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SUSSEX , a See also:southern See also:county of See also:England, bounded N. by See also:Surrey, N.E. by See also:Kent, S. by the See also:English Channel, and W. by See also:Hampshire. The See also:area is 1459.2 sq. m. The extreme length from E. to W. is 78 m., while the breadth never exceeds 28 m., but the county is not wholly on the southward slope, for in the See also:middle See also:northern See also:district it contributes a small drainage area to the See also:Thames See also:basin, and the See also:river See also:Medway rises in it. A See also:line of hills known as the See also:Forest Ridges forms the See also:watershed. Its direction is E.S.E. from the northern See also:part of the county to the See also:coast at Fairlight Down See also:east of See also:Hastings, and it reaches a height of about 800 ft. in the neighbourhood of Crowborough. The salient See also:physical feature of the county, however, is the See also: All rise in the Forest Ridges, and all, except the Rother, which forms part of the boundary with Kent, and falls into the sea below See also:Rye, See also:breach the South Downs. From east to west they are the Cuckmere, rising near See also:Heathfield; the See also:Ouse, Adur and Arun, all rising in the district of St Leonard's Forest, and having at their mouths the ports of See also:Newhaven, See also:Shoreham and See also:Littlehampton respectively. The natural See also:trench known as the See also:Devil's See also:Dike is a point greatly favoured by visitors from See also:Brighton. The coast-line is practically coextensive with the extreme breadth of the county, and its See also:character greatly varies. The sea has done See also:great damage by incursion at some points, and has receded in others, within historic times. Thus what is now See also:marsh-See also:land or "Levels" See also:round See also:Pevensey was formerly an See also:island-studded See also:bay. In the east See also:Winchelsea and Rye, members of the Cinque Ports, and great See also:medieval towns, are deprived of their See also:standing, the one wholly and the other in part, since a See also:low See also:flat See also:tract interposes between their elevated sites where formerly was a navigable inlet. Yet the total submergence of the site of Old Winchelsea was effected in the 13th century. The site of the See also:ancient See also:cathedral of Selsey is a mile out at sea. Between 1292 and 1340 upwards of 5500 acres were submerged. In the early part of the 14th century Pagham See also:Harbour was formed by a sudden irruption of the sea, devastating 2700 acres, since reclaimed. There is See also:reason to believe that the whole coast-line has subsequently been slightly raised. These changes are reflected in the numerous alterations recorded in the course of certain of the rivers near their mouths. Thus the Rother was diverted by a great See also:storm on the 12th of See also:October 1250, before which date it entered the sea 12 M. to the east. The out-let of the Ouse was at See also:Seaford until 1570, and that of the Adur formerly shifted from See also:year to year, ranging east and west over a distance of 2 M. Submerged forests are found off the See also:shore at various points. See also:Long stretches of See also:firm See also:sand, and the mild See also:climate of the coast, sheltered by the hills from ncrth and east winds, have resulted in the growth of numerous watering-places, of which the most popular are Brighton, Hastings, Eastbourne, See also:Bexhill, Seaford, Shoreham, See also:Worthing, Littlehampton and See also:Bognor.
See also:Geology.—The disposition of the See also:rock formations of Sussex is See also:simple. The South Downs consist of See also:chalk, which extends from Beachy Head by Seaford, Brighton, See also:Lewes, See also:Steyning and See also:Goodwood to the western border. The See also:dip of the chalk is southerly, while a strong es.arpment faces the north. From the summit of the Downs the hilly See also:country observed on the northern See also:side is occupied mainly by the Hastings Beds and the Weald See also:Clay; at the See also:foot of the escarpment See also:lie the See also:Gault and Upper See also:Greensand, while between these formations and the See also:Wealden rocks there is an elevated See also:ridge of ground formed by the See also:Lower Greensand. On the southern side, narrow at Brighton but broadening westward, is a level tract, 8 m. wide in the See also:peninsula of Selsey, which owes its level character to the See also:action of marine planation. This tract is occupied partly by Chalk and partly by See also:Tertiary rocks, both much obscured by more See also:recent deposits. On this side the chalk hills are deeply notched by dry valleys or coombs, which frequently end in cirques near the north-See also: The See also:present aspect of the strata has been determined by the broad east and west See also:fold with its subordinate members, known as the Wealden anticline. Only the southern and central portions of this anticline are included in this country; at one See also:time there is no doubt that the Chalk, Greensand and Gault covered the entire area in the See also:form of an uplifted See also:dome, but denudation has removed the Chalk and most of the other formations as far as the North Downs, exposing thereby the underlying Wealden Beds. The See also:oldest rocks thus brought to See also:light along the See also:crest of the anticline are the Purbeck Beds, small patches of shale and See also:limestone, with some important