Maps
Many thousands of maps and plans, both hand-drawn and printed,
are available at the West Sussex Record
Office,
Worthing Library and other large public libraries. The
most useful maps for the Victorian period are large scale Ordnance
Survey (O.S.) and tithe maps. The O.S. County Series
6" and 25" series cover the whole of West Sussex and were
surveyed and published in 1869-75 (1st Edition) and 1894-98 (2nd
edition). The 25" scale is particularly useful for studies of
particular buildings, streets or neighbourhoods. The 6" scale
is more useful for studying the overall size of towns and villages,
canal, rail and road network and rural areas. More
detailed O.S. Town Plans are available for Chichester
(1870s), Horsham (1870s), Petworth (1870s) and Worthing
(1852 and 1870s).
Tithe maps are hand-drawn, large-scale surveys of individual
parishes, made between 1836 and the 1850s. They are
particularly useful for detailed studies of individual buildings,
streets and neighbourhoods in the early Victorian period. Used
with their accompanying apportionment, the tithe map lists
landowners, tenants and for what purpose fields, buildings and
plots of land were being used. Although microfilm copies have been
made, good quality copies are difficult to obtain. A
digitisation project is being planned.
Other maps worth considering are enclosure maps, estate plans and
deposited plans of canals, rail, road, footpaths and public
utilities.
The Local History Mini-Guide to Sources: No.16 Maps in West
Sussex (West Sussex County Council, 2005) contains more information
on both hand-drawn and published maps and plans, and their
location. It may be bought for £2.50 at any public library
or at the West Sussex Record Office.
See also 'Local History Mini-Guide to Sources: No.14 Victorian
West Sussex' (West Sussex County Council, 2002), which contains
details of many more sources for further research and has sections
on the home, school, church, leisure, work, industry and
trade, town hall, railways and transport, plus book lists and
details of museum services. It may be bought for £2.50 at any
public library or at the West Sussex Record Office.