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| 16th Century |
1539 | Sir William Sydney purchases Robertsbridge Abbey on its dissolution.
| 1539 | William Sidney engages Alexander & John Collins – ironmasters at Socknersh – to supervise building of a Forge and blast furnace at Robertsbridge and also a blast furnace at Panningridge (about 8 miles SW of Robertsbridge).
Forge was built in advance of BF and supplied with sows from elsewhere and later Panningridge.
| 1541 | Building of Robertsbridge BF commenced and completed. Started to supply sows to forge that summer (no ordnance was cast during the Sidney’s ownership of the Estate).
| 1541 | Saxbeche (Saxpes) and Woddye (William Woddy of Battle) supply 21 tons sows to Forge (possibly from Markly BF, Rushlake Green) (each sow typically weighed 10cwt).
| 1542 | Panningridge BF built for William Sidney about 8 miles SW of Robertsbridge.
| 1542-3 | Hammerman at Forge is Bartholomew Collins, younger son of John Collins Snr who was then founder at Rob BF.
| 1542 | Robertsbridge BF damaged by flood when bay breached. Extensive rebuilding required.
| 1542 | Panningridge BF built for William Sidney about 8 miles SW of Robertsbridge.
| 1542-3 | Hammerman at Forge is Bartholomew Collins, younger son of John Collins Snr who was then founder at Rob BF.
| 1540s | John Trew founder at BF (probably after John Collins left)
| 1542-6 | Forge supplied by Robertsbridge BF.
| 1543-51 | William Hatto (alias Fewtrell) hammersmith at Forge.
| 1546 | Robertsbridge BF idled until 1573 (27 years). This was possibly due to a high sulphur content in the ore (from CaSO4) which rendered the forged product suitable only for nail making and small items.
For this 27 years the forge was supplied from Panningridge about 8 miles to the SW and from other Wealden furnaces.
| 1546 | List of employees at Forge.
| 1546-63 | Panningridge BF supplies Forge.
| 1548 | Pot supplied to Forge by Charles Polleyn of Buxted – a founder of pots.
| 1549 | Jane Bine (widow of Richard Byne died 1549, a Frenchman working for William Sidney at the forge) taxed until 1551 (unusual for a woman to be taxed beyond the year of her husband’s death).
| 1550 | Hugh Collins employs Hugh Marchant as finer at Forge.
| 1553 | Estate passes to
Sir Henry Sidney (1529-1586), son of William
| 1554 | New huts purchased for Forge
| 1560s | Sir Henry Sidney employs ‘Dutch’ (German) ironmaster to make steel. (They prefer to use Welsh haematite iron to Wealden.)
| 1563 | Sidneys relinquish lease of Panningridge.
| 1563 | Panningridge BF leased by William Relf and Bartholomew Jeffrey.
| 1564 | Sidneys bring in more German workers to make steel at Forge.
| 1564 | Henry Sidney leases a blast furnace in Glamorgan in partnership with Ralf Knight and Edmund Roberts (London ironmonger) to provide iron as plate to Robertsbridge for conversion to steel and wire.
| 1565 | Two Steelworks set up, one in the buildings of Robertsbridge Abbey and the other at Boxhurst Farm 5 miles NE – 2 miles from Bodiam bridge where iron plates from Glamorgan were brought in and steel shipped out via the Rother.
| 1565-6 | ‘Dutch’ workers employed.
| 1566-8 | ‘Dutch’ labourers at Salehurst.
| 1567 | Robertsbridge Manor survey of demesne lands written in July - November
| 1572 | Steelmaking no longer profitable as undercut by imports from Baltic.
| 1574-8 | Sir Henry Sidney leases BF and Forge to Michael Weston ‘and partners’.
| 1576 | Alien workers present as taxed.
| 1586 | Sir Henry Sydney dies and Estate passes to Robert Sidney (1563-1626) second son as eldest son Phillip dies the same year.
| 17th Century
| 1609 | John Hawes, steelmaker, farmed (ie had a lease of) the Robertsbridge Abbey estate. No reference to steelworks in estate survey.
| 1609-30 | Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland, and Elizabeth (née Sidney), his wife, lease Forge (and BF?), and sell underwood, to Thomas Culpeper (of Wigsell in Salehurst) for 21 years.
