Sussex Timeline | Sussex Castles | Richard Bird

1209 King John seizes Knepp Castle

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:38:46 -0400

King John was no stranger to Knepp Castle, having visited twice in 1206. In 1208, after Matilda de Broase had refused to offer her sons as hostages to John, the King seized all the de Broase property. John made further visits to Knepp and during the barons rebellion, Queen Isabella stayed for eleven days. John eventually restored Knepp to the de Braose family in 1215. With William de Braose, his wife and son now dead, the castle passed to William de Braose' uncle, Giles de Braose, the Bishop of Hereford.

While he held Knepp, John placed the castle under the Stewardship of Roeland Bloet. The forest around Knepp was rich in game and John frequently allowed friends an supporters to hunt in the forest. There remain a number of letters from the King to his steward at Knepp with directions as to the size of the hunting party to accommodate and the type and quantity of game they should be allowed to take. The directions were frequently very precise, detailing the numbers of horses, hounds, keepers and other servants that should be accommodated. The cost of the hunting parties was paid by the exchequer.

1348 The Black Death

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:30:16 -0400

Outbreak and Spread
The Black Death or Bubonic Plague as it also known, is an often fatal pandemic disease that is believed to have originated in asia, swept across europe and eventually to England. In the summer of 1348, the first deaths in England were recorded. The earliest, closest reported cases to Sussex were in Southampton in the neighboring county of Hampshire. The disease was carried by the fleas on the rats that frequently infested ships holds. While the disease did spread overland from Southampton, it undoubtably also entered Sussex directly via its ports, such as Bosham, Rye and Winchelsea.

Symptoms and Mortality
The symptoms of the disease are a high fever, muscle cramps and seizures, followed by the development of painful lymph gland swellings known as buboes. These were commonly found in the groin and sometimes in the armpits or neck, usually at the site of the initial infection. In the current day, bubonic plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but in the fourteenth century, before the discovery of antibiotics, death resulted in 50% to 90% of cases.

1337 The Hundred Years War

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:36:59 -0400

1337 - 1429 Summary
This page is not intended to provide a complete history of the war, but just to some of the major events in the war and those events which touched Sussex. The Hundred Years war was a series of wars and battles with intervals of peace. The war was fought between the England and France and lasted for approximately one hundred years. There were three major phases to the war:

1337–1360 Edwardian War (Edward III)
1369–1389 Caroline War (Edward III, Richard II)
1415–1429 Lancastrian War (Henry V, Henry VI)

Origin of the war
In 1152 with is marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II of England ruled over substantial areas of France, including Normandy, Aquitaine, Maine, Anjou, Touraine, Poitou, and Gascony. Much of this land was won back for France by Capetian King Philip II from King John of England.

In With the death of Charles IV of France, the Capetian first born male lined ended. Edward III, the king of England claimed he was the heir to France through his mother Isabella, who was the sole surviving heir of Philip IV. Edward was opposed by Philip VI of Valois who was descended from Philip IV brother.

1067 Origin of the Sussex "Rapes"

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:05:31 -0400

After the norman conquest the country of Sussex was divided into five districts or “rapes”. The rapes divided Sussex north to south, each providing King William I with a vital corridor to the English channel and to Normandy. Each rape was held by a trusted supporter. William granted the rapes to:

Earl Roger de Montgomery (Arundel)
William de Broase (Bramber)
William de Warrene (Lewes)
Robert, Count de Mortain, (Pevensey)
William, Count of Eu (Hastings)

There were initially five rapes, but the rape of Arundel was later split in two creating an additional rape, the rape of Chichester.

There is some debate as to the origin of the term rape in this context. One theory is that it was derived from the Icelandic term Hrepp, a unit of land division or from the Saxon word rap, meaning rope. However, there doesn’t appear to much evidence to show use of either term in Saxon times. For example, the Charters of Selsey record Sussex land transactions from 673 to 988, but none of them mention the term “rape”.

1386 The French Invasion of England

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:34:17 -0400

French Preparations
In 1386 the French make preparations to invade England. The invasion was funded through the imposition of high taxes, with some nobles taxed for up to a quarter of their wealth. Much of the invasion expense was consumed in the extravagant outfitting of the fleet. Artists were in short supply as French nobles competed to decorate their ships with coats of arms, silken banners and gilded masts. Copious amounts of food are provisioned including salted meats, oats, salt, onions, wine-vinegar, biscuits, flour, fats, garlic, peas, beans, olives, barley, wine and barrels of beaten egg-yolks.

