Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/238

 222 MedicBval Military Architecture, to level three-fourths of the old tower towards St. Paul's, that is on the north-west. The stones are to be divided between William de Beauchamp for his proposed house, the church of St. Paul, Bedford, and the priories of Caldwell and Newenham ; but the last is to have the larger share, because it supplied stones for shot for the siege. Five days later came out another order enforcing the former, and directing Henry de Braibroc and William de PateshuU to see to its prompt and accurate execution. It was also specified that William de Beauchamp might, if he pleased, build a dwelling-house on the site, and use the reduced wall of the inner ward, but he was not to raise the mound or the wall above a certain height, or to embattle it. He might only erect it. Braibroc is to see the stone from both walls and mound distributed as directed. September i6th, the sheriffs of Herts, Cambridge, and Hunts were ordered to send men to aid Braibroc and Pateshull in the work of destruction, and they are to take tools with them, and stay until the mound is lowered and the ditches filled up as ordered. Beauchamp was further allowed half the timber from the barn and the old tower. Thus passed away the strength and glory of the castle of Bedford, the great fortress of the Ouse. Whether William de Beauchamp built upon its site does not appear. He died 44 Hen. HI., and within a very few years his name was extinct and his barony divided. The castle, or its site, probably as the seat of a manor court, is named from time to time in Inquisitiones post Mortem. Thus, 5 Ed. n., Roger L'Estrange, by Margaret his wife, was seized of "the Castle " and the "site of the Castle" of Bedford ; i Ed. lU., John de Mowbray was seized of the site of Bedford Castle and the fishery of the Ouse ; and 40 Ed. HI., another John had suit of court in the castle of Bedford ; and 50 Ed. III., Elizabeth, wife of John Mowbray, holds of the same castle. Also, 6 Rich. II., another John Mowbray is seized of Bedford Castle and Bedford Barony; and, finally, 8 Hen. IV., Thomas Mowbray, Earl Marshall, holds Bedford Castle in chief, by the service of almoner to the king at his coronation ; so that the tenures and privileges attached to the castle remained in force long after the fortress itself had been razed. In Leland's time, the castle mill, — that great evidence of feudal customs, — remained ; and he also mentions the " great round hill " as a burrow for foxes. There were not then any buildings. It is evident from present appearance that the mandate of Henry III. was strictly obeyed. No trace of a ditch is to be seen between the mound and the river, and the mound itself is so much lower than is usual with works of that diameter as to make it pro- bable that at least one half has been removed and employed in filling up the ditches. It is not easy to gather from the account of the siege a clear idea of the disposition of the parts of the castle. There were two wards, and the outer, judging from its contents, must have been of con- siderable area. It probably included the inner ward and the mound,