Summa totalis hominum quinque portuum-xiiju vjs vd ob q

Among the above will be found many familiar names; and the lists afford proof of a much larger number of holders of property in several parishes than now exist.

The name of "Wittberd," at Pevensey, is possibly that of the German family of "Weitbrecht," who have resided for many centuries at Schorndorf, and have been mistaken for the "Whitbread" family. "

The surname of "Robin-Hood" at Pett and Fairlight, is very curious, and would have made a valuable note to the late Rev. Joseph Hunter's 4th "Critical and Historical Tract," on "the ballad-hero, Robin Hood."

The "Willards" appear at Hailsham; and a volume has been published at Boston, U. S. America, on that branch of the family which left Sussex and Kent for New England."3

THE PAROCHIAL HISTORY OF HAMSEY.

BY ROBERT CHAPMAN, Esq.

HAMSEY, a parish in the hundred of Barcombe and the rape of Lewes, contains, according to the ty the commutation survey, 2,761a. 3r. 28p. It is bounded by the parishes of Ringmer, Malling, St. John-sub-Castro Lewes, Chiltington, and Chailey. There is no doubt that an inlet from the sea once flowed over a portion of Hamsey, probably as high as what is now called Hamsey Place farm, near the old parish church. Persons now living have seen an old Dutch Chart in which a Toll House is marked and described as "Hams Plaas." This is supposed to have given the name to what is now the farm house called "Hamsey Place."

The fact that an estuary of the sea covered a portion of Hamsey Parish, is also confirmed by the discovery of fossils, and other marine deposits, which at different times have been dug or ploughed up in the district.

Few places have enjoyed a more varied nomenclature than Hamsey. Beginning Ham, it becomes Hame, Hamme, Hammes; and after the baronial family De Say settled there, it was written Hamesay, Hemsey, Hames-say, Hammes-say, and Hamsay, reverting to the primitive spelling. All these of course mean the "place De Say."1

The soil is chalk, marl, and clay; but the first predominates. The parish embraces but a small portion of down land, the bulk of it being arable and grazing.

The river Ouse runs through Hamsey, and out through the Lewes levels into the sea at Newhaven. It is navigable to Lewes for vessels of 200 tons; and some distance beyond the confines of Hamsey, for barges.

The parish of Hamsey is intersected by two railways,

Inq. p.m. passim.

otherwise it would have been very tranquil, as it is thinly populated. The bulk of the inhabitants are concentrated in the hamlet now written Offham; but which has been spelled Oakham, Wougham, Wodham, and Woham.

The face of the district in which Hamsey lies when viewed from the road running northward from Lewes, or from the high ground on the downs to the left of the road, is more than pleasing. It presents a prospect of rich and varied cultivation, and of great extent; enlivened by charming village scenery and two picturesque churches. The river Ouse is a pleasing addition to the landscape; and at certain times of the tide is no inconsiderable stream. After heavy falls of rain late in autumn it overflows its banks, and has sometimes the appearance of a lake.

MANORIAL HISTORY.

The first mention of Hamsey occurs in the year 925, when Ædelstane held a "Gemotte at Ham near Lewes, and the suit between Goda and Eadgyfee was again decided by public authority." 2 It is well known to students of Saxon history that these meetings of the Witena-Gemotte for judicial purposes were ordinary occurrences.

The next mention of Hamsey occurs in Domesday-book, where it is thus described:

Ralph holds Hame of William. Ulceva held it of king Edward. It was then assessed at 25 hides; it is now rated at 14 hides; for of the remainder, seven hides are included in the rape of Earl Morton (Pevensey); and four hides with-hold half a rood land in the rape of Earl Roger, (Arundel). At the present period the moiety of Ralph pays land tax for 13 hides; the arable is 13 plough lands; there are two ploughs in the demesne, and 16 villains, and 14 Bondsmen, with 10 ploughs. There is a Church, 200 acres of meadow, a wood of 10 hogs, and 13 shillings of herbage. Hugh holds one hide of this district. Ralph half a hide. The total value in the reign of the Confessor was £20. has since been reduced to £10, at which sum it is now estimated."

2 Codex Diplomat: Evi-Saxon; No. 429.

It

It were useless to enquire who the Ralph was who held "Hame" of William in 1080; William, the tenant in chief, was doubtless William De Warrenne.

