116-596: The Royal Sussex Light Infantry Militia , later the 3rd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment , was an auxiliary regiment raised in Sussex on the South Coast of England. From its formal creation in 1778 the regiment served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars. It saw active service during the Second Boer War , and trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I . After a shadowy postwar existence it
232-612: A Knight of the Garter in 1782. The officers' silver oval shoulder-belt plates in 1810 carried the Royal cypher within a crowned garter bearing the motto 'Honi soi qui mal y pense', with the title 'Sussex' on a scroll underneath. From about 1847, after it became the Royal Sussex Light Infantry, these plates carried a silver light infantry bugle horn (the coiled huntsman's horn) within a gilt garter and laurel wreath, with
348-814: A Lib Dem-Independent coalition ( Mid Sussex ) one was run by an Independent-Labour-Lib Dem-Green coalition ( Rother ) and one had a Lib Dem-Green coalition ( Wealden ). Conservative Katy Bourne is the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner , having first been elected in 2012. In the 2016 referendum on UK membership of the EU , the people of Sussex voted to leave the EU by the narrowest of margins, by 50.23% to 49.77% or 4,413 votes. Headquartered in Lewes, Home Office policing in Sussex has been provided by Sussex Police since 1968. The first-tier Crown Court for all of Sussex
464-411: A campaign into Kent , replacing its king. At this time Sussex could have re-emerged into a regional power. Shortly afterwards, Cædwalla returned to Sussex, killing its king and oppressing its people, putting them in what Bede called "a worse state of slavery". The South Saxon clergy were put under the control of West Saxon Winchester . Only around 715 was Eadberht of Selsey made the first bishop of
580-558: A compulsory levy of men to be trained in their spare time, and to be incorporated in the Militia in emergency. Sussex's additional quota was fixed at 1160 men. When the Supplementary Militia was mobilised in 1798 Richmond wanted them to be added to the existing regiment, but they were formed into a separate 2nd regiment in 1799, when the existing regiment was numbered 1st. The Sussex Militia was disembodied April 1802 after
696-654: A crowned garter and star. The ORs' forage cap badge of 1874–81 was a Garter star surmounted by a bugle horn, with a scroll beneath inscribed 'Royal Sussex'. When the Royal Sussex Regiment was formed in 1881 the RSLIM's Garter star was combined with the Roussillon plume of the 35th Foot to produce the badge that was worn until 1966. When camped together, militia regiments drew lots to decide their relative order of precedence; this determined their position in
812-561: A lesser scale, with several people being executed for their Catholic beliefs. In Elizabeth's reign, Sussex was open to the older Protestant forms practised in the Weald as well as the newer Protestant forms coming from Continental Europe; combined with a significant Catholic presence, Sussex was in many ways out of step with the rest of southern England. Sussex escaped the worst ravages of the English Civil War , although control of
928-540: A scientific plan for feeding its men, using special boilers invented by SirBenjamin Thompson, Count Rumford . Some of the men were trained as cooks and served in rotation under the pay sergeants for each company, who purchased vegetables in season from the bread allowance and the men's own contributions. The men were well fed and there was great saving of fuel. In 1796 the Government created the Supplementary Militia,
1044-600: A seat he held only until the next year. He was Home Secretary from July 1801 to August 1803 under Addington , who made him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1803. Pelham went out of office in 1804, and in the next year succeeded to the earldom. He was joint- Postmaster General from 1807 to 1823, and for the remaining three years of his life Postmaster General. Lord Chichester married Lady Mary Henrietta Juliana , daughter of Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds , in 1801. They had four sons and six daughters. Their second son,
1160-480: A strength of 23 officers and 477 ORs (the militia reservist already having been withdrawn) under the command of the Earl of March , eldest son of the 6th Duke of Richmond . On arrival the battalion carried out LoC duties and guarded Boer prisoners of war , while its Mounted Infantry detachment was employed on patrol duties and escorting convoys. Later, the battalion took part in some of the anti-guerrilla 'drives' around
1276-533: A turn for the worse with an increasing amount of them becoming unemployed, those in work faced their wages being forced down. Conditions became so bad that it was even reported to the House of Lords in 1830 that four harvest labourers (seasonal workers) had been found dead of starvation. The deteriorating conditions of work for the agricultural labourer eventually triggered riots, first in neighbouring Kent, and then in Sussex, where they lasted for several weeks, although
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#17327942409011392-632: A wooden castle at Hastings , from which they raided the surrounding area. The battle was fought between Duke William of Normandy and the English king, Harold Godwinson , who had strong connections with Sussex and whose chief seat was probably in Bosham . After having marched his exhausted army 250 miles (400 km) from Yorkshire, Harold fought the Normans at the Battle of Hastings, where England's army
1508-436: Is Lewes Crown Court , which has courts in Lewes, Brighton and Hove. Like other first-tier Crown Courts it has its own resident High Court Judge . There is also a third-tier Crown Court at Chichester. The local prison in Sussex for men is Lewes Prison and there is also a Category D prison at Ford . A rape is a traditional territorial sub-division of Sussex, formerly used for various administrative purposes. Their origin
1624-521: Is based on the heraldic shield of Sussex . The first-known recording of this emblem being used to represent the county was in 1611 when cartographer John Speed deployed it to represent the Kingdom of the South Saxons . However, it seems that Speed was repeating an earlier association between the emblem and the county, rather than being the inventor of the association. It is now firmly regarded that
