Count Robert of Eu
- or how much each man had, who was a holder of land in England, in land, or in cattle, and how much money it might be worth. So very narrowly he caused it to be traced out, -that there was not a single hide, nor one yard of land, nor even - it is a shame to tell, though it seemed to him no shame to do -- an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine was left, that was not set down in his writ. And all the writings were brought to him afterwards."
Notwithstanding the extraordinary detail of this Domesday record, many instances occur where descriptions of the utmost importance are seemingly omitted, or else have been entered out of their proper order. These omissions and misplacements are probably due to some oversight in the final compilation of the record, after the return of the writs by the Commissioners to Winchester. There is no omission more curious than the absence of all direct mention of Hastings Castle or town. A slight but indirect reference does occur with respect to Hastings in the following account given of the land of the church of Fecamp in the Rape of the Count of Ou (Eu) :-
- " In Gestelinges Hundred the Abbot of Fecamp holds Rameslie of the king ; and held it of King Eadward, and it then vouched for 20 hides, now for 17 hides and a half. There is land for 35 ploughs. In demesne is one plough ; and no villeins, less one, have 43 ploughs. There are five churches, returning 64 shillings. There are 100 salterns of £8 155., and 7 acres of meadow and wood for pannage of two hogs. In this manor is a new burg, and there are 64 burgesses returning £8, less 2 shillings. In Hastinges 4 burgesses and 14 bordars return 63 shillings.
- "Of this manor Robertus de Hastinges holdes 2 hides and a half, of the Abbot, and Herolf half a hide. They have 4 villeins and 4 cottars and 2 ploughs. The whole manor in the time of King Eadward was worth £34. Now the Abbot's demesne is worth £50, and that of his men 44 shillings" (Domesday Book, VIII. col. 2, line 34).
It is very probable that the town of Hastings was destroyed at the time of the Norman Invasion in September, 1066, and it may have suffered again under the order of 1085 above quoted. The " new burg " of Domesday not improbably refers to the beginning of a new town of Hastings to the eastward, where it now stands, in the valley of the " Bourne," which forms part of the present manor of Brede. This manor seems to represent the old manor of " Rameslie "[1] of Domesday, for it includes the same hundreds as are mentioned in Domesday, and was also land belonging to the church of Fecamp in this and in later years.
Another reference incidentally mentions the Castelry of Hastings in the following words :--
- "In Bexelei Hundred.
- "Osbern holds of the Count Bexelei (Bexhill). Bishop Alric (of Selsey)[2] held it in the time of King Eadward, because it belongs to his See, and afterwards held it until King William gave the Castlery of Hastings to the Count. In the time of King Eadward and now it vouched for 20 hides. There is land for 26 ploughs " (Domesday Book, V. col. 2, line 22).
Now Bishop Alric was deposed from the See of Selsey in 1070, and therefore the grant of the Castlery to Robert, Count of Eu (which is first mentioned here), must have taken place before that date.
As Count Robert of Eu was the first lord of the Castlery of Hastings, which remained in his family for many years, and as his descendants will be frequently mentioned in this history, it may be as well to g19ive some account of his origin and connexions.
