which they erected New Winchelsea. The circumstances, therefore, under which Old Winchelsea and Old Hastings were transferred to other sites are very similar -- the change in both cases being due to a combination of political and natural causes, and in both cases not a vestige of the original town remains.
The monks of the Holy Trinity still gallantly held their ground ; but in 1410, they too had to succumb to their enemy the sea, and retired to Warbleton, where Sir John Pelham gave them lands in lieu of the inundated Priory. Within 30 years the lower part of the valley was reduced to the condition of a swamp, and utterly abandoned both by burgesses and priests ; a few still lingered in the upper town of St. Michaels, known as "Cuckoo." In a list of dates subsequent to Edward IV.,we find a curious fractional arrangement of the ships - Hastings contributing 3 ships, Romney 31, Sandwich 10 ), Seaford 14 , Pevensey 14, Folkestone half a ship , and Fordwich three-quarters. Under Henry VII. the rents derived by the Abbot of Fecamp from his manor in Hastings were 35s.-4d. a year, of which the Bailiff of Hastings paid 5s. This is no clue to the real value of the manor, which would depend on the amount of fines for the renewal of leases the leases being for a nominal amount.
In Henry VIII.'s reign (Valor Ecclesiasticus) we can test the decay of St. Michael's and increase of St. Clement's. The church of St. Clements returned £23 6s. 9d. ; the chantry in the church £10 5s. 4d .; and in addition this -
