White, who collected a list of dissenting sufferers, had the names of sixty thousand, who had suffered on a religious account between the restoration and the revolution, and Mr. Neal supposes that the losses of the dissenters in the same space of time, could not on a moderate computation, amount to less than twelve or fourteen millions1.

The town of Lewes is not supposed to have suffered more severely in these days of religious intolerance, than other districts of the kingdom, yet here, in the course of a few days, upwards of forty peaceable individuals, from a congregation of about five hundred, became the victims of persecution, and though their liberty and their lives were spared, their property was seized upon, and devastated by the harpies of bigotry. It appears from a scarce pamphlet, that is printed at length in the Appendix, No. II, (and to which we refer the reader for a full and particular account of this specimen of the treatment of the Dissenters, under the government of the most religious Charles II.), that a congregation of Protestant dissenters had assembled on the 29th of May, in the year 1670, for the purpose of worshiping the Deity, according to the dictates of their own consciences, at a house about a mile distant from the town; but the place of assembling being too small for the congregated multitude, they adjourned to a retired lane, at a short distance from the house, where they offered up their fervent prayers to heaven unassisted by the established formularies, and, with devout attention, listened to the words of exhortation, and what they considered truth, from a minister whom they respected, and whose independence of mind, in braving the persecution of the day, they could not but admire. Their meeting was attended by two individuals whom they suspected at the time, and who afterwards proved to be of that detested caste, denominated informers; one of whom, with all the hypocrisy, for which the tribe is distinguished, declared on his return home, that "he had heard one of the most excellent sermons he ever heard in his life." On the following day, informations were laid before Sir Thomas Nutt, a worthy supporter of the reign of terror, and upwards of forty of the auditors, without examination, or even a knowledge of the proceedings against them, were convicted of the crime of worshiping their Creator, otherwise than the minions of a lascivious court had appointed. The officiating minister was condemned to pay the fine of twenty pounds, which was levied upon five of the most wealthy auditors, and the property of the others was violently seized to satisfy the unprincipled demands of the unfeeling magis

trate.

The mode of procedure in the recovery of the respective sums levied

'Priestley's History of the Christian Church, vol. vi. p. 198.

upon the inoffensive members of the congregation, is detailed in the Tract before alluded to.

It would be needless to offer any observations on these iniquitous proceedings: they are in keeping with numberless other base acts of this tyrannical reign, and well accord with the encroachments that were then made on the rights of the people, and the means that were employed to stop the progress of the human mind. Locke was exiled, Russel was led to the block, and Sydney to the scaffold, and yet, notwithstanding all this, the cause of civil and religious freedom was advancing.

I have met with nothing in the public records, that has any immediate connexion with this district, during the two succeeding reigns. James II. fled from the throne of which he was unworthy, and the Prince of Orange, who had married Mary, the eldest daughter of the fugitive Prince, introduced a milder and happier period.

EXTRACTS FROM THE TOWN RECORDS.

1642 Four pieces of iron ordnance which had been sent to Newhaven and Brighthelmston, in 1597, were this year returned to Lewes; and of the three barrels of powder that had been kept in the town-house, one was sent to the Cliffe, one to Brighthelmston, and one to Rottingdean. The Constables had at this time in their possession 30 bonds; 29 of which were for £20 each, and one for ten pounds.

1651 This year an order of Sessions was given against licensing public-houses, within the borough, or parish of St. Mary Westout.

1652 The sum of 17. 13s. 4d., was assessed on the borough, towards repairing Lewes Bridge. 1670 The Constables were this year in possession of 18 bonds, at 6l. 13s. 4d. each; also of a bond of Nicholas Bugden of 1201. and a bond of Walter Brett, Jun., for 10l. Amongst the property belonging to the borough, were 68 muskets, 10 barrels of gunpowder, and 11 casks of musket and pistol bullets. The assessment upon the borough this year was 87. 16s. 4d. 1674 In the Constable's account is the following item, "also received of Edward Ward, the sum of twenty shillings, for the nayles of the Westgate, which were sold unto him by us." 1684 The Constables paid into the hands of their successor, the sum of 130l. 6s. 8d.; also a surrender from Thomas Matthews of the Cliffe, of 2007.; two bonds of 2001. one of 10l. and seven of 6l. 13s. 4d. They also delivered to the new Constables, 54 muskets, 6 barrels of gunpowder, and 10 barrels of shot.

1690 An agreement was made with Thomas Barrett of Lewes, specifying that he was to have 20 shillings for mending the clock, "to be paid to him as sone as hee hath mended him. Also hee is to have four pounds paid to him yearely for ringing the bell at four in the morninge, and eight at night." He was also to keep the clock in good repair for seven years, for the aforesaid twenty shillings.

