Wm. Burrell, informs us that "tradition will have it once had in it fifty inns and taverns."

ADDED TO CINQUE PORTS.-The old town of Winchelsea, together with the neighbouring town of Rye, was probably added to the Cinque Ports by William the Conqueror, as in confirming the grant of Old Winchelsea to the Abbot of Fischampe, he speaks of its liberties, free customs, &c.; and, as Henry II, Richard I, and John granted charters to the men of Winchelsea and Rye, to be free of toll, &c., in other towns, as the five ports were: to be free from shires, hundreds, &c.: and not required to plead otherwise than as the Barons of Hastings and of the Cinque Ports were.1 Beyond all doubt, however, they were added before the time of King John, under the style of "nobiliora membra Quinque Portuum;" for, in a record, dated 2nd May, in the first year of his reign, (1200) Winchelsea and Rye are mentioned to be in aid of Hastings to do the service of their navy. In the 6th year of his reign, the Quinzime of the town was accounted for to the crown.3 In his charter of the following year, 6th June, 7th John (1205,) to the men of the two towns, he mentions and confirms to them the charters of his father, Henry II, who is elsewhere stated to have been seized of the town, and of his brother Richard I; and on the 8th February, 9th John (1207-8,) there is a direct mention of Winchelsea as one of the Cinque Ports in the King's Commission,5 directed to Vincent de Hastings, Wimund de Winchelsea, and others of the barons of the Cinque Ports, to arrest all the ships that they should find. The two "ancient towns" of Winchelsea and Rye, have, from the time of their being added to the Cinque Ports down to the present

2

4

1 The charters of Richard (referring to that of Henry) and of John, are recited at length in the Inspeximus: see Post, 7 Edw. II.

2 Jeake. In dors. cart. 1, R. Jo., par. 1, m. 12. Winchelsee et Rye quod debent esse in auxiliis ville de Hastings ad fac R. servicium 20 Navium, &c.

3 Lel. Coll., 134.

4 Madox' Firma Burgi, p. 5 Selden's Dominion of the Sea, p. 350.

8.

day, enjoyed the same rights and privileges as the five original ports. Those rights and privileges have been so often and so well given, especially by Mr. Holloway, in his recent History of Rye, that we need not repeat them in this work.

JOHN.-In the troublous years of King John, and at the commencement of the 13th century, Old Winchelsea was in its greatest glory: it was in the enjoyment of all the privileges of the most important Cinque Ports; it had Broomhill attached to it as a member; its bay was the place of rendezvous for the fleets of England; its own commerce was large;1 its thirty-nine squares or quarters were well calculated to give it importance and to promote its wealth; and its geographical position, directly opposite to Tréport, and not far from the direct line to Boulogne, gave it such importance, that, after Philip of France, under the auspices of the Pope, Innocent III, had, on 21st April, 1213, commanded a great army to assemble at Rouen, whence they were to march to Boulogne, where an armament of 1700 vessels was prepared to convey and guard them to England, King John, who had collected a large army at Dover, left that place on Saturday, 27th April, came from Dover to Winchelsea, and here remained to 1st of May.2 In 1216 the Barons of England, irritated by the tyranny of king John, and menaced with the total loss of their liberties and property, offered to acknowledge Louis, the son of Philip, as Sovereign of England, on condition of his affording them protection against the king; and Philip, acceding to their request and the conditions required, sent over a large army with Louis at their head. Louis conquered almost all places opposed to him. Dover made a gallant resistance through

1In John's reign twelve men of Portsmouth were summoned for allowing vessels to go out of their port without paying the fifteenth; and in giving their account of the three vessels which had so gone out, the Portsmouth men return that the third vessel was the "Jacob,” of Winchelsea, which had brought 61 tons of wine, of the estimated value of three marcs and a half. Cal: Rot: Orig: vol. 1, p. 94.

2Suss. Arch. Coll., vol. 2, p. 135.

the valour and fidelity of Hubert de Burgh: but the serious fears entertained by the king for the safety of Winchelsea and its inhabitants, may be best learnt from the following writ of the king, dated 9th June, 1216, commanding the barons of Winchelsea rather to pay a ransom than allow their town to be burnt, should such be attempted by Louis.

"DE COMPONENDO CUM LUDOVICO ADVERSARIO REGIS NE INCENDIO TRADATUR VILLA DE WINCHELSEIA. Rex Baronibus de Winchelseia salutem. Si in propriâ personâ suâ descenderit ad villam nostram adversarius noster Ludowicus, benè concedimus, quod priusquam incendio tradatur villa nostra, vel dampnum magnum subeatis, ei censeriam ducentarium marcarum exhibeatis." Teste me ipso, apud Divis' ix. die Junii.