1740-461: Is currently divided into Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester PC , PC (Ire) , FRS (28 April 1756 – 4 July 1826), styled The Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1768 until 1783, The Right Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1783 to 1801, and then known as Lord Pelham until 1805, was a British Whig politician. He notably held office as Home Secretary under Henry Addington from 1801 to 1803. Chichester
1856-517: Is recorded as Sudsexe . Three United States counties (in Delaware , New Jersey and Virginia ), and a former county/land division of Western Australia , are named after Sussex. The flag of Sussex consists of six gold martlets , or heraldic swallows , on a blue background, blazoned as Azure , six martlets or . Recognised by the Flag Institute on 20 May 2011, its design
1972-689: Is the highest point in East Sussex. At 113 kilometres (70 miles) long, the River Medway is the longest river flowing through Sussex. The longest river entirely in Sussex is the River Arun , which is 60 kilometres (37 mi) long. Sussex's largest lakes are man-made reservoirs. The largest is Bewl Water on the Kent border, while the largest wholly within Sussex is Ardingly Reservoir . The coastal resorts of Sussex and neighbouring Hampshire are
2088-616: Is unknown, but they appear to predate the Norman Conquest Each rape was split into several hundreds and may be Romano-British or Anglo-Saxon in origin. At the time of the Norman Conquest, there were four rapes: Arundel, Lewes, Pevensey and Hastings. The rape of Bramber was created later in the 11th century and the rape of Chichester was created in the 13th century. Local government in Sussex has been subject to periodic review over time . Currently, Sussex
2204-503: The American Revolution . Known as 'the radical duke', Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond , was an early supporter of parliamentary reform and US independence. Richard Cobden was a product of Sussex's rural radicalism, and became a campaigner for free trade and peace. Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was another influential radical from Sussex. At the beginning of the 19th century agricultural labourers' conditions took
2320-522: The Anglo-Saxon kings and led the ill-fated campaign against King Arthur at Mount Badon . By the 7th century, South Saxon kings were ruling from sites around Selsey (the pre-Roman capital of the area) and Chichester (the Roman capital of the area) initially with similar borders to the pre-Roman kingdom and Roman canton. For much of the 7th and 8th centuries, Sussex suffered attempts at invasion from
2436-597: The Armada campaign of 1588, and some elements saw active service during the English Civil War , at the sieges of Chichester and Arundel Castle and at the Battle of Muster Green . The Militia was re-established in 1661 after the restoration of the monarchy, and was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' in contrast to the 'Standing Army' that was tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported
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#17327942409012552-613: The Belgae , a mix of Celtic and German stock, invaded and occupied southern Britain. This was followed by an invasion by the Roman army under Julius Caesar that temporarily occupied south-eastern Britain in 55 BC. Soon after the first Roman invasion had ended, the Celtic Regni tribe under their leader Commius initially occupied the Manhood Peninsula . Eppillus , Verica and Cogidubnus followed Commius as rulers of
2668-539: The Bishop of Chichester and the Earl of Gloucester . These three were to elect a council of nine, to govern until a permanent settlement could be reached. During the Hundred Years' War , Sussex found itself on the frontline, convenient both for intended invasions and retaliatory expeditions by licensed French pirates. Hastings, Rye and Winchelsea were all burnt during this period and all three towns became part of
2784-619: The Cinque Ports , a loose federation for supplying ships for the country's security. Also at this time, Amberley and Bodiam castles were built to defend the upper reaches of navigable rivers. One of the impacts of the war and the Black Death , which killed around half of the population of Sussex, was the perceived injustice that led many Sussex people to participate in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Coastal areas suffered most from
2900-647: The Indian Mutiny , and the RSLIM was embodied from 12 November 1857 to February 1861 Thereafter the regiments were called out for their annual training. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, the militia were brigaded with their local Regular and Volunteers battalions. For
3016-543: The Kingdom of England . By the Norman period , Sussex was subdivided into six administrative districts known as rapes , which were themselves divided into hundreds . By the sixteenth century, the eastern three rapes and the western three rapes had been combined for most meetings of the court of quarter sessions , a division which was reinforced when the administrative counties of East Sussex and West Sussex were established in 1889. Subsequent local government reforms maintained
3132-584: The National Landscapes of the High Weald and Chichester Harbour . Its coastline is 137 miles (220 km) long. The Kingdom of Sussex emerged in the 5th century; during Roman Britain the area was inhabited by the Regni tribe. In about 827, shortly after the Battle of Ellendun , Sussex was conquered by Wessex . From 860 it was ruled by the kings of Wessex , and in 927 it became part of
3248-578: The Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for 'Cape Colony', 'Orange Free State', 'Transvaal', and 'South Africa 1901' and '1902'. After the Boer War, there were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (militia, yeomanry and volunteers) to take their place in the six army corps proposed by St John Brodrick as Secretary of State for War . However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out. Under
