A HISTORY OF SUSSEX as the rape of Bramber. Moreover each rape appears to have had its own sheriff. Mr. Round was the first to suggest that this was the case, and to point out that Robert fitz-Tetbald, a prominent undertenant of Earl Roger, was probably sheriff of Arundel.' Gilbert ' vicecomes ' mentioned under the borough of Pevensey (fo. zob) in the Survey was probably sheriff of Pevensey rape, as Walter de Richardiville was at a later date ; ' another sheriff of that rape being Ranulf, who is referred to by William Count of Mortain as ' vicecomes mens.' In the rape of Hastings Reinbert, who was one of the largest subtenants, appears in several charters to the collegiate church of Hastings as ' Reinbert the sheriff', while Henry Count of Eu granted to the same church tithes 'de vicecomitatu meo,' which must refer to the rape of Hastings. This last charter also contains mention of a gift of land made by William son of Wibert'quia de vicecomitatu comitatus quem tenuit retinuit decimam', where we apparently have the shrievalty of the county opposed to that of the honour or rape ; and a similar case is presented by the title with which Roger Hay attested a charter by Robert ' the butler ', as ' vice- comes regis '. For the rape of Lewes, while Domesday gives us no hint of the identity or even existence of a sheriff, we have ample evidence of such an officer in the chartulary of Lewes priory.' William de Warenne IV. (.?) confirmed a grant to the priory by Peter the sheriff, his charter being attested by Payn ' vicecomes de Lewes ', who as plain ' vicecomes ' also attested a charter in company with Seffrid, Bishop of Chichester, and Hamelin, Earl Warren, the date of which must be between 1180 and 1202. WilHam de Warenne II. (.?) also addressed two charters, one to Hugh ' vicecomes de Lewes ' and the other ' Hugoni vicecomiti ceterisque suis villicis et omnibus suis hominibus ' ; this being probably Hugh de Plumpton who is alluded to by the same earl in another grant as ' tunc vicecomes meus '. Finally, Reginald de Warenne's concession of a merchant guild to the burgesses of Lewes c. I 148 is addressed 'vicecomiti de Lewiis et omnibus baronibus comi- tatus.'* In the case of the rape of Bramber two deeds of Philip de Braose confirming his father's grants to the abbey of Battle, dated about 1096, are attested by ' Buzeus vicecomes.'* Having considered the nature of the rapes — apart from their fiscal aspect, which will be considered later — we have to deal with the question of their origin. When we consider the uniqueness of the institution, which cannot be paralleled in either England or Normandy, it would seem more likely that they should have originated under the independent and isolated kings of the South Saxons than under the wide rule of the Conqueror.* Nor is the name ' rape ' antagonistic to such an origin, for although it is usually held to be connected with the Icelandic terri- » Suss. Arch. Coll. xlii. 86. 2 Round, Cal. of Doc. France, p. 434. 3 Cott. MSS. Vesp. F. XV. * Ibid. Nero C. iii. « Vise. Gage's MSS. {Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. iii. 223). " The only similar territorial division is found, it is said, in Holland, where the name is supposed to have originated in the rope enclosing the open-air court of the district (J.H.R.)
