A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



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London.* 1 Queen Elizabeth stayed at Hertford on 

 several occasions,*" but James I does not seem to have 

 been there, and in the next reign the castle ceased to 

 be a royal one, being included with the manor in the 

 grant to the Earl of Salisbury (see above). 



Gaol delivery for the county took place at Hertford 

 Castle.** 



Down to the end of the I 2th century the constable- 

 ship of the castle seems to have been held by the 

 sheriff of the county. The grant to Peter de Valognes, 

 sheriff under William I, of the ' lordship of Hertford ' 

 was evidently considered later to include the constable- 

 ship, for the enrolment of the charter among the 

 ' cartae antiquae ' is headed ' Charter of Robert 

 Fitz Walter,' w acid it was evidently one of the charters 

 which Robert Fitz Walter (who married Gunnora, the 

 Valognes heir) showed to the king in order to prove 

 his right to the constableship. 31 There is evidence 

 that Geoffrey Fitz Peter, who was sheriff from 1 190 

 to 1197, held the constableship," and he continued 

 to hold it until August 1202, when he received a 

 mandate to deliver the castle to Robert Fitz Walter, 

 who apparently claimed it in right of his wife." 

 In the same year, however, Richard de Montntchet 

 made fine with the king for the custody of the county 

 and of the castle of Hertford. 11 In 12 12 John Fitz 

 Hugh was custodian and in August of that year was 

 ordered to give up the custody to John de Bassing- 

 bourn, leaving behind the wines and other supplies 

 bought with the king's money. 35 During the 

 temporary peace following the signing of Magna 

 Carta Roben Fitz Walter, who had been serving as 

 mirshal of the barons' army, obiained another grant 

 of the custody in succession to John de Basslngbourn.' 6 

 This was in June 1215, but in August of the same 

 year war broke out again, and Robert Fitz Walter 

 went over to France to offer the crown to Louis. 

 The castle had meanwhile been taken by the barons, 

 who held it until 1216 (see above). After its surrender 

 to the king, John appointed Walter de Godarvile, a 



Duri: 



; the n 



constant succession appears 

 ippointment of constables. Before December 

 1 2 2 3 the custody had been held by Falkes de Brcaute ; 

 in that month it was granted to William de Eynw- 

 ford." On 7 January 1 z z+ it was granted to Stephen 

 de Segrave," on z2 January of the same year to 

 Richard de Argentein, the sheriff," who held it until 

 August izz8." At the latter date it was granted to 

 Raymond de Burgh, before 23 January IZ30 to 

 William de Culworth, on that date to Raymond de 

 Burgh again," on 3 July 1230 to William de 

 Culworth, the sheriff,* 1 and on 25 September 1230 to 

 John de Burgh," from whom apparently it passed to 

 Hugh de Burgh, for he in 1232 was ordered to 

 deliver it to Stephen de Segrave." In May 1 234. it 

 was held by Robert Passelewe, who was then super- 

 seded by William de Culworth," sheriff in that year, 

 and he held it until the appointment of the next 

 sheriff, Peter de Tany, in May 1236.*" In 1242 

 Richard de Montntchet was appointed sheriff and 

 custodian of the castle, 10 holding the office until 1246." 

 In 12+7 the king's brother William de Valence had 

 a grant of the custody of the castle and mills," to 

 which the vill was added a few days later" j this was 

 converted into a life grant in iz49. st From this 

 date the castle descended with the vill or manor (q.v.). 

 The LIMEST FEE afterwards the 

 M4N0RS PRIORY MJNOR was the property 

 of Hertford Priory. In 1086 Ralph 

 de Limcsy was holding lands in Hertfordshire and 

 elsewhere which had been held by Earl Harold, and 

 among these apparently was an estate at Hertford 

 appurtenant to the manor of Hatfield Broadoak in 

 Essex." Ralph de Limesy 

 founded the priory of St. Mary 

 of Hertford as a cell to St. 

 Albans and endowed it with 

 a hide of land at Hertford 

 and a church which he had 

 built there. 10 The place where 



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