Tiverton Castle
| Tiverton Castle | |
|
Devon | |
|---|---|
 The solar tower of Tiverton Castle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SS953129 |
| Location: | 50°54’23"N, 3°29’19"W |
| Village: | Tiverton |
| History | |
| Built From 1106 | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Ruins |
| Website: | Tiverton Castle |
Tiverton Castle is a mediæval castle whose ruins show a shadow of its ancient grandeur in Tiverton in Devon. The castle was dismantled after the Civil War and thereafter converted in the 17th century into a country house. It occupies a defensive position above the banks of the River Exe.
Description
Once considerably larger, Tiverton Castle now comprises a group of ruined defensive perimeter walls, towers and buildings from various periods. A Norman motte was built in 1106 and was then extended and altered in the 12th and 13th centuries.
History
Foundation: Redvers and Courtney
In 1106 the large and important manor of Tiverton was granted by King Henry I (1100–1135) to Richard de Redvers (approx. 1066–1107), who built the castle.[1] His son, Baldwin de Redvers (died 1155), was created 1st Earl of Devon by the Empress Matilda during The Anarchy, probably in early 1141. Mary de Redvers, called "de Vernon" probably after the place of her birth, Vernon, a daughter of William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon (died 1217), married as her second husband Robert de Courtenay, whose mother was Hawise de Courci (died 1219), the heiress of the feudal barony of Okehampton.[2] The 7th Redvers Earl died in 1262, without progeny, whereupon his sister, Isabella de Forz (died 1293), the widow of William de Forz, 4th Earl of Albemarle, became Countess of Devon in her own right.
Isabella's estates were inherited by her second cousin once removed, Hugh de Courtenay (1275/6-1340),[3] feudal baron of Okehampton. In 1335 he was declared to be 1st Earl of Devon,[2] of the second creation.
Tiverton Castle was the principal seat of the Courtenay Earls of Devon throughout the mediaeval period until 1539[1] when Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Devon (1498–1539) was executed by King Henry VIII. The Courtenays also held from the 13th-century Okehampton Castle, their original seat, and later built Colcombe Castle, both in Devon.
Early Tudor owners
After the attainder and execution of Henry Courtenay in 1539, the King granted Tiverton to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. After the death of King Henry VIII, the Lord Protector of the kingdom, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c. 1500-1552), granted the castle to himself, apparently in an exchange of lands between Russell and Seymour.[4] The Duke was executed in turn 1552 and the manor and castle passed to Sir Henry Gates (1515–1589),[5] MP, gentleman usher of the privy chamber and brother of Sir John Gates, an associate of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1504–1553): the connection placed him under suspicion when Queen Mary I (1553–1558) reclaimed the throne from Dudley's candidate, Lady Jane Grey: Sir Henry was tried for treason and attainted: he escaped execution[6] and was pardoned, but still lost his lands. The Queen then restored Tiverton to the Courtney family.
Queen Mary granted Tiverton to Edward Courtenay (d.1556), the only son of the executed Henry Courtenay, and created him Earl of Devon. On his death in 1556 without issue, the manor and Castle of Tiverton devolved to his distant cousins, descended from the four sisters of his great-grandfather Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (d.1509), KG. These sisters had married into the West Country families of Arundell of Talvern, Trethurfe, Mohun and Trelawney, and thus the Courtenay estates had been divided into four parts.[5] Some of the heirs sold their shares, and Roger Giffard acquired the castle in this way.
Giffard
Roger Giffard (1533-1603) made Tiverton Castle his family home, and who was in the words of the Devonshire biographer John Prince "A worthy and eminent person, though it must be acknowledged the history of those actions which made him so is for the most part perished".[7]
Roger Giffard bought all the buildings comprising Tiverton Castle, which became known for a while as "Giffard's Court".[5] He built the projecting tower porch situated within the courtyard in the angle where the gatehouse range meets the 17th-century north range, as evidenced by a date-stone set into the wall inscribed with the date "1588" and the initials "RG" (Roger Giffard). He lived through the devastating fire in Tiverton which broke out in the daytime of 3 April 1598 which killed 33 people, destroyed 400 houses and several chapels and destroyed merchandise valued at £150,000.[8] A later heir, Roger Burgoyne, sold the Castle and their quarter of the manor of Tiverton to Peter West, Esquire, who made it his home.
