the eleventh century, Ethelfleda's borough was called Oldbury; so, in the thirteenth century, the site of Ethelfleda's castle was called "the Old Castle." The borough had become a mere hamlet, and the castle a mere name, but the sometime existence of both was preserved in the nomenclature of the district. The wonder is that the proximity of Bridgnorth had not utterly effaced every vestige of the older foundation.

In the year 917, Ethelfleda is said to have completed a town at a place called Cyricbyrig. It is probable that Chirbury, in Shropshire, was the locality; but, as no castle was associated with the foundation, it does not fall within our present scope.

When Domesday was compiled, the Norman ascendency had been established in Shropshire more than twelve years; nevertheless there were as yet only four Norman castles in the county. Of two of these, namely, Montgomery and Oswestry, as being Border castles, we will speak in the sequel. Earl Roger de Montgomery had himself founded a third castle at Shrewsbury. The only feature of this foundation, recorded in Domesday, is that fifty-one Saxon Burgages were swept away to make room for it. The fourth Domesday Castle was that of Stanton, founded by Helgot, one of Earl Roger's barons, and afterwards called Castle Holgate with reference to its founder. Quatford, it may be observed, is not to be reckoned among the Domesday Castles of Shropshire, simply because that record describes it only as a new residence (nova domus) constructed by Earl Roger. There is, however, some probability that, within ten years after Domesday, this hunting-lodge of the earl assumed somewhat more of a castellated character.

The reign of William Rufus found a great Shropshire baron twice in rebellion. This was Roger de Lacy of Ludlow; and Ludlow Castle was probably built by him while meditating one or other of his conspiracies.

The accession of Henry I provoked the treason of Robert de Belesme, the last Norman Earl of Shrewsbury. The first symptom of the earl's designs was the hurried construction of two castles, one at Bridgnorth, the other at Carrechova, on the Welsh Border. The earl's defeat and forfeiture in 1102 did not cause the destruction of these two castles. Both were thenceforth garrisoned for the crown as holding the palatinate of Shropshire by escheat; and the custody of Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth Castles was ever afterwards, except on some particular emergency, assigned to the Sheriff of Shropshire, as representing the king.

Still keeping aloof from the border, we now come to a question as to when certain inland castles were founded by the several barons of Shropshire. The doubt lies between the reigns of Henry I and of Stephen, but analogy suggests that the latter reign, as being most disturbed, was most likely to be prolific of such foundations. In one or other of these reigns Cleobury Castle was founded by the Mortimers,

Castle Pulverbatch by the descendants of Roger Venator, and Wem Castle by one of the Pantulfs. Among king Henry II's earliest exploits, was a successful siege of Bridgnorth Castle and the destruction of that of Cleobury. To the reign of Henry II and to his connexion with the family of Clifford, we may further ascribe the foundation of Corfham Castle by the father of Fair Rosamond. After this it does not seem probable that the castles of Shropshire were increased in number till the reign of Henry III. Then Henry de Audley, a staunch and active servant of the crown, dispensing with the prestige of a Domesday descent, and overcoming the prejudices and disqualifications which attached to a new man, purchased the manor of Weston with the license of the crown, and founded thereon the fortress afterwards known as Red Castle. The reign of Edward I presented a still newer feature in the history of castle building. Castle Holgate, then in the hands of the Chancellor Burnell, was suffered to go to ruin, and in lieu thereof we find the chancellor inaugurating a castellated mansion in his own native village of Acton Burnell. Cedant arma toga was the principle of the age, and an English parliament held its session in the recently built halls of Acton Burnell. The same reign shows a third influence coming into operation, an influence which in after times was to affect the destinies of England more powerfully than either the toga or the sword. The moated manor-house, now known as Stokesay Castle, was founded in the year 1291, and represents the advance of mercantile genius. Its founder, Lawrence de Ludlow, had made a fortune by successful trading in the town from which he took his name, and had purchased Stokesay manor from its former lords. The character of King Edward II for favouritism has its reflex in the next phase of our subject. Charlton Castle, built in 1316, was the work of the first Lord Charlton of Powys, a man of humble origin, but who owed his great advancement to an early friendship with the weakest, though not the most fickle, of the Plantagenets. Nor was the family thus favoured by his father afterwards neglected by King Edward III. One of the earliest records of that king's reign is a license to Alan de Cherlton to crenellate or embattle the two manorhouses of Apley (now Apley Castle) and Withyford.

