his generals, gave to the monastery of St. Dionysius, a part of his possessions in Sussex, viz. Hastings and Pevensey, with their marshes, for the service and support of its establishment. It would appear to have advanced progressively to increased national consequence, through a period of up wards of 500 years, since we find that, in A. D. 924, it had a mint established in it during the reign of Athelstan.
This monarch is stated to have been the first of the Anglo-Saxon kings who instituted laws for the regulation of the coinage. It appears from these, that, shortly after his accession to the crown, he founded royal mints at various cities and towns in his kingdom, among which are mentioned, Chichester, Lewes, and Hastings; and that, among the warders, or moneyers, as they were then termed, ordained for the several mints he then established, one was assigned to Chichester, two to Lewes, and one to Hastings. It is, however, observed, that no specimens of the coinage of any of these, as of many oftheother cities and towns, have hitherto been discovered.[1] Hastings is but slightly mentioned in Domesday Book.[2] It seems to have been closely connected with a place called -
- ↑ "Ruding on coins."
- ↑ Domesday Book, one of the most ancient and memorable records is the register, from which judgment was to be given upon the value, tenure, and services of land therein described. It appears to have been known by various other names ; such as Rotulas Wintonia , Scriptura Thesauri Regis, Liber de Wintonia and Liber Regis. The exact time of William I. undertaking the survey is differently stated by historians. But it would appear it was at a time subsequent to the total reduction of the island to his authority, and is supposed to have been completed about 1086. William was acquainted by this with an exact knowledge of the property of the crown by the forfeitures of the lands of the English nobility who fell at the battle of Hastings ; and was thus enabled to remunerate his Norman followers by the grants of their immense confiscated possessions. What time this record was removed from Winchester to Westminster does not appear. It was deposited among the valuable records in the Chapter-house in 1696 , where it now remains, under the custody of John Caley, Esq. ; through whose kind permission I have been enabled to give an exact Facsimile. - See the annexed plate
