Guestling in East Sussex Village Guide

Guestling Hall


I have been trying to find any information on the genealogy of the family who owned Guestling Hall. My grandfather, Cedric Joyce grew up there with his two sisters before his parents divorce. However while searching online I haven’t been able to find any Joyce connected with Guestling Hall – only Upjohn. Is anyone able to clarify this?


7 responses to “Guestling Hall”

  1.  avatar

    I remember mr and Mrs Joyce I was evacuated to guestling hall in 1939. Mrs Joyce and her two daughters looked after us (6 boys). Her two daughters often took us, in their car to Hastings oon Saturdays. The daughters were in their late teens oor early twenties. I was only seven years old at the time.

  2.  avatar

    Thank you so much! These must be my grandfathers sisters. Mr and Mrs Joyce divorced with Mr Joyce taking their son (my grandfather), and Mrs Joyce keeping the two girls. After their mothers death, the two sisters lived together, and never married. They died I think in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Because of the split, my grandfather didn’t have anything to do with his sisters. It was his son Hugh Joyce, who tried to find them and discovered what had happened to them. Apparently they loved cats, and were lovely ladies. But nothing more seems to be known about them.

  3.  avatar

    Hi Jenny,
    I presume you must be a cousin who lives in NZ. My mother Mary Joyce spent a lot of her childhood at Guestlng Hall with her cousins Beryl and Audrey. In photos of the time they looked like sisters. I visited with my mother in 1972 when she came to England on a visit. It was already a youth hostel then.

    I am happy to trade any info with you.

    Peter Campbell-Wood

  4.  avatar

    Hi John, My mother Mary Joyce spent a lot of her childhood at the hall with her cousins Beryl and Audrey. I visited with her in 1972 when it was already a youth hostel. I am happy to share any info with you.
    Peter Campbell-Wood

  5.  avatar

    I’ve just come across this and found it interesting. I lived at Guesting YHA for 16 years from 1976 onwards. My parents Barry and veron Hailwood ran it so it was my childhood home. I remember the name Brooke Austen (spelling may be wrong) being connected to it as past householder and of course the Joyce family, one of which William Joyce was supposed to have been a member. Terri Hailwood

  6.  avatar

    Hi we were wardens from 1971 to 1975. Both kids born in Hastings while we were there
    Loved living there and running the hostel still have friends from around the world that we met while we were there. The top floor flat was put in while we were there and we raised our young family there before emigrating to Canada in 1975
    Peter & Maureen Falandysz

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