beds of See also:gypsum, which lie north-west of See also:Battle. A deep See also:boring (1905 ft.) at Netherfield, passed through See also:Portlandian Beds and Kimmeridge Clay into See also:Oxford Clay, but these do not appear anywhere at the See also:surface. Above the Purbeck Beds, and covering all the north-eastern portion of the county from the coast at Bexhill and Rye to See also:Horsham, are sands and See also:clays of the Lower Wealden or Hastings Beds. This includes the following See also:local subdivisions, in ascending See also:order; the Fairlight Clay, Ashdown Sand, Wadhurst Clay, Lower Tunbridge See also:Wells Sand, Grinstead Clay and Upper Tunbridge Wells Sand (with Tilgate See also: As already mentioned, superficial deposits See also:cover much of the low ground west of Brighton; these,include glacial deposits with large boulders, raised beaches, See also:brick See also:earth and gravels, marine and estuarine, and the interesting Coombe rock or Brighton See also:Elephant Bed, a coarse See also:rubble of chalk See also:waste formed See also:late in the Glacial See also:period, well exposed in the cliff at See also:Black Rock east of Brighton, where it rests on a raised See also:beach. The natural See also:gas of Heathfield comes from the Lower Wealden and Purbeck Beds. The Wadhurst Clay was formerly an important source of See also:iron ore. Climate and See also:Agriculture.—The climate of the coast district is mild, equable and dry, while that of the Wealden shows greater extremes of temperature, and is rather wetter. The mean daily range of temperature in the Weald is about See also:half as much again as on the coast. The See also:influence of the sea in modifying the temperature of the coast district is specially noticeable in the autumn months, when the temperature is higher than in the Weald and other parts of England northwards. The coast district is specially suitable for See also:market gardens and for growing See also:fruit trees. The fig gardens of West Tarring are celebrated. About seven-tenths of the total area is under cultivation, and of this nearly three-fifths is in permanent pasture. Sussex is still one of the best-wooded counties in England. The acreage under See also:grain crops shows a large decrease; nearly the whole of it is occupied by oats and See also:wheat. The acreage under See also:green crops is mainly devoted to turnips and other See also:food for See also:cattle and to the supply of vegetables for the London market. The growing of hops has not kept See also:pace with that in the neighbouring county of Kent. Cattle are kept in increasing See also:numbers both for breeding and for See also:dairy purposes. The South Downs afford excellent pasture for See also:sheep and Sussex is famed for a See also:special breed of black-faced sheep. The numbers, however, show a steady decrease. Poultry farming is largely carried on in some parts. The See also:custom of See also:borough-English, by which land descends to the youngest son, prevailed to an extra-See also:ordinary degree in Sussex, and no fewer than 140 manors have been catalogued in which it was found. See also:Gavelkind See also:tenure existed in Rye, in the large See also:manor of Brede, and in Coustard manor (in Brede See also:parish).
Other See also:Industries.—The manufacturing industries are meagre. The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway See also:Company has large See also:works at Brighton. At Heathfield in 1901 the development of the See also: At the time of the Domesday survey the fisheries were extensive, and no fewer than 285 saline (saltworks) existed. The customs of the Brighton fishermen were reduced to See also:writing in 1579. Communications.—Communications are provided by the London, Brighton & South Coast railway by lines from the north to St Leonards and Hastings, to Eastbourne, to Lewes and Newhaven, to Brighton, to Shoreham, and to See also:Arundel and See also:Chichester, with numerous branches and a connecting line along the coast. The South-Eastern & See also:Chatham railway serves Bexhill, St Leonards and Hastings, with a coastal See also:branch eastward by Rye. Light See also:railways run from Chichester to Selsey (Selsey railway) and from See also:Roberts-See also:bridge to Bodiam and See also:Tenterden (Rother Valley railway). There are no See also:good harbours, and none of the ports is of first importance. From Newhaven, however, a large See also:trade is carried on with See also:France, and daily services of passenger steamers of the Brighton Railway Company ply to See also:Dieppe. See also:Population and See also:Administration.—The area of the ancient county is 933,887 acres, with a population in 1891 of 550,446 and in 1901 of 605,202. The earliest statement as to the population is made by Bede, who describes the county as containing in the year 681 land of 7000 families; allowing ten to a See also:family (not an unreasonable estimate at that date), the total population would be 70,000. In 1693 the county is stated to have contained 2I,537 houses. If seven were allowed to a See also:house at that date, the total population would be 150,759. It is curious, therefore, to observe that in 18ot the population was only 159,311. The decline of the Sussex iron-works probably accounts for the small increase of population during several centuries, although after the See also:massacre of St See also:Bartholomew upwards of 1500 See also:Huguenots landed at Rye, and in 1685, after the revocation of the See also:Edict of See also:Nantes, many more refugees were added to the county.
