A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



King's life, 1 the credit of recognizing the value of the work done by his 

 predecessor, and of developing and defending the policy he had initiated, 

 must be ascribed to King Henry. The military measures taken by the 

 vassal contrast strangely with the defensive precautions of the sovereigns 

 while the district remained in their hands. Ranulf Meschin was con- 

 tent with entrenching himself forty miles away from the frontier and 

 leaving its protection to his sub-feudatories, but as soon as King Henry 

 relieved him of his charge he revived the policy of King William by 

 making Carlisle the key of the military situation as well as the political 

 centre of the district. The wisdom of the Norman kings was amply 

 justified by subsequent history. The castle of Carlisle continued for five 

 centuries the true defence of England on the western border. 



The political allegiance of Cumberland was diverted into a new 

 channel after the death of Henry I., when the district was ceded to 

 Scotland in 1136 as the price of Stephen's usurpation. 8 The change of 

 government, though not regarded with repugnance by the inhabitants, 

 was the occasion of unrest and insecurity while it lasted. King David 

 took up his residence in Carlisle with the view perhaps of making it 

 ultimately the southern capital of his dominion, and for the purpose of 

 adding to its defences he built the mighty keep (fortissimam arcem) of 

 the castle and heightened the walls of the city. 3 The Cumberland men 

 fought by David's side at the battle of the Standard in 1 138, and it was 

 to Carlisle the army retreated after its defeat.* On this occasion a 

 memorable attempt was made to mitigate the horrors of warfare. It 

 was arranged by the terms of the peace established between David and 

 Stephen that all women taken prisoners by the Scots should be brought 

 to Carlisle and set at liberty, churches should thenceforth be secure from 

 attack, and children and women, the sick and aged, should be spared. 5 

 Though the Scottish king had little to fear from the distrust in which 

 he was held by Stephen, his title to the sovereignty of Cumberland was 

 menaced on more than one occasion by Ranulf, Earl of Chester, a fickle 

 and restless nobleman, who claimed the territory by right of inheritance. 



i Freeman, William Rufus, i. 313 ; Norm. Conquest, v. 117-8. 



Chron. Sieph. Hen. II. Ric. I. (Rolls Series), iii. 146. 



8 Mr. George Neilson was the first to throw doubt on the accepted view that the keep of Carlisle 

 was built by William Rufus in 1092. After a critical examination of the evidences, he has come to the 

 conclusion that it was the work of King David about 1 1 39. The argument is based on the positive state- 

 ment in the ' Cronica Beate Marie Huntingdon ' (Palgrave, Documents and Records, 103), a statement re- 

 peated by Bower (Scoticbronifon, i. 294, ed. Goodall), that David built the fortissimam arcem of Carlisle 

 (Notes and Queries, 8th series, viii. No. 200). If that be the case it is curious that Jordan Fantosme should 

 speak of it in 1174 as ' the great old tower ' (la grant tur antive) from which William the Lion threatened 

 to throw Robert de Vaux unless he surrendered the city (Chronicle [Surtees Soc.], 11. 614-5). 



Prior Richard of Hexham distinguishes between the Picts, Cumbrians and the men of Carlisle 

 and the adjoining district who were summoned to join David's army on his invasion of the territory of 

 St. Cuthbert (Priory of Hexham [Surtees Soc.], i. 85). Aelred relates that the Cumbrians were under the 

 command of Henry, Prince of Scotland, at the battle of the Standard, and that he behaved with valour 

 and skill throughout the fight (Twysden, Decem Scriptores, 342). The Continuator of Florence (in anno, 

 1138) says that the prince reached Carlisle on foot attended by a single knight. The chronicles generally 

 agree that the defeat of the Scottish army was disastrous, many having been slain in segetibus et silvis in 

 the rout which followed the battle (Henry of Huntingdon [Rolls], 264 ; Hemingburgh [Eng. Hist. Soc.], i. 

 61-2). To the numbers of the slain the Cumbrians contributed their share (Priory of Hexham, i. 93). 



Richard of Hexham (Rolls Series), 170-1 ; Priory of Hexham (Surtees Soc.), i. 99-100. 



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