ships with great slaughter (Orderic Vitalis, B. IV. c. 5). In later days, when matters were more settled, William gave him the Rape of Hastings, adjoining the lands of his old comrade and kinsman, the Count of Mortain, lord of the Rape of Pevensey. Robert of Eu probably had a residence within the newly-built Castle of Hastings ; but we find that when William was five years away in Normandy - namely from June, 1075, to 1080 - the Count was frequently at his Court.[1]
Foundation of Collegiate Church
At Hastings Castle he established and endowed a church and college of secular canons in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which has since been known as the Church of St. Mary-in-the-Castle of Hastings. In a deed dated 25 Henry IV., it is recorded that the Bishop of Chichester (Selsey) held the jurisdiction of " a certain church of the Blessed Mary, within the Castle of Hastings, in the county of Sussex, since erected and established into a collegiate church by a certain Earl of Eu," from which it would appear that a parish church of that name existed in the Castle prior to its rebuilding or re-establishment by Count Robert. It would not, however, be well to be over-confident in this matter, since the deed is of a comparatively late date ; also, we are not aware of the authority for the assertion, and the statement itself may have been drafted without express authority of record in the interest of the See of Chichester, whose bishops were ever anxious to persuade a succession of sovereigns that from time immemorial they had held and exercised jurisdiction over the church. The original foundation-charter granted to the canons by Count Robert, seems to have been lost as early as the reign of Henry I., since we find that his grandson, Count Henry of Eu, was obliged to hold an inquisition and take depositions "of prudent and old men " before he could discover what grants Count Robert had made to the Church and its canons. The result of this inquisition, as recited in the deed, is given below :-
THE FOUNDATION CHARTER OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF ST. MARY IN THE CASTLE OF HASTINGS.
COUNT HENRY'S CHARTER.[2]
In the name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, H(enry) by the consent of divire mercy, Count of Eu, to all his chief men (primates) and subjects, and all his people (men) both in France and England, Greeting and benediction from the Lord God. To deserve and obtain his salvation (salutari suo), seeing that it behoves us not only to be successors in those things that belong to us by hereditary right, but rather to be heirs also of our pious forefathers, I therefore wish those holy places and churches which my fathers founded, to be reverenced and exalted : and although I am unable to augment the benefits belonging to those places as I should wish, I take such care as I can, at least to preserve entire the things demised to them by my fathers.
Forasmuch as for many years now the rents of the church of St. Mary of Hastyngs, both in my time and previously, without my knowledge, - many being led astray by their great cupidity, - have been demolished and privily taken, I have thought it good and desirable in the presence and view of all the Canons of that place, and of my barons called together, to order a record to be made of what my father, or rather my grandfather, R(obert) Count of Eu, gave and granted in -
- ↑ He was witness to a charter of St. Stephen's, Caen, in April, 1077 (Gallia Christiana, vol. 9, Inst. 68), and in the same year (25 July) was at his brother Hugh's funeral at Lisieux (Ord. Vit., B. V. c. iii.). He also witnessed the confirmation to the monks of the Holy Trinity, of the monastery at Rouen (Cartulary S. Trin. Roth., p. 463).
- ↑ Reference to notes to various readings :- No. 1. From Chancery Misc. Rolls, No. 2. Another reading of No. 1. No. 3. The document here translated from the Bishop's Petition (1421). Chancery Misc. Rolls. No. 4. Another reading of No. 3 (Herbert MS.). No. 5. Another reading of No. 3 (Sussex Arch. Soc., vol. xiii.). For a still later reading from the Chapter of St. Paul's MSS., see Appendix (post).