An See also:act of See also: Sussex is divided into the following See also:parliamentary divisions: northern or East Grinstead, eastern or Rye, southern or Eastbourne, See also:mid or Lewes, south-western or Chichester, north-western or Horsham, each returning one member; and contains the parliamentary boroughs of Brighton, returning two members, and Hastings, returning one. See also:History.—Apart from conclusions to be See also:drawn from pre-historic remains, the history of Sussex begins in 477, when the See also:Saxons landed in the west of the county under See also:Ella and his three sons, and built up the See also:kingdom of the South Saxons (see SUSSEX, KINGDOM OF, below). They took the See also:Roman city of Regnum, which became Chichester, and drove the See also:British westward, into the forest .of Andred. The Roman fortress of See also:Anderida, the site of the See also:castle of Pevensey, also See also:fell to the Saxons. Ella became the most influential of the contemporary Saxon chiefs, and was, according to Bede, the first See also:Bretwalda. After his time the kingdom of Sussex gradually declined, and fell entirely under the dominion of Wessex in 823. Interesting Saxon remains are found in numerous cemeteries, and scattered See also:burial places along the south slopes of the Downs. The See also:cemetery on High Down hill, where weapons, ornaments and vessels of various kinds were found, and the Chanctonbury hoard of coins, are among the most noticeable See also:relics. A See also:coin of Off a of See also:Mercia, found at Beddingham, recalls the See also:charter of See also:Archbishop Wilfred in 825, in which See also:Offa's connexion with the monastery in that See also:place is recorded. From 895 Sussex suffered from See also:constant raids by the Danes, till the See also:accession of Canute, after which arose the two great forces of the house of See also:Godwine and of the See also:Normans. Godwine was probably a native of Sussex, and by the end of the See also:Confessor's reign a third part of the county was in the hands of his family. See also:Norman influence was already strong in Sussex before the See also:Conquest; the harbours of Hastings, Rye, Winchelsea and Steyning being in the See also:power of the Norman See also:abbey of See also:Fecamp, while the Norman See also:chaplain of See also:Edward the Confessor, Osbern, afterwards See also:bishop of See also:Exeter, held the See also:estate of Bosham. The county was of great importance to the Normans; Hastings and Pevensey being on the most See also:direct route for See also:Normandy. See also: A few have been split up into two or three, making seventy-three in all; and the names of some have changed, owing probr ably to the See also:meeting-place of the See also:hundred court having been altered. These courts were in private hands in Sussex; either of the Church, or of great barons and local lords. The county court was held at Lewes and Shoreham until the Great See also:Inquest, when it was moved to Chichester. After several changes the act of 1504 arranged for it to be held alternately at Lewes and Chichester. There was no See also:gaol in the county until 1487; that at See also:Guildford being used in See also:common by Surrey and Sussex, which were under one sheriff until 1567. Private jurisdictions, both ecclesiastical and lay, played a large part in the county. The See also:chief ecclesiastical franchises were those of the archbishop of See also:Canterbury, of the bishop of Chichester, of the Saxon See also:foundation of Bosham, where Bishop Wilfred had found the only gleam of See also:Christianity in the county, and of the votive abbey of Battle, founded by the Conqueror. This abbey possessed, besides land in many other counties, the " Lowy of Battle," a district extending for 3 M. round the abbey. The see of Chichester was co-extensive with the county, and has altered little. It is one of the oldest bishoprics, having been founded by Wilfred at Selsey; the seat was re-moved to Chichester by William I. Among the lay franchises, the most noticeable are those of the Cinque Ports and of the honor of Pevensey, named the honor of the See also:Eagle from the lords of L'Aigle or Aguila. Sussex, from its position, was constantly the See also:scene of preparations for invasion, and was often concerned in rebellions. Pevensey and Arundel See also:play a great part in rebellions and See also:forfeiture during the troubled times of the early Norman See also:kings. In the barons' See also:wars the county was a good centre for the See also: The parliamentary history of the county began in 1290, for which year we have the first extant return of knights of the See also:shire for this county, Henry Hussey and William de Etchingham, representatives of two well-known Sussex families, being elected. Drastic See also:reformation was effected by the Redistribution Act of 1832, when Bramber, East Grinstead, Seaford, Steyning and Winchelsea were disfranchised after returning two members each, the first being classed among the worst of the " rotten " boroughs. Before 1832 two members each had been returned also by Arundel, Chichester, Hastings, Horsham, Lewes, Mid-burst, New Shoreham (with the rape of Bramber) and Rye. Arundel, Horsham, Midhurst and Rye were each deprived of a member in 1832, Chichester and Lewes in 1867, and Hastings in 1885. Arundel was disfranchised in 1868, and Chichester, Horsham, Midhurst, New Shoreham and Rye in 1885. In the 18th century the See also:duke of See also:Newcastle was