The rape of Bramber is the middle-west of the five Sussex rapes, between Arundel and Lewes, running from the sea at Shoreham north through the Weald and St Leonard's Forest to the Surrey border.
Its caput is Bramber castle on its mound over the Adur, and its port is New Shoreham, the borough the Braoses planted at the river mouth about 1100, where John himself landed on 25 May 1199 on his way to be crowned. The rape is the old heart of the Braose family, though their wealth and power now lie in the Welsh March. Inside it, Steyning and its market belong to the Norman abbey of Fecamp, a long-standing irritant.
Who he is
- Name
- William de Braose
- Title
- Lord of Bramber; also lord of Brecon, Radnor, Builth and Abergavenny in the March
- Since
- Inherited Bramber from his father, William de Braose (the date of the father's death is not pinned; before 1180)
- Born
- About 1144 or 1153
- Family
- Son of William de Braose and Bertha of Hereford, through whom the Marcher lordships came. Wife: Maud de St Valery, famous in her own right. Children: William (the eldest son), Giles (a clerk, elected bishop of Hereford in 1200, not yet), Reginald, Maud, Margaret, Annora, Loretta, John and Flandrina; ages not pinned, the elder sons are grown men.
- Confidence
- high
He was with Richard at Chalus in April 1199 and then backed John's claim, acting for him in making grants. He is John's favourite of these years: John grants him the lordship of Limerick (January 1201, not yet) and much else, before the great fall of 1208. He was sheriff of Herefordshire from 1192 to 1199. His Welsh lands are in the wal records and his share of Totnes and Barnstaple in esw.
Overlord
King John
What it holds
- Bramber castle and the small borough at its foot
- New Shoreham, the port borough at the mouth of the Adur, with the church of St Mary de Haura
- Knepp, a castle and hunting lodge in the Weald
- St Leonard's Forest, a Braose chase
- Sele priory at Beeding, the family's foundation (a cell of Saumur)
- The knights' fees of the rape
- Outside this record: Brecon, Radnor, Builth, Abergavenny and other Marcher lordships (wal); half of Totnes and Barnstaple (esw)
How it was acquired
Granted by the Conqueror to the first William de Braose about 1073 and held by the family since.
Allies and rivals
Fecamp abbey, which holds Steyning inside the rape and has long disputed tolls and market rights with the Braoses; the earls of Arundel and Warenne on either side.
How things stand that morning
Held in peace by a lord at the height of royal favour.
Wealth
The port of Shoreham with its trade to Normandy, the downland sheep and the Wealden woods. No figures.
Military
Bramber castle, Knepp; the knights of the rape. The family's military strength is in the March.
Threats
- None in Sussex this winter
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
In 1200
- 1200 (election; consecrated 24 September 1200)His son Giles is made bishop of Hereford, the see vacant since December 1198.Depends on: The king's support and the chapter's election Stopped by: Another candidate, or Rome
Later, on the likely course
- January 1201 (after the year's end)John grants him the honour of Limerick.Depends on: Royal favour Stopped by: A quarrel with John
Places of note
- Bramber castle: Caput of the rape
- New Shoreham: Braose port borough
- Knepp castle: Castle and hunting lodge
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The family is well documented; the Sussex rape in 1200 is known in outline only.
On the map: The rape boundaries are approximate.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.