Great Barford Castle
Encyclopedia
Great Barford Castle, later known as "Creakers Manor", was a Norman
castle
located in the village of Great Barford
, in the county of Bedfordshire
, England
.
Great Barford Castle was a Motte and bailey castle, made of timber, and surrounded by a moat
. It was so named due to its location, just north of the parish of Great Barford
. It is located 1 mile south of Renhold Castle
, leading to it sometimes being referred to as the "Second Renhold". The castle is also located near two other castles; Bedford Castle
, which is 5 miles away, and Gannock Castle
, which is 6 miles east of it.
(1066), when William the Conqueror
commanded the building of so many castles in defense of his new position as King of England, it is now known to have been built after the Domesday Book
(1086) was commissioned.
By 1250, the castle was standing, and was in the possession of James de Crevequeor (d. 1263), the family from which it derived its later name of "Creakers Manor". James' eldest son Robert died in the same year as his father and it is unknown if he ever held the castle. In 1302/1303 the castle was in the possession of James' youngest son James de Crevequeor. By 1416, it had passed to Stephen de Crevequeor, grandson of the first mentioned James, and his wife Anne, who were still holding it in 1530. Their son John de Crevequeor (d. 1370) was holding it as of 1346, and upon his death without issue, his nephew Stephen de Crevequeor (d. 1370), son of John's brother Geoffrey, inherited the property. Stephen died shortly after inheriting the estate, while still underage, and the property passed to Stephen's younger brother, John Crevequer, on the attainment of his majority in 1385. This is when the castle was first referred to, in historical documents, as "Creaker's Manor", and was hencefore known as such. The manor was held, in 1428, by Stephen Crevequer, a son or grandson of the afore mentioned John Crevequeor. Stephen Crevequer is listed as one of the Bedfordshire
gentry in 1433, but there in no mention of the manor.
died and the manor is listed in his possession passing to his son John FitzJeffrey, son of his first wife.
John FitzJeffrey died in 1535, and his widow Joan retained the property until her death a year later, when it passed to John's half-brother George FitzJeffrey, who had been first married to the daughter of John Baptist. On George's death in 1575, the manor was left to his second wife, Judith Throckmorton, of the famous Throckmorton
family of that period. She married John Rolt of Milton Ernest
. Judith and John transferred the manor, in 1589, to George's son George FitzJeffrey, who was knight
ed in 1606. George died in 1618 without heir, his son having predeceased him in 1616, and was buried on the property in December of that same year. The property was sold and later held by the Chandler, Mander, Peck, and Halsey families, until being sold in 1770 to the Pedley family.
It is believed that the manor mentioned in 1511 is not the original pre-12th century structure, the original having been destroyed, or having fallen into ruin, and the remains reincorporated into the manor mentioned. However, nothing is known for certain.
having since been built on its location. Little is left of the original dwelling, with only cropmarks and slight earthworks
remaining.
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
located in the village of Great Barford
Great Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
, in the county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Great Barford Castle was a Motte and bailey castle, made of timber, and surrounded by a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
. It was so named due to its location, just north of the parish of Great Barford
Great Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
. It is located 1 mile south of Renhold Castle
Renhold Castle
Renhold Castle was a Medieval castle located in the village of Renhold, in the hundred of Barford, in the county of Bedfordshire, England.Renhold Castle was a timber motte-and-bailey castle, encased by a moat. It was located 4 miles east of Bedford Castle and a mile south of Great Barford Castle...
, leading to it sometimes being referred to as the "Second Renhold". The castle is also located near two other castles; Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain...
, which is 5 miles away, and Gannock Castle
Gannock Castle
Gannock Castle is located in the village of Tempsford, in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It is located 6 miles east of Great Barford Castle and 9 miles east of Bedford Castle.-History:...
, which is 6 miles east of it.
Early history
Originally thought to have been built just after the Norman InvasionNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
(1066), when William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
commanded the building of so many castles in defense of his new position as King of England, it is now known to have been built after the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086) was commissioned.
By 1250, the castle was standing, and was in the possession of James de Crevequeor (d. 1263), the family from which it derived its later name of "Creakers Manor". James' eldest son Robert died in the same year as his father and it is unknown if he ever held the castle. In 1302/1303 the castle was in the possession of James' youngest son James de Crevequeor. By 1416, it had passed to Stephen de Crevequeor, grandson of the first mentioned James, and his wife Anne, who were still holding it in 1530. Their son John de Crevequeor (d. 1370) was holding it as of 1346, and upon his death without issue, his nephew Stephen de Crevequeor (d. 1370), son of John's brother Geoffrey, inherited the property. Stephen died shortly after inheriting the estate, while still underage, and the property passed to Stephen's younger brother, John Crevequer, on the attainment of his majority in 1385. This is when the castle was first referred to, in historical documents, as "Creaker's Manor", and was hencefore known as such. The manor was held, in 1428, by Stephen Crevequer, a son or grandson of the afore mentioned John Crevequeor. Stephen Crevequer is listed as one of the Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
gentry in 1433, but there in no mention of the manor.
Later History
The manor is not mentioned again until 1511, when William FitzJeffrey of ThurleighThurleigh
Thurleigh is a village and civil parish in north Bedfordshire, England, about 6 miles north of Bedford. It is home to the Bedford Autodrome which also houses Thurleigh Museum, the Monster Events site which serves the community with Monster Truck, Four-wheel drive & Quad Bike events, and the...
died and the manor is listed in his possession passing to his son John FitzJeffrey, son of his first wife.
John FitzJeffrey died in 1535, and his widow Joan retained the property until her death a year later, when it passed to John's half-brother George FitzJeffrey, who had been first married to the daughter of John Baptist. On George's death in 1575, the manor was left to his second wife, Judith Throckmorton, of the famous Throckmorton
Throckmorton
Throckmorton may refer to:Places:*Throckmorton County, Texas*Throckmorton, Texas, county town of Throckmorton County*Throckmorton, Worcestershire, a small village near Pershore, UKPeople:...
family of that period. She married John Rolt of Milton Ernest
Milton Ernest
Milton Ernest is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, and is about north of Bedford itself. It has a population of 754...
. Judith and John transferred the manor, in 1589, to George's son George FitzJeffrey, who was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1606. George died in 1618 without heir, his son having predeceased him in 1616, and was buried on the property in December of that same year. The property was sold and later held by the Chandler, Mander, Peck, and Halsey families, until being sold in 1770 to the Pedley family.
It is believed that the manor mentioned in 1511 is not the original pre-12th century structure, the original having been destroyed, or having fallen into ruin, and the remains reincorporated into the manor mentioned. However, nothing is known for certain.
Present
By 1820 the manor had ceased to exist as a manor, a prioryPriory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
having since been built on its location. Little is left of the original dwelling, with only cropmarks and slight earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
remaining.