We will now turn our attention to the families who have held the manor of Hamsey; and the first of consideration was that of DE SAY. The De Says came to England with the Conqueror. They held lands in Shropshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bucks, Hertford, Essex, Surrey, and Middlesex. The name will occur to every reader in connection with Strathfield-say, in Hampshire, and with "Say's Court," Deptford; where they were located for a very long period as Lords of the manor of West Greenwich.3

The first notice we find of the De Says in connection with Sussex is in the 26th Henry the 3rd, when "William De Say held 14 Knights' fees in Hammes, de Honore de Warrenne. e." Estimating the Knights' fee at the common rate of 100 acres, the Estate was then considerable, embracing half the modern parish.

The De Says are a name in the Roll of Battle Abbey. In 1083, Picot De Say was a leading person in Shropshire, where several members of the family, sometimes as tenants in chief, and sometimes as sub-tenants, resided. In Suffolk, "John De Say, Miles, of Risbrigg," distinguished himself by impeding the King's bailiffs in their endeavours to execute a writ in the reign of Edward 1st. In the time of King John, the De Says reached the summit of fame; for Geoffrey de Say was named as one of the 25 barons on whom devolved the distinguished honor of seeing that the King observed the stipulations contained in Magna Charta. by the whole Baronage, are called by our servators of the liberties of England." sworn to obey them; and such were their functions that they

3 Say's Court was conspicuous in the topography of Charles 2nd's time, as the residence of the virtuous and enlightened John Evelyn. It was equally notorious in the reign of William the 3rd, as the domicile of Peter the Great. The Czar Peter found amusement and exercise in trying to force a wheelbarrow through the yew hedges, which it had probably cost John Evelyn and

These 25, elected historians "ConThe people were

his gardener years of care to nourish.
The house has long since disappeared;
its site is now the property of the
Crown, and was formerly known as the
"King's Tobacco Ground," because
damaged and worthless tobacco was
sent there to be burned.

4 Testa de Neville, fol. 222.
5 Rot. Hund., teinp. Edward I.

formed in reality a regency for the government of the kingdom."

In the 17th of John, Geoffrey De Say was appointed to a very honorable mission with Lord De Clare, Lord Fitzwalter, and four citizens of London, on the part of the Barons and people, to treat with the Bishop of Winchester, Wm. Earl De Warrenne, Wm. Earl of Arundel, and Hubert de Burgo, Justiciar, on the part of the King, on the matters respecting which these powers were at variance, with a view to bring about a peace.

Geoffrey was succeeded by William De Say, A.D. 1231. He was Governor of Rochester Castle, A.D. 1260. In the 48th Henry 3rd, he was at the battle of Lewes, on the King's side, and fled after the defeat of the Royal Army. He died 56th Henry 3rd, leaving William his son and heir. This Wm. died 23rd Edward 1st, leaving Geoffrey, his son and heir, 14 years of age, seized of the manors of Berlyng, West Greenwich, Burgeham, and Codeham, in Kent; Hammes Say, Sussex; and Sawbridgeworth, Herts. Geoffrey, in 34th Edward 1st, was in the expedition to Scotland; and in 19th Edward 2nd, had livery of his lands; he was summoned to Parliament 1st Edward 3rd, after which, viz., 8th Edward 3rd, he obtained the King's Charter for free warren in all his demesne lands within his Lordship of Greenwich, Deptford, Codeham and Berlyng, in Kent, with view of frank pledge, in-fang-thef and out-fang-thef, and divers other privileges. Geoffrey died 33rd Edward 3rd, leaving issue by Maud his wife, daughter of Guy De Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, William, his son, 19 years of age; and 3 daughters.

Maud left a will, in which she bequeathed her body to be buried in the Church of Friars preachers-commonly called Black friars-in the City of London, near to Edmund, her beloved husband. She gave to the friars-preachers £10, appointing that no feast should be made on her funeral day; but that after her decease her corpse should be carried to burial, covered only with a linen cloth, having a red cross thereon, and two tapers, one at the head and another at the feet; charging her son William, upon her blessing, that he should not do contrary thereto.

6 Historians passim. XVII.

7 Cal. Rot. Pat., fol. 6.

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