2:20 



Early Annals of Trowbridge. 



speaking, seems evident from the following facts. It is not men- 

 tioned among' the towns in Wiltshire on which rates were levied 

 in 1108 (14 Henry II.) "to marry the king's daughter" to the 

 Duke of Saxony — (from which union, by the way, is lineally des- 

 cended the present Boyal Family of England) — nor among those 

 from which "aid" was taken in 1187 (33 Hen. II.), by the King's 

 Justices. The towns mentioned as contributing to the former sub- 

 sidy are Chippenham, Melksham, Calne, Malmesbury, Wilton, 

 Salisbury, and Heytesbury ; — in the latter case, we have, in addition 

 to those already named (and with the exception of Heytesbury), 

 Marlborough, Combe, Devizes, Bedwin, and West Combe. 1 



Before we quite leave the subject of the castle at Trowbridge, I 

 may mention that, early in the reign ol Henry VI., a claim was 

 made by William Bous, who was Chamberlain to that King, in 

 virtue of the manor of Imber, to the Constableship of Trowbridge 

 Castle. Thus in a manuscript now lost, but of which we have 

 fortunately a few extracts preserved, we are told, " In the fourth 

 year of the reign of Henry VI. a dispute arose concerning the 

 constableship of Trowbridge Castle between the Duke of Gloucester, 

 and the Bishop of Winchester, Cardinal of England, and others, 

 feoffees to the Duke of Lancaster, of which Duchy Trowbridge was 

 parcel. Bous, Lord of Chaldfield, claimed the same office as appur- 

 tenant to his manor, and was supported by the Duke of Gloucester 

 who brought his servants and foresters from Pewsham and Blackmore 

 forests and defended Bous' possessions at Chaldfield, and the office of 

 constable. The said Duke and Bous went with a great retinue to 

 the parliament at Lincoln, with which the Cardinal was much 

 offended. At length Bous was forced to quit the office, and others 

 placed therein by the Duke of Lancaster ; and though Bous, and 

 after him Trapnell, sued and made great interest for the office, they 

 could never obtain it, notwithstanding they deemed it their 

 inheritance." 8 



It would appear, that Cardinal Beaufort (Bishop of Winchester), 



x Madox, History of the Exchequer, i., 588, 634. 

 2 The whole extract is given in Walker's account of the " Manor House and 

 Church at Great Chalfield," p. 4. 



