LETTER

IV.

Containing a Defcription of the County of Sussex, other Parts of KENT, and Part of HANTS, SURREY, &c.

I

NOW enter the County of Suffex, and shall begin my Letter with an Account of Rye.

It is fituated in the most Eastern Part of Suffex, upon an Hill, which is encompaffed with Rocks, that are inacceffible on the Sea fide. There is nothing now, but fome Remains of its old Walls, to be feen, and the Ditches are almoft filled up. Its Trade is in Hops, Wool, Timber, Kettles, Cannon, Chimney-backs, &c. which are caft at the Iron-works at Bakely, about four Miles from Rye, on the North-weft, and Breed, about five Miles diftant South-west. It is a very great Misfortune, that its Harbour has been fo much damaged by the Sea, and neglected; for it is almoft filled up in feveral Places, where it was formerly the deepest and moft convenient. Some confiderable Families, who have Lands near, have taken Advantage of this, to extend them farther upon thofe Sands, which the Sea in Storms has thrown up against them; and by digging Ditches, and making Drains, there are now Fields and Meadows, where antiently was nothing but Water. By this Means, Ships only of a middle Size can come within any convenient Distance of the Town, whereas formerly the largest Veffels, and even whole Fleets together, could anchor juft by the Rocks, on which the Town ftands and as this Port lies over-against Dieppe in France, and there is no other Port between Portsmouth and Dover, which can receive Ships of Burden, not only the Danger of the Sea, but, in Time

of

of War, of the Enemy, were escaped by the Conveniency of this Harbour. But it being by the Means I have mentioned, and by the Inning of the Channel and wafte Lands (which prevented the Flux and Reflux of the Tide), in Danger of being utterly lost, an Act of Parliament paffed in 1721. which enacts, That no new Walls, Banks, Dams, or Stops, fhall thereafter be erected on either Side of the Water, that might ftop or alter the Flux or Reflux of the Sea, between the Mouth of the Harbour, bounded by the Camber and Caftle Points, and New Shutt near Craven Sluice.

In 1723. another Act paffed for completing the Repairs of the Harbour of Dover, and for reftoring the Harbour of Rye to its antient Goodness, which stilk continued to be choaked up, and almoft ruined, by the Shifting of the Beach without, and settling of the Sullage within, and ftopping the Flux of the Tide, which this Act propofed fhould have its free Courfe through the Scotch flat and Graven Sluices, or into fuch other Cut or Channel as should be found most proper and expe

dient.

And in 1724. another Act passed for making the laft Act more effectual, fo far as related to the Harbour of Rye; in which a Power was given to change the Defign of making a Paffage by the above-named Sluices, and to open a new Cut from the Winchelsea Channel, right out to the Sea. And they actually began, in pursuance of this Act, to cut a broad and deep Canal, which was to be carried to the Sea on the Side of Winchelsea, for the Ufe of the two Boroughs. But ftill thefe Provifions being found infufficient, another Ac paffed in 1737-8. for continuing the Term and Powers granted by the former Acts, for repairing the Harbour of Dover, and for reftoring that of Rye to its antient Goodness, to which I muft refer the Reader, and to what I have faid in my laft, treating of Dover, p. 172.

Rye furnished the Fleet of Edward III. with nine Ships, and 156 Men. There might ftill, tho' perhaps

it might prove expenfive, be a large and commodious Haven made here, and there is no Place would be more fit for a Royal Yard, in which Ships might be built and equipped with great Conveniency. Timber and Iron would be at hand; and if Hemp and Flax were raised in the adjacent Country, Ropes and Sailcloth might be produced with the like Eafe. This would not only be beneficial to the Counties of Suffex and Kent, but also to the Nation in general, as great Savings might arife from hence, in the Article of Ship-, building; a safe and good Port be obtained, where it is much wanted, and all thofe Advantages be retrieved, which our Ancestors poffeffed, when this Port and that of Winchelsea were in a flourishing Condition, and which were of great Importance to them, and, no Doubt, would be so to us, whenever this Nation is at War with France.

