Identifier: sussexarchaeolog13suss (find matches)
Title: Sussex archaeological collections relating to the history and antiquities of the county
Year: 1861 (1860s)
Authors: Sussex Archaeological Society. 1n
Subjects:
Publisher: Lewes, Eng. (etc.) Sussex Archaeological Society
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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tuatedon the summit of a lofty eminence, to the west of the oldtown; the hill on which it stands, called, from this circum-stance, the Castle Hill, forming one side of the deepvalley in which this part of the present town is built. Andalthough, on three sides of it, little more than the lowerportion of its outside walls remains, enough is left to shewthe substantial nature of the building, and that, when in aperfect state, it must have been a fortress of great strength. But it is not so much with the military as with theecclesiastical character of this Castle that I have now to do.For within it was established, at a very early period, aCollege of Secular Canons, called, from its position, TheCollege or Free Chapel of St. Mary in Castro. Its founda-tion charter is supposed to be lost; on which account neitherits original founder, nor the date of its first foundation, canbe very accurately ascertained; but it is generally believed,if not to have been founded, to have been very liberally
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THE COLLEGE AND PRIORY OF HASTINGS. 133 endowed, by the Earl of Augo or Eu, a Norman nobleman,who, like many other of our ancient Sussex magnates, cameto this country with Duke William, and he bestowed upon him,as a requital for his services in the struggle that took placefor its sovereignty,—(at the battle of Hastings he was oneof the Norman Dukes principal generals)—the Eape andHonour of Hastings. The College, as he established it,consisted of several secular Canons Prebendal. The exactnumber is not known, but they are supposed to have beenten, each of whom was distinguished by the name of thePrebend which he held. A Dean appears not to have formed a part of the originalfoundation, but to have been added at a subsequent period,when a head of the College was found necessary to keeporder, and to superintend the affairs of the house, and tomake the collegiate establishment complete. At what timethis essential addition was made, I have been unable satis-factorily to discover, but it

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