3364-570: The Royal Sussex Regiment and popularised in World War I , it is sung at celebrations across the county, including those at Lewes Bonfire , and at sports matches, including those of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and Sussex County Cricket Club . The county day, called Sussex Day , is celebrated annually on 16 June, the feast day of St Richard of Chichester , Sussex's patron saint , whose shrine at Chichester Cathedral
3480-529: The Stanhope Memorandum of 1888 proposed that the home defence army should consist of three corps, of which the first two would be regular, and the bulk of the third would be militia, while the rest of the militia and the volunteers would be assigned to fixed defences round London and the seaports. After the disasters of Black Week at the start of the Second Boer War in December 1899, most of
3596-600: The Treaty of Amiens . However, the Peace of Amiens was short-lived, and the militia were called out again: the Sussex were embodied (as a single regiment) on 5 May 1803. Although Richmond and Pelham wanted the militia to remain local, they resumed the round of coast defence and garrison duties across the country, and increasingly became a source of recruits for the regulars. For lack of suitable senior officers, Richmond and Pelham had to stay on, despite their heavy ministerial duties and
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3712-554: The UK Parliament , Sussex is represented by 17 MPs. At the 2024 general election , 6 Labour and Labour Co-op MPs, 5 Conservative MPs, 5 Lib Dem MPs and 1 Green MP were elected from Sussex constituencies. Amongst top-tier local authorities, East and West Sussex County Councils are both held by the Conservatives and Brighton and Hove City Council is led by Labour. Amongst district councils, as of June 2024,
3828-606: The Volksrust and Ingogo districts. After the Peace of Vereeniging the battalion returned home where it was disembodied on 11 September 1902. During the campaign the battalion lost 24 ORs killed or died of disease. The Earl of March was awarded a CB and Sergeant-Major Amos the Distinguished Conduct Medal . The battalion was granted the Battle honour South Africa 1901–02 and all the participants received
3944-613: The Weald were all part of changes as significant to Sussex as those brought by the neolithic period, by the Romans and the Saxons. Sussex also experienced the most radical and thorough reorganisation of land in England. The county's existing sub-divisions, known as rapes, were made into castleries and each territory was given to one of William's most trusted barons. Castles were built to defend
4060-775: The Western Front until the Armistice with Germany . While at Dover the 3rd (Reserve) Bn may have assisted in raising of 10th (Reserve) Bn Royal Sussex from Kitchener's Army volunteers in October 1914. The SR battalions' secondary role was as garrison troops in Home Defence and 3rd (Res) Bn moved in May 1915 to Newhaven, where it remained in the Newhaven Garrison for the rest of the war. On 10 November 1915 3rd Bn
4176-509: The union with Scotland two members represented the county in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. The Reform Act 1832 led to the disenfranchisement of some of the smaller Sussex boroughs and divided what had been a single county constituency into eastern and western divisions, with two representatives elected for each division. The reforms of
4292-679: The 17th century, after which it began to decline. It also brought widespread deforestation of parts of the Sussex Weald. Henry VIII 's separation of the Church of England from Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries led to the demolition of Lewes Priory and Battle Abbey and the sites being given to Henry's supporters. The shrine to St Richard at Chichester Cathedral was also destroyed. Mary I returned England to Catholicism and in Sussex 41 Protestants were burned to death . Under Elizabeth I , religious intolerance continued albeit on
4408-562: The 1998 tornado causing an estimated £10 million of damage to 1,000 buildings. Most of Sussex's population is distributed in an east–west line along the English Channel coast or on the east–west line of the A272 . The exception to this pattern is the 20th-century north–south development on the A23 - Brighton line corridor , Sussex's main link to London. Sussex's population is dominated by
4524-534: The 19th Century; now it joined the 35th and 107th in a shared depot at Chichester, where the existing barracks were expanded into Roussillon Barracks . The militia now came under the War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant. Militia battalions now had a large cadre of permanent staff (about 30). Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the Regular Army. Following
4640-413: The 19th century made the electoral system more representative, but it was not until 1928 that there was universal suffrage. There was a strong radical and republican tradition in Sussex from the 19th century. For most of the 20th century Sussex was a Conservative Party stronghold—from the 1906 to 1997 general elections the only seats in Sussex won by parties other than the Conservatives were in
4756-788: The Black Death, and took longest to recover. Instead much economic activity in Sussex was focused on the Weald. Merchants moved north from the coastal towns and many Continental craftsmen, fleeing religious persecution, brought their expertise to the timber, iron, clothmaking and glass industries. Economic and social tensions continued for many years as Sussex people were also involved in Jack Cade 's rebellion of 1450, in which Cade may have been killed at Cade Street , near Heathfield. Demands grew more radical in Sussex in 1451 when John and William Merfold advocated rule by common people. They also demanded that Henry VI be deposed and publicly incited
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4872-587: The Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation that, with a population of over 470,000, is home to almost 1 in 3 of Sussex's population. According to the ONS urban area populations for continuous built-up areas, these are the five largest conurbations: The combined population of Sussex as of 2021 was about 1.7 million. In 2021, Sussex had a population density of 451 per km , higher than the average for England of 434 per km . The decline of
