A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



second descent occurred is proved by a letter of 1514, in which the writer says that he had 

 heard from the Lord Admiral that he intended to raid the French coast to avenge the burning of 

 Brighton. 1 The Cinque Ports had a closer connexion with the land operations of this war than 

 with those at sea, for in 1513 Henry invaded France himself, and the 'service' was required to 

 convey the awny. In 1512 there was a payment for 'a new tower and bridge ' in the Camber ; * 

 the tower may be 'the blockhouse at Cavell ' 3 a French corsair ran past in 1522, attacking some 

 English ships supposed to be protected by it. 4 The Cinque Ports were ordered to keep scouts at 

 sea in 1522, when war with France and Scotland was expected; when it broke out the naval 

 operations were of a minor character, but one Rye vessel of 60 tons, and two from Hastings, of 

 which the largest was 50 tons, took part in them. 6 The local squadron cruising on the coast, 

 between Rye and the Thames, consisted of three men-of-war and one hired ship of Sandwich ; 6 in 

 earlier centuries the protection of this area would have been undertaken by the ports of Sussex and 

 Kent. There was some intention of laying up the Henry, a first-class ship, in the Camber for the 

 winter, but when soundings were taken it was found that there was not sufficient depth of water. 7 

 During the troubled reign of Henry there was always more or less expectation of war, and in 1528 

 Sir Edward Guldeford again drew Wolsey's attention to 'the blockhouse at Kevill,' which required 

 six guns ; he added that Rye was in more danger than ever, as it was surrounded by the sea, and 

 ships could lie within a stone's throw of the town walls. 8 In 1536 there were altogether 19 guns in 

 the town and bulwark, 9 and a king's gunner was appointed to take charge of one particular brass gun. 10 



About 1539 Henry feared the formation of a continental alliance against the kingdom. The 

 new navy, although more powerful than even its creator dreamed it to be, was as yet an untried 

 weapon, and it was natural to rely as well upon the orthodox defences of castles, sconces, and 

 bulwarks to prevent a landing or support a defending force. As early as 1535 the idea of fortifying 

 the strategic points round the coast was in the air, for Cromwell then noted in his 'Remembrances' 

 that a small tax, formerly paid to Rome, might well be diverted ' towards the defence of the realm 

 to be employed in making fortresses.' At that time the only places upon which money was being 

 spent lavishly were Calais and Dover, and it was not until 1539, when the political conditions 

 rendered the question urgent, that the fortification of the coast generally was taken in hand. Early 

 in that year commissioners were appointed ' to search and defend' the coast line, but little was done 

 in Sussex. 11 The town of Rye was fortified ; Winchelsea, Hastings, Seaford, and Shoreham were 

 no longer worth any especial defence, and Pevensey, Bulverhythe, and Pagham had practically ceased 

 to exist except for coasters. Therefore only one castle was designed in Sussex, that on the spit of 

 shingle, then close to the sea, commanding the entrance of the Camber. It was under construction 

 in I539, 12 and the fear of French hostilities and of surprise no doubt hastened its erection. In 

 February the mayor of Rye wrote to Cromwell that four large French ships had put in to purchase 

 ordnance before proceeding to the Mediterranean, and that he had taken precautions against a 

 treacherous attack. 13 In 1540 Camber Castle was under its first captain, Philip Chewitt, or Chowte, 

 with a garrison of 24 men ; but there was as yet no artillery. 14 Except within the liberties of the 

 Cinque Ports, where they were under the control of the Warden, the new fortifications everywhere 

 were in the charge of the Lord Admiral. 



War with France and Scotland was renewed in 1543, and the vessels of the Cinque Ports 

 were required once more for the usual service of transport to which they had descended. To help 

 Hastings, Seaford was incorporated and charged with assistance ; 16 probably the earlier tie had been 

 but a slack one, for we have seen that Seaford had been sometimes called upon independently of the 

 Ports. Henry crossed to Calais with an army in 1544, and hoys to carry the troops were taken 

 up along the coast, eight coming from Rye and six from Winchelsea ; le there were no others from 

 Sussex. In June, all that Lord Russell, writing from Dover, could find to say about them was that 

 ' the ships of the Ports are here and do no service.' 17 But there are indications that the old spirit 

 was not extinct, and if the age of Cinque Ports fleets was gone by there was still scope for 

 individual enterprise. Three Rye and Winchelsea men took out letters of marque, and it seems 

 that their privateers were only of 20 tons each. 18 In July, 1544, a Scotch ship was taken off 



1 L. and P. Hen. PHI, i, 5151. 



I Ibid, ii, 1455. 'Bridge' is used for a landing-place as late as the middle of the seventeenth century. 

 3 Or Cabell, the site of the later Camber Castle (ibid, xvi, 456). ' Ibid, iii, pt. ii, 1935. 



' Ibid, iv, pt. i, 398. 6 Ibid, iii, pt. ii, 2296. ' Ibid, iii, 2302. 



"Ibid, iv, 5031. 'Ibid. 1,807. '" Hist. MSS. Com. Ref. RyeMSS. 183. 



II L. and P. Hen. Vlll, xiv, pt. i, 398. For Sussex the earls of Arundel and Southampton (the Lord 

 Admiral) ; lords Maltravers, De la Warr, and Dacre ; Sir John Gage, Sir Rich. Shirley, Sir Edw. Bray, and 

 others ; the Warden of the Ports was not one of them. 



11 Ibid. pt. ii, 236. " Ibid. pt. i, 274. " Cott. MSS. App. xxviii, 19. 



" Pat. 35 Hen. VIII, pt. xvi, m. 5. M L. and P. Hen. VIII, xix, pt. i, 491. 



17 Ibid. 708. " Ibid, xviii, pt. i, 392, 431 ; Acts ofP.C. 10, 21 April, 1543. 



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