In 1859 the Post Office Directory describes Catsfield as
- a parish in the Ninfield Hundred
- covering 2, 944 acres
- with a population of 550
There is a national school in the area and Catsfield Place which is the seat of Lady Pilkington. The local pub is the White Hart, at the time run by John Winbourne.
The local church is St Lawrence built in the 13th century, it is described by Arthur Mee in 1937 as ‘perched up on the green banks of a lane, shaded by a weary oak and a vigorous beech. The oak is one of the oldest in Sussex, from forty to fifty feet round.’
There used to be a Methodist Chapel built by village workmen but this has now been converted into a residential dwelling.
By 1878 the population had risen to 707; the largest landowners in Catsfield were the Lady Pilkington, the Earl of Ashburnham, the Duke of Cleveland and Thomas Brassey esq.
Famous People in connection with Catsfield
Thomas Brassey – built a large number of railways
Princess de Lamballe – friend of Marie Antoinette
Sources
Post Office Directory 1859, 1878
The King’s England by Arthur Mee 1937
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