4988-673: The Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The Royal Sussex Militia were assigned as 'Divisional Troops' to 3rd Division, III Corps . The division would have mustered at Tunbridge Wells in time of war. The Childers Reforms of 1881 took Cardwell's reforms further, with
5104-545: The French Wars the militia were employed anywhere in the country for coast defence, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while the regulars regarded them as a source of trained men if they could be persuaded to transfer. Their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the part-time Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . While encamped in 1796 the Sussex Militia introduced
5220-461: The King drew the lots for individual regiments and the resulting list remained in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places, followed by the 22 raised between 1763 and 1783: Sussex was 53rd, moving up one place 52nd in 1855 after artillery militia regiments were removed from the list. Most regiments paid little notice to
5336-618: The Kingdom of Wessex to its west. King Æðelwealh formed an alliance with Christian Mercia against Wessex, becoming Sussex's first Christian king. With support from St Wilfrid , Sussex became the last major Anglo Saxon kingdom to become Christian. South Saxon and Mercian forces took control of what is now east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Cædwalla of Wessex killed Æðelwealh and "ravaged Sussex by fierce slaughter and devastation". The South Saxons forced Cædwalla from Sussex and were able to lead
5452-427: The Lib Dems had a majority in three local authorities ( Chichester , Eastbourne and Horsham ) and the Labour Party had a majority in three local authorities ( Adur , Crawley and Worthing ). Of the six local authorities in no overall control , one had a minority Green administration ( Hastings ), one was run by a Lib Dem-Labour-Green coalition ( Arun ), one was run by a Green-Labour coalition ( Lewes ), one as run by
5568-426: The Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: The 1852 Act introduced Artillery Militia units in addition to the traditional infantry regiments, and
5684-400: The Militia Brigade was assembling under the command of the Marquess of Buckingham , colonel of the Royal Buckinghamshire Militia and the 1st Provisional Bn. The 2nd Bn arrived on 5 March 1814 and the brigade embarked on 10–11 March. It joined the Earl of Dalhousie 's division that had occupied Bordeaux just as the war was ending. The brigade did not form part of the Army of Occupation after
5800-407: The Ouse and Cuckmere in a treaty. Traditionally this is thought to have been against native Britons, but it may have been to secure the area east of the Saxon Shore fort of Anderida from the influence of the Kingdom of Kent, with whom the South Saxons may have had occasional disputes. Ælle was recognised as the first ' Bretwalda ' or overlord of southern Britain. He was probably the most senior of
5916-404: The Pelhams, his young friend Thomas, later 2nd Earl of Chichester , as a captain, even though they were at the time political opponents, later promoting him to major and to lieutenant-colonel . The colonel arranged smallpox inoculation for the 390 men of the regiment who had not previously been exposed to the disease. Inoculation required three weeks' sick leave in an isolation hospital; the duke
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#17327942409016032-511: The RSLIM provided 206 volunteers to form the new Royal Sussex Militia Artillery on 9 April 1853. It was based at Lewes with the Duke of Richmond as its colonel-in-chief. War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea , the militia began to be called out for home defence. The RSLIM was embodied from December 1854 to January 1856 but did not serve overseas. A number of militia regiments were also called out to relieve regular troops required for India during
6148-429: The RSLIM this was in Sub-District No 43 (County of Sussex) in South Eastern District, grouped with the 35th (Royal Sussex) and 107th Regiments of Foot and several Rifle Volunteer Corps. The scheme assumed that there would also be two militia battalions in each sub-district, and the RSLIM formed a second battalion between 1877 and 1880. The RSLIM's headquarters had moved between Brighton and Chichester at various times in
6264-407: The Regni or southern Atrebates, a region which included most of Sussex, with their capital in the Selsey area. A number of archaeologists now think there is a strong possibility that the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 started around Fishbourne and Chichester Harbour rather than the traditional landing place of Richborough in Kent. According to this theory, the Romans were called to restore
6380-502: The South Saxons , after which further invasion attempts from Wessex ensued. Following a period of rule by King Offa of Mercia , Sussex regained its independence but was annexed by Wessex around 827 and was fully absorbed into the crown of Wessex in 860, which later grew into the Kingdom of England. The Battle of Hastings was fought in Sussex, the victory that led to the Norman conquest of England . In September 1066, William of Normandy landed with his forces at Pevensey and erected
6496-412: The Sussex Downs were the location of the Battle of Lewes , in which Simon de Montfort and his fellow barons captured Prince Edward (later Edward I ), the son and heir of Henry III . The subsequent treaty, known as the Mise of Lewes , led to Montfort summoning the first parliament in English history without any prior royal authorisation. A provisional administration was set up, consisting of Montfort,
6612-413: The Sussex Militia still had 395 of the old pattern coats unused in store in 1802, and had to seek special permission to have another 203 more made, so that the whole regiment could be issued with coats of the same pattern. In 1780 the regiment wore a simple design of button with the word 'SUSSEX' on it. It adopted the star of the Order of the Garter as its badge, probably after the Duke of Richmond became
6728-413: The Sussex ironworks probably accounts for the small increase in population during several centuries, although after the Massacre of St Bartholomew upwards of 1,500 Huguenots landed at Rye, and in 1685, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes , many more refugees were added to the county. The population of Sussex was 550,446 in 1891 and 605,202 in 1901. Finds at Eartham Pit in Boxgrove show that
