POLITICAL HISTORY 



in Sussex/ the first occasion, apparently, being in 1276, when he 

 spent the latter half of June at Chichester,^ Aldingbourne and Lewes, 

 afterwards going on to Battle and Winchelsea. In May 1278 he 

 visited Stansted, Chichester, Petworth and Horsham ; and in August 

 1 28 1 was at Chichester and Binsted. Chichester appears to have 

 been his favourite stopping place in Sussex, and he came there in 

 July 1285 from Leeds castle, passing through Buckholt, Bramber and 

 Arundel, and was again there in the following April, when he also 

 visited Bosham and Midhurst, and in 1290 and 1294. In March 

 1292 he was at Ralph de Camoys' manor of Trotton, and in 1295 

 spent the first half of November at William de Echingham's manor of 

 Udimore and at Winchelsea. In the spring of 1297 ^^ passed through 

 west Sussex, and in August of the same year stayed at Udimore while 

 the fleet was preparing for the Flemish invasion, and here it was that 

 the barons and prelates presented their petition against being summoned 

 to do service in Flanders, and complaining of the excessive taxation, 

 especially of the heavy tax on wool ; Edward, however, refused to do 

 anything for the time being, and eventually sailed from Winchelsea 

 without his barons. It was during this visit that the king had an escape 

 from death so remarkable as to almost justify the title of miracle applied 

 to it by the chroniclers. The old town of Winchelsea having been 

 destroyed by the great storm of 1287, it had been refounded by the 

 King on a small hill rather more inland ; the slope of the hill on the 

 port side was very precipitous, and was only defended by an earth ram- 

 part of no great height ; it happened that when the King was riding 

 round this part of the town his horse took fright at a windmill and 

 refused to go on ; Edward urged it forward with whip and spurs, when 

 it suddenly leaped over the rampart. Every one present was certain 

 that the King must have been killed, but by wonderful good fortune 

 the horse landed on its feet and slid uninjured along the miry sur- 

 face of the lower road, so that its royal rider was able to return at 

 once to his escort without even dismounting.^ 



In the summer of 1299 King Edward visited Uckfield, Lewes, 

 Bramber, Arundel and Petworth, and was subsequently at Midhurst and 

 East Grinstead ; but his most important progress through Sussex was in 

 September 1302, when he spent a fortnight in the county, going to 

 Harting, East Dean, Chichester, Slindon, Arundel, Sele Priory, Bramber, 

 Patcham, Lewes, Michelham Priory, Herstmonceux and Battle. His 

 last recorded visit to the county in June 1305 was also of some duration 

 and covered fresh ground, the halting places being Cocking, West Dean, 

 Chichester, Arundel, Findon, Bramber, Clayton, Lewes, Horsted, Buxted 

 and Mayfield. 



The emptiness of the royal treasury in 1289 caused the King to 

 decree the expulsion of all Jews from England ; not only did their 



' Gough, Itinerary of King Edward the First. 



2 He was present at the translation of St. Richard in the Cathedral. 

 8 W. Rishanger, Chron. (Rolls Ser.), 173. 

 I 505 64 



