126 
NATURE NOTES. 
GILBERT WHITE IN SUSSEX. 
fC*^^^|EADERS of Gilbert White’s Natural History of Selhorne 
r are, of course, aware that several of his letters were 
written from Ringmer, but comparatively few know 
' where or what manner of place Ringmer may be. Yet 
the white house where he was wont to stay still stands among 
the pines and elms rising above the village green ; the monu- 
ments of his relatives are still to be seen within the ancient 
church ; and memories of the great naturalist even now linger 
round the place once honoured by his visits. 
For many years prior to 1780, White was in the habit of 
paying occasional visits to Ringmer, to his aunt, Mrs. Rebecca 
Snooke, widow of a former vicar of the parish. At her death in 
1780, his visits seem to have ceased, and the house passed out 
of the possession of the Snooke family, in which, probably, it 
had remained for a long time, as three generations at least had 
lived in the village. On a slab of stone built into the wall of an 
outhouse of the dwelling may still be seen 
the initials and date standing for Henry Snooke 
and Rebecca, his wife, the second daughter of 
Gilbert White. This son-in-law of the naturalist seems to have 
been an ultra High Churchman and Tory, if we may judge from 
an entry in the church registers, for finding therein the signatures 
of the vicar, churchwardens and parishioners affixed to the 
“Protestation” of 1641,110 appends as a footnote, “May the 
memor}' of such rebellious rogues perish ; so wishes Henry 
Snooke, Ringmer.” In 1759 he was publicly rebuked in church 
for his “ indecent behaviour and supercilious scoffs at the 
minister in sermon time.” He appears again in hardly a credit- 
able manner in some other parochial records, for we find from 
the parson’s tythe-books that he had for some years paid less 
tythe than was actually due from him. Whereupon the ancient 
cleric, on* his discovery of this, in a marginal note writes him 
down a rogue: “ What a rogue was Snooke to pretend he had 
paid enough at fourteen shillings, whereas his tythe one year 
with another is worth at least 3s.” Later notes inform us 
that the parson managed things better : “ I take Snooke’s tythe 
now in kind, viz., two loads of hay worth at least ^3 the load, 
besides the fruit.” We must hope that White’s daughter found 
this culprit a more estimable person at home. He died in 1763, 
pre-deceasing old Mrs. Snooke by seventeen years. 
After this old lady’s death, as aforesaid, in 1780, the house 
and property came into the possession of Colonel Blount, whose 
initials and the date 1783 may be seen on a stone slab let into a 
chimney stack of the house. In the family it remained until the 
year 1893, when it was purchased by A. De Putron, Esq. As 
to the village itself. White makes but little reference, except in 
respect of its natural history. Yet Ringmer is a place of con- 
S 
1737 
