A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



to the dean was, however, shortly afterwards annulled. 81 

 In the intrigues of Stephen's reign the castle played a 

 part of some importance, and it i) probable that the 

 masonry keep had been built by this time. From its 

 position on the main road from London to Saffron 

 Walden it cut the communication between those 

 places for Geoffrey de Mandevitle Ear! of Essex. 

 The possession of the castle was therefore an import- 

 ant object to the earl and formed part of the price 

 demanded by him from the Empress Maud for his 

 support. By her charter of 114.1 or 11+2 she pro- 

 mised that if she could acquire the castle from the 

 bishop of London by exchange she would grant it to 

 him, but if she was unable to do this she would 

 destroy it. 83 In the quickly changing events of the 



to leave the country ; his property was seized by the 

 king, who in mi dismantled the castle.* 4 The 

 next year the king was excommunicated. After his 

 submission in May 1213 he restored the lands of the 

 bishopric and in July of that year gave the bishop 

 leave to rebuild the castle. M The bishop, however, 

 was in a strong enough position to demand compen- 

 sation, and a few months later obtained from the 

 king an acknowledgement that he was bound to repair 

 the castle and restore it to its former strength. M 

 Rather more than a century after the rebuilding, 

 licence was obtained by Ralph Stratford, then Bishop 

 of London, to crenellate the castle and tower. " 



There seems little evidence that the bishops ever 

 used the castle as a residence. Stephen de Gravesend, 



Probable Outer Ln»E or Wall 



'LLL 



10 



=1= 



20 



JL 



TO 60 70 



1 ' —^4— 



80 



Scale of Feet 



Bishop's Stortpori 



reign, however, neither the promise nor the threat 

 was carried out. In 1189 the temporalities of the 

 bishopric were in the king's hands, and c 



Bishop of London, died at Stortford in 1 3 3R, bnt 

 death took place at the rector's house.* 8 There 1 

 ,.- however, a chapel in the castle, and a chantry 

 Roll for that year is entered a payment to the founded thi 

 custodian and porter of the castle. 83 Willi 

 St. Mere 1'Eglise, who held the see of Lond. 

 reign of John, w: 

 the interdict in 



by Ralph Bishop of London i„ . 3 



de The provost and chaplains had a plot of land in the 



igned them on which to build a dwelling- 



e to and exit 



e of the bishops who published house and licence for free 

 . consequently obliged from the castle. 81 



el Ralph de Dketo, Opera (Rolls Ser.}, but the other dale it probably the correct 



'' 1 J - one (WaliinFriam, Tpodtvma Ntuitriar 



»R...^JtM.», 1 ,,,,„. [Holism ],,',,). £„3^i£" Z 



' "Vk ']•"'■ • Tht «*"T™« "Mldine 'I Un —mm 



The dale ,. Elvea „ 12I , in ([ne word UK j, refrr , probab]y to , he 



•* Rot. Lit. P a ,.(R ec . Com.), 101. See 

 Dote S4. M j),;^ 114 _ 



a Cat. Pat. 134.5-8, P . 61. 



68 Chron. of Rtip,, „/ Ed-w. 1 mi 

 Ed-w. I! (Roll, Scr.), i, 367. A iynod 

 wai held at Stortford e. 1 1 to (Cart, of 

 Ctlihttir [Roiburghe Club]), 174. 



* Cat. Pa,. 1350-4, P . 324. 



