Irene Preston's Historical Writing
PEVEREL
CASTLE, CASTLETON
William de Peverel was the illegitimate son of William the Conqueror by
a high born Saxon lady. His surname was borrowed from Ranulph Peverel of
Hatfield Peverel in Essex, who his mother married. Ranulph's father was
Payne Peverel, standard bearer to Robert Duke of Normandy, father of
William I. He was granted 12 manors in Derbyshire, including the Peak
Forest where he built a castle, hence the name Castleton. He also held,
in Nottingham, 48 houses of merchants, 12 houses of knights and 39
manors with many dependent villages, 44 lordships in Nottinghamshire and
2 in Essex. He had a manor and village in Bedfordshire, 2 towns in
Oxfordshire, 8 manors and villages in Buckinghamshire, and he lived in
pomp and splendour in his Peak Castle.
His grandson William III of the Peak was accused of poisoning Earl
Ranulph II of Chester, in league with the earl's wife. He was sent into
exile on the continent and his lands went to the crown. Included in his
estates was the manor of Haddon which was held by the Avenel family
until 1194 when it came into the hands of the Vernon family through
marriage. It remained in their hands until Dorothy Vernon married Sir
John Manners, heir to the 1st Earl of Rutland, and Haddon became part of
the Rutland estates.
The arms of Peverel are vere which means fur in heraldic terms. Margaret
Peverel married William Ferrers, the 3rd Earl of Derby, who took the
Peverel arms instead of the ancient arms of horseshoes. The family came
from Normandy and were dealers in iron and foundrywork, hence their use
of horseshoes on their shield. The 4th Earl married the daughter of Hugh
Keveliok, the Earl of Chester, and added the wheat sheaves of Cheshire
to his arms.
Peak Castle was used as a hunting lodge until Henry II gave it to his
4th son John who appointed Hugh de Neville as his governor. It later
passed to various barons. In 1215 William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby,
seized it for King John and was appointed governor. It later passed to
the Earl of Chester, then to Piers Gaveston, the favourite of Edward II,
and then to John, Earl of Surrey and Warren. The post was given to many
others during the reign of Henry III until the 46th year of Edward III
when he gave part portion to his sister Joan, who had married King David
of Scotland.
The castle and surrounding land was eventually owned by John of Gaunt,
Duke of Lancaster the third son of Edward III, and it is still part of
the Duchy of Lancaster and owned by the Queen.