THE RELIGIOUS HOUSES 

 OF SUSSEX 



INTRODUCTION 



Sussex, for its size, was well supplied with religious foundations, though 

 for the most part these were small and not of more than local importance, the 

 two chief exceptions being the abbey of Battle and the priory of Lewes, 

 whose heads were constantly summoned to Parliament. 



Besides the great abbey of Battle, the Benedictines had houses for monks 

 at Boxgrove and Sele, both originally cells of alien monasteries. The nuns of 

 the order had a settlement at Chichester previous to 1075, but were ejected 

 when the cathedral was removed thither. They had also a short-lived convent 

 at ' Ramestede,' and another at Rusper. 



The Cluniacs had only one priory, but that was the greatest house of the 

 order in England the priory of St. Pancras at Lewes, whose possessions 

 extended almost all over the kingdom. The monks of Lewes held at one 

 time or another no fewer than fifty-six churches in Sussex. 



The only Cistercian abbey was that of Robertsbridge. 



The Augustinian canons had six houses, all small ; and there was a 

 nunnery of the order at Easebourne. 



An abbey of Premonstratensian canons was founded, about 1180, at 

 Otham in Hailsham, but subsequently removed to Bayham on the borders of 

 Kent and Sussex. The canons had also an abbey at Dureford on the borders 

 of Sussex and Hampshire. 



The Knights Hospitallers possessed a preceptory at Poling, and succeeded 

 to the greater part of the possessions of the Knights Templars, who had 

 preceptories at Shipley and Saddlescombe. 



Chichester and Winchelsea had convents of both Dominican and 

 Franciscan friars, and the former also settled at Arundel, and the Franciscans 

 at Lewes. The Austin Friars had a house at Rye, and the Carmelites 

 at Shoreham, the latter being subsequently removed to Sele in Beeding 

 parish. 



Of the many hospitals in this county the most important was that of 

 St. Mary at Chichester, which still flourishes. In each of the Cinque Ports 

 members, Hastings, Rye, Winchelsea, and Pevensey, there were hospitals 

 under control of the town officers, serving the purpose of almshouses, and 

 this was possibly also the case at Seaford and Shoreham. The two hospitals 

 at Lewes were intimately connected with the Cluniac priory, as was that at 

 Battle with the abbey, and the ' Maison Dieu ' at Arundel with the neigh- 

 bouring college. 



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