ROCHESTER. 



veral eftates in this county hold of Rochefter cattle by the 

 ancient tenure of caitle-guard. On St. Andrew's day, 

 old flyle, a banner is hung out at the houfe of the receiver 

 of rents ; and every tenant who does not then difcharge 

 his arrears, is liable to have his rent doubled, on the return 

 of every tide of the Medway, till the whole is difcharged. 



Rochelter caitle ftands at the fouth-weftern angle of the 

 city, on an eminence riling abruptly from the river Medway, 

 which preferves it from attack on the weft, whilft its fouth, 

 caft, and north fides are defended by a broad and deep ditch. 

 The outward walls, which formed an irregular parellelogram, 

 300 feet in length, were ftrengthened by feveral fquare and 

 round towers ; but thefe, as well as the walls themfelves, are 

 now verging to a ftate of ruin. The molt perfedt are on the 

 ealt fide, and at the fouth-eaft angle ; that at the angle was 

 femicircular, and rofe boldly from the ditch, which is now 

 almolt tilled up. The principal entrance was on the north- 

 eaft, and was defended by a tower-gateway, with outworks 

 at the fides. The keep, or great tower, already mentioned 

 as founded by bilhop Gundulph, occupies the fouth-eaft por- 

 tion of the caftle area. It is of a quadrangular form, 70 feet 

 fquare at the bafe, and is fo planned, that its angles correspond 

 with the four cardinal points ot the compal-. The walls 

 on the outfide are built inclining inwards from trie bale, and in 

 general meafure twelve or thirteen feet thick. Near the cen- 

 tre, on each fide, is a pilalter buttrels, afcending from the bafe 

 to the roof ; and at the angles are projecting towers, three of 

 them fquare, and the fourth femi-circular, wliich rife twelve 

 feet above the roof. The entrance to this part of the caitle 

 was mod difficult and intricate, and difplayed much archi- 

 tectural ingenuity. " The firft afcent was by a flight of 

 twelve fteps, leading to an arched gate and covered way ; 

 beneath which a flight of teven fteps led forward to a draw- 

 bridge, that connected with the arched gateway of the en- 

 trance tower ; this opened into a veltibule, between which 

 and the keep there were no other avenues ot communication 

 than by a third arched pallage in the thicknefs of the wall. 

 This latter, being the immediate inlet to the body of the 

 keep, was defended by a maflive gate and portcullis, the 

 hinges and grooves of which yet remain ; and in the roof' 

 are openings for the purpofe of ihowcring down deftruction 

 nn the affailants." 



The interior of the keep is divided into two nearly equal 

 parts by a ftrong wall, with arched door-ways of communi- 

 cation on each floor. In the centre of this wall is a circular 

 hole for a well of confiderable depth, neatly wrought, and 

 open from the bottom to the very top of the keep. This 

 tower confined of three floors, independent of the bafement 

 ftory ; but thefe floors were removed when the caftle was 

 difmantled in the reign of .Tames I. The lowed apartments 

 were two dark and gloomy rooms, in which the garrifon 

 flores were probably depofited. At the north-ealt angle is 

 a circular winding ilaircafe, which afcends to the fummit ; 

 and near it is a fmall arched doorway, leading to a narrow 

 vaulted apartment underneath the little tower, fuppofed to 

 have been a dungeon for criminals. The firft floor appears 

 to have been allotted for the accommodation of fervant* 

 and inferior attendants ; the (econd floor contained the 

 ftate apartments ; and the third was defigned for a chapel, 

 and for bed-rooms for the family. The roof of the keep is 

 now entirely deflroycd ; but it molt probably confiited of a 

 platform on a level with the top of the wall within the pa- 

 • ; the lattT was about five feet high, and had cmbra- 

 furea about two feet wide. The four towers at the anglct 

 were raifed another dory, and had alfo Imall platforms, with 

 parapets and embrafures. Thefe, as well as the firll-men- 

 1 , commanded a very ex'enfivr view over th' 



whole city, the river Medway, and the adjacent country ; fc 

 that no enemy could approach within the diltance of feveral 

 miles without being diicovered. 



