Review of Waylen’s History of Marlborough. 121 
gives copious examples. On the death of Henry III. Marlborough 
Castle became part of the dowry of his widow Queen Eleanor, 
who resided in the neighbouring nunnery of Amesbury, and on 
her death was conferred by Edward I. on his own Queen. On the 
accession of Edward II., he deprived his mother of it, and bestowed 
it, together with other vast estates, on the all-powerful favourite 
Hugh le Despencer, in the year 1308. On the fall of the 
Despencers, Queen Isabel obtained it, and, inthe reign of Edward IIL., 
it was held likewise for the Queen Joanna (of Scotland, Edward’s 
sister), by a succession of wardens. Richard II. granted it to his 
faithful follower Sir William Scrope, K.G., created at the same 
time Earl of Wiltshire, on whose execution in 1399, it reverted 
again to the Crown. In the time of Henry V. Sir Walter Hun- 
gerford, of Farleigh Castle, received the profits of the town and 
castle, which in the subsequent reign were held by Humphrey, 
Duke of Gloucester, known as the good Duke. By this time it 
seems probable that the castle had been dismantled, being no longer 
mentioned as a fortress, although still used as a principal residence 
by the Seymours, into whose hands it ultimately passed by grant 
from the Crown to the Duke of Somerset, temp. Edw. VI. In that 
family it descended by inheritance, together with the Barony of 
Seymour of Trowbridge, until, in the year 1779, it was purchased by 
its present noble owner the Marquis of Ailesbury, who was already 
possessed of the rangership of the adjoining forest of Savernak, and 
the estates of Tottenham, Wolfhall, &c., by inheritance from 
Elizabeth sister and heir of the third Duke. 
The Borough of Marlborough existed, no doubt, as a self-governed 
municipality from the Saxon, or indeed, probably, the Roman 
period. But its earliest written charter was granted by John. It 
possessed the usual Court Leet, Mayor’s Court, and other municipal 
privileges, with a special court, called Morrow Speech Court, held 
four times in the year, at which the mayors and burgesses were 
chosen. The first charter of incorporation was granted by Queen 
Elizabeth. It seems to have returned two members to Parliament 
from the earliest period ; at all events from the time of Henry IIT. 
R 