The Wests lived in the Castle until it was dismantled after the Civil War, but part was later rebuilt by the Wests for their residence.[5]
Civil War
During the Civil War the Castle was a Royalist stronghold. Thomas Fairfax's Parliamentarian troops laid siege to a troop of Royalists within the Castle and set up his headquarters at Blundell's School and stationed his artillery on Skrink Hills (or "Shrink" Hills) just above him and below Cranmore Castle, about half a mile from Tiverton Castle. The Culverin, the largest artillery piece used by the New Model Army, was capable of firing up to 2,000 yards.[9] Whilst they were still finding their range a lucky shot hit one of the chains holding up the Castle's drawbridge and a small party of roundheads were able swiftly to gain entry and thus put an end to the siege almost before it had started. The bulk of the defensive structure was then demolished by Parliamentarian troops to prevent any military re-use of the structure.[10]
The primary source is the 1645 narrative by John Rushworth (c.1612-1690) dated "Tiverton, Octob. 19. 1645. at nine a clock at night", entitled: The taking of Tiverton, with the castle, church, and fort, by Sir Thomas Fairfax, on the Lords-day last, Octob. 19. 1645. Wherein was taken Colonel Sir Gilbert Talbot, the governour. Major Sadler, major to Col. Talbot. 20. officers of note. 200. common souldiers. Foure peece of ordnance. 500. armes, with store of ammunition, provision, and treasure. Also the severall defeats given to Goring, by his Excellency, and all Gorings forces fled before him. Published according to order".[11] The relevant passage is as follows:[12]
- Major Generall Massey did soone possesse himselfe of the Town of Tiverton, the Enemie marched away, onely those who were left in the Castle, and the Church, to keep those places. ... On Friday the 17. instant, our Generall Sir Thomas Fairfax sate downe before Tiverton-Castle and Church, to take them in, and summoned the enemy to deliver them up, of which being denied, we planted our batteries against them, which went forwards that day and the next. On Saturday Octob. 18. instant, our batteries were finished by the afternoone, and on this day being the Lord's day Octob. 19. instant, the Generall caused severall great pieces to be planted on the batteries against the Castle verie early, so that they were ready to play by breake of day, and all our Cannon began to play about seven a clocke in the morning, against the Castle, and the Enemie from thence answered us with their pieces, but did no execution upon us. And after many shot that we had made against them, a Cannonier by one shot gallantly performed this businesse, for he broke the chaine of the Draw-bridge with a bullet, which passeth over to the entrance of the Castle, which falling downe, the chaine being so broken, our Souldiers fell on without any further order from the Generall, they being loth to lose such an opportunitie, and loving rather to fight than to look on when God gives them such occasion, which took good effect, for they soone possessed themselves of all; they presently entred the Castle and Church, in which wee had foure men slaine: yet such is the mild and gentle carriage of the Generall, and his desire to spare the effusion of bloud, as much as may be, that notwithstanding they took it by storme, yet he himself gave command, that quarter should be given to all those who were alive: wee took in the castle Sir Gilbert Talbot who was Governour of the place, 20 other Officers, 200 Souldiers, four peece of Ordnance, good store of Armes and Ammunition, and abundance of treasure, which was divided amongst the Souldiers. The castle was verie strong, and the works all regular. ... A List of what was taken at Tiverton.
- Colonell Sir Gilbert Talbot, the Governour.
- Major Sadler, Major to Col. Talbot.
- 20 Officers of note.
- 200 Common Souldiers.
- Foure Peece of Ordnance.
- 500 Armes, with store of Ammunition, Provision, and Treasure.
Carew
On the death of John West in 1728, the property passed by way of one of his daughters, Dorothy West, to her husband Sir Thomas Carew Bt (c. 1692-c. 1746) of Haccombe. The Carews let the property for a time before fitting it as a residence for Lady Carew, the mother of Sir Henry Carew.
Today the castle is a private home, though opened for a variety of functions.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Tiverton Castle) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959, p.495
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sanders, I.J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, p.70
- ↑ The History of Tiverton Castle, information leaflet for visitors to Tiverton Castle
- ↑ Oman, Charles, "Castles", 1926
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lysons
- ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/gates-sir-henry-1515-89
- ↑ Prince's "Worthies of Devon", 1811 edition, p.414
- ↑ Lysons, Daniel & Samuel, Magna Britannia, Vol 6, Devonshire, 1822, pp.496-520
- ↑ Stuart Asquith, New Model Army 1645-60 (Opsprey Publishing ISBN 0-85045-385-2)
- ↑ Martin Dunsford, Historical Memoirs of Tiverton (Brice, Exeter, 1790)
- ↑ Rushworth, John, London, 1645
- ↑ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A92124.0001.001/1:2?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
- Oman, Charles, Castles, 1926, Tiverton Castle: Courtenay Stronghold[1]
- Gatehouse Gazetteer, Tiverton Castle[2]
- Heathcote, Henry Thomas, Tiverton Castle, or, The Siege of Tiverton in 1645: an historical romantic play in three acts interspersed with songs first acted at Tiverton on Wednesday evening March 11th 1829, Tiverton, 1829 [3]
- Harding, Lt-Col. William, The History of Tiverton in the County of Devon,
- Volume I, Books I & II, Tiverton, 1845
- Volume II, Books III & IV, Tiverton, 1847
Books
- Lysons, Daniel & Samuel, Magna Britannia, Vol 6, Devonshire, 1822, pp. 496–520
- Dunsford, Martin, Historical Memoirs of the Town of Tiverton, 1836 edition
- Tiverton Castle - British Listed Buildings