Horsham before John de Foxlee and William Merrè, on the oath of certain jurors of the rape of Pevensey and the hundred of Loxfield, who deposed that the king held in the said rape the castle of Pevensey, — ^that the said castle was dilapidated and badly kept (confractum et male custoditum), and that they did not know how much it could be repaired for. Being asked by whose default the said castle was so overthrown and broken (ita dirutum et confractum), they declared that it was by the default of King Edward, father of our Lord now king, who declined to take any measures for the necessary reparations, although often advised and desired to do so by the sheriff, and the keepers of the said castle.[1]
Out of that Inquisition doubtless arose those repairs so distinguishable in various parts of the castle, and the addition of the great towers 1, 2, 3, 4, which retain many features of this precise period.
a. d. 1399. That ever-to-be-remembered lady, the wife of Sir John Pelham, sustained a siege here, in support of the Lancastrian cause, against the Posse Comitatus of Sussex, Surrey, and Kent. The touching letter written on the occasion by this heroine to her absent lord has been printed by Collins and Hallam, and in my 'Chronicles of Pevensey.' Then and subsequently it must have been a place of great strength, as it was often used as a prison for captives of distinction, among whom may be enumerated King James I of Scotland, circ. 1414; Edward, Duke of York, 1405; and Joan of Navarre, the last queen of Henry IV, 1419. The appointment of Constable
- ↑ Add. MSS. 6166, Brit. Mus. transcribed by Mr. Blaauw. Mr. W. D. Cooper likewise sent me another transcript from Carlton Ho. Bide. The names of the jurors will be interesting to many Sussex readers : —
Will. de la Chaumbre.
Richard Hamond.
Ralph atte Broke.
Robert Partrich.
Roger Ballard.
Joce Urry.
Robert atte Stable.
Hen. de Shobrigge.
Ralph atte Doune.
Andrew Gobioun.
Gilbert de Okelinge.
Walter le Bat.
John de Horseye.
Ranulf Wodeland.
Philip atte Welle.
William Algar.
Richard le Frost.
Philip Lyteman.
Simon le Sem'.
Ralph le Potter.
Ralph at Nasshe.
Simon atte Chaumbre.
John le Palmer.
Geffry atte Welle.
Gilbert Erth.
Nicholas de Wonbourne.
John le Hemestede.
Adam de Courtehope.
John de Bochurst.
Roger le Bost.
