The systematic organisation of the Sussex coastal beacon chain in 1544 was one of the most important administrative achievements of the Henrician coastal defence programme. Previous beacons had existed but their organisation was haphazard; the 1544 system established clear signal sequences, watch rosters, and communication protocols that would allow the alarm to be raised along the full Sussex coast within minutes of an enemy fleet being sighted. This system was the direct ancestor of the famous Armada beacon chain of 1588.
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County administration under the Lord Lieutenant; beacon keepers at each headland appointed and paid
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