6844-440: The Wealden iron industry was strategically important to both sides. In 1642 there was a skirmish at Haywards Heath when Royalists marching towards Lewes were intercepted by local Parliamentarians . The Royalists were routed with around 200 killed or taken prisoner. Shortly after there were sieges at Chichester and Arundel , and a smaller battle at Bramber Bridge . Despite its being under Parliamentarian control, Charles II
6960-522: The abdication of Napoleon and returned to England in June. The Sussex Militia remained embodied during the short Waterloo Campaign of 1815 and were not disembodied until January 1816. After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. From 4 December 1819 Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond
7076-427: The additional numeral. Members of the 3rd Battalion who died in the Second Boer War are commemorated on the Royal Sussex Regiment memorial in Brighton. The Royal Sussex Regiment Museum including its militia units is based at Eastbourne Redoubt in Sussex . Sussex Sussex ( /ˈsʌsɪks/ ; from the Old English Sūþseaxe ; lit. ' South Saxons '; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England which
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#17327942409017192-495: The area has some of the earliest hominid remains in Europe, dating back some 500,000 years and known as Boxgrove Man or Homo heidelbergensis . At a site near Pulborough called The Beedings, tools have been found that date from around 35,000 years ago and that are thought to be from either the last Neanderthals in northern Europe or pioneer populations of modern humans. The thriving population lived by hunting game such as horses, bison, mammoths and woolly rhinos . Around 6000 BC
7308-443: The area, around Selsey. Sussex was home to the magnificent Roman Palace at Fishbourne , by far the largest Roman residence known north of the Alps. The Romans built villas, especially on the coastal plain and around Chichester, one of the best preserved being that at Bignor . Christianity first came to Sussex at this time, but faded away when the Romans left in the 5th century. The nationally important Patching hoard of Roman coins that
7424-456: The armistice to be offered to Germany at the end of World War I were agreed at a meeting at Danny House , Hurstpierpoint . With the declaration of World War II , Sussex found itself part of the country's frontline with its airfields playing a key role in the Battle of Britain and with its towns being some of the most frequently bombed. Sussex was garrisoned by multiple British and Canadian Army units from 1940 until at least May 1942. During
7540-412: The breadline and receiving regular relief. Socially acceptable crimes, including protest, riot, collective action and smuggling were commonplace in Sussex and were seen by many as a legitimate way to address grievances and assert freedoms. At this time, Sussex became a centre for radicalism . Thomas Paine developed his political ideas in Lewes, and later wrote Common Sense which was influential in
7656-469: The ceremonial counties of East and West Sussex in 1974. Boundaries were changed and a large part of the rape of Lewes was transferred from the eastern division into West Sussex, along with Gatwick Airport, historically part of the county of Surrey. From 1290, Sussex returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England . Each county returned two MPs and each borough designated by Royal charter also returned two MPs. After
7772-413: The coalition ministry of 1783 (when he was also appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland ). He represented Carrick in the Irish House of Commons from 1783 to 1790 and Clogher from 1795 to 1797. In 1795 he was sworn of the Privy Council and became Irish chief secretary under Pitt's government, retiring in 1798. In the latter year he sat briefly for Naas before transferring to Armagh Borough ,
7888-399: The constituencies of Brighton and Brighton Kemptown . Since 1997 there has been a gradual shift to the left, especially in more urban areas. This has been most notable in Brighton and Hove, where in Brighton Pavilion the UK's first Green MP, Caroline Lucas , was elected in 2010 and the UK's first Green-led local authority was elected in 2011. In the House of Commons , the lower house of
8004-465: The county emblem originated and derived from the coat of arms of the 14th-century Knight of the Shire , Sir John de Radynden . Sussex's six martlets are today held to symbolise the traditional six sub-divisions of the county known as rapes . Sussex by the Sea is regarded as the unofficial anthem of Sussex; it was composed by William Ward-Higgs in 1907, perhaps originally from the lyrics of Rudyard Kipling 's poem entitled Sussex . Adopted by
8120-425: The county's culture and history . The name "Sussex" is derived from the Middle English Suth-sæxe , which is in turn derived from the Old English Sūþseaxe , meaning "(land or people) of the South Saxons " (cf. Essex , Middlesex and Wessex ). The South Saxons were a Germanic tribe that settled in the region from the North German Plain during the 5th and 6th centuries. The earliest-known usage of
8236-405: The division into east and west. The county retained a single lord lieutenant and sheriff until 1974, when they were replaced with separate posts for East and West Sussex and Sussex lost its status as a ceremonial county. Sussex is widely regarded as a single unified entity for some purposes, such as the environment, food and drink and sport . In 2007, Sussex Day was created to celebrate
8352-463: The duke's increasing age. During the summer of 1805, when Napoleon was massing his ' Army of England ' at Boulogne for a projected invasion, the Sussex, with 877 men under Lt-Col James Martin Lloyd , were stationed at Tynemouth Barracks (5 companies), North Shields Barracks (5 companies) and Whitburn Barracks (1 company) part of a brigade under Maj-Gen Henry George Grey . From November 1813
8468-729: The earliest known mines in Britain. Flint tools from Cissbury have been found as far away as the eastern Mediterranean. Sussex is rich in remains from the Bronze and Iron Ages , in particular the Bronze Age barrows known as the Devil's Jumps and Cissbury Ring , one of Britain's largest hillforts. Towards the end of the Iron Age in 75 BC people from the Atrebates , one of the tribes of
