39 



Pembroke and Lord of Chepstow (wno died 1177), gave the dimiaiiis and castle of 

 Eaglan to Sir Walter Bloet, in consideration of soldiers, money, and arms 

 furnished by him for the expedition to Ireland, of which Strongbow was the 

 leader, whose descendant. Sir John Bloet {temp. Henry IV.) gave his only 

 daughter and heiress, Isabel, in marriage to Sir James Berkeley : he disposed of 

 it to Sir William ap Thomas, who married Gladys, daughter of Sir David Gam, 

 of old Court, in this county, who, with his father in-law, fell at the Battle of 

 Agincourt, in defending the person of Henry V., and were knighted on the field 

 whilst in the agonies of death. William Herbert, son of Sir William ap Thomas, 

 was created Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Chepstow and Kaglan. Edward IV. 

 entrusted him with the custody of the Earl of Richmond (afterwards Henry VII. ), 

 who was detained for some time in the castle of Raglan. The Earl of Pembroke, 

 owner of this castle in 1409, raised an army of Welshmen in favour of Edward IV. 

 against the Lancastrians, under the command of the Earl of Warwick. He was 

 taken prisoner at the Battle of Dane's Moor, and was beheaded at Banbury. 

 William, eldest son of this unfortunate nobleman, succeeded to the Earldom of 

 Pembroke. He married Mary, sister of Woodville, Earl Rivers, by whom he had 

 an only daughter, Elizabeth. She married Sir Charles Somerset, and in her right 

 in 1506, he possessed the castle, and bore the title of Lord Herbert of Raglan, and 

 in 1514 was raised to the dignity of Earl of Worcester. He was succeeded by his 

 son Henry, second Earl, whose son, William, became third Earl. He died in 1587, 

 and was buried at Raglan. Edward, his son, succeeded him. " In his youth this 

 Earl was the best horseman and tilter of his times." He died in the 79th year of 

 his age, and was buried at Raglan. He was succeeded by his son, Henry 

 Somerset, fifth Earl, in 1G28, who married Ann, daughter of Lord John Russell, 

 and was created Marquis of Worcester in 1642. This nobleman was a great 

 supporter of Charles I., and Raglan was the last castle that held out for the 

 unfortunate monarch. The first summons to surrender the castle was received 

 by the garrison with indignation. Colonel Morgan soon after advanced from 

 Worcester at the head of a formidable force, and drawing up his troops before 

 Raglan, on the 3rd of June, 1646, summoned the garrison to surrender ; but the 

 veteran Marquis refused to yield without the consent of the king. On the 7th of 

 August, Sir Thomas Fairfax arrived from Bath, to undertake the siege in person, 

 making his residence at Cefntilla, a garrisoned farm-house, about three miles 

 distant from Eaglan. Several communications afterwards passed between the 

 Marquis and Sir Thomas, but no treaty was entered into. On the 14th August, 

 1646, Sir Thomas ordered a new approach, which Captain Hooper, the engineer, 

 proceeded to throw up. The Marquis' case now became desperate ; his garrison, 

 which first consisted of eight hundred men, had been reduced to half that number, 

 and a breach having been made in the walls immediately adjoining the Closet 

 Tower, a final treaty was agreed upon, which took place on the 15th August, 

 and on the 17th the treaty was concluded and signed. On the 19th the castle 

 was surrendered to the Parliamentary general." 



Fortunately there are e.xtant so many documents relating to the events 

 terminating in the surrender of the castle by the firEC Marquis as to form a 



