266 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
of the lord and his family, or his representative, the magazine, 
stores, well, and chapel. 
It is evident that we have here a fortress of the simplest charac- 
ter, and therefore of great interest, as I think it shows that the 
Norman did not think it worth while to interfere with what he 
found at Plympton; but, considering that the mound, banks, and 
ditches, might be made available for the altered nature of the 
fortification, simply placed his stone walls—probably, as no traces 
remain, slight in their character—upon the earthen rampart, and 
thus completed his Castle. Indeed, it seems clear that Plympton 
was a much more important place before the Conquest than it was 
after. 
Richard de Redvers left three sons by Lady Adeliza, daughter 
of William Peverell, of Nottingham—Baldwin, Earl of Devon, 
William, surnamed De Vernon, and Robert, of St. Mary Church ; 
and a daughter, Hawisia, who had married William de Romare, 
Earl of Lincoln.* 
The eldest son succeeded to the Earldom. Like his ancestors, 
Baldwin de Redvers was a warlike, restless, and ambitious man. 
Besides the Earldom and other possessions of his father, he had 
obtained, either by gift or inheritance, the castle of Exeter, styling 
himself in some of his charters, “ Earle of Exeter.” 
Having quarrelled with Stephen (it is said because the king had 
refused him a manor which he had asked for), he declared for 
Matilda, and fortifying his castle at Exeter, bid the king defiance. 
The citizens, peacefully inclined, informed the king of Baldwin’s 
conduct, and invited him to punish the earl. The king, enraged 
at the news, sent an advanced guard of two hundred horse, and 
soon after set out himself with his army. Reaching Exeter, he was 
welcomed by the inhabitants, and immediately laid siege to the 
castle, in which the earl, confident of its strength and of his power, 
had shut himself up with his wife and sons, and a strong garrison 
chosen from the flower of the youth of England, who were bound 
by oath to resist the king to the last extremity. Perhaps the 
energy and ability of Stephen were never so conspicuous as during 
this siege; every device which the military engineering of that 
day afforded was resorted to to reduce the fortress, but without 
success, the besieged repulsing every attack with vigour. Baldwin 
* Pedigree of Redvers, Pitman Jones and Dr. Oliver, “Arch. Journal,’ 
vol.x. Planché, “The Conqueror and his Companions,’ vol. ii. pp. 48, 49, 
