Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/349

 CAERNARVON CASTLE. 'ZV3 the Exchequer to audit his accounts, and to allow hiin all he had expended on the works of the Castle, and in repairing the walls of the town. Amongst the petitions set forth before the king, in his Parliament at Westminster, in the 33rd 3^ear of his reign, are several from different persons employed on this great undertaking, demanding payment for labour during the period Hugh de Leominster was Chamberlain.^ This is the last year during the reign of Edward I., that I have been able to gather any information respecting the castles he built in North Wales. Thomas de Esthall was now Chamberlain, and an account presented by him for the expenses incurred during this year is contained on a Roll, preserved at the Chapter-house, Westminster. It chiefly relates to the weekly wages of the people employed, and details the cost of solid industry rather than the price of materials. Thus, for instance, there were 30 masons employed during an average week, 26 layers, 1 lime-burner, 4 car- penters, 5 smiths, 15 boatmen, 35 quarr^^-men, 3 vintenars, 56 inferior workmen, 11 mariners, and sundry carters, varying from 50 to 186 persons weekly, and at an expense of from two to twelve pounds a-week, or taking for the year's wages, 582/. 12^. j^d. Thus then the Castle was still in the course of erection at the close of Edward's reign, and, as we shall shortly see, was left by this monarch far from completion. Certain towers and walls were no doubt finished by him ; the general design was carried out to a fair height and extent, the fosse was excavated on the north side, and the whole of the town enclosed with walls. We will now endeavour to ascertain what was left for his son Edward of Caernarvon to accomplish. The Great Roll of the Pipe no longer furnishes illustration of this subject, and we must turn to a class of documents commonly called the Minister's Accounts, or the Operation Rolls, made up according as the expenses of building or repairs were incurred. Only a few of these exist, but they are full and conclusive as long as we have them, and throw most important light upon the subject under our notice. There are no architectural documents in existence so copious or so close in their application to the different buildings to which they refer ; and, impressed with this belief, I shall « Rot. Tarl., v. i., p. 164. b., p. 167. b. VOL. VII. L L