A.D. 1374.
Fitz-Gwarine, for the important services he rendered to his country, was, upon his return there, created Baron Marcher of Wales; this is the last well-grounded anecdote that we have of him, except the date of his death, which took place in the forty-seventh of Edward III.
The next Fulk was only seven years old at the death of his father. He became possessed of a greater extent of property than any of his ancestors, but did not long enjoy it: he was cut off at the early age of twenty-five; and by will, ordered that his body should be interred in the chancel of Whittington church. The greatest part of his possessions lay in other counties, but he considered Whittington the most eligible place for his sepulture, as it had been the general residence of his family for several generations. It appears that he also left a minor son, for his will appoints J. Audley, guardian over the young prince.
The only account we have of this Fulk, is the following humane action: when Owen Glyndwr carried his arms into these borders, on purpose to meet Percy, earl of Northumberland at Shrewsbury, several in this manor joined with that potent rebel; but Fitz-Gwarine, by solicitations to Henry IV. procured for them a general pardon. His son and successor was the ninth and last Fulk Fitz-Gwarine: he died in his minority, and the male line of this noble and distinguished race, closes; though the title of Fitz-Gwarine, or Fitz-Warine was assumed for a few generations afterwards.
Elizabeth, only sister and heiress to Fulk the 9th, was married to one Richard Haukford, who dying, left all his possessions to his only daughter Thomasine, who married sir William Bourchier, brother to Henry, first earl of Essex. The title of lord Fitz-Warine was given to sir William in consequence of his marriage. John, third in descent from him, exchanged Whittington with Henry VIII. for other landed property. This John was the first earl of Bath, and his posterity preserved the title of Fitz-Warine till the race became extinct, which took place at the death of Henry, fifth earl of Bath.
And here it may not be improper to take a general view of this illustrious and warlike race, that flourished through such a number of reigns, and retained their estates, titles, honours, acquisitions, and privileges, until nearly their final termination of the race.—In whatever light war is considered in the present day, no period of history ever discountenanced it; to be skilled in arms has been always considered the highest and most honourable acquisition, that an individual could attain to, in all ages and amongst all nations, though it must be confessed this is chiefly to be accounted for from the slow progress of civilization, as the encouragement of war must necessarily decrease in proportion to the extension of humanity; and it must be allowed by all, that amidst the myriads of beings who have distinguished themselves herein, the Fitz-Gwarines deserve an eminent rank, not so much for their petty and incessant skirmishes with the Welsh, as for the readiness with which they fought for their king, in divers engagements and campaigns, greatly to their honour and the glory of the English arms.
But though war has been the prevailing accomplishment throughout sacred and prophane history, yet with what ecstasy do we contemplate that portion of time which providence has allotted us: free from the intolerable recounters produced by the broils and dissentions of those turbulent, inflexible, and ambitious barons, who so disturbed England during the reigns of the Normans and Plantagenets; and likewise delivered from the well known calamities of intestine commotions, so productive of civil wars; the evils of which can be better conceived than described. On the subject of war I have said more than my limits will allow to say of any thing else concerning this family; but, who can help admiring that loftiness of sentiment and nobleness of soul, which shone in so conspicuous a degree upon the whole race. Their fidelity to the government, and their readiness to serve it, are convincing proofs of the advantages England derived from them, during the long course of time in which they lived; flourishing with fewer restraints than are commonly attendant on men in such elevated stations.
That religion was held in great veneration by this race, is very conspicuous from the number of public and private edifices built by them, and devoted to pious uses: almost all the churches and abbies in this neighbourhood were founded by some of the family, and though the latter are not now in existence, yet the churches will preserve the memory of their establishers till time shall be no more.
I have stated that this castle passed into the hands of Henry VIII.; we hear nothing further concerning it till the following reign, when the king presented the place in question to Henry Grey, duke of Suffolk, who forfeited it in consequence of the conviction of several crimes imputed to him. This took place in the reign of Mary, and shortly after it was by that queen granted to Fitz-Alan, last earl of Arundel: he mortgaged it to a number of London citizens, who obtained the place in default of payment from him. William Albany chief man among the number was, by the joint consent and approbation of the rest, put in sole possession of it. By the marriage of his great grand daughter with Thomas Lloyd, of Aston, esq. Whittington passed into the hands of the worthy family who enjoy it at the present time.
