time when this church was completed, probably that would not be five years from the actual date. 10

When, on the occasion of the Bodiam Meeting, in July, 1856, many members of the Society visited this church, the necessity of some measures being taken to prevent a further dilapidation of so interesting a structure, was brought to their notice; and to this may be attributed, in great measure, the facility with which so desirable an object has been put in a fair way of being accomplished. The walls were found to be in part in a most critical situation, some of the higher portions of the nave being not only as much as fourteen inches out of the perpendicular, thrust out from the decay of roof-timbers, but also shattered and broken by settlements. The reparation of these defects, in the most solid and substantial manner, but on the most strictly conservative principles, is now in progress, so that we may well hope to have preserved, to future ages, the noble gift of Sir William de Echyngham, which our generation have received in trust for the benefit of themselves and posterity.

1. Pillory and Cucking-Stool in Rye Church.

IN the month of June, 1856, I made a sketch (from which the subjoined
woodcut has been copied) of the pillory and cucking-stool then remaining,

amidst much useless lumber, in the disused portion of Rye Church. Some six months later, on visiting the church, I found that the stool had disappeared, and on inquiries being made, by my friend Charles Hicks, Esq., not only was it not forthcoming, but the fact of its having ever existed was positively denied!

The truth is, that the destroyers did not know what a cucking-stool was, and treated as so much firewood what was doubtless the last remaining instrument of torture of this kind in Sussex. The pillory was better understood, and was therefore preserved.

This latter machine, which measures about six feet in height by four in width, is in a fair state of preservation. It consists of two upright posts firmly affixed to a platform, and has two transverse rails, the upper one of which is divided horizontally, and has a hinge to admit of the higher portion being lifted so as to allow of the introduction of the culprit's head and hands. Through the platform and the lower rail there are round perforations, into which, when the instrument was in requisition, an upright bar, probably of iron, was introduced, so as to allow the pillory with its unfortunate tenant to be turned bodily round at pleasure.

The cucking-stool was a strong square frame-work of wood, one side being left open for the introduction of the offender, who was secured by one or more cross bars, of which some traces of the fastenings were discernible. Unfortunately, I did not examine this "curule chair" (as Butler has it in Hudibras) with sufficient care to ascertain how it was affixed to the lever, by which the occupant when duly installed was, " ducked" into the pool or river, over which it was suspended.

The pillory is a punishment of very ancient date, and it has continued in use for some offences down to the present century. Indeed, I believe that the last implement of this species used in Sussex was constructed at Lewes scarcely fifty years ago, for the punishment of a person or persons who had aided the escape of a prisoner of war. If I am correctly informed, it was employed upon Fairlight Down. Throughout the middle ages, the pillory was used in all corporate towns for the punishment of men who broke the assize of bread and beer, and committed such-like small acts of injustice against the commonweal. It was constantly associated with the cuckingstool, which, when the culprit was a woman, was always resorted to. The curious poem on the times of Edward II. printed in Wright's Political Songs, (p. 345) concludes with the couplet

"But bi seint Jame of Galicé that many man hath souht!

The pilory and the cucking-stol beth i-mad for noht."

The cucking-stool was also used as a punishment for scolds. Gay, in his Pastorals, styles it

"That stool, the dread of every scolding quean."

Perhaps one of the latest records of its employment is that contained in the Evening Post of April 27-30, 1745-"Last week a woman that keeps the Queen's Head alehouse at Kingston in Surrey, was ordered by the court to be ducked for scolding, and was accordingly placed in the chair and ducked in

the river Thames, under Kingston Bridge, in the presence of 2000 or 3000 people." (Brande's Pop. Antiq., edit. 1842, iii. 5.) The cucking-stool, with its companion the pillory, is frequently mentioned in the corporation records of Seaford. (Sussex Arch. Coll., Vol. VII. p. 100, &c.)

Several cucking-stools of different forms are still in existence, as at Leominster in Herefordshire, at St. Mary's Church, Warwick, and at the Customhouse, Ipswich. The last, with its modus operandi, is engraved in Gent. Mag., Jan. 1831, p. 42. Much very curious information on the subject is also to be found in Brande's Popular Antiquities, and in Mr. Way's valuable Promptorium Parvulorum, pp. 107, 281, 167.

MARK ANTONY LOWER, F.S.A.

2. Jeu d'Esprit of temp. King Edward VI.

A Sussex knight, having spent a great estate at court, and reduced himself to one park and a fine house in it, was yet ambitious to entertain the King (Edward VI.). For that purpose he new painted his gates, with a coat of arms and this motto over them, in large golden letters—

OIA VANITAS.