The fleet was assembled in Sluys, Flanders where Dutch mercenaries were hired for the fighting. In his chronicle, Froissart reports that the French were so confident of their preparations that they considered the English already crushed, with the men as good as dead and the women their slaves.

1381 The Peasants Revolt

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:31:44 -0400

Sussex in common with Kent, Essex and Bedford had a large proportion of the population held in serfage. Serfs were obliged to provide free labor to the lord of the manor in exchange for a small land holding of their own. They had few legal rights and often had to pay the lord to allow their daughters to marry.

John Ball was a preacher from Kent who preached all property should be held in common. He, together with Wat Tyler and Jack Straw rallied the peasants into a revolt against King Richard II. Many men from the Sussex Weald joined the rebellion.

At the rebellions peak, up to 60,000 peasants marched on London. Richard initially tried granting letters of freedom from serf-age, but this was not enough for the leaders of the rebellion. Richard then ordered all the peasants to leave London by the next morning or be declared traitors and sentenced to death. This was enough for most of the peasants who returned to their villages.

1350 The Battle of Winchelsea

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:28:48 -0400

29 August 1350
The battle of Winchelsea took place at sea, just off the Sussex coast near Winchelsea and Rye. Animosity had been growing for many years between the English and Spanish with regard Spanish piracy against English ships and King Edward III was looking for an opportunity to punish the Spanish.

Edward had learnt that a Spanish fleet was re-equipping in Sluys, Flanders and would be sailing back down the English channel to Spain. This provided Edward his opportunity and he travelled down to Rye to meet with his fleet. His Queen, Philippa of Hainault, accompanied him to Rye, but stayed at the Greyfriars monastery in Winchelsea when Edward put to sea.

On August 29 the fleets met and joined battle. The Spanish had a strong wind and could have outrun the English, but were eager to engage, confident of an easy victory. The battle was hard fought all day, but the failing light saw the English as victors. The Spanish had lost 14 ships from their fleet of 40, with their remaining ships put to flight. The victorious English returned to Winchelsea and Rye. The Queen was greatly relieved to hear of their victory, especially given the large size of the Spanish fleet.

1283 Winchelsea New Town

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:41:17 -0400

King Edward I needed to protect his ability to muster his naval forces and Winchelsea, along with the other Cinque Ports was a key provider of ships and men. When the old Winchelsea was being lost to the sea, founding a new town of Winchelsea on higher ground was a logical step for Edward to maintain the capabilities his navy.

The town itself is laid out in a grid and many of the street exist today as they were laid out in the thirteenth century. The map below shows how the town was laid out in 1292. The original map showing the streets and land plots was created by W McLean Homan in 1949 using the rent roll of 1292. I have superimposed the modern streets, shown in red and which can be walked today. The town is accessible via the A259 which runs north/south on the west side of town. The town was originally surrounded by water and marsh, but is now landlocked. The river Brede has silted up and with the retreat of the sea, much of the marsh is now pasture.

1264 The Battle of Lewes

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:29:23 -0400

Precursor: The Treaty of Oxford
In June of 1258, King Henry III called a parliament in Oxford to resolve differences between the king and the barons. The barons argued that the King was bound allow the rights granted to the people of England through the Magna Carta. The kings preferred to retain royal authority in all matters, but reluctantly swore an oath to uphold the liberties described in the Magna Carta.

1264, The Battle of Lewes
By 1263, the king had rescinded his oath and returned to his old autocratic ways. Simon deMontfort, Earl of Leicester raised and army to fight the king. The forces met on the northwest outskirts of Lewes.

The king had the larger army and amongst his commanders were Prince Edward, later Edward I and John de Warrene, Earl of Surrey and lord of Lewes Castle. Initially in the battle, Prince Edward routed one flank of the barons army, but pursued his foes too far from the battlefield. Without the support of Edward’s cavalry, de Montfort was able to defeat the kings forces and capture the king and his brother. The monks of Lewes priory cared for many of the wounded and recorded that at least 2,700 men died in the battle.

In a negotiated truce, the king agreed to the barons demands and recognized the rights granted earlier by King John. In return, the king, his brother and son are released by the barons.

1215 The Barons Rebel against King John

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:44:03 -0400

The Barons Rebellion and Sussex
In 1215, fed up with King John’s greed and cruelty the English barons rebelled and invited Prince Louis of France to come and be king of England. Louis met with little initial resistance quickly moved through Kent. In Sussex he was joined by William de Warrene, Earl of Lewes and William d'Aubigny, Earl ofArundel.

