Cinque Ports Castle, and whilst this office exists today, it is now a purely honorary title, with an official residence at Walmer Castle. The town of Hastings was the head port of the Cinque Ports in mediaeval times. The towns also had their own system of courts. All Freemen of the ports, termed "portsmen", were deemed in the age of Feudalism to be barons, and thus members of the baronage entitled to attend the king's parliament - a privilege granted in 1322 in recognition of their earlier support of the Despensers, father and son. Termed "Barons of the Cinque Ports", they reflected
1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers formed in the seaports along the Kent and Sussex coast (the ancient Cinque Ports), and in September 1862 these artillery volunteer corps (AVCs) were brought together to form the 1st Administrative Brigade, Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers, at Dover: 1st Administrative Brigade, Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers The fourth battery of the 4th (Hastings) Corps was raised in 1861 at Rye, East Sussex from the defunct Rye Rifle Volunteer Corps. This battery wore an unusual naval uniform until it adopted the regulation garrison artillery uniform in 1872. The battery was disbanded in 1876 after a shooting competition at Hastings, when the men