This map depicts the manor of Trotton and Cumbers Farm, owned by Laurence [Lawrence] Alcock, lord of the manor of Trotton. It records a wealth of information including the names of the individual fields which made up the manor and farm, their acreage, and the names of the surrounding landowners. The borders are beautifully decorated with vines, thistles and other plants, and the body of the map shows houses, other buildings and woodland. The title is enclosed in an elaborate cartouche and the map features a finely drawn thirty-two point compass.
Estate maps are valuable sources for researchers seeking to trace changing boundaries, land usage and land ownership over time, predating similar sources such as tithe and enclosure maps and awards. This survey is particularly useful when taken in conjunction with complementary material at West Sussex Record Office, which includes a court roll for the manor of Trotton, 11 Sep 1617-10 Jan 1625, and draft minutes and working papers in connection with the court baron of Trotton in the Delme Radcliffe papers, 1572-1778. There are also personal items relating to the Alcock family in the Delme Radcliffe papers, including the accounts in connection with the building of the house at Trotton in 1709 and an inventory made for the probate of Lawrence Alcock's will in 1723. Documents elsewhere in the Delme Radcliffe collection record the later history of the manor, including its partition before being reunited as part of the Radcliffe estates. The combination of these resources provides researchers with a unique means of uncovering the history and development of this area of West Sussex. The Record Office also holds several other maps drawn by Nicholas Ayling, a prominent local surveyor and map maker.
West Sussex Record Office is committed to collecting, preserving, and making accessible archival material relating to the county of West Sussex. The purchase of this survey will allow the document to be made available to the public for learning and research and ensure that it is preserved for use by future generations.