However, There was some resistance in Sussex and a squire, William Cassingham, raised a militia numbering several hundred men. Armed with longbows, they retreated to forest of the weald and continued to resist the French until the French were eventually forced from England.

In 1216 King John died after gorging himself on peaches and new cider while sick with a fever. With John’s death and some skillful political maneuvering by William Marshall, Henry III’s regent, support for the rebellion faded. And after defeats in Dover and Sandwich, Prince Louis decided to return to France.

1211 Death of Matilda de Braose

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:39:51 -0400

In 1208, King John always on the lookout to increase his wealth, had devised a new money making scheme. His plan was to impose huge taxes on the barons for their land holdings, to blind the clergy and to confiscate all church property. In a rare moment of retrospection, John became concerned that the barons and the pope might not see the merit of this scheme. To ensure the full loyalty of his barons, John ordered them to provide him with hostages.

Matilda de Braose answered the kings messengers that she would not give her sons as hostage to the king, reasonably pointing out that the king had a habit of murdering people, including his own nephew, Arthur. The king, enraged that a woman should have made such a reply immediately confiscated all the de Braose property, including Bramber and Knepp castles and ordered the family captured.

1155 Battle Abbey Charter

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:30:15 -0400

William I granted the abbey a rough circle of land surrounding the abbey, known as a leuga. Starting due east and following a clockwise direction the abbey’s land was bounded by Bathurst, Hedgland, Crowhurst, Catsfield, Puchehole, Westbece, Bodeham, Whatlington and back to Bathurst. Many of these villages still exist today. In addition to the leuga, William also granted other valuable manors to the abbey including Alciston in Sussex and Wye in Kent.

The town of Battle was planned and built next to the abbey. Dwellings, some with workshops, were built for the craftsmen, tradesmen and farmers and who would support the abbey. Each tenant paid rent to the abbey, commonly of 7d or 8p a year, plus some donated labor. Such tenancies was known as messuages. Amongst the tenants in the town of Battle were a cordwainer, cobblers, leather-workers, weavers, a goldsmith, millers, bakers, cooks, brewers, herdsmen, plowmen, reed-cutters, carpenters, gardeners and even a bell-caster.

1155 The Confederation of Cinque Ports

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:04:12 -0400

Origin of the Cinque Ports
Shipping was the primary means of transport and warfare through much of British history. Fleets of Ships were maintained by the kings and major earls and used for raiding, expansion of their territories and infighting between each other. The ships were frequently provided by the coastal ports of britain. During the reign of Henry II, Henry recognized the need for a reliable fleet and in a charter of 1155 granted rights to the “Confederation of Cinque Ports” in exchange for the service of supplying ships and crews. The term "Cinque Ports" comes from cinque, the French word for five - there were originally five cinque ports.

Charter of Liberties
The cinque ports were granted certain liberties through royal charter. The earliest known charter dates from 1155. The ports were allowed a level of self government, including permission to hold courts and enforce punishment, up to and including execution. They were exempt from royal tax and tolls and allowed to raise their own revenue through tolls, possession of lost good unclaimed for a year or thrown overboard.

1135 The King, his Queen and the Empress

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:54:35 -0400

26 December 1135 - Stephen Takes the Throne
Despite swearing an oath to King Henry I that he would support Empress Matilda's succession to the throne of England, Stephen took the throne of himself. He had the support of English barons, who weren't keen on the idea of being ruled by a woman. While barons of this period were well known for their strong sense of ethics and justice, it may just be possible that some of them were influenced by the land and money Stephen had offered them in exchange for their support.

King Stephen lacked the leadership, judgment and sternness of character required of a king in the middle-ages. He quickly lost control and the country descended into 20 years of wars and lawlessness, known as the anarchy.

1106 The Battle of Tinchebrai

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:51:14 -0400

28 September 1106, King Henry I defeats Robert, Duke of Normandy
Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, was always disappointed to be away on the first crusade when William II had mysteriously died in the New Forest, allowing his younger brother Henry to seize the throne of England.

In a subtle subtle political maneuver Duke Robert demanded that King Henry give England to Robert. Negotiations took place at Northampton, but broke down after King Henry declined Duke Roberts modest request. An angry Duke Robert returned to Normandy, where he was pursued by King Henry.

