24 HISTORY OF HARTING. 



Immediately after the Conquest Harting formed 

 part of the ample territory in Sussex given by the 

 Conqueror to Roger Earl of Montgomery, who fought 

 in the van at Hastings, and was made Lord of Arundel, 

 Chichester, and some 70 manors in Sussex. It was 

 William the Conqueror's policy in the first critical 

 state of his invasion to secure his retreat to Normandy 

 in case of misadventure, by giving the approaches to 

 the South Eastern coast, by which he had entered 

 England, to his most trusty soldiers. 



The origin of the Domesday tax was the Hidegeld, 

 a tax on land against the Danes and foreign invasion. 

 The word " Domesday " is a corruption of " Domus 

 Dei " the house of God, the book being laid up in the 

 King's Treasury, the Church of Winchester. The 

 date of the Domesday survey is 1080. 



Harting is thus mentioned in Domesday Book. 



" Hundred of Hamesford, Hertinges. Held by 

 Roger Earl of Montgomery. Countess Gida held it 

 of King Edward (Confessor). Anciently assessed at 

 80 hides ; now cleared for 47. Arable land 63 caru- 

 cates* In the desmesne 90 carucates and 128 villani, 

 and 35 bordarii with 51 carucates. There are 20 servi, 

 and 9 mills of the value of 4 pounds and 18 pence. 

 Grass land ('herbagium,' including downs) 18 shillings, 

 and 30 acres of meadow. Forest of 100 hogs. In 

 Chichester 9 holdings (' hagce,' building enclosures), 

 value 15 shillings. Of the land of this manor the 

 clerks of St. Nicholas (of Arundel) hold 6 hides, and 

 they have therejn 6 villani and 7 bordarii with 3 caru- 

 cates, and so it was in the time of King Edward (the 

 Confessor's survey). The sum total of this manor in 



"Hide," said to mean " looth part," Ed. the Confessor's 

 rating ; " a piece of land sufficient for the maintenance of a 

 family ;" about thirty acres of arable land with a due proportion 

 of woodland and meadow attached. " Carucate? Will, the Con- 

 queror's rating, variously estimated at 60, or 80, or 100 acres ; 

 " as much ploughland as could be farmed by one plough in a 

 year." 



