MELBOURNE CASTLE AND PARK. 133 



to Nottingham, of which two tuns were to be conveyed from 

 Nottingham to Melbourne. In a.d. 1206 (page 936) he ordered 

 9 marcs to be paid for three casks of wine bought to be used by 

 him at Melbourne. In these records there is no mention of a 

 Castle at Melbourne. Nor is there any mention of a Castle in the 

 grant, a.d. 1259, of the Manor of Melbourne by King Henry III. 

 to Simon de Montfort Earl of Leicester and Eleanor his wife, 

 "sister of the King." (Calendar of Patent Rolls, p. 31, and 

 Calendar of Charter Rolls, p. 88.) 



In the Inquisition after the death of Edmund Earl of Lancaster 

 and Leicester "Brother of the King" (Edward I.), a.d. 1297, 

 mention is made of the Manor of Melbourne, but not of a Castle 

 there. (Cal. Inquis. post Mortem, vol. i, p. 136, No. 51.) 



His son and successor, Thomas Earl of Lancaster and Leicester, 

 appears to have granted to his adherent, Robert de Holland, the 

 Manor of Melbourne and a " mansus " there; for in a.d. 131 i 

 Robert de Holland obtained from King Edward II. letters patent 

 of license txD " kernellate " his " mansus " of Melbourne. (Cal. 

 Rot. Pat., p. 72, No. 4.) Robert de Holland's possession of the 

 Manor of Melbourne was confirmed by King Edward II., a.d. 

 1326. (Cal of Charter Rolls, p. 140.) 



This is perhaps the origin of what was thereafter known as 

 Melbourne Castle. Probably it was not erected as a place of 

 strength, but was a nobleman's mansion converted into a place of 

 strength. 



Accordingly, the first mention in the Public Records of the 

 Castle of Melbourne appears to be in the Inquisition taken 

 I Edward III., A.D. 1327, of the possessions of Thomas Earl of 

 Lancaster and Leicester, who had been beheaded at Pontefract in 

 A.D. 1 32 1. (Cal. Inquis. post Mortem, vol. 2, p. 8.) This was 

 preliminary to the transfer of those possessions to his younger 

 brother, Henry, with the Earldoms of Lancaster and Leicester, in 

 the first Parliament of King Edward III. ; which Henry was 

 succeeded by his son Henry, created Duke of Lancaster, 23 

 Edward III. In 1361, Henry Duke of Lancaster died; and in 

 the Inquisition taken after his death, Melbourne Castle is specified 



