A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



Soureby (Castlesowerby) and Carlatton, and 60 of land in the manor 

 of Penrith with all liberties and free customs as contained in the chiro- 

 graph made in the presence of Cardinal Otho at York, the said lands 

 to be held by the render of a sore goshawk yearly at Michaelmas at 

 Carlisle. It was stipulated that the advowsons of the churches with a 

 certain lime-kiln (rogo) in Castlesowerby should remain to the King of 

 England. 1 Thus was the long controversy between the two kingdoms 

 brought to a happy close. The King of Scotland, in compensation for 

 the surrender of his hereditary rights to the northern counties and some 

 other claims, received 200 f l an d in Cumberland, for which he did 

 homage and fealty, and paid an annual acknowledgment. 2 Perhaps 

 no better evidence can be adduced to show how the good understanding 

 affected the peace of the county than the condition of Carlisle Castle as 

 it existed in 1255. The keep was in decay, the walls in a bad state, 

 and the joists and planking broken and rotten. Maunsell's turret, and 

 the turret of William de Ireby, as well as the turret beyond the inner 

 gate, which were levelled in the war in the time of King John, were 

 never after restored or repaired ; a great part of the paling (paliciarum) 

 within and without the castle was likewise burned and destroyed. 3 

 There was no pressure from without to necessitate elaborate defences ; 

 the county had entered on an era of almost unbroken peace and of 

 steady progress and prosperity. 



There can be little doubt that the agreement between the monarchs 

 in 1 242 cleared the way for the settlement of many outstanding differ- 

 ences between their subjects on both sides of the frontier. A specific 

 complaint in 1248,* that the ancient laws and customs of the marches 

 of the two kingdoms were not so well observed as formerly, was made 

 the occasion of an inquiry for ascertaining what these laws and customs 

 were, and for enforcing their observance. As a sequel to this pre- 

 liminary investigation a convention was held on 14 April 1249, an( ^ a 

 jury of twenty-four knights, after formal and exhaustive inquiry, framed 

 and adopted the famous Border code called the Leges Marchiarum or 



1 Chart, 26 Hen. III. m. 5. The advowson of the church of Salkeld was in dispute between the 

 Bishop of Carlisle and the King of Scotland in 1262 (Close, 46 Hen. III. m. I2d ; Rymer, Fcedera, i. 417). 



" Alexander II. was not regular in his payment of a hawk annually to the king for his Cumberland 

 manors according to the agreement, for he was five years in arrear in 1248 (Close, 32 Hen. III. m. 6). 

 The manor of Castlesowerby, lying within the forest of Inglewood, was assigned in 1257 by Alexander III. 

 to his consort Queen Margaret for her chamber (ad cameram mam), with liberty to improve and assart the 

 wastes thereof (Pat. 41 Hen. III. m. 10 ; Close, 41 Hen. III. m. 5 ; Pat. 47 Hen. III. m. 15). 



3 This very interesting report on the condition of Carlisle Castle about 1257 has been printed in 

 Royal and Hist. Letters (Rolls Series), ii. 124-5. The names of the knights of the county who made the 

 inspection were Thomas de Lascelis, William de Derewentewater, Robert de Castelkayrok, and Alan de 

 Orreton. 



4 The complaint was made by the King of Scotland by reason of injustice done to Nicholas de Sules 

 against the laws of the March. Under authority of a writ of Henry III., inquiry was made on the March 

 by twelve knights, six from either side, according to ancient March law and custom, who said that Nicholas 

 de Sules had been injured by being impleaded elsewhere than at the March, although he held land in 

 England ; for no one of either kingdom, although holding lands in both, was liable by March law to be 

 impleaded anywhere but at the March for any deed by his men dwelling in England done in Scotland, or 

 for any deed by his men dwelling in Scotland done in England (Inq. p.m. 33 Hen. III. No. 65). The in- 

 quest has been printed by Mr. Bain in Cal. Scot. Documents, i. 559-60. See also Inq. p.m. 8 Edw. I. No. 81. 



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