pendent borough, included within no hundred: on the other hand, the vill of Iford is certainly within the hundred of Swanborough. See p. 106.

3. The first William de Warren, the founder of the monastery of Lewes, who died the year after the completion of the Norman survey, in his confirmatory charter, made before Domesday book was compiled, grants five hides' and a half of land in Swanborough to the monastery. These could not have been in Southover, and may have been in Iford, as the former was not; and the latter certainly was, a portion of the hundred.

4. In the same charter the Earl of Warren confirmed the donation of the church of Yford, and the tythe of the lands at Yford, given to the monks by Hugh le Gold. In Domesday account of Niworde, Hugh is stated to have held two hides. If then, as appears probable, the Hugh mentioned in the charter as having given the tythe of his lands at Iford to the priory, be the same Hugh whose name occurs in Domesday, in connexion with property at Niworde, the two places may be regarded as identical.

5. At the time of the Norman survey, Niworde is stated to have had in arable land fifty-two carucates, or plough lands. A carucate was about 120 acres, fifty-two carucates would therefore be 6240 acres. It is evident that there are not a fiftieth part of this extent of arable land within the manor of Southover. 6. The conjecture of Mr. Rowe, that Southover formerly formed a part of, or was an appenage to, the borough of Lewes, seems to be corroborated by the circumstance, that in most of the charters of the priory, and in most other records of England, till the dissolution, the monastery is described as the Priory of Lewes, though standing in Southover. What farther confirms this opinion is that the priory seal is stated by Mr. Rowe, (who saw one attached to a grant of lands to Stephen Ridge, of lford, 27 Henry VIII.) to have had the Warren arms on one side, and those of the Borough of Lewes on the other, with the legend, "Sigillum commune Prioris et Conventus Monasterii Sancti Pancratii de Lewes."

7. In an old MS. in the Harleian Library, containing all the cities, boroughs, villages, and hundreds, their names, and who were the Lords of every manor, from 9th Edward II. to the 2nd Eliz. throughout England; " under the hundred of Swanborough is placed "Iford, and Westout, and Vill." This would seem to intimate, that so much of the Burgh of Lewes as is without the Westgate, now called Westout, with a district of land between this and Iford, was an appenage to Iford'. What tends to confirm this is, what is related by Mr. Rowe, that when "Westout had no inhabitants fit for undergoing the office of constable, the choice of constables fell to Iford and Kingston."

From this review of the subject it appears to me not improbable, that at the time of the Norman survey, Southover was considered as a part of Lewes, and that the district included under the name of Niworde, was the Borough of Iford and its appenages. Kingston is not mentioned in Domesday, and as Niworde is said to have had fifty-two carucates or plough-lands, the probability is that this parish was then included with Iford, in the general name of Niworde. I must apologise to the reader for having detained him so long on this point. It was necessary to state the reasons why I could not follow the example of Mr. Dunvan, and others, in attributing to Southover, whatever is found in Domesday respecting Niworde.

It is pretty certain that at a very early period, the manor of Southover was in possession of the monks, and at the dissolution of the monastery it fell into the hands of the crown, amongst the immense possessions of this wealthy fraternity. In the 29th Henry VIII., Cromwell, who at this time stood high in the king's favour, obtained from the crown a grant of the manor and possessions of Southover, formerly belonging to the Priory of St. Pancras : but he did not long enjoy his increased wealth; the fickle and capricious monarch found out new favourites; Cromwell was supplanted, and the block closed his splendid career. The manor of Southover then reverted to the crown; but on Henry's divorce from his maiden-queen, Anne of Cleves, a great part of the possessions which had been forfeited by the attainder of Cromwell, were granted in 1541 to the unfortunate princess, amongst which was the manor of Southover. On inquisition taken at Lewes, 3d August, 1557, the jury found that Anne of Cleves died 16th July last, seized of the manor and burgh of Southover, late parcel of the Priory of Lewes, afterwards parcel of the possessions of Thomas Cromwell, Earl

The account in Domesday says, that the monks held in Niworde 6 hides and a half. Five hides and a half were given to them by William de Warren. Tosard is mentioned in Domesday as holding one hide and a half, and Hugh two hides in this district: and in the confirmatory charter of William de Warren above alluded to, he confirms two acres of land that were given to the monks by Tosard, and some tithes of land given by Hugh.

2 Elliot's MSS. Rowe's MSS, fol. 90.

3 "Necnon omnia illa maneria nostra de Wyghtdean, Bolneth, Falmer, Otham, Laughly, Nytimber, Dycheyninge, Southover, Brighthelmeston cum omnibus et singulis eorum membris et pertinenciis in Comitatu nostra Sussexiæ."-Grant of Hen VIII. to Anne of Cleves, Pat, 32. Hen. VIII, p. 6, m. 29.

of Essex." In the year 1559, Queen Elizabeth granted this manor to Sir Richard Baker, and Sir Richard Sackville, in as large and complete a manner as the Prior of Lewes had held it, who by virtue thereof, had and enjoyed all waifs, estrays, and felons' goods, within the said manor of Southover. In 1566, Thomas Sackville, afterwards created Lord Buckhurst, and Earl of Dorset, the only son of the preceding Sir Richard Sackville, inherited the manor.

