Melbourne Castle
Encyclopedia
Melbourne Castle was a Norman
castle in Melbourne
, Derbyshire
. From the early 14th century it was primarily in the possession of the Earls
and Dukes of Lancaster
, though it was briefly the property of the English crown
. It was destroyed in 1637 by Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon
, its final owner, who used it for building materials. All that remains of the castle today is a section of wall about 20 yards long and 20 feet high.
, the area was prior to the Norman Conquest the property of King Edward the Confessor
, after which it passed to the hands of William I of England
. Though the castle is of Norman construction, it is unknown when Melbourne Castle was first built. The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 14th century. The records of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, indicate a construction cost of £1,314 for the year of 1313-1314. Application to fortify the building with crenellations had been made by Lancaster's ally, Robert de Holland, of Edward II of England
; a more modest noble or royal abode may have been converted into the castle at that time.
In 1322, after Lancaster was defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge
, the property passed to the English Crown until 1327, when it was bestowed on Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
. The Duchy of Lancaster
continued to improve and expand the property through the 14th and 15th centuries. For 19 years, the castle served as a prison for John I, Duke of Bourbon
after he was taken at the Battle of Agincourt
. During the Wars of the Roses
, the castle was partially dismantled by the Lancastrian
forces of Margaret of Anjou
, but as of the reign of Henry VIII
the property was in good enough shape that it was described as "praty and yn meately good reparation." In 1604, the castle passed to Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon who had it destroyed in 1637 so that its materials could be used in other construction.
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle in Melbourne
Melbourne, Derbyshire
Melbourne is a Georgian market town in South Derbyshire, England. It is about 8 miles south of Derby and 2 miles from the River Trent. In 1837 a then tiny settlement in Australia was named after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, Queen Victoria's first Prime Minister, and thus indirectly takes...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. From the early 14th century it was primarily in the possession of the Earls
Earl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267, merging in the crown in 1399. See also Duke of Lancaster.-Earls of Lancaster :...
and Dukes of Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster
There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. See also Duchy of Lancaster.There were three creations of the Dukedom of Lancaster....
, though it was briefly the property of the English crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
. It was destroyed in 1637 by Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon
Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon
Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon was a prominent English nobleman and literary patron in England during the first half of the seventeenth century.-Life:...
, its final owner, who used it for building materials. All that remains of the castle today is a section of wall about 20 yards long and 20 feet high.
History
According to the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
, the area was prior to the Norman Conquest the property of King Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
, after which it passed to the hands of William I of England
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...
. Though the castle is of Norman construction, it is unknown when Melbourne Castle was first built. The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 14th century. The records of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, indicate a construction cost of £1,314 for the year of 1313-1314. Application to fortify the building with crenellations had been made by Lancaster's ally, Robert de Holland, of Edward II of England
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
; a more modest noble or royal abode may have been converted into the castle at that time.
In 1322, after Lancaster was defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge
Battle of Boroughbridge
The Battle of Boroughbridge was a battle fought on 16 March 1322 between a group of rebellious barons and King Edward II of England, near Boroughbridge, northwest of York. The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the king and Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, his most powerful subject, it...
, the property passed to the English Crown until 1327, when it was bestowed on Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
Henry , 3rd Earl of Leicester and Lancaster was an English nobleman, one of the principals behind the deposition of Edward II of England.-Family and lineage:...
. The Duchy of Lancaster
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
continued to improve and expand the property through the 14th and 15th centuries. For 19 years, the castle served as a prison for John I, Duke of Bourbon
John I, Duke of Bourbon
Jean de Bourbon was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anna d'Auvergne...
after he was taken at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. During the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, the castle was partially dismantled by the Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
forces of Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
, but as of the reign of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
the property was in good enough shape that it was described as "praty and yn meately good reparation." In 1604, the castle passed to Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon who had it destroyed in 1637 so that its materials could be used in other construction.