by later masonry, it is yet perpetually apparent, and unmistakably shows how much of the building is due to his exertions. At his death, 8 Edw. II., the custody of Alnwick was granted to John de Felton, in consequence of Henry de Percy, son of the preceding, being under age.* An account has been preserved of the value of the possession from the 26th of November this year (1314) to the 30th of December the following one, from which it appears that the receipts amounted to 8751. Os. 84d.; whilst the expenditure for victualling, garrisoning, and repairing the building came to 12521. Os. 1d., of which sum 381. 38. 9d. went for the latter purpose. The document printed in the notes‡ shows that * Abbrev. Rot. Orig. vol. i. p. 215. + Ibid. p. 224. Facto visu compoti Johannis de Feltone constabularis castri de Alnewyke de exitibus ejusdem castri et terrarum et tenementorum ad idem castrum pertinentium a xxvj° die Novembris anno viij quo die rex commisit eidem Johanni custodiam ejusdem castri cum pertinentibus simul cum omnibus terris et tenementis ad idem castrum pertinentibus quæ fuerunt Henrici de Percy defuncti et quæ ratione minoris etatis Henrici filii et heredis ejusdem Henrici in manu regis existunt habendum quamdiu rex placuit. Ita quod de exitibus inde regi responderet usque xxx diem Decembris anno nono quo die rex commisit eidem Jobanni custodiam dicti castri habendum sub alia forma. Idem onerat se de cccxxvjli. xs. ixd. receptis de firmis redditibus placitis et perquisitis curiarum et omnibus aliis exitibus de tempore prædicto. Set dicit se liberasse pro vadiis trium militum xxxvij armigerorum et xl hobelariorum existencium in municione castri prædicti a iiijto die Januarii dicto anno viijo usque prædictum xxx diem Decembris dicto anno nono per ccclxj dies utroque die computatis, mexxxvijli. iijs. vidl. cuilibet militum per diem ijs. cuilibet armigerorum per diem xijd. et cuilibet hobelariorum per diem vjd. per præceptum regis factum eidem Johanni ore tenus. Receptæ forinsecæ. Item onerat se de eli, una vice, vjli. xvjs. altera vice receptis de garderoba regis. Et de cjli. de scaccario cclxixli. ixs. iiijd. receptis de vicecomite Lincolniensi in precio victualium xlvli. in allocacione facta Gilberto de Middeltone in garderoba regis pro vadiis et restauro equorum et de xxvjli. iiijs. vijd. ob. in allocacione facta in garderoba executorum testamenti Isabellæ de Welle pro bladiis emptis ab eisdem pro municione dicti castri." Summa, dxlviijli. ixs. xjd. ob. Summa totalis, dccclxxvli. viijd. ob. De quibus dicit se liberasse pro vadiis hominum ad arma pro municione dicti castri sicut superius continetur in particula cancellata, mcxxxvijli. iijs. Et petit pro restauro equorum, lxxvjli. xiijs. iiijd. Et dicit se posuisse in vadiis parcarum forestariorum emendacione domorum et in alteris necessariis, xxxviijli. iijs. ixd. Summa totalis expensarum, mcclijli. jd. Et sic excedit liberaciones receptam per ccclxxvjli. xixs. iiijd. ob. Idem Johannes habet commissionem datam xxx die Decembris anno ix° de custodia prædicti castri et manerii de Alnewyke cum pertinentiis quæ fuerunt prædicti Henrici de Percy habendum quamdiu regi placuerit. Ita quod habeat exitus per unum annum pro warnistura ejusdem castri. (Warrant directing the collectors of the 20th and 15th in the North Riding of York to pay to John de Felton, constable of the castle of Alnewik, the sum of 100 marks out of the proceeds of such collection. 9 Edw. II. Receipt by said John de Felton for said 100 marks from said collectors. Monday, Octaves of the Trinity, 9 Edw. II.) The Scotch Rolls give at this time writs for admission to John de Tarditz, Henry de Belmont, and others, into Alnwick and Bamborough Castle, for their protection against the incursions of the Scotch. Rot. Scot. 8 and 9 Edw. II. a body of soldiers amounting to 3037, besides 40 hoblars, or cavalry, were kept here for 361 days at a cost of 11371. 28. During the whole of this year it was closely pressed by the Scots. John de Felton received the customary fee of one hundred marks for its custody. In the 12th of Edw. II. it was granted to Henry de Percy, second lord of Alnwick, its legitimate owner. It is to this baron that must be attributed the erection of the two octagonal towers of entrance into the inner baly, about the year 1350. Amongst the shields of armorial bearings with which it is decorated is one charged with the cognisance of the Cliffords; he having married Idonea, the daughter of Robert Lord Clifford. The other bearings belong to ancestors or alliances of the family. At first sight the three shields bearing a lion rampant appear exactly alike; but under a close inspection one of them (No. 4) is varied by being crowned, which must represent Percy as allied to the dukes of Brabant. This custom of ornamenting the upper parts of towers with escutcheons was very prevalent during the reign of Edw. III., when it took its origin. Several buildings in the north of England, such as Hilton, Lumly, and Bothal, are similarly decorated; so is the Chantry-house at Lincoln. CORNICE OF CURTAIN-WALL, SOUTH OF THE BARBICAN, ALNWICK CASTLE. It is also probable that when Henry Lord Percy erected these octagonal towers he repaired the battlements of the adjacent gateway communicating betwixt the outer and middle baly, as the mouldings running round the merlons seem to belong to the same period. The next decisive mark of reparation is to be seen in the curtain-wall north of the barbican. Here is a stringcourse clearly of the same age as the one existing in the exterior of the south side of the chancel of St. Mary's church. Coupling the two works together, it is therefore extremely likely that the great western curtain-wall was repaired by Henry Percy, son of Hotspur, sixth lord of Alnwick, between 1425 and 1450. He had unquestionably a feeling |