Note 2.3

The earliest known charter of William de Braose, in which he establishes a college of secular canons at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Bramber, refers to the campaign in Maine during 1073. This indicates the latest possible date for his acquisition of the Rape. The Rape of Bramber was probably created to rectify the early defensive error of placing the East/West Sussex boundary at a vulnerable river estuary. Whether this also indicates that de Braose received his lands later than his neighbours is unclear. The Rapes of Sussex and the Norman Conquest by J F A Mason (Sussex Archaelogical Collections, Volume 102 1964, published by the Sussex Archaelogical Society, Lewes) contains a detailed discussion of how the Rape of Bramber was formed and when William de Braose might have gained possession of it. Mason proposed evidence that the Braose rape was newly created after the neighbouring Lewes and Arundel rapes (which originally met at the boundary of the River Adur) were given to Warenne and Montogomery. The Victoria County History Sussex, Volume VI, Bramber Rape page 3, says of Mason's hypothesis: "There seems no reason to think, as has been stated, that he [de Braose] received those lands appreciably later than the lords of the other rapes received theirs." The charter of 1073 is translated in Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, Illustrative of the History of Great Britain and Ireland (edited by J H Round, London 1899) page 405, number 1130: Notification that William de Braiosa gave to St. Nicholas (of Bramber) six hides of land and the whole tithe of his revenues (denariorum) and his demesne in his possession when he crossed the sea, and went to Maine in the army with William king of the English; namely: the tithe and church of Bedinges, and the tithe of Eringham, and Hortone, and Sudewic, and Sorham, and Luvehest, and Aningatona, and Wassingetone, and Belingetone, and Sicumba, and Absleia, and Scapeleia, and Totintona, and Bodingetona, and Fintona, and Essingetona, and Tacaham, and Glaitone, and Monham, and Clopeham, and the granges of Wicam and Cumba and Ablesborna. Of all these manors (mansionibus) he gave the whole rightful tithe to St. Nicholas, - his son Philip and bishop Stigand confirming (the gift) - of grain (annona) and salt, and cheese, and calves, and porkers and swine, of gafol (gablum) and pannage, and lambs and wool and all that ought to be tithed, excepting the tithe held by the monks of Holy Trinity (Fécamp) when, as said above, he crossed the sea. He further gave the canons of the said church the pleas of courts christian, and the tithe of the toll at Steyning and Bramber castle and of [the proceeds] of the fishing and hunting and wood for their firing, and building.

home back