Duke Robert was supported by William, Count of Mortain (Pevensey) and Robert de Bellême (Arundel). The battle was fought at Tinchebrai in 1106 with King Henry the clear victor. Duke Robert and the Count of Mortain were captured, imprisoned and forfeit all their lands. The cowardly Robert de Bellême fled the battle when it appeared he might have to fight. William d'Aubigny, a later earl of Arundel, fought with distinction for Henry.

1100 A Mysterious Tragedy in the New Forest

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:09:48 -0400

3 August 1100, William II dies while hunting

William II (Rufus) died in 1100, when he was "accidentally" shot in the heart by Walter Tirel while hunting in the New Forest. William’s younger brother Henry, also present at the hunt and deeply moved by the incident, sliped off to Winchester to secure the royal mint and the crown for himself.

William II had been little loved in his time. His court had a reputation for cruelty and debauchery. He also had a fondness for church income. As king he was able to appoint bishops, but in the absence of a sitting bishop at an abbey or monastery, the king could keep the revenue. William frequently delayed appointing bishops so he could keep the monastery income, enriching himself and impoverishing the monasteries.

1088 Rebellion Against William II

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:05:43 -0400

Shortly after William II (Rufus) was crowned in 1087, Bishop Odo of Bayeux fomented a rebellion against him. Odo was William I’s half brother and one of the most powerful men in England. His plot was to install Duke Robert of Normandy (William I brother) as ruler of England. Odo was supported in Sussex by Earl Roger, his sons and the Count of Mortain.

Appealing to their strong sense of justice and with the promise of land and money, William persuaded some of the rebelling barons, including Earl Roger, to support him. William then attacked Odo and his supporters at Rochester.

Odo and Robert of Mortain were forced to flee to Robert’s stronghold at Pevensey, where the king laid siege. Duke Robert tried to return from Normandy to reinforce his supporters, but rough weather and the kings ships prevented his return. Running out of food and with no relief in site Pevensey surrendered after 6 weeks.

1086 The Domesday Survey

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:02:23 -0400

To ensure that he had not overlooked any income he could squeeze out of the English, William I commissioned a great survey to assess wealth and income in England. William’s surveyors recorded the amount of plough land, meadow, woodland, mills, fisheries, salt pans and the amount of tax or “geld” that individuals were required to pay. The assessments were recorded on sheets of parchment, which were assembled into folios and bound into two books known as Great Domesday and Little Domesday. Sussex, together with most counties, is entered into Great Domesday. Little Domesday contains the entries for Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

Domesday provide insight into the social classes that existed at that time. In Sussex, most rural inhabitants were villeins or cottars and bound to a manor. Both classes worked on the lords land and were provided housing in exchange. A villein usually rented and farmed his own land. A cottar might have a garden, but was more dependent on the manor for food. Both types of peasant were subject to tallage (taxes) at any point the lord decided. If the daughter of a villein or cottar wanted to marry, it was necessary to pay “mechett” to compensate the lord for the loss of a labor. A lord had no legal right to maim or kill a villein or cottar.

1067 The Impact of Forest Law

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:51:47 -0400

After his victory over the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings, William I enacted new laws in England, known as “forest law”. The purpose of the law was to create hunting reserves for exclusive use by the king and his supporters. Under the law, the acts of hunting game, farming or using lumber from a royal forest was illegal. Saxons living in the new royal forests were evicted or punished. In Sussex, an area of approximately 20 square miles of the Weald was enclosed or “afforested”, creating the Ashdown forest.

Punishment in early Normans times, particularly under William II, were very harsh and often involved blinding or cutting off a hand of the unfortunate "outlaw". Later punishments moderated into fines and local Lords granted rights to use the forests for payment.

1066 The Battle of Hastings

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:52:22 -0400

1062
Earl Harold took an “oath” to accept Duke William as his lord.

1065
Earl Tostig, Harold’s brother and Earl of Northumbria was outlawed by the people of Northumbria. Tostig had “Despoiled of life and land and all those he had power over”. King Edward accepted the peoples plea and appointed Morcar as Earl of Northumbria.

May 1066
Earl Tostig mounted raids up the south coast of England, but was driven north by Harold where he was finally defeated by Edwin, Earl of Mercia and Morcar, Earl of Northumbria.

25 September 1066
King Harald of Norway landed with a large raiding army near York, where he was joined by the ever persistent Tostig. Harold marches north with his housecarls joined forces with with Morcar, Earl of Northumbria and Edwin, Earl of Mercia. Together they inflicted a decisive defeat on Harald and Tostig at the hard fought battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September. Both Harald and Tostig were killed in the battle.