140 



Abridgement of the History of the 



MONUMENT. 



county of Wilts. This nobleman, the son of Guncelin de Badles- 

 mere, a notorious rebel against King Henry III., but afterwards 

 Justice of Chester, and a faithful follower of Edward I. attained 

 through the favour of Edward II. of Carnarvon to such great 

 honour and wealth as to have been styled by his contemporaries 

 " the rich Lord Badlesmere of Leedes," the castle of that name in 

 Kent having been granted to him by the King in fee. In 1321, 

 however, being jealous of the new royal favourites the Despensers, 

 he joined the league of the barons, headed by the Earl of Lancaster, 

 in their endeavours to restrain the extravagances of the king. 

 Thereupon the Queen Isabella, under pretence of a pilgrimage to 

 Canterbury, seems to have attempted a surprise on the Castle of 

 Leedes, but was refused admittance by the Lady Margaret de Clare, 

 wife of Lord Badlesmere. Incensed at this, and probably only 

 wishing for some such excuse, the king laid siege to the castle, 

 which though gallantly defended by its Lady Castellan, was 