Having given some account of the possessors of Whittington castle, I think it my duty to attempt laying before the reader, a short account of this structure, and proceed to shew, that it must have underwent fortification soon after its original establishment: placed on the border of Wales, it must have been alternately in the hands of the Welsh and Saxons; for the latter of whom it formed a key of great utility in their attacks open the former, and consequently so useful an inlet, must have been strongly defended. Indeed its founder could not have chosen a place in which nature contributed more to its security; finding the innumerable springs of water so advantageously situated for his designs, he converted it to the best purpose, and surrounded the castle with several moats and intrenchments, still discernable. The annexed plan of the castle [32] gives the reader a better idea of the exact situations of the trenches and other out-works, than can be expressed by words.
The keep was the place of last resort in times of great danger, and was in consequence defended with the utmost precaution. In the present case, it was fortified with five round towers, each forty feet in diameter, an hundred in height, and the walls twelve in thickness. I have not been able to discover what time the keep fell into a state of delapidation, but undoubtedly for a great number of years, as an aged mulbery is growing in it.
About the year 1760, the eastern tower fell into the moat after a severe frost, and some years afterwards, one of the northern towers and the western wall were taken down to repair the roads leading from Whittington to Halston bridge. The northern tower that now remains was undermined for the same purpose. In 1809, a smaller tower, used many years as a pidgeon house, was taken down to repair the exterior gateway, which is still inhabited.
The keep is now used as a garden, at an even depth under which is a pavement of free-stone; at the north corner is a well, which was discovered and opened in 1809, when there was found the handle of the bucket, a pair of large iron fetters for the legs, a large jug, the remains of stags’ heads and swords; and upon removing some rubbish about the same time, there appeared a curious carved stone head, and likewise some highly gilt glass bottles.
Within the trenches are some very fine tall wych elm and ash trees, that add greatly to the beauty of the ruins. The ancient and present state of the castle, is beautifully contrasted by Mr. Dovaston, in the following manner:
“In ancient days of high renown
Not always did yon castle frown
With ivy-crested brow;
Nor were its’ walls with moss embrown’d,
Nor hung the lanky weeds around
That fringe its’ ruins now.
Other hangings deck’d the wall
Where now the nodding foxgloves tall
Their spotty hoods unfold;
Harebells there with bugloss vie,
And gilliflowers of yellow dye,
Seem now, to musing Fancy’s eye,
To mock the mimic tapestry
That flaunted there of old.”
It is situated amid fine and fertile meadows, through which a rapid stream having commenced a subterraneous course about a mile above, here emerging, playfully undulates, having its border shaded with poplars, till it enters the castle moat, where encompassing the walls, whose ruins are richly fringed with ivy, and hung with elegant traces of wild flowers and woodbine, it enters the Perry amid the meadows below, formerly the site of an extensive lake. The ancient fosses and intrenchments may yet very visibly be traced to a surprising distance beyond the castle, westward, from where the lake terminated, in some fields still called “The Runtings.”
The internal scenery, where the aged elms expand their immense arms among the now gloomy ruins, formerly the place of hilarity and carousing, is, perhaps, not surpassed by any on the border.
A court leet and court baron are annually holden by the Lord of the Manor in a room in the castle, to which the inhabitants are summoned to pay one penny each, and upon non-attendance are fined sixpence. Chief-rents are paid to the Lord.
In the township of Daywell in the parish of Whittington, Watt’s Dyke makes its appearance, extending from a place called Gobowen, adjoining the parish of Selattyn, into that of St. Martins. The extent between this Dyke and Offa’s (which crosses the hills above Selattyn) is about four miles. These Dykes point north and south, and the intervening space is said to have been a common mart, where the English and Welsh met to carry on a commercial intercourse, with each other; but, if either party transgressed these bounds, they were exposed to the severities of war. Upon Watt’s Dyke, at a place called Brynycastle, near to Gobowen, is the site of an old Watch-fort, and another a little further on towards St. Martins.
The Village of Whittington.
The village is on the great London and Holyhead road, and also, on the turnpike road leading from Oswestry to Ellesmere. It consists of a considerable collection of houses thinly scattered, a church, a school for each sex, and the remains of the castle before mentioned. In ancient records we find it called Chwytunton, Wititone, Whittentonne, and Vica Alba. It is situated in latitude 52° 55′ 30″ north, and longitude 2° 57′ 30″ west. The church is a rectory, valued in the king’s books at £25. 4s.; it was originally designed, as before stated, as a chapel to the castle, and was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The body of the church was rebuilt in 1806, from a design of Mr. Harrison, of Chester; it is a large brick building of sixty feet by fifty, and cost £1500.: to lessen the expense, two briefs were procured that raised £703. 15s. 1d. but of this sum, only £42. 2s. 1d. was received for the intended purpose. It is much to be regretted that this evil is not amended, a grievance so universally complained of, and so frequently practised, should not be tolerated by such an enlightened legislature as that of the English, but still it remains a nuisance to the very interests of religion itself. In the body of the church are three aisles and six rows of seats, all faced with Dantzic oak; the ceiling is neatly executed, being made of wood, and consequently very pleasant to the officiating minister. In the gallery stands a barrel organ, placed there by subscription, in 1810; it was built by England, and is considered a good instrument.