8584-513: The general election and to be elected. (A surprisingly large number of Sussex militiamen were prosperous enough to be electors and claimed their statutory leave of absence to return home to vote in this election.) The regiment spent the summer of 1781 under Pelham's command stationed at Winchester. The Duke of Richmond was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance in March 1782, with Thomas Pelham in
8700-761: The ice sheet over the North Sea melted, sea levels rose and the meltwaters burst south and westwards, creating the English Channel and cutting the people of Sussex off from their Mesolithic kinsmen to the south. Later in the Neolithic period, the area of the South Downs above Worthing was one of Britain's largest and most important flint -mining centres. The flints were used to help fell trees for agriculture. The oldest of these mines, at Church Hill in Findon, has been carbon-dated to 4500 BC to 3750 BC, making it one of
8816-463: The killing of the nobility and clergy. The Wealden iron industry expanded rapidly, especially after the first blast furnace arrived in Sussex in 1496, from the Low Countries , which greatly improved efficiency. Skilled Flemish workers moved to Sussex, followed again by Huguenot craftsmen from France, who brought new techniques. The industry was strategically important and flourished into
8932-638: The lead up to the Dieppe Raid and D-Day landings, the people of Sussex were witness to the buildup of military personnel and materials, including the assembly of landing crafts and construction of Mulberry harbours off the county's coast. In the post-war era, the New Towns Act 1946 designated Crawley as the site of a new town . As part of the Local Government Act 1972 , the eastern and western divisions of Sussex were made into
9048-452: The line of battle and which colonel was in command. During the War of American Independence a meeting of the lords lieutenant met to settle the order of precedence. The Duke of Richmond blocked the first proposal – that regiments should rank from their first embodiment under the 1757 Acts – because the Sussex Militia would rank last and he would be the junior colonel, even though he was a general in
9164-572: The linked Regular regiments becoming two-battalion regiments and their associated militia formally joining as sequentially numbered battalions. The 35th and 107th formed the 1st and 2nd Bns Royal Sussex Regiment and the two battalions of the RSLIM became the 3rd and 4th Bns on 1 July 1881. However, the 3rd and 4th Bns were amalgamated on 1 April 1890. The RSLIM's old Regimental colours were laid up in Chichester Cathedral in 1881. Although Cardwell's army corps scheme had been abandoned,
9280-591: The men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. Sussex was given a quota of 800 men to raise, but failed to do so – possibly because the Leader of the Opposition , the Duke of Newcastle , and his Pelham family members were powerful in the county. A patriotic ballad of
9396-518: The milder zone 9. Rainfall is below average with the heaviest precipitation on the South Downs with 950 mm (37 in) of rainfall per year. The close proximity of Sussex to the Continent of Europe, results in cold spells in winter and hot, humid weather in summer. The climate of the coastal districts is strongly influenced by the sea, which, because of its tendency to warm up slower than land, can result in cooler temperatures than inland in
9512-581: The military dictatorship of the Protectorate. It was called out during the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion – it was a Sussex Militia patrol that captured the defeated duke – and consisted of two regiments of foot and two troops of horse in 1697, but the militia declined in the years after the Peace of Utrecht in 1713. Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments,
9628-419: The militia should not mimic the Regular Army's drill, but should only operate in its own localities, where local knowledge in the event of invasion would be valuable, and the militia could implement a strategy of 'scorched earth' allied with digging entrenchments. However, his efforts to obtain for the Sussex Militia the privilege of being stationed in their own county were unsuccessful. Richmond appointed one of
9744-552: The militia were invited to volunteer for limited overseas service, primarily for garrison duties in Europe. Three officers and 100 other ranks of the Sussex Militia volunteered for this service, and were posted to the 2nd Provisional Battalion, alongside the Royal West Middlesex Militia whose CO, Lt-Col Bayly, commanded the battalion. The 2nd Provisional Bn assembled at Chelmsford and marched to Portsmouth where
9860-522: The path of potential invasion, should raise its men. Nevertheless, the county gentry were apathetic, preferring to pay a large fine instead. Sussex remained a defaulter county liable for militia fines throughout the 1760s. It was not until the American War of Independence , when Britain was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain, that the Sussex Militia was reformed. It
9976-512: The refugee Verica , a king whose capital was in the Selsey and Chichester area, who had been driven out by the Catuvellauni , a tribe based around modern Hertfordshire. Much of Sussex was a Roman canton of the Regni , probably taking a similar area to the pre-Roman tribal area and kingdom. Its capital was at Noviomagus Reginorum , modern-day Chichester, close to the pre-Roman capital of
10092-461: The regiment, as Colonel or (after the 1852 reforms) as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant, included the following: The following served as Honorary Colonel : From its re-foundation in 1778 the regiment's uniform was red with blue facings , though the facings changed to red by 1800. Blue facings were reintroduced later, certainly when it became a royal regiment. The clothing regulations were changed in 1798, introducing coats without lapels . However,
