Page 22 - John Barber's Oakham Castle and its archaeology

Fig. 20. Oakham Castle Hall in 1684 (Wright 1684, 104).

Fig. 21. THE SOUTH-EAST VIEW OF OKEHAM-CASTLE, IN THE COUNTY OF RUTLAND.

THIS Castle was built in the Reign of K. Hen. II by Walkeline de Ferraraijs a Younger Son of the E. of Derby: and
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continued to be the Residence of the Family, till the Male Issue were Extinct: Since w. it hath been in the possession of
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Divers Royal &Noble Persons (viz ) K. Hen. III, Ed. II, Ed. III. & VI, the Earls of Cornwall, Kent, Northampton, Oxford,
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Rutland, L Mortimer, Condover, Cromwel & Harrington: also of the Staffords, & the Villers, Dukes of Buckingham; the
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ble
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last of w. sold it to the R. Hon. the E of Nottingham Father to y. present Noble Owner. The L. of this Castle claims by
immemorial Prescription & Custom, a very singular Right of Demanding a Horse-Shoe of every Peer, the first time he
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passes with. his Jurisdiction: and his Bailiff has Power on refusal to take one from y Horse he rides on; but the constraint
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is seldom if ever us’d: Noblemen choosing to redeem it, and in proportion to y. Gift, a Shoe is made larger or lesser, with
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the Names and Titles of the Doner Stamp’d thereon; and affix’d to the Castle Gate. By this custom w. seems to be a kind
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of Tribute pay’d them and y. Name de Ferraraijs or (as at present) Ferrers who were the Founders: we conclude they
Presided over certain Royal Iron Works or were Lords of such.— There is nothing remaining but the out walls facing the
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Ditch, the Castle having been demolish’d. The building w. stands now where y. Antient one stood, is y. County Hall for
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Assizes, & Sessions: built with y. Materials of y. former.
(Buck, Samuel & Nathaniel, Views of Ruins of Castles & Abbeys in England, 1730)
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