Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/495

 Co722sdoro7io-/i Castle. 451 Earl of Sussex and Earl of Strathcrn in Scotland. Joan Countess of Surrey was at her castles at Sandal and Conisborough in 13 14. Earl John died 1347, and his will is dated from Conisburgh Castle, and the title of Surrey seems to have gone to Edward Earl of Arundel, son of Alice, Earl John's sister. Besides natural daughters, he left two sons by Maud de Nerford, John and Thomas de Warren, to whom and their mother he left, with the king's permission, a very considerable property, including Conisborough. Thomas Earl of Lancaster seems to have obtained from Earl John some sort of forced occupation of Conisborough, which came to an end upon his attainder, so that Earl John recovered and died seized of it. About its descent there is some uncertainty, for Henry, the brother and heir of Earl Thomas of Lancaster, did homage for the castle, I Edward IIL, to which John, Earl Warren, laid claim. Earl John held it 5 Edward IIL, and agreed to a grant of 65 acres of the waste lands of the manor by the king to William de Skargill. Similar grants were made in the five following years by the earl and confirmed by the king, with a note that the earl's tenure was for life only. Probably the children of Maud de Nerford found it to their interest to allow the Crown to possess the castle, for at Earl John's death it was held by Edward III., who granted the castle to Edmund of Langley, his fifth son, afterwards Duke of York, who died 1402, from whom it descended to his son Edward, also Duke of York. He fell at Agincourt, childless, 1415, and was succeeded by Richard, son to his brother Richard Earl of Cambridge. He became Duke of York, and was called also Richard of Conisborough, from his birth in the castle. Richard, who was great-grandson of Edward III. and father of Edward IV., was slain at Wakefield, 1460. His second wife and widow, Maud Clifford, held the castle in dower, and lived here. She died 1446. The decay of the castle probably dates from her death, for Edward Duke of York, who succeeded, became Edward IV., and nothing has generally proved more fatal to an independent historic estate than its absorption by the Crown. Conisborough remained in the Crown, and, though probably the buildings were suffered to fall into decay, some of the offices attached to the castle and domain were kept up. As late as 1522, Sir H. Wyatt and John Melton were bailiffs and stewards of "the lordships of Conysborowe," keepers of the park, &c., and there were constables and door- wards of the castle. Finally, James 11. granted it to Carey, Earl of Dover, from whose family it passed to that of its present owner. King, in his " Munimenta," has given elaborate plans, and a yet more elaborate history of this castle, but neither can be depended upon. There is also an excellent paper upon it in the fifth volume of the Archccological Joiir?ial by Mr. Milward, the plans attached to which seem, however, to be taken from King. Conisborough Castle deserves a better fate than has of late years 2 G 2