1694 This year carriages and horses were impressed for dragoons and other soldiers; and the pillory was repaired. A company of vagrant showmen were taken up by the Constables, and conveyed to a ship at Shoreham, for the sea service. "Expenses in playing the Indian twice, and in cleansing the rome whear hee stands, in all 3s. 6d." The assessment this year was 22/. 14s. 11d. 1701 The Constables delivered to their successors a surrender from Richard Knight, of Rottingdean, for 1007.; a mortgage from Henry Purser, of the parish of All Saints, for 10l.; also a bond for 2001. from Henry Pelham, Esq., and 401. in ready money.

'Dunvan's History.

CHAPTER XII.

FROM THE ACCESSION OF QUEEN ANNE TO THE PRESENT TIME.

Storm on the Sussex coast.-Lewes Bridge.-Pest House established.-Old Town Hall.-Refusals to pay the Town Tax-Extraordinary effect of lightning.-Addresses to his late Majesty on the removal of his ministers.—Sir Henry Blackman Knighted.-Market House built.-River Ouse Commissioners and Company.-The small pox raged in the town.—Addresses from the Burgesses on the marriage of the Prince of Wales.-Congratulatory Address to his late Majesty.-Petitions.-Public Corn Mill erected.-Volunteer Corps.-Town Act, abstract of.-County Hall.-Various Addresses and Petitions of the Inhabitants.-Engine House.-Addresses to the Queen.

The

THE present chapter will necessarily be a very miscellaneous one. extracts from the Town Records, which are not important, are inserted in the form of notes; and those events which possess more interest, are mentioned in the text. The necessity of condensing the latter part of the work, as much as possible, compels me to adopt this method.

On the 26th of November, 1703, a dreadful storm seems to have raged on the Sussex coast. Some particulars are given respecting it by the Rev. W. Denham, in the Philosophical Transactions, No. 289. "I have received an account, (says the writer), not only that the storm made great desolations thereabouts, but that a physician travelling soon after the storm to Ticehurst, about twenty miles from Lewes, and as far from the sea, as he rode, plucked some tops of hedges, and chewing them found them salt. Some ladies of Lewes hearing of this, tasted some grapes that were still on the vines, and they also had the same relish. The grass on the Downs in this parish was so salt, that the sheep in the morning would not feed, till hunger compelled them, and afterwards drank like fishes, as the shepherds report."

An account corroborative of this is given in the same work, by J. Fuller, Esq., of Lewes ; amongst other things he says, "all the twigs of the trees the day after were white, and tasted very salt."

A similar occurrence was noticed in 1785, the foam of the sea was carried

to a distance of near twenty miles, as was manifest by the trees and hedges in many parts of the Sussex coast. The leaves of the shrubs and trees had a saline taste, and were totally destroyed, assuming an appearance as if they had been scorched or smitten with a blight.

LEWES BRIDGE.

At the Quarter Sessions held at Eastgrinstead on the 22d July, 4 Elizabeth, it was presented on the oaths of Thomas Deye, gent., Ninian Burrell and Ninian Chaloner, gents., and others, that Lewes Bridge was in a ruinous state, and that from time to time the western side was wont to be built by the town and borough of Lewes, and the eastern side by the parish of Ringmer, parcel of the hundred of Loxfield, the borough of Norlington, the borough of Wellingham, the borough of the Cliff and Malling, the borough of Ashton, the borough of Glynde, the borough of Middleham, and the borough of Stanmer and Wotton'; an order was therefore issued on the 24th May, the year following, from the queen, for its reparation'.

The bridge seems to have been at this time rebuilt, and as we learn from Mr. Rowe's MSS., at the joint charge of the Rapes of Lewes and Pevensey. The Assessment for the Lewes Rape, paid into the hands of John Chatfield, Surveyor of the works, was 871. 5s. 3d. The materials employed in the construction, seem not to have been of a very enduring nature, for in less than a century after its re-building, it was found necessary to expend 807. in repairs, as appears from the following order of the Quarter Sessions.

"To the Constables and Headboroughs of the Borough of Lewes, and every of them greeting.

"Whereas at the several Quarter Sessions of the publique peace, holden at Lewes, in the sayd County, the 18th day of July, 1650, it was represented that Lewes Bridge was greatly in decay, and ought to be repayred by the Inhabitants of the Rapes of Lewes and Pevensey, who have

Extracts from the Town Records. 1702 Paid for proclaiming the Queen, for drums, trumpets, and other charges, 118.

Paid George Sanders and William Henn, for beer and tobacco at the Coronation, 27.1s. 10d. 1710 Paid several men for watching to prevent Mr. Holmwood from bringing his son up in the town with the small pox, 12s. 1712 Paid Goodwife Palmer," to wip" a man at the Sessions, 1s.

1718 Paid for a Proclamation for a trade with the Swedes, 3d.

1723-4 Paid on account of the Assizes, viz., Mr.