Editing Midhurst (section)

=== Manorial (pre-modern) period ===
In 1106 Savaric fitz Cana (Fitzcane) received land in Midhurst and the neighbouring village of Easebourne from [[Henry I, King of England|Henry I]], and in 1158 his son built a fortified manor house on St. Anne's Hill. The family later adopted the de Bohun name, and in about 1280 abandoned the fortified manor house to build their principal home on flat land across the River Rother from St. Ann's Hill, in the neighbouring parish of Easebourne, 'at a place called Coudreye' (old French for a "hazel grove").<ref name=Timeline/> Between 1284 and 1311 St Ann's Castle was in the hands of the [[Bishop of Durham]], and during that period was largely dismantled.<ref name="british-history.ac.uk">[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp74-80 "Midhurst"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603010842/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp74-80 |date=3 June 2015 }}, in ''A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester'', ed. L F Salzman (London, 1953), pp. 74–80 [accessed 28 May 2015].</ref>

However "the chapel of St. Denis within the former castle of Midhurst"<ref>Suss. Rec. Soc. xlvi, 315. Footnote 4 in [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp74-80 "Midhurst"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603010842/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp74-80 |date=3 June 2015 }}, in ''A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester'', ed. L F Salzman (London, 1953), pp. 74–80 [accessed 28 May 2015]</ref> appears to have escaped the destruction, as it was functioning in 1291, and is referred to in 1367 as standing "in a place called Courtgrene".<ref>Cal. Inq. p.m. xii, 127.  Footnote 5 in [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp74-80 "Midhurst"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603010842/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol4/pp74-80 |date=3 June 2015 }}, in ''A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 4, the Rape of Chichester'', ed. L F Salzman (London, 1953), pp. 74–80 [accessed 28 May 2015]</ref> There is still a house called Court Green beside the current entrance to the castle enclosure. At some period after this date the chapel of St. Dennis was eventually demolished, and the re-built foundation can be seen within the castle curtain wall.

The parish church in Midhurst originated as a medieval chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. In about 1216 the founding charter of a
college of priests at Easebourne (re-established about 1230 as a Benedictine nunnery), lists Midhurst amongst its dependent chapels. When Easebourne Priory was suppressed in 1536 and handed to the Fitzwilliam family, the chapel in Midhurst achieved parish church status, and was substantially re-built.  The additional dedication of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene to St Denis (also the dedication of the former chapel within the castle) is first recorded in 1764.<ref name="westsussex1">{{cite web |url=https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/1736/midhurst_eus_report_and_maps.pdf |title=Midhurst Historic Character Assessment Report |date=January 2010 |author=Roland B Harris |publisher=Westsussex.gov.uk |access-date=15 October 2015 |archive-date=10 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610213019/https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/1736/midhurst_eus_report_and_maps.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The little town developed outside the castle, mainly to service it and the immediate surrounding area, and to provide a market place for local agricultural surpluses. It was bounded by an escarpment dropping in the north to the Town Meadow, in the east to the River Rother and in the South to a tributary to the Rother. To the west it was bounded until the late 12th century by a 1.5-metre deep ditch, with a dyke and pallisade, approximately where Duck (or Dyke) Lane now lies.<ref name="westsussex1"/>

Other than the castle, the principal engine of growth for the town was its regular market, for which the earliest known reference is in 1223.  Many of the early buildings were grouped around the market area.  These houses were built of highly perishable materials, and none have survived. Most would have been about a perch wide (about 5 metres), with long gardens at the rear, opening onto back lanes. On market days country people would bring their produce to sell at stalls in the open air.  Apart from foodstuffs, the principal trades were in wool, cloth and leather, and related trades such as weaving, whitening, quilt-making and cobbling.  These were largely determined by the predominance of shepherding in the surrounding agricultural area.<ref name="Tudor Midhurst"/>

Midhurst was a '[[free borough]]' and in 1278 was said to have been so from time beyond memory. It was governed by a bailiff who was elected by the burgesses from among themselves.  The bailiff regulated the market by ensuring the assize of bread and ale, appointing two ale-tasters yearly, and acted as clerk of the market. Disputes over the respective rights and duties of town and manor were settled in 1409 by an agreement whereby Michael Bageley and six other named burgesses agreed, on behalf of themselves and their successors, to pay 40 shillings a year to Sir John de Bohun, Lord of the Manor, and his heirs, for the right to take the market tolls.  In return they were required to hold both the three-weekly courts and to conduct two 'law days' in the name of Sir John. If they failed for a whole year to hold the courts the agreement should lapse, and if they neglected to keep the streets and ditches in order the lord's manorial officers should be responsible for apprehending offenders, but were required to hand over any fines to the burgesses. This arrangement was confirmed in 1537 by Sir William Fitzwilliam, after his purchase of the manor.<ref name="british-history.ac.uk"/>

Midhurst was first represented in the [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] of 1301 and was consistently represented from 1382 onwards. From these early beginnings, and until the Great Reform Act of 1832, the town had two members of parliament. The electors were the owners of certain properties, which were marked by "[[burgage]] stones", one of these stones remains and can be seen with a descriptive plaque embedded in the wall of a building just north of the Old Library (Council Offices) on Knockhundred Row.