48 HISTORY OF HARTING. 



pasture land under the downs commands a rent of 2s. 

 per acre, whereas the pasture of Ekenfeld (Lady Holt 

 park) is only set at 4d. Probably the reason of this 

 was that there was no water on the hills. The arable 

 land under the downs is also assessed at double the 

 value of the arable above: the former being is., the 

 latter 6d. The lands are farmed by some fifty families, 

 as appears in Document No. i. As there were 216 

 male population in Harting at the survey of Domes- 

 day, there would seem to be a slight increase now. 

 Probably, including servants, and the five families 

 living on their own goods and chattels according to 

 the Nonas Roll, there were 350 at least within the 

 borders. We may note that North of Harting, e.g., at 

 Nywood, Rogate and Harting Combe, the woodlands 

 seem to have been cleared only in small and scattered 

 patches. The forests are dense and extensive : the 

 hog run is valued at 403., a large sum. The pheasant 

 has arrived at Harting even in 1350, and gives his 

 name as a soubriquet to one of the Hussey tenants. 



The English fancy for nicknames seems as strong 

 then as now. "Jack Pheasant" no doubt exchanged 

 compliments with " Hal in the lane," " Henry the 

 Comber," "John the Hayward," and "Nicholas," sur- 

 named from a personal disfigurement " the wen." 

 Robert de Torrebury has already taken his name 

 from Tarberry Hill the place of his abode. 



After this orderly time succeeds a period of nearly 

 200 years of war and entanglement, from which few 

 and scanty documents survive. Even the handwriting 

 it is said degenerates from the beautiful manuscript 

 of Edward the Third's time, and does not regain its 

 finish till the time of Henry VIII. The French wars 

 and Civil Wars succeeded one another, and left but 

 little local history in so humble a spot as ours. At 

 the culminating point, however, of the Hundred Years' 

 War (1336 1431) the name of our village curiously 

 appears in the news from the seat of war in Normandy. 