Cathedral and Priory. — The fee of Rochefter, though one 

 of the fmalleft in England, derives confiderable confequence 

 from it-, antiquity, it was eftablifhed, and a church built, 

 as early as the year 600, by Ethelbert, king of Kent ; who, 

 at the fame time, attached to the church a priory for fecular 

 canons, and dedicated it to the honour of St. Andrew. 

 The firft prelate of this fee was Judus, a man of eminent 

 learning and integrity, who had been fent from Rome to 

 affift m the converfion of the Saxons to Chridianity. He 

 was indallid by St. Auguiline, the apoftle of Britain, and 

 firft archbuhop of Canterbury, in the year 604, from which 

 period the epiicopal dignity of Rochefter has been held in fuc- 

 ceflion by ninety-four bilhops, many of whom were eminent 

 for their talents, piety, benevolence, and extenfive acquire- 

 ments. Paulinus, the third bilhop, was reputed a faint, and 

 his memory was held in high ellimation during feveral cen- 

 turies, lthamar, the fourth bilhop, was the firlt Euglifhman 

 who held a prelacy in Britain. Tobias, the ninth bifhop, is 

 highly extolled by Bede, and other writers, for his literary 

 attainment-, and particularly for his intimate knowledge of 

 the Greek, Latin, and Saxon languages. Thefe three pre- 

 lates were all interred in the ancient cathedral,and are the only 

 bilhops known to have been lo honoured of all the twenty-five 

 who prefided previous to the Conqueft. At the era of that 

 event the fee appears to have been fait verging to entire 

 diil'olution ; but its impending fate was foon after arretted 

 by Lanfranc, archbifhop of Canterbury, who raifed Ernoft, 

 a monk of Bee, in Normandy, to the bilhopric, for the 

 avowed purpofe of improving its affairs. That bilhop, how- 

 ever, died in the firft year of his prelacy, and was fucceeded 

 by Gundulph, another monk of Bee, who proved a mod 

 active agent in the re-eitablifhment of the fee. He not only 

 recovered the alienated etlates of the bifliopric, but, pulling 

 down the old cathedral, he erected a fpacious and magni- 

 ficent edifice in its dead. He likewife rebuilt the priory, 

 and placed therein twenty monks of the order of St. Bene- 

 dict, upon whom he beltowed extenfive privileges and 

 pofl'efiions. Gundulph had for his fucceffor Ernulph, abbot 

 ot Peterborough ; who compofed the " Textus Roffenfis," 

 a work replete with information on matters of antiquity. 

 He was likewile diltinguiflied as an architeft, having, befides 

 his works at Canterbury and Peterborough, built the dor- 

 mitory, and refectory, and the chapter-houfe at Rocheder. 

 He was fucceeded by John, archdeacon of Canterbury, in 

 whofe time the monastery was unfortunately deitroyed by 

 fire ; an event which occafioned the temporary difperfion of 

 the monks. On the re-ereftion of the priory, however, they 

 were again colledted, and, through the exertions of bifhop 

 Afcelin, recovered fuch of their polfeflions as had been 

 alienated by the cupidity of his predeceffor, John, a Nor- 

 man bifhop, who had obtained this fee on the death of his 

 namefake above-mentioned. Afcelin's fucceffor was Walter, 

 brother to Theobald, archbifliop of Canterbury, who WES 

 elected by the monks of Rochelter. This bifhop aflilted at 

 the coronation of Henry, eldeft fon of Henry III., on 

 which account he was excommunicated by Thomas a Becket. 

 During his prelacy, the cathedral fultained heavy damages 

 by fire. This bilhop died in 1182, and was fucceeded by 

 bifhop Waleran, who, as well as his fucceffor, Gilbert de 

 Granville, was condantly engaged in litigations with the 

 prior and monks, which were at length fettled by folemn ad- 

 judication in the year 1207 • notwithstanding this, however, 

 the monks thought proper to difplay their hatred to bifhop 

 Granville, by refufing burial to his remain* in the cathedral ; 

 3 C 2 and 



