"Dear Mr. White,
Your web site on Battle Abbey  was most enjoyable.  Thank you for your efforts.

A great-granduncle of mine, Michael Paul Grace, leased the Abbey from the Webster family for his residence for the twenty one years spanning roughly 1894-1915.
My aunt, his grand-niece, has engaged me to assemble a family history including Michael Grace's years at Battle Abbey.
The principal source available is a lavish picture-memoir authored by his grand-daughter, Peggie Phipps Boegner, which includes a number of photographs of his family in residence at the Abbey. 
One anecdote told by Mrs. Boegner leads me to suspect their may be persons of your acquaintance who might have memories -- or at least passed-down stories -- of Battle and the Abbey at that time, and perhaps even of the Grace family while they resided there:

"After the First World War when the lease for Battle Abbey had ended, Grandfather was visiting Aunt Glad in Frant. He said that he would like to see his old home again before he died. She collected all her gasoline rations, and they drove the twenty miles to Battle.  Before visiting the Abbey, which had been converted into a school, Grandfather went into one of the small shops on the village street. Someone must have recognized him because when he came out a few minutes later, the whole village had gathered around to shake his hand and wish him well -- no greater tribute could have been paid to royalty."

If you can point me to any persons I might contact, please send me a note,
I shall be indebted."
Sincerely,
Brian Burns       
 
CLICK: View special pages of the Grace Family Album Photos and Excerpts from Peggie's Book

 Copyright Photographs and Text reproduced with acknowledgement to Peggie Phipps Boegner          From her book "Halcyon Days" published in ©1986 by Harry N.Abrams Inc.