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| Sussex county flag.Six gold martlets on a Blue field, first recorded in 1611. |
A rape is a traditional territorial subdivision of the county of Sussex in England. Although their origin remains unknown, it is possible that the rapes represented the shires of the ancient kingdom of Sussex. They appear to predate the Norman Conquest. Historically, the rapes served as the foundation for local government in Sussex. Each rape was further divided into several hundreds and half-hundreds.
Each of the Sussex rapes had a central headquarters in the developed southern region where, the lord’s hall, court, demesne lands, principal church, and peasant holdings were located. In the northern areas, smaller dependent settlements existed in marshes, woodlands, and heaths, primarily used for summer pasture.
For instance, Cuckfield was part of the Rape of Lewes. To the west lay the Rape of Bramber, while the Rape of Pevensey lay to the east. The northern boundary of the rape was defined by the county of Surrey, and to the south, it extended to the English Channel. During the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Rape of Lewes likely encompassed the land between the Rivers Adur and Ouse, which would have been granted to William de Warenne.
The six martlets featured on the Sussex flag and emblem are believed to symbolize the six rapes—a design that dates back to at least the 17th century."
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