*RYE, (Sussex) one of the two ports and appendages to the Cinque-Port of Hastings, is 60 cm. 64 mm. from London. It is a populous T. on the b. of Kent, and on the side of a hill, with a delightful prospect of the sea. In the R. of Edw. III. it was walled and fortified by William D'Ypres, E. of Kent; of whose name there is a tower yet standing, which is the prison of the T. and some remains of its old walls are still visible. It has one of the largest p.-Chs. in England, enjoys the same privileges as the other Cinque-Ports, has sent members to Pt. ever since the 42d of Edw. III. and has a port, once the most considerable, bet. Portsmouth and Dover, as being the shortest passage to Normandy; but of late so choaked up with sands, that the smallest vessels can scarce enter it, as K. Geo. I. found, when he was forced in here by a storm, when he returned from Holland in Jan. 1725-6. The T. is washed on two sides by the tides, and on the E. by the r. Rother; and is thereby a sort of peninsula. On that branch of the tide, which is on the S. side, called Tillingham-Water, there was formerly a ferry; but now a bridge. The corp. which is only by prescription, consists of a mayor, 12 jurats, and the freemen. The mayor is chosen out of the jurats, the M. after St. Bartholomew, by the freemen. When there is a vacancy in the jurats, it is filled up by the mayor, with consent of the jurats, on the day of his election, or at the general yearly sessions, which are on the M. after St, Andrews-day. In the R. of Rich. II. this T. was burnt by the French. It is well supplied with water by pipes, from 2 hills on the land-side. Its trade is in hops, wool, timber, kettles, cannon, chimneybacks, &c. which are cast at the iron-works at Bakely, 4 m. to the N.W. and at Breed, 5 m. to the S. W. The mackarel and herrings taken here in their seasons, are reckoned the best in their kind. All the rest of the year they trowl for soles, plaise, rates, turbets, brills, &c. which are carried up every day by the rippiers (as the fishermen are called, from Ripa the bank it stands on) to London, which they perform in three stages. There is a small settlement of French refugees here, who are for most part fishermen, and have a minister of their own, who is paid by the Abp. of Canterbury; besides a good number of presbyterians and quakers. Here is a storehouse for planks, hops, and other merchandise, which was formerly a Ch. that bel. to a mon. still called the friery, A considerable part of the harbour has been gained from the sea, and turned into arable land. The Mts. here are W. and S. the Fairs on Whit-M. and Aug. 10. Here is a free grammar-sc. erected in 1644 by Mr. Peacock, one of the jurats, who also endowed it with 32 l. a year, for teaching all the children of the T. besides a ch. sc. for teaching 30 children, who are mantained with an addition from their earnings, by the sacrament-money and private charities. Near this place, in the p. of East-Guilford (which is the utmost boundary of Sussex, eastward) is a peculiar way of tithing their marsh-lands; whereby they pay only 3 d. per acre to the rector, while in pasture, but if ploughed 5 s.