Besides the castles and mansions above noticed, there were some others whose pretensions were small, and some whose æra is very uncertain. The Fitz-Alans had a castle at Wroxeter, the Stranges had one at Cheswardine. Moreton Toret, or (as it is now called) Moreton Corbet, had a castle as early as the year 1215, when, in consequence of Bertram Toret's disloyalty, the said castle had been seized upon by King John, and consigned to the keeping of Thomas de Erdinton. In the following year, the king appoints Engeram de Pratellis to a like trust. Tirley castle was founded by Ralph le Botyler, Baron of Wem, but was left incomplete at his death in 1281. Longnorunder-Caradoc was a mansion of some strength in the time of Henry III, and a dilapidated

tower at Brace Meole, sometime a residence of the Cantilupes, was standing in Edward I's reign.

On the whole, we may observe that the period which gave birth to the above-named castles, was the period when the contest for power lay chiefly between the crown and the aristocracy. The people only appeared upon the stage in the shape of a few fortunate individuals, who attained a position by great diplomatic talents, or by mercantile success, and who devoted part of their wealth to the purchase of aristocratic privileges. Also, we may remark, that it was the obvious policy of the crown to suppress any multiplication of castles, except on a hostile frontier, and to keep the stronger ones in its own hands. This policy was neglected in very few instances, viz., at periods when turbulent nobles were too numerous or too powerful to be controlled, or when it was a matter of policy to strengthen the local influence of a trusted royalist.

We now turn to those border castles which guarded the western frontier of Shropshire against the inroads of the Welsh, or which secured facilities for initiatory or retaliative hostilities on the part of the English. These castles may be classified in a kind of double series. The outer, and more westernly chain, commenced with Overton at the north, and was made up of such links as Chirk, Whittington, Oswestry, Knockyn, Kinnerley, Carrechova, Alberbury, Wattlesborough, Caus, Montgomery, Snead, Bishop's Castle, Clun, Knighton, Norton, and Stapleton-in-Legharness. The inner, or eastern, chain, consisted of the castles of Whitchurch, Ellesmere, Middle, Ruyton, Shrawardine, Stretton, and Brampton Bryan.

Of the twenty-four castles, which we thus classify as border-castles, only two existed at Domesday. One of these, Montgomery, had been built by Earl Roger himself. The other, called "Castle Luure" in the Record, had been built, in the manor of Maesbury, by Rainald, the second Norman sheriff of Shropshire. It is probable that Maesbury Manor involved at that period the site of Oswestry, and Oswestry castle was in all essential particulars the after-representative of " Castle Luure."

The castles of Overton, Chirk, Whittington, Carrechova, Caus, Bishop's Castle, Clun, Whitchurch, Ellesmere, Shrawardine, and Stretton, are, with more or less certainty, deemed to be as old as the reign of Henry I. The rest are probably later, but little can be said about their respective æras, except that Knockyn was founded by Guy le Strange in Henry II's reign, and that none of them, except, perhaps, Middle, can be supposed to have been built after the conquest of Wales by Edward I.

Having now taken a synoptical view of the æras and circumstances which gave birth to each class of Shropshire castles, it remains that we add such further particulars about some of them as have reached us and seem worthy of recital.

SHREWSBURY CASTLE, built by Earl Roger de Montgomery, about 1080, was

fortified by Earl Robert against the crown in 1102, but was surrendered to Henry I in the same year. In 1138 it was held for a time against the arms of Stephen, by William Fitz-Alan, a supporter of the empress Maud, and at that time sheriff of Shropshire. Stephen eventually took it by assault, and put Fitz-Alan's Castellan and relation, Arnulf de Hesding, to death. The Welsh, under Llewellyn the Great, marched upon and took the town of Shrewsbury in 1215. There is no evidence that they gained possession of the castle. For the next three reigns (being the limit of these remarks) Shrewsbury Castle was continuously held for the crown by the contemporary sheriffs of Shropshire. Part of its garrison was permanent, and was provided for out of the revenues which passed through the sheriff's hands. Except the manor of Leaton, no other estate in Shropshire owed service of castle-guard at Shrewsbury. In great emergencies a full garrison was provided by special direction of the crown.