all-powerful in the county, where the See also:Pelham family had been settled from the time of Edward I.; the earl of Chichester being the present representative of the family. Among the oldest county families of Sussex may be mentioned the Ashburnhams of See also:Ashburnham, the Gages of Firle and the Barttelots of Stopham. The industries of Sussex, now mainly agricultural, were once varied. Among those noted in the Domesday Survey were the See also:herring fisheries, the See also:salt pans of the coast and the See also:wool trade; the South Down sheep being noted for their wool, at See also:home and abroad, as early as the 13th century. The iron mines of the county, though not mentioned in Domesday, are known to have been worked by the See also:Romans; and the smelting and See also:forging of iron was the great industry of the Weald from the 13th to the 18th century, the first mention of the trade in the county being in 1266. In the 15th century See also:ordnance for the See also:government was made here. Some old banded guns with the name of a Sussex maker on them may be seen at the See also:Tower of London. The first See also:cast-iron See also:cannon made in England came from Buxted in Sussex, and were made by one See also:Ralph Hogge, whose See also:device can be seen on a house in Buxted. The large supply of wood in the county made it a favourable centre for the industry, all smelting being done with See also:charcoal till the middle of the 18th century. In the time of Henry VIII. the destruction of the forest for See also:fuel began to arouse See also:attention, and enactments for the preservation of See also:timber increased from this time forward, till the use of See also:pit-See also:coal for smelting was perfected, when the industry moved to districts where coal was to be found. See also:Camden, See also: Specimens of ancient domestic See also:architecture are fairly numerous; such are the remnants of old palaces of the archbishops of Canterbury at Mayfield and West Tarring; Amberley Castle, a See also:residence until the 16th century of the bishops of Chichester; and the Elizabethan mansions of Parham and of Danny at Hurstpierpoint. There are many See also:fine residences dating from the 18th century or later; Goodwood is perhaps the most famous. Here and elsewhere are fine collections of paintings, though the county suffered a loss in this respect through the partial destruction by See also:fire of the See also:modern castle of Knepp in 1904. Monastic remains are few and generally slight. The ruins of Bayham Abbey near Tunbridge Wells, and of Battle Abbey, may be noticed. There are numerous churches, however, of great See also:interest and beauty. Of those in the towns may be mentioned the cathedral of Chichester, the churches of Shoreham and Rye, and the See also:mother church of Worthing at Broadwater. Construction of pre-Norman date is seen in the churches of Bosham, Sompting and, most notably, Worth. There is very See also:rich Norman See also:work of various See also:dates in the church of St See also:Nicholas, Steyning. Several perfect specimens of small Early English churches are found, as at West Tarring, and at Climping near Littlehampton. Perhaps the most interesting church in the county is the magnificent Decorated fragment at Winchelsea; another noteworthy church of this period is at Etchingham, near the eastern border. The church of St See also:Denis, Midhurst, is mainly Perpendicular; but this See also:style is not otherwise pre-dominant. The large church at Fletching, of various styles, contains the See also:tomb of See also:Gibbon the historian. At Cowfold, south-east of Horsham, is a great Carthusian monastery, founded in 1877. The iron memorial slabs occurring in several churches recall the period of the iron industry in Sussex. See also:Dialect.—A large number of Saxon words are retained and pronounced in the old style; thus See also:gate becomes ge-at. The See also:letter a is very broad in all words, as if followed by u, and in fact converts words of one syllable into words of two, as fans (See also:face), tastt (See also:taste), &c. Again, a before See also:double d becomes ar, as arder and larder for See also:adder and See also:ladder; of is like a long i, as spile (spoil), intment (ointment) ; an e is substituted for a in such words as rag, See also:flag, &c. The French refugees in the 16th and 17th centuries introduced many words which are still in use. Thus a Sussex woman when unprepared to receive visitors says she is in dishabille (deshabille, undress) ; if her See also:child is unwell, it looks pekid (pique), if fretful, is a little peter-grievous (See also:petit-grief); she cooks with a See also:broach (broche, a See also:spit), and talks of coasts (coste, O. Fr.), or ribs of See also:meat, &c. AuTE1ox1TIEs.—See T. W. Horsfield, History, Antiquities and See also:Topography of Sussex (Lewes, 1835); J. Dallaway, History of the Western Division of Sussex (London, 1815–1832) ; M. A. Lower, History of Sussex (Lewes, 1870), Churches of Sussex (Brighton, 1872) and Worthies of Sussex (Lewes, 1865) ; Sussex Archaeological Society's Collections; W. E. See also:Baxter, Domesday Book for ... Sussex (Lewes, 1876) ; See also:Sawyer, Sussex Natural History and See also:Folklore (Brighton, 1883), Sussex Dialect (Brighton, 1884) and Sussex Songs and See also:Music (Brighton, 1885); A. J. C. See also:Hare, Sussex (London, 1894). Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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