In 1761, the church-yard contained several venerable yew trees, which Mr. Roberts, the then rector, had the bad taste to destroy and replace with lime trees. In the garden at the Rectory is an uncommonly fine yew tree; it is seventeen and a half feet in circumference at the distance of four feet from the ground, about forty feet in height, and the space of ground under the branches is one hundred and forty-two feet and a half in circumference: it is very healthy and in a growing state. Evelyn says, that the reason yew trees were so universally planted in church-yards was, doubtless, from its being thought a symbol of immortality, the tree being so lasting and always green.
In 1810, the church-yard wall being in bad repair, was rebuilt with stone, and the gates removed opposite to the entrance to the steeple.
In the Register we find the following curious Epitaphs:
March 13th, 1766, died,
THOMAS EVANS,
Parish Clarke, aged 72.“Old Sternhold’s lines, or Vicar of Bray,
Which he tun’d best ’twas hard to say.”
SAMUEL PEATE,
of Whittington Castle died,
aged 84.“Here lies Governor Peate
Whom no man did hate,
At the age of four-score
And four years more,
He pretended to wrestle
With Death for his Castle;
But was soon out of breath
And surrender’d to Death,
Who away did him take,
At the eve of our wake,
One morn about seven
To keep wake in heaven.”ANDREW WILLIAMS,
WAS
Born A.D. 1690, and died April, 18, 1776,
Aged 84.OF WHICH TIME HE LIVED UNDER
The Aston Family as Decoyman 60 Years.
“Here lies the Decoyman who liv’d like an otter,
Dividing his time betwixt land and water!
His hide he oft soak’d in the waters of Perry, [39]
Whilst Aston old beer his spirits kept cheery;
Amphibious his trim, Death was puzzle’d they say,
How to dust to reduce such well-moisten’d clay.
So Death turned Decoyman and decoy’d him to land,
Where he fix’d his abode ’till quite dried to the hand;
He then found him fitting for crumbling to dust,
And here he lies mouldering as you and I must.”“He retired to Whittington upon a freehold he had purchased with the perquisites of his place for a few years before his death.”
1783.
“A severe winter,—the frost set in the day before Christmas-day, and continued to introduce the new year.”
“And I may here add, as there is a vacancy, that the frost continued till March, 1784.”
“I sore forebode these frosty times
Will nip my nob; and then my rhymes
In puff complete, in richness big,
And full and flowery as my wig,
Will future bards and priests explore,
Till Taste and Talent are no more.
While dull, tho’ disembodied I
Jump up a Gnome ’twixt earth and sky;
Perch on the pen of rhyming elf,
And squat a squabby rhyme myself.
A brat I boast, hight Pudding Billy,
Whom tho’ the witless world calls silly,
And tho’ but lame in hie hæc hoe
Is a right chip of the old block.”W. Roberts, Rector.
N.B. Mr. Roberts died a few months after writing this epitaph on himself.
The Registers are quite complete from the year 1591, to the present time, with the exception of that of marriages, from the 1654, to 1659.
The following is a copy of the Terrier of 1630, mentioned by Mr. Pennant, excepting the part of it which relates to the glebe lands:
“We find all the tythes falling within the forest of Bafin’s Wood are * * * * * * * * [40] Itm an English bible, a Welsh bible, a communion silver patara, a prayer-book in English, and a prayer-book in Welsh, a homely [41] book in English, and a homely book in Welsh,
Itm a linen cloth and napkin, two surplices, two chests, a velvet cushion and hangings for the pulpit, three pair of armour, two pikes and two head pieces, a flagon, a pewter plate, and a stone font.”
(Signed)
Edward Williams, Rector.
Edward Edwards,
John Rogers,
Edward ap Thomas,
Hugh ap John Lewis,
John Benion,
Richard ap Edd.
FINIS.
Edwards, Printer, Oswestry.