The history of Hertfordshire ; describing the county and its antient monuments, particularly the Roman / With the character of those that have been the chief possessors the the lands. And an account of the most memorable occurences. By N. Salmon.

  • Salmon, N. (Nathanael), 1675-1742.
Date:
1728
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of Hertfordshire ; describing the county and its antient monuments, particularly the Roman / With the character of those that have been the chief possessors the the lands. And an account of the most memorable occurences. By N. Salmon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I S H OP S S N London Diocefe, and Braughing Hundred, ftands upon the Stort, from whence it hath its Name. It hath Eft ex on the Eaft, Hadharn on the North, and Thor ley on the South Weft, at the Diftance of 27 computed Miles from London. The Conqueror, according to Domefday, gave this Town and Caftle to Maurice Bifhop of London. And if he did, it was no more than he had taken from that See : For the fame Record acknowledged that the Ma¬ nor was in fair Eddeva, and that William Bifhop of London (who was the next but one before Maurice') bought it of her. Yet it was more ftriCUy a Gift than the Grants to his Military Men, if John Earl War¬ ren' s Plea was good in the Time of Henry III. for Lands in Warwickshire. He makes it his Anceftor’s Due to fhare in the Lands which they had helped to gain. When the Quo War¬ ranto was brought before Roger Zg>ucb, Chief Juftice, inftead of fhewing any other Title, -produxit in medium Gladium antiquum et eva- ginatum, et ait, Ecce Dominii mei, ecce Warrantum meum. Anteceftores vero mei cum Willielmo Ba¬ ft ar do venientes conquefli funt terras ftuas gladio, et eafdem gladio defendam a quocunque eas occupare volente ; non enirn Rex ter ram per fe devicit et fub- jecit, Jed Progenitores nojiri fuerunt cum eo participes et coadjutores. MS. in Bibl. Bodl. inter Codices Dig. N° 170. f. 17. 6. The Caftle here called Waytemore, feems tp be of greater Antiquity than the Conqueft: There is nothing to fhew it was then built. Probably fome Repairs or additional Works were done by the Conqueror. As the De¬ fence was only its ftanding in moory Ground encompaffed with Water, which might have been drained in a little Time, it doth not look like a Norman Fortification, which were generally of greater Strength, and more ca¬ pacious. Nor does it appear but the Lands in the reft of the Bifhops Manors that paid Caftle- guard in the Conqueror’s Time, and pay it ftill, were liable to it belore. As it ftands within five Miles of the Ermine-ftreet at Braugh¬ ing, which I prefume was the Boundary of Mercia, it might be a Fort of the Eaft Saxons to defend their Borders : Efpecially if we con- fider that the Lands paying Caftle-guard lie between this Place and the Ermine-ftreet. Here might be a Garrifon maintained to op- pofe any fudden Inroads of the Enemy, and to fecure the Goods of the Neighbourhood of greateft Value, till a Force could be affem- bled to march againft them. The Hill or Keep is artificial, made of Earth carried thi¬ ther, with a Breaftwork at Top of Stones and Mortar. A Bank of Earth leads from it through the moory Ground to the North Eaft. And probably there was a Draw-bridge from TORTFORb, t . # r ' the Keep to the other Buildings, and from them to the prefent Road. There is a large Well from the Top of the Hill yet remains ing. This Caftle muft have been of fome Confequence in the Time of King Stephen, becaufe of the great Defire Geoffrey de Magna* ville had either to be Mafter of it, or to have it pulled down. And Maud the Emprefs had engaged to him to do one or t’other. She would have made an Exchange with the Bifhop of London, and given him fome Equi¬ valent to get it into her Hands, but he re* fufed her, and kept it ftill. Magnaville per** haps envied this Place, as being more popu¬ lous and rich than his Town of Sabndgworth; and thought to draw off fome of the Inhabi¬ tants to live under him. The Caftle feems to have been the Induce* ment for People to fettle here, there being always a Guard and a fecure Place for them to retire to with the beft of their Effetts, In King John's Time, we find the Town of fucft Importance, that he ere&ed it into a Borough* And the Concourfe of Inhabitants may be fuppofed to have been before the Conqueft : For it was (not much above a hundred Years before King John, and no Advantages from the Conqueft any where are mentioned to in* creafe it. The Market Trade could not be great, if there were any here, from the Neigh¬ bourhood of Braughing, Sabridgworth, and Hat- field: And the Road Trade hath been chiefly raifed fince the Ufe of Coaches and Waggons; The ufual Way from Norfolk and Suffolk and Walden was by Braughing, and not here. The Town of Stortford and the Oftle re¬ mained in the Bifhop of London till the 8th of King John, and was by him taken away, and the Caftle demolifhed, for the Offence of Wil¬ liam de St. Maria the Bifhop, who was one of thofe three who executed the Pope’s Inter¬ dict upon England. This IVilliam was one of the hardieft of the Pope’s Creatures in that grand Difpute between him and King John» The Caule was the fame which made the Quarrel between King Henry II. and Becket, the Church’s Power againft the King. The Occafion of this laft was, that the Monks of Canterbury had been prevailed upon by the Pope to chufe Stephen Langton, an Englifhman and a Cardinal, Archbifhop. This they refufed, be¬ caufe, as they urged, they could not eleCfc without Confent of the King. His Holinefs threatened them with Excommunication, up¬ on which they complied. Thefe Monks were then at Rome, whither they went to get the Eleftion of the Bifhop of Norwich confirmed, but chofe Langton, as has been fa id, and re¬ turned. The King was in fuch a Fury* that he fenc two Knights, who by his Order drove the Monks out of their Convent, and made them Z z z leek