BRIDGNORTH CASTLE, built by Earl Robert de Belesme, in 1100-1, was surrendered to the arms of Henry I in 1102. Hugh de Mortimer, probably relying on some antiquated title which he had to the seneschalcy of Shropshire, held Bridgnorth Castle against the crown in 1155, but soon surrendered it. It was forthwith garrisoned by Henry II, and was held by the contemporary sheriffs, in the same manner, and for the same period, as have been indicated under Shrewsbury. Occasionally, however, a special constable, other than the sheriff, was appointed by the crown to the custody of Bridgnorth Castle. The Lord of Quat Jarvis and the tenants of Worfield, so long as Worfield was a royal manor, were liable to do ward at Bridgnorth Castle; but this provision only extended to a time of war, and was far from being equivalent to a full garrison. Bridgnorth Castle was frequently visited by its royal owners in person, but rather as a halting-place than a residence.

CASTLE HOLGATE, the foundation of which has been spoken of above, was visited by King Henry I in 1109; and his viceroy, Richard de Belmeis, held a great court there about six years later. In the reign of Richard I it passed to the Mauduits of Warminster, as collateral heirs of Helgot's barony. The Mauduits sold it in Henry III's time to the king's brother, Richard Plantagenet, titular king of the Romans. Under him the Knights Templars held it for a season, but the said Richard at length conveyed it to Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells, and Chancellor of England. It continued to be the nominal Caput of Burnell's barony, till that dignity fell into abeyance.

QUATFORD CASTLE, at first a mere hunting-lodge, would seem, from the present appearance of its site, to have been considerably strengthened during the latter part of its brief existence. It was probably never used as a feudal residence after the foundation of Bridgnorth by Earl Robert de Belesme.

LUDLOW CASTLE has been already concluded to have been built and forfeited by

Roger de Lacy in the reign of William Rufus.

Hugh de Lacy, brother of Roger, obtained general livery of his estates; but a second escheat of the barony of Lacy took place, from unknown causes, in the reign of Henry I. Ludlow was then given to Pain Fitz-John, sheriff of Shropshire. Pain Fitz-John was slain in a Welsh foray in 1136, the first year of Stephen's usurpation. It was probably Stephen who conferred Ludlow on Joceas de Dynan; but, if so, the latter soon rebelled against his benefactor. In 1139 Stephen made an unsuccessful attack on Ludlow Castle, and Joceas de Dynan seems to have held it on behalf of the empress during the whole period of the usurpation. On Henry II's accession Ludlow was undoubtedly restored to Gilbert, the right heir of the Lacys. In 1264 Ludlow was in the hands of Geoffrey de Genevill as husband of Matilda, the eldest co-heir of the Lacys. Genevill was a royalist, and Ludlow Castle is said to have been taken by the Earl of Leicester. This was late in the year 1264, or early in the year 1265; but the fortress was recovered by the royalists soon after Prince Edward's escape from Hereford and before the battle of Evesham. The heiress of the Genevills carried Ludlow to her husband, Roger de Mortimer, Earl of March. Ludlow Castle soon eclipsed Wigmore as the caput of Mortimer's fief, and became still more famous in its later day as the place where the Lords of the Marches held the court of their peculiar jurisdiction.

OVERTON CASTLE, now in Flintshire, was anciently deemed to be in the Walcheria of Shropshire. It was one of the four castles which William Peverel of Dover armed against the Usurper Stephen, in the year 1138. William Peverel probably inherited it from one of his uncles, both of whom had been high in the favour and confidence of Henry I. The original nature of Peverel's title to the estate it is vain to conjecture.

In 1160 Overton Castle was garrisoned by King Henry II, its castellan being Roger de Powis, a person of Welsh extraction, but who was probably akin to the Peverels, and who certainly was in the continuous service and pay of Henry II. In Richard I's time Overton was held, perhaps under the English crown, by Owen son of Griffin de Bromfield; but Wyon, a nephew of Roger de Powis, seems to have had a claim, antagonistic or concurrent, to the manor. Both Wyon de Powis and Owen ap Griffin made grants therein to Combermere Abbey. In the year 1200, King John confirmed Overton to Wrannoch and Wenunwin, two grandsons of Roger de Powis, but the grant seems to have been ineffectual. Overton apparently remained with the Princes of Powis Vadoc, but whether these princes were assumed to hold it under the English crown, or in right of conquest, there is no evidence.

CHIRK CASTLE, now in Denbighshire, was sometime in the hands of King Henry II. The sheriff of Shropshire, in the years 1165 and 1166, charges the king with sundry expenses connected with the custody thereof. Again, in the reign of John and the year