his occupation, on which formerly stood the houses given to the poor of the borough by Mr. Pikehurst: and 57. annually from the representatives of Mr. Trayton Payne, for the Spittal garden, in the parish of St. Michael'. In 1689 the whole of the poor rates of this parish amounted to something more than 67.; in 1749 to a little more than 627.; in 1813 to upwards of 12007.; in 1823 they amounted to about 6651. Window and inhabited-house duty 2221. 9s. Population.-1801 254 males, 336 females, Total 590. 1811 Houses 73 The streets or lanes within the borough in this parish, have already been mentioned, but previous to the reign of Elizabeth, Antioch-street ran parallel with Keere, or Caer-hill, from the east of St. Peter's church to Southover. This street seems to have been destroyed by fire; for in the borough records, under the year 1559, is an entry of disbursements by the constables, one of the items of which is, "for men to watch when the grete fyer was in Westout," and in the 37th of Elizabeth, Antioch-street was presented at the law-day as enclosed. In the time of Mr. Rowe the lords of the borough had nineteen tenements on the north side of the parish, two copyhold and seventeen freehold; and on the south ten tenements, one of which was terra nativa, or copyhold. In the number of tenements on the north side of the parish, the house now belonging to and occupied by the Misses Shelley, is mentioned by Mr. Rowe. It was at that time called the Vine, in consequence of its having been an inn, distinguished by that name. Whilst in that capacity, it seems to have been occupied by a person of the name of Pellands, afterwards by one Newton. In Mr. Rowe's time it was the residence of Richard Amherst, Esq., Serjeant at Law, who paid to the Earl of Dorset a rental of 214d. PEST-HOUSE AND POOR-HOUSE. West of the church of St. Anne, and on the south side of the high-road, stands the present poor-house of the parish. When the utility of the pest-house had ceased, the borough disposed of the property for the sum of 450l. to the overseers of St. Anne's parish, and by them the premises were converted into a poor-house for the use of the said parish: in which capacity they still continue to be used. The former poor-house of the parish was situated in the Spittal, on the scite of the old hospital of St. Nicholas. This garden was let on lease by the parish | diers' families settling in this parish during the to Mr. Trayton Payne for ninety-nine years. time the barracks were occupied. 2 The great increase here is owing to the sol ST. NICHOLAS' HOSPITAL.-Pl. XXI. This hospital was built and endowed by the founder of the priory, probably about the year of Gundred's death, 1085; for thirteen poor brethren and sisters. Leland enumerates this amongst the number of the cells to the monastery of St. Pancras; Tanner does not even mention it, but in a MS. in the First Fruits Office, is the following account of its endowment.-" 13 pauperibus fratribus et soribus, Hospitalis Sancti Nichi, in Westoute in Lewes, dat prædictum primum fundator dicti monasterii, per ann. cxs.' 199 By hospitals, Tanner says, that he means such houses for the relief of the poor and indigent people, as were incorporated by royal patents, and made capable of gifts and grants in succession; and in a note he adds, that hospitals were originally designed for the relief and entertainment of travellers upon the roads, particularly of pilgrims: therefore they were built upon the road side; but of later years they have always been founded for fixed inhabitants. If the MS. record had not mentioned the thirteen brothers and sisters for whom the hospital was endowed, we might readily have believed that the foundation of St. Nicholas was intended to answer the purposes of the first description of hospitals, and that of St. James the second. St. Nicholas' hospital stood at the upper end of the town, where four ways met, and close to the ancient road from London, to the priory in Southover-a well chosen scite for the relief of pilgrims to the priory, and indigent travellers, well becoming the liberality of the noble owner of the castle, and the borough, and the founders of the neighbouring priory. The endowment of 57. 10s. per ann. in those days, was equal to at least 3307. per ann. of our present rent. It is to be noticed that in those early periods there were no inns, the rich when travelling lodged at great castles, convents, or manor houses, whilst the poor were lodged and fed at the hospitals. The hospital of St. James, in Southover, supposed to have been founded at a later period by the priors of St. Pancras, answers to the latter description, as founded for fixed inhabitants. Its endowment of 167. 10s. per ann. denotes its foundation about the time when money had decreased in the proportion of three to one, being just treble the value of the endowment of St Nicholas, both hospitals maintaining an equal number, viz., thirteen poor brothers and sisters. At what time the hospital of St. Nicholas was dissolved is altogether uncertain. WINTERBOURNE MANOR. 1 The manor now called the Hide, and in Domesday Winterbourne, lies within this parish. It seems to have acquired its name, from its having contained but one hide of land2. In the time of there lands in Tittlescumb (now Telscomb), and Winterborn." This charter of King Edgar's is also in Spelman's Councils, vol. i. p. 443., and in White's Councils, vol. i. p. 344.