Hilder's Cliff

Very old thread, but I was told by a chap who lived in Hilder's Court Chiddingly that an ancestor was involved in an incident in Rye. It sounds a bit Monty Python, but a French ship was catapulting rotted dog carcasses into Rye, in a time when the sea lapped the town. King Richard I think it was told a Hilder to find dead cats and fire them back at them. He couldn't find dead ones so killed a few and sent those flying. The people of Rye were upset that there pest control method had been deminished, gave poor old Hilder a bad time. Apparently the King took pity on him and Ennobled him giving him land in Sussex. When I discovered Hilder's Cliffe it gave this credence.

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Hi, according to cencus, "Hilda" was also used as surname way back in Sussex, check church records?
Keith Hilder

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Having only just found your query, it is probable that it was answered long ago!

We are not sure of the precise history of the name "Hilder's Cliff" but it is certain that it was named after some significant event concerning a member of the Hilder family - maybe the local Rye town historian (at the Council, Museum or other Records Office) can give a definitive answer.

To you 2nd question, we can state that the name "Hilder" is a well-known and lomng established family name/Surname in East Sussex. We have numerous records on our family tree of members of the Hilder family going back over 500 years. Amongst those thereon, there were several branches of the family living in Rye over a period of some 200 years or so, although most of the family were based further west in the County.

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Can anyone tell me:
1. the origin of the name 'Hilder's Cliff' (nr the Landgate in Rye) and
2. whether 'Hilder' was ever used as a forename or a surname.
Thank you

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