suspected." His wife, the daughter and heir of William Holland, of West Burton, in this county, took the first step towards the recovery of the paternal inheritance alienated by his father, selling her whole estate to lay out the money in redeeming Ashburnham. In 1698 his grandson was created by William III. baron Ashburnham, and the second son of the latter was in 1730 advanced to the dignity of Earl of Ashburnham and Viscount St. Asaph. In these honours and the family estates he was succeeded in 1737 by his son, who left them at his death, in 1812, to the present earl.

Ashburnham House, in the midst of an extensive park, though situated rather low, commands a fine view of Pevensey Bay and Beachy Head. It is a spacious modern edifice, and the apartments are adorned with some good pictures by Vandyke, Lely, and other masters; but at present (1813) this mansion is undergoing a thorough repair. The park contains much fine timber, and is well stocked with deer. The pleasure-grounds received many embellishments from the late venerable proprietor, who added a large sheet of water to their attractions,

Not far from the mansion stands the parish church. Here, in the Ashburnham chancel are some magnificent monuments for the family from whom it is named. In the vestry are preserved the shirt, stained with some drops of blood, in which Charles I. was beheaded, his watch which he gave at the place of execution to Mr. John Ashburnham, his white silk knit drawers, and the sheet that was thrown over his body. These relics were bequeathed in 1743, by Bertram Ashburnham, Esq. to the clerk of the parish and his successors for ever, and are exhibited as great curiosities.

Bodiham Castle, a small distance eastward of the village of the same name, is seated near the river Rother, on the border of the county. This noble pile, still magnificent even in its ruins, is supposed to have been built by one of the Dalyngriges, a family of great consequence in Sussex in the

14th and 15th century. From them it passed 31 Henry VI. with Philippa, daughter and heir of Sir Richard Dalyngrige to Sir Thomas Lewkenor. His family also was of high consideration in Sussex, to which it gave several knights of the shire, and nine high sheriffs. It was next the property of the Earls of Thanet, and at length came, by purchase, into the possession of Sir Thomas Webster, with whose other estates it has descended to Sir Godfrey, the present owner.

This castle, encompassed with a large and deep moat, now stagnant, is nearly square, having a round tower at each angle, gates on the north and south fronts, and a square tower in the centre of the east and west sides. The grand entrance in the middle of the north front was approached by a kind of causey, defended by an advanced gate, some remains of which are still left. The great gate is extremely grand; it is flanked by two square machicolated towers; over it are three escutcheons of arms and the iron portcullis yet entire. The inner gate of the south gateway is demolished, and a cottage built on its site. The east and west walls from centre to centre of the corner towers measure 165 feet; those facing the north and south 150. The lodgings and offices were parallel to the main walls, leaving in the centre an open area of 87 feet by 78. The chapel, the hall, and the kitchen, of large dimensions, may yet be distinguished. The luxuriant ivy with which the mouldering towers and rugged walls of this venerable structure are beautifully mantled, produces a highly picturesque and pleasing effect. "On the north side of this castle," says the Reverend Mr. Russell in a letter to Sir William Burrell," is a very remarkable echo, which is the most musical I ever heard: the excellence consists in placing the hearers and singers at different distances from the edifice."

From an entry respecting this place in a book containing an abstract of the grants of 1 Richard III. it appears that a park was at that time attached to Bodiham Castle.

At BRIGHTLING, nearly opposite to the church, stands Rose

9

hill,

hill, the residence of John Fuller, Esq. who for many years represented this county in Parliament till the general election in 1812. The old mansion was purchased about 1697, by Mr. Thomas Fuller, who rebuilt the house, and left it to his nephew. This gentleman married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Rose, of Jamaica, with whom he acquired considerable property in that island, and in compliment to her gave this place the name which it now bears. John, his eldest son and successor, erected the great room, built additional offices, and surrounded the mansion with a park. At his death in 1755, the estate descended to his next brother, Rose Fuller, Esq. from whom it passed to his nephew the present proprietor. This gentleman has recently erected an observatory near his house, and under his auspices an historical account of the three eastern rapes of Sussex is preparing for publication, chiefly from the large manuscript collections of the Rev. Mr. Hayley, now in his possession.

Crowhurst, in the parish of the same name, about three miles south-east of Battle, is the seat and park of Henry Cresset Pelham, Esq. the descendant of a younger branch of that ancient family. The mansion which commands an extensive view of the British channel is much out of repair, having been of late years neglected by the proprietor, who chiefly resides on his estate in Shropshire.

On the south side of Crowhurst church are considerable remains of the walls of a very substantial building. Grose says that it was probably an oratory or chapel, built by one of the ancient lords of this manor, but Sir William Burrell supposes it to have been the old mansion or court-lodge, which name is now assumed by the adjacent farm-house, where the courts of the manor are held.

In the parish of GUESTLING, about half way between Hastings and Winchelsea, is Bromham, a handsome stone house and park, the property of Sir William Ashburnham, Bart. derived from the marriage of his ancestor, a cadet of the an

cient house of Ashburnham, with the daughter and heiress of Sir John Stoneling, of Bromham, about the time of Edward IV. The dignity of baronet was, in 1661, conferred on this family, which during the last century gave a bishop to the see of Chichester, in the person of the late Sir William Ashburnham, who presided over this diocese from 1754 to 1797.

Heathfield Park, in the parish of the same name, was formerly called Bayley Park, and belonged to the Barons Dacre. Evelyn, alluding to this place, says, "the Lord Dacre somewhere in Sussex has a park almost environed with holly, able to keep in any game, as I am credibly informed." Thomas Lord Dacre, who, in 1674, was created Earl of Sussex, sold this estate in the following year to Hercules Pawlett, Esq. The next proprietor, James Plummer, Esq. began the present mansion; but having greatly impaired his fortune in the undertaking, he found it necessary to dispose of the property, which was purchased by John Fuller, Esq. of Waldron. His successor, Raymond Blackmore, Esq. finished the house, which, in 1766, was sold by the sister and heir of Arthur O'Keefe, Esq. to Lieutenant-General Elliot, afterwards Lord Heathfield, from whom it received its present appellation. From his lordship it was purchased in 1791 by Francis Newberry, Esq. the present proprietor.

HURSTMONCEUX was originally called Hurst, from its situa. tion in the midst of the Weald, or forest. Soon after the Norman Conquest it was the seat of a family, who took from this place the name of De Hurst, which they retained for several generations, till one of them assumed the addition of Monceux, probably after his mother, who was heiress of a family settled at Compton-Monceux in Hampshire. On the failure of male issue in his grandson, Maud, daughter and heir of the latter, carried this estate in marriage to Sir John de Fiennes, about the middle of the reign of Edward II. Their posterity made this place their principal residence. Sir Roger de Fiennes, who attended Henry V. in his expeditions to France with a retinue of between thirty and forty men at arms and archers, and who was treasurer to the

household