-Elliot's MSS. Burrell's MSS. Brit. Mus. 2 In a grant of King Edgar, dated A.D. 966, which may be seen in Cotton Lib. Vitellius E. 12, p. 211, mention is made of this amongst other vills, viz. the vills called Dunketone, and the church there; lands in Suesse (now Southese) and the church King Edward the Confessor, it was held by Eddeva of the king. It is described in Domesday, sa being half a carucate or plough land in the lord's demesne, with six borderers, and one acre and a half of meadow. In Lewes were three houses and one third of another belonging to this manor. In the time of King Edward it was valued at ten shillings a year; but when the general survey was made, 1078, its value had doubled. I have not yet met with any satisfactory proof that this manor ever belonged to the monastery of Lewes. The advowsons of the churches of St. Peter and St. Mary Westout, were certainly held by the priors, who, doubtless, claimed the tithes of all the property within the circle of these parishes and as Winterbourne, or the Hide, was thus situated, the tythes of this manor would be claimed by them. In confirmation of this conjecture, I find that in the grant which Henry VIII. made to his divorced queen, Ann of Cleves, of property and privileges in the County of Sussex, he particularizes amongst others, the tythes of le Hyde in Lewes, in predicto Comitatu nostro Sussexiæ, nuper monasterio de Lewes, pertinentes seu spectantes. Thomas, Lord Buckhurst in 1603, and Richard Earl of Dorset in 1610, were seized of this manor, as appears from the accounts of Edward Lindsey, their receiver general'. 16 Car. I., 1630, Richard Amherst, of Lewes, Sergeant at Law, gave by his will to his wife, the manor of Hide and Horescroft, with the messuage and croft at Winterbourne. In 1664, this manor was purchased by William Lane, of Southover, gent., for 6001. In 3 Will. and Mary, a fine was levied of this manor amongst others, John Smith and Thomas Medley, gent., complainants, William Lane and Eliza his wife, deforcients, with an intent to cut off the estate tayle'. Recently this manor has passed in the same line of possession as the manor of Southover. HOUNDENE MANOR. The manor of Houndene, which lies in a great measure within this parish, is not distinguished in Domesday. There are lands and messuages belonging to this manor in the several parishes of St. Peter and St. Mary Westout, All Saints, St. John's under the Castle, Precincts of the Castle, Southover, Balcombe, Kingston, Rottingdean, Wivelsfield, Chailey, and Newick. Landport and Smithwick, or Ashcomb, appear in some old rentals to have been distinct manors from that of Houndene, but having for many generations belonged all three to the same Lord, the others seem to have merged in, or been incorporated with the greater manor of Houndene. In the 17 Edward I. John Earl Warren was in possession of this manor, which he inherited from his father William de Warren3. In 9 Edward II., John de Warren Earl of Surrey, granted it to the king and his heirs, and in the following year, it was re-granted to the earl for life, with the remainder to John de Warren, his son by Maud de Nereford, and the heirs male of his body: the remainder to Thomas de Warren, son of the said Maud, and his heirs male, with the remainder to the heirs of the body of the said Earl of Surrey, and if he died without heir of his body, then to revert to the crown'. 21 Rich. II. this manor was granted to Thomas Earl of Nottingham, (as Lewes) being part of the possessions of Richard Earl of Arundel'. In the 27th year of Henry VIII., George Neville Lord Abergavenny, died seized of one moiety of this manor, which was noted in his will. 12-18 James, Richard Earl of Dorset was seized of this manor. 18 and 19 Charles II., the Attorney-general exhibited an information against George Stonestreet for one-eighth part of the manor of Houndene, parcel of the possessions of Anthony Stapley, late attainted of high-treason. 1739, William, Lord Abergavenny was seized of the moiety of this manor; Lionel, Duke of Dorset held one-quarter, and Henry Spence, Esq. and Spence, widow, one-quarter. 1759, George Neville Baron of Abergavenny, succeeded to William Lord Abergavenny's moiety. In 1769 Henry Shelley, Esq., was seized of one-eighth, which he continued to hold till his death. In 1775 Lord George Germaine was seized of one-quarter. 1787 Henry Neville, Earl of Abergavenny, held a moiety, John Frederick, Duke of Dorset one-quarter, and Henry Shelley and Luke Spence one-quarter. 1800, Arabella Diana, Duchess Dowager of Dorset, held one-quarter as the testamentary guardian of her only son, John Frederick, Duke of Dorset, an infant. In 1813 Thomas Bradford became seized of the parts previously held by Henry Shelley and Luke Spence; which quarter was purchased by Lord Sheffield in 1819. On the death of Lord Sheffield he devised it to trustees under his will. The present Lords of the Manor are Henry Neville, Earl of Abergavenny, lord of one moiety Charles, Earl Whitworth and the Most Noble Arabella Diana, Duchess of Dorset, lord and lady of one-quarter and the Right Hon. George, the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, and John Dodson, Esq., Doctor of Law, (devisees of the late Earl of Sheffield), lords of the other fourth part. 1 Shadwell's MSS. Burrell's MSS. Peck's Stamford, b. 9, p. 8. Register of Grants from Edward I, to 26 Eliz, in the Sur. veyor General's Office, p. 189, &c. Pat, 21, Rich. II, p. 1, m. 5. |