The rape of Hastings is the easternmost of the Sussex rapes, from Bexhill and the edge of the Pevensey Levels east to Rye and the Kent border along the Rother.
Its castle on the cliff at Hastings is the count of Eu's, and the count is one of the cross-Channel magnates: his chief seat is Eu on the Norman border, and his brother is the lord of Lusignan in Poitou. Inside the rape the abbey of Battle has its own leuga, and the towns of Rye and Winchelsea belong to the Norman abbey of Fecamp. The port of Hastings is a head of the Cinque Ports, with its own liberties (see the town record).
Who he is
- Name
- Ralph of Exoudun (Raoul de Lusignan) and Alice (Alix), countess of Eu
- Title
- Count of Eu and lord of Hastings (by right of his wife); she is countess in her own right
- Since
- Alice succeeded her father Count Henry in 1191; Ralph married her in the 1190s (date not pinned)
- Born
- Not pinned
- Family
- Ralph is a Lusignan, brother of Hugh IX le Brun, lord of Lusignan, and so a Poitevin magnate as well as count of Eu in Normandy. Alice's line descends from the Conqueror's grant of Hastings to Robert, count of Eu. Their son Ralph (Raoul II) is a child or not yet born (not pinned).
- Confidence
- medium
The France map treats Ralph as count of Eu and an ally of John for now (with the Lusignan). John's marriage to Isabella of Angouleme on 24 August 1200 (not yet) will turn the Lusignan against him; in 1201 the brothers appeal to Philip, and John moves against the count's lands. Alice also claims Tickhill (eno records).
Overlord
King John (for Eu, as duke of Normandy; for Hastings, as king)
What it holds
- Hastings castle and the rape of Hastings
- Overlordship of the knights' fees of the rape (the lords of Bodiam, Etchingham, Echyngham and others hold of the count)
- In Normandy: the county of Eu with Eu and Drincourt (France map)
- A claim to Tickhill (eno records)
How it was acquired
Granted by the Conqueror to Robert, count of Eu, and held by his heirs; Alice's since 1191, and Ralph's by marriage.
Allies and rivals
The Lusignan family; Battle abbey and Fecamp, which hold liberties inside the rape; the barons of Hastings, Winchelsea and Rye in their ports.
How things stand that morning
Held in peace on 1 January 1200, by a count absent in France.
Wealth
Marsh and Wealden manors, the iron of the Weald, the fisheries of the coast. No figures.
Military
Hastings castle; the knights of the rape.
Threats
- A quarrel between the Lusignan and the king would put Hastings in danger (as it will in 1201)
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.
- 24 August 1200John marries Isabella of Angouleme, Hugh le Brun's betrothed; the Lusignan grievance begins.Depends on: The marriage Stopped by: John choosing another bride
- 1201 (beyond 1200)John orders the seizure of the count of Eu's lands; the count appeals to Philip.Depends on: The Lusignan revolt Stopped by: Reconciliation
Places of note
- Hastings castle: The count's castle on the West Hill
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Titles and descent are known; the marriage date and the count's movements in 1199-1200 are not pinned.
On the map: The rape boundary is approximate, especially on the Pevensey side.
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.