One
of the earliest images of Ruthin Castle - Castell Rhuthun, 1742
Ruthin Castle The West Terrace
An account by Richard Newcome
1829
Ruthin Castle was founded in the
year 1281, by Edward1, King of England, the year before his final success in
the conquest of the Principality, on the death of Llewelyn ab Griffith,
and constituted one of those fortresses erected to over-awe the ancient
British, and secure his attack and possession of their country.
He
bestowed it on Reginald de Grey, son of John de Grey, justiciary of Chester,
together with the lordship of Dyffryn Clwyd, for which homage was done at
Chester in the year 1301, to Edward 11, then Prince of Wales. At the same time
he obtained the lordships of Maesmynan, Penbedw, and Blowite, as dependencies
on the Castle, to which were added the lands of Wenchal, or Gwenllian de
Lacy.
Reginald de Grey was of the house
of Grey de Wilton, and a descendant of one of those Norman adventurers who
arrived in England with William the Conqueror, and were engaged in incessant
aggression on the territories of the Principality, since the subjugation of
England. How well this petty tyrant fulfilled this service, appears from
documents of those times.
FALAISE
ROLL 'Three hundred Knights who
accompanied William the Conqueror onto the
Battlefield - Hastings 1066.’ One of
the names was ANCHETIL de GRAI
Gautier de Lacy
From Falaise Normandie to Ruthin Castle North Wales
|
The Archbishop of Canterbury,
John Peckham, in a true Christian spirit, made a journey into
Wales, to mediate, if possible, between Edward and Llewelyn, to
whom the latter delivered in writing, a long and dismal catalogue of his
complaints. Among these no name occupies so signal a place as that of this
Reginald de Grey. It occurs no less than sixteen times; and he is accused of
introducing new and oppressive customs in the Cantrefs of Rhos, Rhyfoniog,
Dyffryn Clwyd, and Tegaingle, which had been made subject to the jurisdiction
of the justiciary of Chester.
He is also
charged with rapacity, and of abusing the King's power in setting lands to
farm; of depriving officers of places they had purchased, and commissions
granted them by the King; of threatening to imprison any who dared to
complain of his conduct; of refusing justice; of revoking the most just
sentences when they opposed his own interest; of granting land, not his own,
and contrary to the laws of Wales, to the Abbey of Basingwerk (a foundation
of the Norman Earl of Chester); and, finally, of compelling the country
people to plough his land without wages.
In
short:
|
"Dress'd
in a little brief authority,
"Play'd
such oppressive deeds before the sun
"As
make the Angels weep!"
All
this was done contrary to the articles of peace with Llewelyn. The
territories in which this game was played had been conquered by Henry 11, in
1247, resumed by Prince Llewelyn during his final struggle, and recovered by
Edward 1, on terms which were thus tyrannically infringed by Grey.
The
Lords of Ruthin Castle are generally included with those who are denominated
the Lords Marchers of Wales, who enjoyed very extensive powers and
privileges; but whether they really were such seems doubtful. Their origin is
as follows:-
The
Kings of England, finding it difficult to subdue the Principality by one
great array, made arbitrary grants, from time to time, to Lords and other
great men of England, of such districts in Wales as they could win from the
right possessors. Such acquisitions were held to the conquerors and their
heirs for ever, of the kings of England, as lands purchased by conquest.
The
same policy was pursued with respect to the borders or marches of Scotland.
In order to secure their authority, the Lords Marchers were permitted to
assume such prerogatives and authority as were expedient for the quiet
government of their territories; but no charters of these rights were, for
obvious reasons, ever given. As the kings had, of course, no sheriffs to
execute their writs in these parts, the Lords Marchers executed them in their
name, and the Kings permitted this for a time.
The
Lords Marchers also seized on the goods of their tenants who died intestate.
Such infringements on the power of the crowns originated in the nature and
necessity of the case, but being once acquired, were continued to such as
enjoyed them for a great length of time, even after Edward 1. had given laws
to Wales.
No new
Lords Marchers were created after that event; but as the territory of Dyffryn
Clwyd had been acquired immediately by the king himself before that event,
and the building of Ruthin Castle commenced, it is nearly certain that the
powers of a Lord Marcher could never have been exercised by the Lord on whom
this Castle was bestowed.
There
probably was, as Warrington thinks, an ancient Town and Castle at Ruthin
before the present. An ancient MS. is said to give the more ancient Castle
the name of Erw trwm Iwyth, i.e. the Acre with a heavy load
on it, a name descriptive of the building it supported. It probably was a
heavy- looking square or round tower, such as were the Castles in England and
Wales, and Duns in Scotland, built by their ancient inhabitants. They were
rather places of retreat in times of emergency, rather than permanent
residences such as the Norman race erected.
These
more ancient towers, it is thought, sometimes appear in the Norman Castles,
and when this is the case, they must have been adopted into his plan by the
reported founder of the Castle in general. Such was the case, as is said on
good authority, at Criccieth, Hawardon. and many other places. Such tower is
generally included in what is called the Keep, which was the most
impregnable part, and the residence of the Baron, from which circumstance it
derived its name.
|
|
|
Three Kids Gripped By Evil By Polly Mullaney
Amazon Kindle, Amazon paperback
|
No comments:
Post a Comment