THE NORMAN CONQUERORS AND THEIR SUCCESSORS 



Raids on England. 



It was not long before William needed a fleet somewhere, for the rem- 

 nant of the Saxon Navy which had been taken across to Ireland was 

 used by Harold's son for an attack on the Bristol Channel in 1067. It 

 was just a piratical raid after the fashion of the Danes which accom- 

 plished very little, and when it was tried again in the following year 

 the raiders were so severely beaten by the people of Devonshire that 

 only two ships escaped out of sixty-four. The attacks of the Danes on 

 the north country were far more serious, ana resulted in their looting a 

 considerable portion of Yorkshire. The Thames itself was entered by 

 a small Danish fleet, but they departed without doing very much 

 damage, and all this time William had to suffer them. He was collect- 

 ing a fleet, however, and five years after his accession was able to use 

 it, not only for protecting his coasts, but also for his Scottish and French 

 wars. We have few details of this Navy, but in 1075 it was big enough 

 to persuade a Danish fleet of two hundred sail, which had come out for 

 the invasion of England, to think better of it and to return without risk- 

 ing an action. When he died he left William Rufus quite an efficient 

 fleet, which with the co-operation of the Cinque Ports was sufficient to 

 beat the invading squadrons of Duke Robert time and again. 



The Origin of the Cinque Ports. 



Some people believe that the organisation of the Cinque Ports dates 

 from some time before the Conquest, but it was certainly not until after 

 this event that their services became of national importance. King 

 William realised the necessity of maintaining the channels without hav- 

 ing the means of doing it, and accordingly they were granted certain 

 privileges in return for their undertaking to place fifty-seven ships at 

 the service of the Crown for fifteen days free of all costs, at the end of 

 which time the King continued the charter at the customary rates. The 

 Cinque Ports originally consisted of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, 

 and Sandwich, but afterwards the ancient towns of Winchelsea and Rye 

 were added to them, with precisely similar privileges and duties. After- 

 wards there were a number of other places, both of corporate and non- 

 corporate rank, which held a subordinate position, the most distant being 

 Brightlingsea in Essex. Among other privileges was the exemption from 

 taxes, the right to try criminal and civil cases within their liberties, 

 the right to seize all flotsam and jetsam and lost property or cattle that 

 was not claimed within a certain time, and also the right to impose taxes 

 and make by-laws. In spite of the fact that they have always claimed to 

 be exempt from the jurisdiction of the Admiral of England, this is open 

 to a good deal of question. It will, of course, be seen that although 

 the services of the Cinque Ports were of infinite use to the Sovereign 

 they certainly hindered the growth of the Navy very seriously indeed, 

 while on more than one occasion their barons and men used very 

 threatening language to the King in demanding rights and privileges, 

 and they were always inclined to a good deal of piracy at the expense, 



18 



