POLITICAL HISTORY 



undertook the collection of money from the county for the defence of 

 Calais/ and in 1461 the same three lords were ordered to bring all the 

 armed forces of Sussex and Hampshire to aid against the ' mysruled and 

 outrageous people in the northe parties of this reaume.' '^ The accession 

 of Richard III. was marked by one act of resistance, and in November 

 1483 Sir Thomas Etchingham, Richard Leuknore of Brambletye, 

 Thomas Oxenbridge and others were ordered to summon the men of 

 Kent and Sussex to besiege the castle of Bodiam which the rebels were 

 holding.^ It was evidently taken, as in August 1484 Nicholas Rigby 

 was granted the custody of the King's castle of Bodiam, late of Sir 

 Thomas Leuknore, rebel* ; but although the castle was then in Richard's 

 hands its lord had received a general pardon in the previous May.° As 

 Sir Thomas is there called ' of Trotton ' it was probably at his house that 

 Edward IV had stayed in September 1479 on his way to Chichester." 



The reign of Henry VII is chiefly noticeable, so far as we are 

 concerned, for the evil prominence of Edmund Dudley, a member of a 

 Sussex family settled at Atherington at the mouth of the Arun. As 

 the faithful instrument of the avaricious King's extortion he acquired an 

 intense unpopularity for which he paid with his life in the first years of 

 Henry VIII. 



Two other Sussex men played prominent, and honourable, parts in 

 Henry VIII. 's court. Sir John Gage of Firle being constable of the 

 Tower, and Sir Anthony Browne Master of the Horse, each enjoying a 

 large share of their royal master's favour and confidence, which they 

 well merited. Sir Anthony, besides his princely house at Cowdray, 

 became the possessor of the site of Battle Abbey at the dissolution of 

 the monasteries. It may be noted in this connection that the dissolution 

 in Sussex was not attended by any political disturbances but seems to 

 have been generally acquiesced in, the leading gentry, though remaining 

 faithful to the Roman Church, having no hesitation in participating in 

 the plunder of the religious houses. 



Henry on two occasions honoured certain Sussex lords with his 

 presence. In August 1526 he paid a visit to the Earl of Northumber- 

 land at Petworth, where he made merry and showed himself very 

 friendly to the local gentry.' Thence he removed to Arundel Castle, 

 which he much liked, though it was then in great decay,^ differing 

 greatly from Petworth, which was one of the best appointed houses in 

 the land, than which few were more neatly kept or had fairer and 

 pleasanter walks. After Arundel the King went to Lord Delaware's 

 house of Halnaker. His second visit to the county was in 1538, when 

 he was again at Petworth and Arundel, and also at Cowdray.* Petworth, 

 Cowdray and Halnaker were also visited in 1552 by Edward VI, who 



» Acts of P.C. vi. 240. 2 Ibid. 307. 



3 Pat. I Rich. III. p. I, m. 3d. * Pat. 2 Ric. III. p. 3, m. 9. 



= Pat. I Ric. III. p. 4, m. 15. 8 Pat. 17 Edw. IV. m. 20. 



' i. y P. Hen. VIII. iv. 2368. 8 Ibid. 2377. 



» Ibid. xiii. (2), 1280. 