Sir Anthony Cooke offering to read it, desired to know of the gentleman what he meant by OIA, who told him it stood for Omnia. "I wonder," replied he, "that, having made your Omnia so little as you have, you should yet make your Vanitas so large.'

Query.-What is the source of this anecdote, and who was the vain but imprudent knight referred to?

J. G. NICHOLS, F.S.A.

From Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary:-" Edward VI., in 1552, went from Guildford to Petworth, Cowdray, Rolvenden (?) Warblington, Waltham, Portsmouth.'

Edes Christi.

3. Oxford Matriculations, 1615-1640.

Nov. 8, 1616.-Hallus Ravenscroft, Sussexiensis armigeri filius natu maxus annos nat. 16.

Nov. 29, 1621.-Johes. Byne, Suthsexiæ. Eq. fil. 2dus an. nat. 18.

Feb. 7, 1627-8.-Rob. Randall, Southsex. fil. Roberti Randall de Chichester in com. p'd. pleb. an. natus 24.

Feb. 24, 1631-2.-Robtus. Moonk, Sussex. fil. Roberti Moonk de Stening in com. p'd. sacerd. an. nat. 18.

Nov. 3, 1637.-Johes. Sackuill, Sussex. fil. 1us Dni. Thomæ Sackuill de Sels Combe in com. p'd. Militis Balnej. an. nat. 17.

Thomas Sackuill, Sussex. fil. 2us Dni. Thomæ Sackuill de Sels

Combe in com. p'd. Militis Balnej. an. nat. 15.

Thomas Summers: Sussex. fil. Egidij Summers de Sels

Combe in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 19.

Dec. 10, 1641.-Thomas Ffarnfould, Sussex. fil. 2us Tho. Ffarnfould de Steuning in com. p'd. Equitis an. nat. 15.

Apr. 21, 1642.-Tho. Palmar, Sussex. fil. Guil. Palmar de Burgham in com. p'd. Gen. an. nat. 16.

Coll. Magdalenense.

Jan. 26, 1615 (16).—Richardus Wardour, Sussexiensis, plebei filius annos natus 19.

Aprilis 26, 1616.-Gualterus Bucklande, Sussexiensis, Armigeri fil. nat. max. an. nat. 17.

Nov. 10, 1621.—Johes. Turner, Suthsex. pleb. fil. an. nat. 19.

Mar. 18, 1624-5.-Nicholaus Burton, Sussexiensis, filius Edvardj Burton de Borne in com. p'd. Militis an. nat. 20.

Nov. 2, 1627.-Tho. Russell, Suthsex. fil. Richj. Russell de Hellinglee in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 19.

Alex. Rogers, Suthsex. fil. Henr. Rogers de Selmiston in com. p'd. sacerd. an. nat. 18.

Mar. 2, 1631.-Johes. Gallett, Sussex. fil. Guliel. Gallett de Mayfeild in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 19.

Octob. 12, 1632.-Mauricius Rowlands, Sussex, til. Maur. Rowl. de Bersthead in com. p'd. sacerd. an. nat. 16.

June 28, 1633.-Guliel. Pelham, Suthsex. fil. Johis. Pelham de Arlingto. in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 16.

Guliel. Beecher, Sussex. fil. Gul. Beecher de Wadhurst in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 17.

Oct. 10, 1634.-Guliel. Stamer, Sussex. fil. Gul. Stamer de Yapton in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 19.

May 8, 1635.-Gualt. Tomlinson, Suthsex. fil. Rob. Tomlinson de Trotton in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 18.

Nov. 18, 1636.-Daniel Prichard, Sussex. fil. Johis. Prichard de Sellam in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 18.

July 7, 1637.-Robtus. Alwin, Sussexianus, fil. Gul. Alwyn de Traford in com. p'd. Gen. an. nat. 14.

Octob. 20, 1637.-Richus. Baskett, Sussex. fil. Petri Baskett de Chichester in com p'd. Gen. an. nat. 14.

Oct. 16, 1640.-Richus. Lewis, Sussex. fil. Richj. Lewis de Parham in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 18.

Nov. 27.-Richus. Turner, Sussex. fil. Richj. Turner de Ffletching in com. p'd. pleb. an. nat. 17.

REV. PHILIP BLISS, D.D.

4. Sussex Crusaders.

That splendidly embellished work, Dansey's Crusaders, professes to collect a list of all the Crusaders of England: amongst them the following Sussex men occur. They are taken from "A Roll of the Names and Arms of Knights who were at the Siege of Acre, under Richard the First," a copy of which is