The French Revaluation took place in 1789 when the French Monarchy was deposed and France declared a Republic.
In 1793 Great Britain along with Austria, the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of Naples, Prussia, and Spain formed the First Coalition opposed to the French Republic. Napoleon Bonaparte succeeded in defeating the opposition with total war and by 1803 Great Britain alone remained undefeated and declared war with France.
England had watched the anti-monarchist uprising across the channel with fear and concern, as it was well known that Napoleon had his sights on an invasion of Britain. There were rumours that Napoleon was digging a tunnel under the Channel for his invading army to cross.
Ninfield, along with other villages on or near the south coast felt very vulnerable. So it is no surprise that when William Pitt (the younger) made plans for the protection of the country, that the men of Ninfield volunteered to be put on a list for military training for two hours a week. By December 1803 there were 6,198 volunteers in Sussex. A Royal Military Canal was constructed cutting off the Romney Marsh. Presumably to aid the supplies to the defences. Plans were also drawn up for the evacuation of the people of Kent and Sussex
Ninfield Volunteers names put forward for the Act of July 1803 all able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 55
John King 70yr Farmer
William Parker 20yr servant
Edward Collins 18yr servant
John Winchester 17yr servant
William Marchant 53yr Farmer
Isaac Streeter 29yr labourer
Ben Morris 54yr carpenter
William Carrick 34yr Fellmonger
John Tucknutt 39yr labourer
Richard Ford 25yr labourer
John Ford 21yr laboure
rGeorge Sheather 21yr labourer
William Morris 24yr servant
Mark Merit 19yr servant
James Markwick 17yr servant
Thomas Morris 59yr shoemaker
Henry Sheather 25yr labourer
Thomas Morris Jr 22yr brick maker
John Sheather 30yr brick maker
William Waters 32yr carpenter
George Ellis 22yr farmers' son
Ben Waters 67yr farmer
Frank Ellis 39yr Draper
Samuel Sargeant 23yr servant
James Gibson 17yr servant
James Brazier 17yr servant
Thomas Wenham 37yr labourer
Ben Brook 35yr labourer
John Mitten 23yr servant
Thomas Burgess 23yr servant
William Mayo 23yr servant
Jacob Stace 50yr innkeeper
James Beal 19yr servant
Thomas Smith 40yr labourer
Charles Ticehurst 21yr labourer
Thomas Russell 17yr labourer
Defensive forts, in the form of Martello Towers, were begun in 1805. A chain of seventy four defensive towers were completed by 1808 between Folkestone and Seaford in Sussex. 30ft high and walls 13ft thick to house about twenty men or so in the event of an attack by Napoleon.
Three Redoubts were built. One at Dymchurch in Kent, Harwich and another 10 miles from Ninfield at Eastbourne. Huge constructions to hold up to 350 men. They were armed with eleven cannons. By the time the defensives were completed though, the threat from Napoleon was greatly diminished due to Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in1805 robbing the French of command of the Seas. Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat came in 1815 at Waterloo.
To read more about the Defence of Sussex during the Napoleonic War we recommend Norman Palmer's excellent book History of Ninfield 1700-1900
which was used to compile this information. NLHG
1803 - 1815
The Defence of England in Sussex
Napoleonic Wars 1803 -1815
Eastbourne Redoubt in 1920
ten miles from Ninfield
One of the eleven cannon of the Redoubt at Eastbourne
One of the seventy four Martello Towers built to defend Britain
Field Cannon used in battle
English 1804 solders uniform
English solder with an army surgeon
1804
Army Officers writing equipment