10208-500: The regular army was sent to South Africa, the militia reserve was called out to reinforce them, and many militia units were embodied to replace them for home defence and to garrison certain overseas stations. The 3rd Bn Royal Sussex was embodied on 11 December 1899. As the war continued, additional troops were required in South Africa for line of communication (LoC) duties. The battalion volunteered in March 1901 and embarked with
10324-594: The regular army. Instead the lord lieutenants determined the order by ballot before each year's camping season, beginning in 1778. For the Sussex Militia the positions were: The militia order of precedence balloted for in 1793 (Sussex was 24th) remained in force throughout the French Revolutionary War. Another ballot for precedence took place at the start of the Napoleonic War, when Surrey was 48th. This remained in force until 1833. In that year
10440-598: The southern part of the Wealden anticline , the major features of which are the high lands that cross the county in a west to east direction: the Weald itself and the South Downs . Natural England has identified the following seven national character areas in Sussex: At 280 metres (920 feet), Blackdown is the highest point in Sussex, or county top . With a height of 248 metres (814 ft) Ditchling Beacon
10556-457: The subordinate post of Surveyor-General of the Ordnance . The Treaty of Paris ending the war having been agreed, the Sussex Militia were disembodied in March 1783. From 1784 to 1792 the militia were assembled for their 28 days' annual peacetime training, but to save money only two-thirds of the men were actually mustered each year. The Sussex Militia were re-embodied on 11 March 1792, before Revolutionary France declared war on Britain. During
10672-574: The summer of 1780 the regiment was at Ranmore Camp near Dorking in Surrey , close enough to Sussex for Pelham to stand as a candidate for the county in the general election and to be elected. Chichester was appointed Surveyor-General of the Ordnance under the Duke of Richmond as Master-General of the Ordnance in Lord Rockingham's second ministry (1782), and Chief Secretary for Ireland in
10788-434: The summer. In the autumn months, the coast sometimes has higher temperatures. Rainfall during the summer months is mainly from thunderstorms and thundery showers; from January to March the heavier rainfall is due to prevailing south-westerly frontal systems. In winter, the east winds can be as cold as further inland. Selsey is known as a tornado hotspot, with small tornadoes hitting the town in 1986, 1998 and 2000, with
10904-461: The sunniest places in the United Kingdom. The coast has consistently more sunshine than the inland areas: sea breezes, blowing off the sea, tend to clear any cloud from the coast. The sunshine average is approximately 1,900 hours a year; this is much higher than the UK average of 1,340 hours a year. Most of Sussex lies in hardiness zone 8; the exception is the coastal plain west of Brighton, which lies in
11020-546: The sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the militia was replaced by the Special Reserve , a semi-professional force similar to the previous militia reserve, whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime. The 3rd (Royal Sussex Militia) Bn became the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment on 14 June 1908. On the outbreak of World War I the Special Reserve
11136-491: The term South Saxons (Latin: Australes Saxones ) is in a royal charter of 689 which names them and their king, Noðhelm , although the term may well have been in use for some time before that. The monastic chronicler who wrote up the entry classifying the invasion seems to have got his dates wrong; recent scholars have suggested he might have been a quarter of a century too late. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Sussex
11252-542: The territories including at Arundel, Bramber, Lewes, Pevensey and Hastings. Sussex's bishop, Æthelric II , was deposed and imprisoned and replaced with William the Conqueror's personal chaplain, Stigand . The Normans also built Chichester Cathedral and moved the seat of Sussex's bishopric from Selsey to Chichester. The Normans also founded new towns in Sussex, including New Shoreham (the centre of modern Shoreham-by-Sea), Battle, Arundel, Uckfield and Winchelsea. In 1264,
11368-479: The time declared: All over the land they'll find such a stand, From our English Militia Men ready at hand, Though in Sussex and Middlesex folks are but fiddlesticks, While an old fiddlestick has the command (the 'old fiddlestick' was Newcastle, who was Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex and later of Sussex also). Newcastle had opposed the Militia Acts, but even he felt that Sussex, a county standing right in
11484-410: The title 'Royal Sussex Regt' on the garter, the whole mounted on an eight-pointed star. The shako plate of this period had the Garter star within the strings of a bugle horn, with a scroll inscribed 'Royal Sussex' beneath. The coatee buttons of 1840–55 had an eight-pointed star within a garter inscribed with the name of the regiment. The later tunic buttons had Saint George's Cross in the centre of
11600-511: The unrest continued until 1832 and became known as the Swing Riots . During World War I , on 30 June 1916, the Royal Sussex Regiment took part in the Battle of the Boar's Head at Richebourg-l'Avoué . The day subsequently became known as The Day Sussex Died . Within five hours the 17 officers and 349 men were killed, and 1,000 men were wounded or taken prisoner. In 1918 the terms of
11716-652: Was able to journey through the county after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 to make his escape to France from the port of Shoreham. In 1681 Charles II granted William Penn lands in what became Pennsylvania and Delaware . Amongst those whom he carried to North America as colonists were 200 people from Sussex, mostly Quakers, who founded settlements named after places in Sussex including Lewes and Seaford in Sussex County , Delaware and Horsham Township and Chichester in Pennsylvania. The Sussex coast
11832-407: Was able to provide a building for this, but it could only take 60 men at a time, so it took from May to August 1779 before the whole regiment was immunised. The Sussex Militia spent the summer of 1779 in Sussex, at Shoreham-by-Sea and Brighton . The following summer the regiment was at Ranmore Camp near Dorking in Surrey , close enough to Sussex for Pelham to stand as a candidate for Sussex in