The Houfes of Rye are well-enough built, and of Brick, tho' generally old-fafhion'd; but there are fome very neat ones of a modern Tafte. There is a small Settlement of French Refugees in this Town, moftly Fishermen; who have a Minifter of their own. Archbishop Wake was intrufted by the King with Money. for the Relief of Refugees, and it is probable that the Minifter here might be paid out of this Fund, but fcarcely by the Archbishop of Canterbury, as fuch. The Church is handsome and large; but there are fo many Diffenters in the Town, and fo few of the Eftablifh'd Church, that they have wall'd off, and converted the Western Part of it into a Magazine for Planks. But there are two well-built Meeting-houfes, one for the Prefbyterians, the other for the Quakers. Another Church, which belonged to a Monaftery now demolished, is alfo turned into a kind of Storehouse for Planks, Hops, and other Merchandize. At the North-eaft of Rye are the Remains of an old Fort, which commands the Town and Harbour, and ferves for the Town-gaol.

The

The Corporation, which is only by Prescription, confifts of a Mayor, 12 Jurats, and the Freemen. Here is a free Grammar-school, which was erected in 1644. by Mr. Peacock, one of the Jurats, who alfo endowed it with 321. a Year, for teaching all the Children of the Town.

His Majefty King George I. on his Return from Hanover, January 3. 1725-6. was obliged to put in here, after a very dangerous and tempeftuous Paffage, the Fleet, as was faid, being unable to make Dover, and it was then experienced, what a Benefit it would have been to have had this only confiderable Haven, as it formerly was, between Portsmouth and Dover, reftored to its priftine flourishing State; for his Majefty was under great Difficulties to land there, and the larger Ships were unable to follow him.

His late Majefty King George II. was ftill in greater Danger, in making for this Port, than his Royal Father, on his Return likewife from his German Dominions, from a violent Storm, which happened December 20. 1736.

This Town was, as I have faid, one of the Appendages, as Winchelsea was the other, to Haflings, as a Cinque-Port, and enjoyed the fame Privileges; and each of the three returns two Members of Parliament.

Old Winchelsea ftood upon the Sea-fhore, about two or three Miles from the Place where the New ftands. It had formerly a large and fpacious Harbour, was a Place of great Trade, and had no lefs than 18 Churches. in it. But it was intirely deftroyed by the Sea, and that small Part which is not bury'd in the Sands, is now Marsh and Meadow-land. To the S. W. of Rye, and the N. E. of New Winchelfea, is ftill to be feen, in the Midft of a large Plain, an old Tower, which probably stood by the Sea.

New Winchelfea is faid to have been built by King Edward I. partly on an Hill about two Miles from the

Old,

Suffex. Old, and the like Distance from Rye, and partly in a little Valley, where it had an Harbour; but Anno 1250. the latter Part of this met with the fame Fate as the former. It never was comparable to the old Town, having but three Parish Churches when it most flourished; and now there only remains the Chancel of one, which is more than large enough for the Inhabitants. But yet the Town was every-where accommodated with fine ftone arch'd Vaults, for flowing of Merchandize, and was laid out with admirable Regularity, the Streets being divided into 32 Quarters. Some of the Stonework of the three Gates are fill to be feen. The Sea is now above a Mile diftant from it, the Harbour being choaked up with Sands; and Grafs grows, not only where the Harbour was, but even in the Streets; and indeed there are only a few Houfes remaining in the upper Part of the Town. Among the Ruins of the Walls to the S. E. are the Remains of a Caftle, as some fay; or of a Monaftery, as others will have it.

Winchelsea furnished the Fleet of Edward III. with 21 Ships, and 596 Seamen. Henry VIII. for the Protection of it, built Camber Caftle, at the Expence of 23000/. which, even in the Purfe of the Crown, was no inconfiderable Sum in thofe Days.

Haftings is the chief of the five Cinque-Ports, and, with its two Members above, was obliged to furnish the King with 20 Ships for any Naval Expedition, in Recompence for the ample Immunities it enjoyed, as one of the five Ports. It is about eight Miles from Winchelfea. It confifts of two great Streets, with a Parish Church in each, and feveral good Houfes; but its Harbour, formerly fo famous, is now a poor Road for fmall Vefels, having been ruined by the Storms, which from time to time have been fo fatal to its neighbouring Ports of Rye and Winchelsea. We faw here the Ruins of an antient Castle; and, about three Miles off, Bull-hide Haven, where William the Norman is