In the mid 1990’s I had a bit of look in the Record Office in Chichester- so before computers and somewhat laborious . I found the property first listed in the records for Land Tax in 1780. The 1841 Tithe Survey describes it as Beer Shop, Orchard and Buildings. The pub sign still exists- The Sawyers Arms. From about 1850 it also appeared in the Kelly & co. Post Office Directory as operating a trade of wheelwrighting, which seems over the years to have been replaced by carpentry.
regards
Michael Alford
Thank you for your message about Oaklands. It is very interesting. Next time I am in the Record Office I will look at the 1780 Land Tax Assessment.
We have relatively little information about the building apart from records of the various Boxalls who lived there. We also have the original tithe map and apportionments, plus a transcription of these in our Lodsworth Community Archive, so we will have a look at those too.
However, have you seen the article by Mrs C Holmes which was published on page 7 of the July 1979 edition of Outlook? She wrote about the Sawyers Arms where her uncle Charlie and aunt Sarah Boxall lived. By the time she wrote this, the building had been renamed ‘Oaklands’.
We would be very interested in any other information you have. Do you have a photo of the Sawyers Arms sign that we could have a copy of?
Ian Buckingham