| 1609 | Robert Sidney evicted from Udiam farm as property required by Richard Burke, Earl of Clanricarde. (Udiam was a source of mine (ore) and timber (for building) and underwood (for charcoal). An iron store was established there and wharf to ship products down the Rother to Rye.
| 1613 | Thomas Culpeper dies; lease assigned to Henry English (yeoman of Salehurst).
| 1623-30 | Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, John Locherson (London gent), Kenrick Parrey (London gent), and Thomas Beare grant mine (ore) and timber rights [locations listed] to partnership of Henry English, & John Culpeper (of Astwood, Worcestershire) for 7 years.
| 1623 | Robert Sidney takes lease of Udiam Iron House (store for forged iron).
| 1626 | Robert Sidney dies
| 1629 | Henry English has two ironworks in Salehurst (ie confirming second 21year lease still operating).
| 1651 | William and Robert Hawes tenants of the BF and Forge.
| 1677 | John Roberts tenant of the BF and Forge.
| 1692 | BF & Forge occupied by Thomas Westerne a London ironmonger also with interests in Ashburnham and Brede furnaces.
| 18th Century
| 1707-18 | Elizabeth (Countess dowager of Leicester) and her son John Sidney, 6th Earl (1680-1737) (& son of Robert) lease BF to Thomas Snepp Snr (a yeoman of Battle) & Thomas Snepp Jnr for 11 years.
| 1713-25 | Thomas Snepp tenant.
| 1725 | Sir Thomas Webster (1677-1751) purchases estate from Sidneys.
| 1725-37 | Estate runs ironworks for 12 years.
| 1726-33 | Combined expenditure accounts with Beech Furnace (at Battle).
| 1728 | Reference to gun cleaning at Robertsbridge - first indication of gun founding at the furnace
| 1730 | Partnership formed between William Harrison (London founder), William & George Jukes (London ironmongers), Thomas Hussey, Maximilian Gott and John Legas.
| 1734-40 | Sir Thomas Webster leases BF to William Harrison, William and George Jukes for 51/2 years.
| 1737-47 | Sir Thomas Webster leases Forge to William & George Jukes for 91/2 years on condition they spend £100 on repairs (BF ruinous). Includes 2 boring houses, either side of Forge, and Ironhouse.
| 1740-7 | Sir Thomas Webster leases BF to William Harrison, William and George Jukes for 7 years. Lease includes closure of Beech BF at Battle from 1740.
| 1744 | Treading water wheel
| 1745 | William Harrison dies
| 1749 | William Jukes dies.
| 1751 | Sir Thomas Webster dies
| 1754-68 | Sir Whistler Webster (son of Thomas Webster) leases Forge + BF to John Churchill (a Staffordshire ironmaster). Churchill insists second finery hearth reinstated from air furnace installed by Jukes. Forge output stated as 7cwt bar a week. BF output stated as 7-11 tons / week.
| 1756 | Churchill and son propose supply of 200 ton ordnance.
| 1757 | Churchill and son propose supply of 400 ton ordnance (probably using Darwell Furnace as well).
| 1760 | Churchill and Webster share cost of adding a parlour and lean-to for forgemaster’s house.
| 1761 | Churchill loses Ordnance Board contract; casts guns for Robert Morgan, of Carmarthen.
| 1763 | James Bourne (a kinsman of Churchill) buys 195 cord of coppice wood on behalf of John Churchill.
| 1764 | Churchill uses coal at Robertsbridge (but may be for drying cannon mould rather than for production and no evidence Churchill has an air furnace). Churchill reports his furnace has blown up.
| 1764 | Mr Rose Fuller (of Burwash forge & Heathfield BF) writes to Board of Ordnance to say he cannot cast cannon at £14/ ton if using charcoal.
| 1765 | Repair of bellows at BF.
| 1767 | John Churchill bankrupt.
| 1767 | John Churchill dies.
| 1768-70 | William Polhill (of Hastings), David Guy (of Rye) and James Bourne (of Salehurst) take 18 month lease on BF + Forge & two boring houses.
| 1773-4 | James Bourne supplies guns to Board of Ordnance.
| 1787 | BF owned by Mr James Bourne but standing idle.
| 1787 | Forge owned by Mr Bourne making 50 ton/ year.
| 1793 | Robertsbridge BF closed permanently and Forge no longer recorded in accounts.
| 1801 | forge sold in bankruptcy.
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