William De Braose, First Lord of Bramber.
Once a Lord of Normandy (specifically of Briouze), William De Braose was one of William the Conqueror’s most trusted associates, and took part in the Norman invasion of Saxon England. A champion of the Battle of Hastings, he was granted a segment of land, which William The Conqueror named a “Rape”. This “Rape” included towns that still exist today, such as Steyning, Lancing, Horsham, and Clapham.
Much of William’s past has been left open to speculation, as there are no records that refer to the name of his father, or even his wife. We know that he had a mother named “Gunnor”, and it is speculated that he married a woman called “Agnes de St. Clair”, although this has not been confirmed.
However, there are still elements of William’s history that are accepted as fact.
William was not only a godly man (he made considerable grants to the Abbey of St Florent in Saumur), but also one of the most powerful feudal Barons in England. His task was to guard the strategically important harbour at Steyning.
It was at Bramber that he built a bridge and demanded tolls from ships travelling towards Steynings Port, which lead to land disputes with local Monks. The monks also disputed Williams right to bury people in the new church at Bramber, St Nicholas, demanding the burial fees for themselves, despite the church being built to serve the castle and not the town.
William probably regretted making all of those donations, after that.