THE MAGNATES 99 



The one exception to this rule was in Sussex, which was 

 divided into five rapes, and these rapes were granted en bloc 

 to favoured followers of the Conqueror. The rape and borough 

 of Hastings became the property of the Count of Eu. The 

 Count of Mortain received the rape and borough of Pevensey ; 

 William of Warenne received the rape and borough of Lewes ; 

 William of Braiose received the rape of Bramber ; while the 

 borough of Steyning remained the property of the Abbey 

 of Fecamp ; and Roger Montgomery received those parts of 

 Sussex which were afterwards the rapes of Chichester and 

 Arundel. But each of these rapes contained isolated blocks 

 of land belonging to ecclesiastics. It is not difficult to surmise 

 what was in the mind of the Conqueror when he thus departed 

 from his usual custom. He wished the Sussex ports to be 

 in the hands of his mosttrusted retainers, to secure his retreat 

 to Normandy should such a step be necessary ; but he wished 

 also to secure that no single magnate of Sussex should be in 

 a position to head a successful revolt. 



Although no general rule on the subject is ever laid down, 

 yet it is easy to see from Domesday Book the principles on 

 which the Conqueror acted in rewarding those who had fought 

 for him. Except in Sussex, he never or rarely granted to 

 any one of them a specific hundred or a specific area, but he 

 usually gave the forfeited estates of a certain Englishman to 

 the follower whom he delighted to honour. Mr. Round has 

 pointed out that Ansgar the Staller was invariably succeeded 

 by Geoffrey of Mandeville in Middlesex, Herts, Bucks., Oxon., 

 Northants, Warwick, Berks., and Essex ; and the men of the 

 hundred disputed his title to Clapham, " because it was not 

 the land of Ansgar." * A few other cases may be quoted. 

 The Bishop of Coutances succeeded Borred in Bedford and 

 Northants, and claimed the homage of the sokemen of Risden, 

 Irenchester, and Raunds, because they were the men of 

 Borred ; 2 Ralph Pagenel succeeded Merleswegen in Devon, 



1 D. B., I. 36 a 2. 2 Id. t I. 225 b 2. 



