Irene Preston's Historical Writing
HISTORY OF CASTLES AND MANORS
BERKELEY CASTLE was built in 1153 by Lord Maurice de Berkeley at the
command of Henry II.
A bur or fortress had been built in 914 by Alfred's daughter Ethelfleda,
Lady of the Mercians, after the death of her husband Ethelred. The manor
had been held by Earl Godwin the father of King Harold and probable
consisted of a small wooden dwelling on site of the present castle.
William the Conqueror gave Berkeley together with Bristol, Hereford,
Gloucester and Chepstow to William Fitz Osbern, Earl of Hereford and
Hereditary Steward of Normandy. He was to hold the castellulum, a small
castle, and guard the western defences against the Welsh. It was
probably a small wooden stockade on a hill and may have been demolished
by the trouble in the Vale of Berkeley. It overlooks the river Seven and
the Welsh border. The Fitz Osborns held the castle until 1088 when it
passed to the Fitz Hardings until 1154.
BOLLINGBROKE CASTLE in Old Bollingbroke, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, the
birthplace of Henry IV, grandson of Edward III, early 14th century but
much of the castle is now in ruins.
SULGRAVE MANOR is first mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086. It
later belonged to the Priory of St. Andrew, Northampton. It was
surrendered to the crown in 1539 and Henry VIII sold it to Laurence de
Wessington (Washington) who built the present house. The family have
lived there for 120 years. In 1656 Colonel John Washington went to
Virginia which was later called Mount Vernon. He was the great
grandfather of George, the first president of America 1732-1799. Henry
VIII granted arms to Lawrence. Argent, two bars Gules, in chief three
mullets of the same. Translated into plain English it reads, ‘On a
silver (argent) background, two horizontal red (gules) bars, above which
are three stars, also red.’ It has been strongly suggested that
Washington's coat of arms influenced the design of the American flag,
‘The Stars and Stripes.’
ALNWICK CASTLE was given to Gilbert de Tesson (Tyson), William's
standard bearer. In 1093 Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland,
killed Malcom Canmore the King of Scotland. Two years later Tyson joined
Mowbray's unsuccessful rebellion against William II (Rufus). He was
forced to give up his possessions at Alnwick and it passed to Yvo de
Vescy. His daughter married Eustace Fitzjohn, who, after the death of
Vescy in 1134, became Baron of Alnwick.
KENILWORTH CASTLE in Warwickshire was begun by Geoffrey de Clinton about
1120/5-1174. He was Chamberlain to Henry I and believed to have been a
shy man and chose a quiet village in which to live. Kenilworth formed
part of the Royal Manor of Stoneleigh at the time of the Domesday survey
in 1086. The castle was garrisoned for King Henry II at the time of the
rebellion of 1173/4. It was retained by the crown due to its strategic
importance and an exchange was made by the King with Geoffrey de
Clinton's grandson Henry giving lands in Buckinghamshire. King Henry III
granted the castle to Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, on a
temporary basis in 1244 and permanently in 1253. He had married Eleanor,
sister of Henry II, but he was killed in 1265 leaving a son also called
Simon. King Henry III left Kenilworth after granting it to his younger
son, Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster. Edmund held a great meeting
of the Round Table in 1279 when a hundred knights assembled for tilting
and tournaments under the presidency of Roger Mortimer. At his death in
1299 he was succeeded by his eldest son, Earl Thomas who unfortunately
was executed in 1322. Kenilworth went to his brother Earl Henry,
followed by his son, also a Henry, in 1345, who was created first Duke
of Lancaster. His daughter, Blanche, married John of Gaunt, third son of
Edward III, making him Duke of Lancaster. He held the castle from
1361-1399. John's son, Henry Bollingbroke, usurped Richard II and took
the throne in the same year. In 1414 his son Henry V undertook an
extensive building programme on the castle.
In 1553 the castle was granted to John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland,
but he was executed for treason against Henry VIII and it reverted back
to the crown. Elizabeth I returned it to his son Robert Dudley, Earl of
Leicester, who held it until his death in 1588.
ARUNDEL CASTLE was first founded by Earl Roger de Montgomery on
Christmas Day 1067. He was already powerful in his native Normandy and
in his youth had been a friend of William and Edward. He contributed 60
ships for the conquest of England. In 1071 he was made Earl of
Shrewsbury and died in 1094. His son Robert de Belleme succeeded him and
supported the brother of Henry I in a bid to overthrow the King. He lost
his lands to the crown and after Henry's death it was given to his
second wife who married William D'Albini II in 1138 and they lived in
the castle. Mary Fitzalan was the last of the family and she married
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, thus carrying Arundal into the
Howard family.
DOVER CASTLE on the Kentish coast was built inside the ramparts of an
Iron Age fort it became a Saxon town and work began on the castle about
1181.
OAKHAM CASTLE in Leicestershire was built by Henry de Ferrers around
1190. His name means a worker in iron and visiting knights, even after
his death, would bring a horseshoe to the castle in his honour. They can
still be seen in the great hall.
CHEPSTOW CASTLE was built by King William's trusted friend, William Fitz
Osbern, sometime before he was killed in battle in 1071. William
Marshall held the castle together with several in Wales around 1200. He
was the most experienced soldier of his age. When he was about 7, in
1152, his father John handed him over to King Stephen as a hostage to
guarantee his good behaviour. He held Newbury Castle at the time but his
father broke the truce declaring he could always have another son. Young
William could have been hung accordingly but Stephen spared him and he
grew up being a staunch supporter of Henry II. He married the heiress of
Pembroke and became Earl of Pembroke and held Pembroke Castle. His
granddaughter married a member of the Bigod family who came to England
with William. There was Roger, then his son Hugh who was not trusted by
the King as he soon turned his allegiances to others. He died in 1177.
Berkeley Castle stood facing Chepstow Castle in Wales and both
overlooked the Bristol Channel.
KNEBWORTH HOUSE is in Hertfordshire and was probably a Saxon manor and
settlement. The Domesday spelling in 1085 is ‘Chenepeworde,’ meaning
‘village on the hill.’ In the 5th century there was a Saxon prince
called Cnebba so the area was probable referred to as Cnebba's camp.
Edward the Confessor gave the manor of Knebworth to his thane Aschil.
After the Conquest the Manor and Fort were granted by William to his
favourite counsellor, Eudo Fitzherbert, called Dapifer from his office
as Steward of the Household. During the next 400 years Knebworth was
owned by many distinguished men, Thomas de Brotherton (a son of Edward
I) and his son-in-law Sir Walter Manny, Sir John Hotoft and Sir Thomas
Bourchier. Sir John Hotoft was Treasurer to Henry VI and died in 1443.
His daughter Agnes married Sir Robert de Lytton, Governor of Bolsover
Castle and Grand Agister of the Forests of the Peak. This is the first
connection between Knebworth and the Lyttons of Derbyshire.