Page:VCH Sussex 1.djvu/620

 A HISTORY OF SUSSEX The trend of political and religious feeling in Sussex was again clearly shown in 1688, when James II., wishing to repeal the Test and Penal Statutes, and anxious to know whether he cculd obtain the support of Parliament for that purpose, caused three questions to be put to every justice of the peace. These questions were : (i.) If he should be chosen to serve in Parliament would he support the repeal of these statutes ? (ii.) Would he assist in the election of members pledged to their repeal ? (iii.) Will he live friendly with those of all persuasions ? For refusing to put these questions to the Sussex justices the Earl of Dorset was removed from the lieutenancy of the county and replaced by Viscount Montague. The replies must have been very unsatisfactory to the Crown, for although the third question was answered unanimously in the affirmative, only eight justices would assent to the first two, while almost every one in the eastern rapes definitely refused to agree thereto. Those in the western part of the county for the most part gave the politic answers that if elected they would vote as might seem best when the question came to be debated in the House, and that they would assist to elect such members as would best serve the interests of the country.' When the news came to Chichester on 17 June 1689 that 'James 2nd, the papistical, was cut and runnd to across the sea,' the inhabitants were so delighted that they formed a club in imitation of the corpora- tion, with a mayor, aldermen, town clerk, and so forth, to be called the ' Corporation of St. Pancras,' the one object of which was to meet and feast every 4 November, on the eve of the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot.'' A few of the county gentlemen remained faithful to James, the most notable being John Caryll of Harting, who accompanied his royal master into exile and was by him given the title of Baron Caryll of Dureford, but as a whole Sussex was strongly in favour of King William. For some little while there was fear of a French landing, and in July 1 690 their ships came near enough in to throw a few shot into Hastings, and the militia were called out and several regiments of horse and foot sent into the county.^ In the following January there was a report current that the Earl of Clarendon had drawn up a proclamation to be issued upon the landing of King James in Sussex,* but no such landing was attempted, and things soon settled down. The eighteenth century was essentially the period of party govern- ment, and it is therefore during this time that we find most importance attached to the possession of a parliamentary seat, and in consequence a large amount of wire-pulling and manceuvring. The fullest and best account of any Sussex election is the description of that in 1734 compiled by Mr. Basil Williams from the Duke of Newcastle's papers in the British Museum.^ The duke, by virtue of his wealth and the enormous extent of his lands, could practically control the return of about sixty or ' Suss. Arch. Coll. xxxi. ^ Ibid. xxiv. 136-8. The corporation still existed at least as late as 1872. 3 Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xii. (7), 277. * Ibid. p. 310. « Engl. Hist. Rev. xii. 448-88. 530