas 1472-1554 Knight of the , 9th Baron , 8th Baron
West, William 1519-1595 10th Baron

Bibliographic Sources

View a list of abbreviations.

  • Ellis, William Smith. The Parks and Forests of Sussex, Ancient and Modern, Historical, Antiquarian and Descriptive. Lewes: H. Wolff, 1885.
  • Farrant, John H. Sussex Depicted: Views and Descriptions 1600–1800. Sussex Record Society 85. Lewes: Sussex Record Society, 2001.
  • Horsfield, Thomas Walker. The History, Antiquities, and Topography of the County of Sussex. 2 vols. Lewes: Nichols & Son, 1835.
  • Horsfield, Thomas Walker. The History and Antiquities of Lewes And its Vicinity. 2 vols. Lewes: J. Baxter, 1824–7.
  • Howard, Maurice. The Early Tudor Country House: Architecture and Politics 1490–1550. London: George Philip, 1987.
  • Lower, Mark Antony. A Compendious History of Sussex, Topographical, Archaeological & Anecdotal. 2 vols. Lewes; London: Geo. P. Bacon; John Russell Smith, 1870.
  • Nairn, Ian, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Sussex. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth, Midd: Penguin Books, 1965.
  • Salzman, L.F., C.R.J. Currie and T.P. Hudson. The Victoria History of the County of Sussex. Victoria History of the Counties of England. 8 vols. London: Oxford UP, 1905–7 [vols 1–2], 1935 [3], 1953 [4], 1997 [5], 1980–7 [6], 1940 [7], 1937 [9].
  • Smail, Henfrey. Notable Houses of Worthing – 2: Offington, Broadwater Manor, Charmandean. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Aldridge Bros., 1950.
  • West Sussex Past Gateway. 03/03/2007 (http://www.westsussexpast.org.uk/gateway/default.aspx)