Hollinshed declares that Louis took all the towns he attacked except Dover and Windsor. It is not recorded whether Winchelsea was attacked and resisted there seems, however, much doubt whether it did follow the pusillanimous commands of the weak and wavering John.

HENRY III.—In the first year of the young King Henry III (1217,) it is expressly said, that the men of Winchelsea took an active share in the naval engagement of this year between the Cinque Ports' fleet, under Sir Hubert de Burgh, and the French under Robert de Courtney; and it was to Winchelsea that the king's men of Ireland, who were on the coast of Normandy, were ordered to come in his service.2 That Rye did not surrender, but was captured, is certain. After the fatal battle of Lincoln, it is said, "et tunc facte sunt truge inter juvenem regem et predictum Lodewycum, qui vero Lodewycum, captâ villâ de Rye in comitatu Sussexie, ibidem transfretavit." "And then peace having been made between the young king and the said Louis, which same Louis having captured the town of Rye, sailed hence over the

1Rym. Fœd., vol. 1, p. 142. Ed. 1816.

2 Harris Nicolas' Hist. of the Royal Navy, vol. 1, p. 176.

3 Camden Society's Publications. Holloway's Hist. of Rye.

seas."

This is the first mention we have met with of Rye being named as the place of landing or of embarkation, and not Winchelsea.

The days of Winchelsea's prosperity were now coming to a close. During the first half of the 13th century, very heavy storms are recorded to have taken place throughout the coasts of England; and in 1236, when great torrents of rain fell during the months of January, February, and part of March, and the rivers overflowed their banks, the Thames broke into the Palace at Westminster, and persons crossing Westminster Hall were forced to use a boat or go on horseback, the first inundation on record in the immediate vicinity of Winchelsea took place. In the accompt roll of the Archbishop of Canterbury, relating to the manor of Aldington, there is a payment of 41s. 4d. for the expenses of John de Walton, and the parson of Aldington, for three day's expenses at Rumenal and Winchelsea, and Appledore, together with the seneschal, to see to the saving of the marshes against the inundation of the sea.1

ARSENAL AND LIGHTHOUSE.-The harbour was not materially injured by this storm. And in 1240 there was here, as well as at Rye and Shoreham, an arsenal for the king's galleys: and there was also a lighthouse which withstood the second inundation, since, on 30th January, 1261; there is a royal precept to pay the dues.3 The town itself was also free from any material injury. The inhabitants, who were under the foreign abbey, became troublesome to the king and to the English government, and in the 30th Hen. III (1246,) the men of Winchelsea and Rye paid ten casks of wine to the king for a contempt and trespass.1

It was not against the king alone that these Cinque Ports committed trespasses and crimes it is certain, from the

1 Somner's Ports and Forts. 3 Ib., p. 237.

2 Nicolas' Hist. of Navy, vol. 1, p. 228.

4 Madox' Exch., vol. 1, p. 568.

accounts of historians, that the crews of the Cinque Ports were by no means scrupulous, but very often added to their gains by piracy, and plundered the vessels of other places as they passed the coast. The complaints of such behaviour are numerous; as a specimen of which may be adduced the letter from the city of Cologne to king Henry III, from a Tower MS.1

To the most serene Lord Henry, by the grace of God illustrious King of England, the Judges, Bailiffs, ('scabini,' echevius) Council, and other citizens in Cologne, the most ready obedience in all things, with all devotion and reverence. We make known to your Lordship (dominationi) that we are much concerned for your adversities, but we return unmeasured thanks to your magnificence, in that our fellow-citizen merchants, with their goods, have hitherto been protected and preserved in your land by your royal authority without any grievance. Now, however, we have understood, by the shewing and serious complaint of our beloved fellow-citizen Hermann, the bearer of these letters, that he, coming with his goods into your jurisdiction, and that your citizens of Winkilse have plundered him of his goods to the value of 100 marcs, or more, by certain losses thence received. Wherefore we humbly and devoutly intreat your magnificence with earnest prayers, both for the sake of God and of justice, and by the interposition of our prayers, that you will deign to effect it, so that his goods may be restored to him, and that no dissension may arise between your citizens and ours from the aforesaid occasion, doing so much for us in this particular, that we may be able thence to commend your royal Majesty; and if no restitution shall be made to him, then we are unable to desert him in his right, but ought to assist him, so that he may be able to recover the worth from your people.

The plain hint at retaliation, probably, had more weight than the fine compliments of the rest of the letter. Many similar complaints from other cities, Bruges, Ypres, &c., are extant, and the lawless activity of the Cinque Ports seems often to have rendered the passage of the narrow seas as dangerous to commercial traffic as was the passage of the Rhine among the castles of the medieval nobles.

1 Tower MSS., Letter 160, Ex. inf., W. H. Blaauw, Esq.

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