HISTORY OF HARTING. 49 



A Patent Roll (Norman. 7 Hen. V. m. 38) shows that 

 the then Knight of Harting, Sir Henry Hussey (sixth 

 of that name), was with the flower of English chivalry 

 at Agincourt, and was appointed to the high post of 

 guarding the town of Rouen when Henry the Fifth 

 had won it after the terrible siege of six months in 

 1418. It may be said that there was good policy in 

 setting Sir Henry Hussey to guard Rouen, as we have 

 seen that his family originally came from that neigh- 

 bourhood. 



The Patent Roll above mentioned says, " Sir Henry 

 Husee, Knight of Herting, being in the king's service 

 in the company of the king's uncle, Thomas, Duke of 

 Exeter, captain of the town of Rouen, and abiding in 

 that town for its safe custody, has letters of protection 

 (the king's passport) for a year." 



Three years afterwards (Norm. Pat. 10 Hen. V., m. 

 20), May 22, 1421, Henry Husee has another similar 

 protection from the king, as he is commanding the 

 camp at Gaillon. Doubtless many a brave Sussex yew 

 bow was bent at Agincourt, and the county was spe- 

 cially requisitioned for sheaves of arrows and Sagittarii 

 Waldenses.* The Walders, and Halls, and Hertyngs 

 would be as retainers at their lords' backs, and doubt- 

 less there was a troop of Harting men at Agincourt. 



The last "Knight of Harting" was Sir Nicholas 

 Hussey, brother of Sir Henry, who died in Henry the 

 Seventh's reign leaving three daughters only. Two of 

 these died young, and the hope of the ancient house 

 centred in Constance who married twice and had one 



* See Liberate, 12 Edward III. Sheriff of Sussex, Wm. 

 Vaughan, supplies 6,000 arrows (240 sheaves, each sheaf con- 

 taining 25 arrows) of good dry wood, with heads well sharpened, 

 called "Dogebil" to be put into a cask and sent from Horsham 

 to Tower of London, at I4d. per sheaf. (48 Hen. III. 3) : King^s 

 letter to Nich. de Handlo, of Winchelsea " Mandamus vobis 

 quod trescentos de melioribus sagitariis waldensibus qui sunt 

 super graveram maris inter Rom' (Romney) et Winchelsea, &c., 

 &c., to be set for defence." 



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