DICKERING. 295 



on the eve-day and morrow after the exaltation of 

 the holy cross, at his manor of Pickering ; and left 

 it so privileged to his son and heir, Thomas, earl of 

 Lancaster. He was the leader of those nobles, who 

 in the reign of Edward II. entered into a confede- 

 racy against Piers deGaveston, the favourite of that 

 prince, whom they seized and put to death ; and 

 likewise opposing in the same manner the Spencers, 

 was by the king's forces defeated and taken at Ro- 

 roughbridge, in this county, and afterwards behead- 

 ed at Pontefract, Those estates being thus forfeited 

 came into the possession of the king; and Henry 

 Percy, earl of Northumberland, was made gover- 

 nor of this castle : but king Edward being deposed, 

 Henry, brother and heir to the above Thomas, earl 

 of Lancaster, obtained an act of parliament revers- 

 ing his brother's attainder, and thereupon reposs- 

 essing all his estates and honours. At his death he 

 bequeathed them to his son Henry, who left only 

 two daughters, Maud and Blanch. On the division 

 of his estates, this castle and manor fell to the lat- 

 ter, then wife of John of Gaunt, earl of Richmond, 

 and afterwards, in right of his wife, duke of Lancas- 

 ter ; and was by Henry Bolingbroke, afterwards 

 Henry VI., attached to the crown, and probably 

 annexed by him to the duchy of Lancaster, of which 

 it still forms a part. 



This castle was in the possession of the crown in 

 the reign of Elizabeth. In Peck's Desiderata it is 

 mentioned amongst the royal castles, and has the 

 following officers, steward of the lordship, con- 

 stable of the castle, and master of the game within 



