MORRIS EASTBOURNE. c1900. Manifold Road, Eastbourne. what3words location: cars.noisy.pipes

Nicholas Polhill bought some land south of Cliffe High Street in Lewes in 1784 and, about two years later, built an iron foundry and workshop there, said to have been the only one in Sussex at the time and for forty years thereafter.  The buildings stood on the eastern side of the road afterwards known as Foundry Lane.  This foundry relied almost entirely on scrap metal, in contrast to the old Sussex Wealden ironworks which used locally-mined ore and were, by this time, virtually extinct.  In 1811 Polhill died and the business was taken over by James Sturt (with partner Thomas Gibson) until he also died in 1822, when it was acquired by Ebenezer Morris (1801-1888). Ebenezer was only 20 and had intended to be a farmer but, on the advice of his father, put the business in the hands of trustees and went off to gain experience of the ironmongery trade with a firm in Newgate Street, London.  He returned to Lewes in 1823, and as well as the foundry, added an ironmonger's shop and house at 41/42 Cliffe High Street. 

By the mid-19th century, a great business opportunity arose when the 2nd Earl of Burlingham (William Cavendish, 1808-1891, later the Duke of Cavendish) set about the development of Eastbourne, and Ebenezer Morris was quick to take advantage of this by setting up a branch in the town comprising a shop and a smaller works. The fact that the Earl's surveyor was James Berry, Ebenezer's brother-in-law, was no doubt an advantage. Large contracts for cast iron work of all descriptions were secured.  The Cliffe Foundry in Lewes closed in 1900 and any future casting work required was sub-contracted out, which may explain the different 'MORRIS (& SONS) EASTBOURNE' font types to be found.  A detailed history of the firm can be found via: thegilberts.net/FamMorrisIron