1608, Robert Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, eldest son of the preceding, became Lord of the manor. 1609, Richard Sackville, Earl of Dorset, son of the preceding, succeeded to the lordship, which at his death became the property of his widow,

1624, Lady Ann Sackville, on whom his lordship had been settled. Having married Philip Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, she continued to hold the manor as Countess of Pembroke till her death, and was succeeded by her daughter, Lady Margaret Sackville.

1629, John Tufton having married, in this year, Lady Margaret Sackville, became in right of his wife, lord of the manor and borough of Southover.

1676, Nicholas, Earl of Thanet, son of the preceding, became possessor of the lordship: who dying unmarried in

1680, was succeeded by his brother Richard, who also died unmarried.

1683, The Hon. Thomas Tufton, brother of the preceding, inherited the lordship, who in 1709, sold the manor and all his possessions in Southover, to Nathaniel Trayton, Esq. of Lewes,

for the sum of 5680l. 6s. 6d.

1715, Edward Trayton, Esq., son of the preceding, succeeded to the manor; he died in 1761, having bequeathed to Samuel Durrant, Esq., of Lewes, and his heirs for ever, all his right and title to the lordship of Southover. Mr. Durrant died without issue.

1782, Mr. Samuel Durrant, of Robertsbridge, kinsman of the preceding, became lord of the manor. 1783, John, Samuel, William, Mary, Mercer, and Elizabeth, issue of the preceding, succeeded their father in his possessions'. The lordship afterwards became the sole property of the late Samuel Durrant, Esq. who died seized of it in

1821, when his only son, John Mercer Bosville Durrant, now a minor, became lord of the manor.

The parish of Southover is bounded on the east and north-east by the river Ouse; the borough of Lewes and part of the parish of St. Peter and St. Mary Westout, form the northern boundary; on the south by the parish of Iford, and on the west by the parish of Kingston.

The Hither and the Further Rhies are within the manor of Southover: the former contains about sixty acres, the latter about fifty. In former times, when the brooks were covered during the greater part of the year with water, these two eminences bore the appearance of islands; and in the confirmation charter of the first William de Warren, the nearer one is described as such, viz. Insula juxta Monasterium. It would seem, moreover, from the same document, that the land upon which the priory stood, and which is bounded on the south by the Cockshut stream, was likewise distinguished by the name of the Island, The lords of this manor have an unquestiona- | were forfeited were enjoyed by Thomas, Earl of ble right to all waifs, estrays, and felons' goods within the lordship. This was formerly disputed by the lords of the borough of Lewes. In the Burrell MSS. British Museum, is part of a case drawn up by the solicitor of the lords of Southover, touching the disposal of Mr. Bellingham's goods, who was found guilty of manslaughter in 1635, in which it is recorded that one John Francis, in 1577, who lived in East-port street, within the said borough, was executed for a rape, and his house escheated, and his goods and chattels that

Dorset, as lord of the said borough of Southover. And in 1605 Thomas Atherton, gent. living in Southover, was executed for felony, viz. for killing his wife, and his goods and chattels were forfeited to Thomas, Earl of Dorset, who was at that time lord of the manor. These two precedents seem to have decided the matter as to Bellingham's goods: the counsel for the lords of the borough of Lewes admitted their force, and the right of the lords of the manor of Southover was established.

for in the same charter the founder of the monastery grants to the monks, Totam etiam terram quam ego in dominio habui intra Insulam in qua Monasterium

situm est.

On the north side of the street of Southover stands a very ancient building; when or by whom it was built cannot now be ascertained, but it was certainly an edifice of some magnificence in former days. Tradition relates that it was the residence of Anne of Cleves, after her divorce from Henry VIII., when the manor of Southover was bestowed upon her by that monarch. As there is no evidence of her having even resided in this neighbourhood, we give the wood cut, not as a representation of the palace of royalty, but of the most ancient building in the parish.

Nearly opposite to this building stands the mansion for many years occupied by the lords of the manor of Southover.

The family seat of Mrs. Newton, relict of William Newton, Esq., is situated at the bottom of Keere-street. It is decidedly the most noble, and perhaps the most delightful residence in the parish.

Near the gates of the monastery stood the Hospital dedicated to St. James, for thirteen poor brethren and sisters, having an endowment of 167. 10s. per annum. Whether or no it was a cell to the priory of Lewes, may still be doubted, although Leland distinguishes it as such'. Grose, in his Antiquities, asserts, " that there is no account of it either in the augmentation or first fruits' office, but in a marginal note, Tanner refers to a MS. record in the latter." This eminent antiquary is not correct in this assertion, for in the first fruits' office, on inspection of the parliamentary survey, (by

Collectanea, vol. i. p. 86,

⚫ Vol. v. p. 158.

Vide MSS. in Offic, Primit. says Tanner.