4Sf 



The Aniiqusry. 



|'De<-. 1, 



THE ANTIQUARY. 

 KO. xr. 



KEXILWOHTH CASTLE. 



AMONG the -.-uined ftrudures which 

 form a valuable comment, not only 

 ©u the difpofmon, but the hiftory of oi>r 

 sncient fortrefl'es, is the Caitle of Keiiil- 

 ■»i;orth near Warwick ; famed in the mid- 

 dle centuries for its fircngth; and at a 

 later period, as the laft fcene of that 

 heroic galiantry fo confpicuous in the 

 aanals of Elizabeth. 



Sir Williara Da^^d^ile fays, that Kenil- 

 %'orth had a caftle previous to the Con- 

 qneft. Bfit it appears to have (lood in a 

 diherent fituation from the prefc nt, and 

 fo iiave been demolifliod in the wars be- 

 tween rdmiind and Canute. We have 

 t!.) notice of fuch a (Irutture in the 

 Domefday Survey. 



The nevi' brildini; was erected foon 

 afier 1100, by GeTroy tie Clinton, trea- 

 fartr snd rhaniberlain t( Henry 1., who 

 alio founded the prioi-y ; but it was of 

 fiich uncommon fiic'igth and extent that 

 it did not long continue wth his faiuilj. 

 Accordni" to the nipe-roUs, fo early as 

 llGo the iheritf accounted to the noun 

 for the profit of the par!< ; and ci^lit 

 years after, in the 10th of Ilonry 11., wc 

 ♦iufl it poifcfted and jrarnfoned by the 

 Kins, durinc; the unnatural rebellion of 

 his Ions. Tlie following were the ftores 

 laid ill : 



100 qu.ii tors of bread corn - 8 8 2 

 20 quarters of barlev - - 1 i:! 4 

 100 hoj.s ---'..^fioo 

 40 co.vs faked .---400 

 I'Ochei-fes ----- 2 .'5 

 2o quarters of fiilt - - - 1 ]0 

 Geiirey de Ciinton, the fon, from a 

 deed in one of the Priory Kegifters, feen;s 

 afierwaid to have recovered the poffef- 

 fion of it ; though he did not hold it 

 fcven years: for in the anli of Henry 

 11., 1181, we lind the iluritf again ac- 

 counting to the king for tlie ward of ir. 

 Kent alfo was paid by divers perfons 

 V. ho hvcd within it, as Sir William Dug- 

 dale fuppol'es, for the I'afety both of 

 thcmfolvcs and of then- goods in thofe 

 turbulent and licentious times Still, 

 liouovcr, the poffeifion of it does 

 not teem to have been entirely veiled 

 in the crown, as in the becinning of 

 John's reign llem-y dc Clinton, the 

 grandl()n of the founder, rclcafcd to the 

 king all his right in it, as welJ as in the 

 woods and pools about it. After this 

 tune we lind confiderable fnms l-.iid out 

 in repairing, exlendiuc:, and improving 

 the tortilications ; and the akcrations 



which Tvere made in the ^eih of Henry 

 III., 131'J, are exprefsly enumerated. 

 The chapel was ceiled, wainfcotted, and 

 adorned with painting; handfouie feat* 

 made for the king and c|iicen ; the bell- 

 tower repaired ; the queen's chamber 

 enlarged and painted ; and the wails r.i» 

 the foiith iide, next the pool, entirely 

 rebuilt. The fame year, Gilbert de Se- 

 grave was made governor during the 

 royal pkafure ; but under terms which 

 implied fome fear of foreign enemies. 

 Soon after this, however, the king be- 

 flowed it upon Shnon de Moniefort, 

 Earl of Leiccfier, and Floanor his wife, 

 during their lives. This earl, taking 

 part with the rebelliotis barons, was (lain, 

 with his eldeft fon, at the battle of Eve- 

 iham, Auguft 4, 1205 ; but his cafile 

 of Kenjlworth held out agaftift the royal 

 forces tor fix months. '1 he works ivere 

 defended with coniiderabie refolution, 

 and the beliegcrs afiailcd with ilones of 

 great weight from military engines, which, 

 added to frequent faliies, occalioned 

 Henry to change the (iejje into a block- 

 ade ; till, tireii of wadmg tinte before 

 it, he refolved to take it by ftoiinti. But, 

 in the meanwhile, famine and difeafe 

 determined Henry de liallings, who 

 commanded it, to funender on condi-» 

 tions. It was during the blockade that 

 flicking, having aflTcuibled a parliament, 

 made tlie Jiiftum de Kvnihrorth, found 

 among our old ftututes. After the fiege, 

 the king bellowed the caftle on his fon 

 Edmund, granting him free chafe and 

 warren in all his demefne lands and 

 woods belonging to it ; with a wecklj 

 market and an annual fair. 



In the reign of Edward I. we fin4 

 Kenihvorlh remarkable for different 

 icenes. Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, 

 with a gallant alVembly of an hundred 

 knights and as many ladies, held a round 

 table here, diverting theml'elves witlv 

 tournaments and other feats of chivalry. 

 In the 15th of Edward II., by the at-, 

 tainder of Thomas Earl of Lancafier, 

 the caftle ugain efcheated to the crown; 

 and foon after became the prifon of the 

 kins:. Edward, having been depofed by 

 his queen, and taken prifoner in Wales, 

 was brought hithert, where he made the 

 refignation of his crown ; whence being 

 removed in the night by his keepers, .Sir 

 .lohn Maltravers and Sir Thomas Berke- 

 ley, to Berkelty caitle, he was murdeicd. 

 In the loth of Edward lll.'s reign, 

 Henry, the brother of the Earl of Lau- 

 caftcr, had his eitates, and among them 

 thi- cuille, rcfiiircd. On a partition, it 

 'lifu-Tw aids 



