Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 2 (of 2)

by George Thomas Clark

King John was here 28th, 29th, 30th December, 1206, and in 1207, 27th, 28th December. In this year, 28th August, the sheriff of Hants was to take certain prisoners from Sarum Castle and deliver them to the constable of Guildford Castle. This is the second mention of the fortress, and also as a gaol. In 1208, John was here 25th, 26th, 27th January; and 5th, 6th, 7th April; and in 1210, on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd January; and 8th March. Also in 1212, on the 12th, 13th, and 14th May.

In 1213, on the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th December, King John was here. 3rd January the custody of the county of Surrey, with the castle of Guildford, was committed to Reginald, son of Reginald de Cornhill, to be held during pleasure, and John Fitz-Hugh was ordered to give it up to him. The Cornhills were a family of farmers-general of the revenues of the counties south of London, and between 1164 and 1215 Gervase, Henry, Ralph, and Reginald de Cornhill appear as sheriffs of Surrey and Sussex then combined.

In this year, 1213, also one hundred deer, “damos et damas,” were given from Guildford to the Archbishop of Canterbury to replenish his park. In 1214, 24th August, 53s. was allowed for the entertainment of the Papal legate, then on his way to revoke the Interdict. Rochester and Guildford Castles are mentioned together in this year as undergoing some repairs.

In 1215, King John was here for a whole week from the 15th to the 21st of January. His forces had been beaten at Bovines in the preceding July, and he had come to Guildford from London, after receiving the demands of the confederate barons agreed and sworn to at Bury. He was probably at that time actively employed in obtaining support from the clergy, in the hope of evading the great charter, which, nevertheless, he was forced to agree to in the following June. On the 18th November, John Fitz-Hugh, who again was sheriff, was ordered to give up the castle to whomsoever Peter Bishop of Winchester should name to receive it. It was probably made over to Reginald de Cornhill.

In 1216, John paid his last visit to Guildford, and remained there during the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of April. In the June following, the Dauphin Louis was here on his way from Sandwich. With Guildford, he held Reigate, then a castle of the Warrens, and Farnham.

Guildford, both castle and park, are mentioned not unfrequently in the reign of Henry III. In 1222, 19th November, £200 was paid for the royal expenses going thither from London. In 1223, 19th January, King Henry was at Guildford. 18th April, allowance was made for building a house of alms in the king’s court there. This was probably an office for the receipt of deodands, fines, forfeitures, escheats of felons’ goods, and other moneys accruing from incidents of feudal tenures, and, it has been supposed, appropriated to charitable uses. 14th May, works were in progress on the king’s houses, and 27th May, Richard Dale had ten marcs for repairs in the park; and again, in October, money was paid for fencing it. In 1224, repairs were done to the king’s houses, and half a marc paid for making a door. The fencing of the park was proceeded with. In 10 Henry III., William de Coniers was governor for the king, as were in 30 and 53 Henry III., Elias Mansel and William d’Aguillon.

In 24 Henry III., 4th April, the sheriff of Surrey was ordered to repair the glass windows of the king’s houses and chapel at Guildford, broken by the storm, and the houses unroofed thereby were to be restored. In 29 Henry III., the vill of Guildford is mentioned as vested in the king; the sheriff was to enclose the area by the kitchen which the king had purchased, with a wall conveniently answering to the other wall by which the said court is enclosed; and he is to repair the two piers of the king’s hall, which need repair because they are out of the perpendicular. In 30 Henry III., 3rd February, the sheriff of Surrey and Sussex is to make “a certain chamber at Guildford, for the use of Edward, the king’s son, with proper windows well barred, which is to be 50 feet long and 26 feet wide ... with a privy chamber ... so that the chamber of the same Edward be above, and the chamber of the king’s noble valets underneath, with fitting windows, and a privy chamber, and a chimney in each chamber. And he is to make under the wall towards the east, opposite the east part of the king’s hall, a certain pent-house, which, although narrow, shall be competently long, with a chimney and private chamber, for the queen’s wardrobe; and to make in the queen’s chamber a certain window equal in width to the two windows which are now there, and as much wider as may be, between the two walls, and as high as becomingly may be, with two marble pillars; and to wainscote that window above, and close it with glass windows between the pillars, with panels which may be opened and shut, and large wooden shutters internally to close over the glass windows; and to cause the upper window in the king’s hall towards the west, nigh the dais, to be fitted up with white glass lights, so that in one half of that glass window there be made a certain king sitting on a throne, and in the other half a certain queen likewise sitting on a throne.”

In 40 Henry III., these decorations and alterations were still continued, for on the 3rd January, the king being at Guildford, orders the sheriff of Sussex to deliver £100 to the wardens of the king’s works at Guildford, “to pay off certain arrears due for the same works, and for wainscoting the king’s chapel, the queen’s chapel, the king’s chamber, and the other chambers newly built there; and for making the great windows in the king’s chapel; for barring the windows of the king’s new chamber with iron; making the porch to the hall, of stone; for painting in the hall there, opposite the king’s seat, the story of Dives and Lazarus; making a certain figure with beasts on the same seat; and lengthening the chamber of the king’s chaplain there.”

Also on the 5th May following, the sheriff of Surrey and Sussex is ordered to whitewash the king’s hall at Guildford within and without. On the 17th June, 45 Henry III., 1261, the king visited Guildford, and doubtless examined and took pleasure in the various improvements and decorations he had ordered. All this luxury was probably confined to the hall and royal apartments in the middle ward, for an entry on the Hundred rolls at the commencement of the reign shows that the Sussex county prisoners were kept at Guildford, and no doubt in the keep.

In 50 Henry III., Prince Edward was at Guildford engaged in putting down Sir Adam Gordon, a soldier who, having been outlawed after Evesham fight, had turned freebooter, and made the Surrey woodlands very insecure. Edward came up with and attacked him between Farnham and Alton, took him prisoner in single combat, got him a pardon, and presented him to the queen then at Guildford. At the end of Henry’s reign, 52 Henry III., the “King’s Mills” were removed farther down the stream, probably to the site now occupied by their modern successors.