11948-483: Was an important place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages . Sussex's motto, We wunt be druv , is a Sussex dialect expression meaning "we will not be pushed around" and reflects the traditionally independent nature of Sussex men and women. The round-headed rampion , also known as the "Pride of Sussex", was adopted as Sussex's county flower in 2002. The physical geography of Sussex relies heavily on its lying on
12064-702: Was colonel of the Sussex Militia and during his colonelcy the regiment was redesignated as the Sussex Light Infantry Militia in 1835 and as the Royal Sussex Light Infantry Militia (RSLIM) in 1846. The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during a renewed period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of
12180-415: Was defeated and Harold was killed. It is likely that all the fighting men of Sussex were at the battle, as the county's thegns were decimated and any that survived had their lands confiscated. William built Battle Abbey at the site of the battle, with the exact spot where Harold fell marked by the high altar. Sussex experienced some of the greatest changes of any English county under the Normans, for it
12296-556: Was disembodied on 4 August 1919, when remaining personnel were drafted to 1st Bn. The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 and then became the Supplementary Reserve in 1924, but almost all militia battalions remained in abeyance after World War I. Until 1939 they continued to appear in the Army List , but they were not activated during World War II and were all formally disbanded in April 1953. The commanders of
12412-567: Was embodied on 4 August and the 3rd Royal Sussex mobilised at Chichester. It then went to its war station at Dover . Its role throughout the war was to prepare reinforcement drafts of reservists, special reservists, recruits and returning wounded for the regular battalions serving overseas: the 1st Royal Sussex remained in India throughout the war, but the 2nd Bn went to France with the British Expeditionary Force and fought on
12528-530: Was formally disbanded in 1953 The universal obligation to military service in the Shire levy was long established in England and its legal basis was updated by two acts of 1557 ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. cc. 2 and 3), which placed selected men, the ' trained bands ', under the command of Lords Lieutenant appointed by the monarch. This is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. The Sussex Trained Bands were on coast defence duties during
12644-652: Was found in 1997 is the latest find of Roman coins found in Britain , probably deposited after 475 AD, well after the Roman departure from Britain around 410 AD. The foundation legend of Sussex is provided by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , which states that in the year AD 477 Ælle landed with his three sons. Having fought on the banks of the Mearcredesburna , it seems Ælle secured the area between
12760-410: Was greatly modified by the social movement of sea bathing for health which became fashionable among the wealthy in the second half of the 18th century. Resorts developed all along the coast, including at Brighton, Hastings, Worthing, and Bognor. Poverty increased and by 1801 Sussex had the highest poor law rates in England, with 23 per cent of its population (37,000 people out of 160,000) living on
12876-558: Was historically a kingdom and, later, a county . It includes the ceremonial counties of East Sussex and West Sussex . The area borders the English Channel to the south, and the ceremonial counties of Surrey to the north, Kent to the north-east, and Hampshire to the west. Sussex contains the city of Brighton and Hove and its wider city region , as well as the South Downs National Park and
12992-513: Was ordered to send a draft of 109 men to the new Machine Gun Training Centre at Grantham where they were to form the basis of a machine-gun company of the new Machine Gun Corps for one of the brigades serving overseas. In addition, 10 men at a time were to undergo training at Grantham as battalion machine gunners. The order stated that 'Great care should be taken in the selection of men for training as machine gunners as only well educated and intelligent men are suitable for this work'. The battalion
13108-713: Was raised and embodied at Chichester on 29 June 1778, the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex , Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond , taking personal command as colonel. The force was still unpopular in Sussex: the imposition of the Militia Ballot caused riots in the county, but the officers took over from the parish constables the task of raising subscriptions from those who were liable, and used the money to hire volunteers. Richmond did not ask for army pensioners as drill sergeants. A professional soldier, Richmond believed that
13224-534: Was still 10 to 25 per cent lower than it had been in 1066. It was also during the Norman period that Sussex achieved its greatest importance in comparison with other English counties. Sussex was on the main route between England and Normandy , and the lands of the Anglo-Norman nobility in what is now western France. The growth in Sussex's population, the importance of its ports and the increased colonisation of
13340-609: Was the eldest son of Thomas Pelham, 1st Earl of Chichester , and his wife Anne, daughter of Frederick Meinhardt Frankland. The Right Reverend George Pelham was his younger brother. He was educated at Westminster and Clare College, Cambridge . Pelham was commissioned as a captain in the Sussex Militia when it was raised by the Duke of Richmond in June 1778, and was subsequently promoted to major and lieutenant-colonel , frequently deputising in command for Richmond. During
13456-434: Was the heartland of King Harold and was potentially vulnerable to further invasion. In the immediate aftermath of the Normans' landing at Pevensey and the Battle of Hastings and to put an end to any rebellion, the Norman army destroyed estates and other assets on their route through Sussex, leading to a 40 per cent reduction in Sussex's wealth, a situation worse than any other southern or midland county. By 1086 wealth in Sussex
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