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PEVENSEY 113
defended by Lady Pelham against the forces of Richard II. Several illustrious persons have been kept in " durance vile " in the Castle, notably, in the early part of the fifteenth century, Joan of Navarre, and Edward, Duke of York.
Pevensey Church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, lies to the east of the Castle. It is an Early English edifice with a tower and spire in an unusual position—on the north of the church nearly in mid-length of nave and chancel. A monument to John Wheately, ob. 1616, should be examined. He was a parishioner of Pevensey in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and contributed largely to the levy raised for the purpose of defence against the Spanish Armada. The Manor House, where he lived, occupied, it is believed, the site of the present market. On his crest, at the top of the monument, is a wheatsheaf—a play on the name. The east half of the chancel was for some years used as a lumber room. Earlier still, this chancel had been used as a lodge for cattle. It had also uses less innocent. The Rev. G. D. St. Quinton, who was Curate-in-charge of Pevensey in 1826, tells a story (Suss. Arch. Coll., v- 35> P- So) of one day entering the disused chancel and finding a large quantity of contraband spirits neatly stowed under cover. A few days
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