Castles in Shropshire

Besides being a fortress and a home, some castles performed other functions. These include administrative, judicial, legislative and religious functions. The castles of Shropshire are no exception, and in fact boast an interesting example in Ludlow Castle and the Council of the Marches.

Administration and The Council of the Marches

A number of castles operated as administrative centres during the Medieval period. This was usually limited to castles owned by the Crown.

When Ludlow Castle became the property of the new king, Edward IV son of the Duke of York in 1461, it was to remain a royal castle for the next 350 years, with the exception of the Civil War years and the Commonwealth in the mid 17^th century. With this came the birth of the Council of the Marches who used Ludlow Castle as its headquarters, and assumed responsibility for the government and administration of Wales and the border counties. The idea of the Council of the Marches seems to have occurred over time rather than being a strategic move by Edward IV. In 1473 the King sent his son to live at Ludlow Castle so he could be protected from the health risks present in London. His son was accompanied by his tutor, Bishop Alcock and a number of other nobles. It was this group of men who formed what became known as the Prince's Council with Bishop Alcock as its president. Over time this Council assumed the limited government of Wales and thus formed the Council of the Marches. In 1534 the authority of the Council was increased under the presidency of Bishop Rowland Lee, who reorganised Wales into shires in 1536. Ludlow had, therefore, become the capital of Wales and performed many judicial, ecclesiastical and administrative functions. The Council was dissolved in 1641, although it was revived with limited powers between 1660 and 1689.

These extracts from letters indicate some of the criminal matters dealt with by the Council in the 16^th century:

1532: All wales is in great decaye esp... as to ye breed of cattle... the eveil cannote be ammended untill the officers in wales be restrained from takeing fines for felonys and murders... 

1534: the scarcines of grain arises daily and it causes more roberies

The Council was also involved with ecclesiastical matters including this one in Shrewsbury in 1573, when Sir Henry Sidney and the Bishop of Worcester came to the town to see an order and reformation in the churches according to Her majesty's instructions.

This administrative function is also indicated by a number of buildings which were constructed at Ludlow Castle for the purposes of the Council of the Marches. This include the Judges Lodgings and the Tudor apartments. The Judges Lodgings were probably built by Sir Henry Sidney before 1581, who was Lord President of the Council of the Marches between 1559-1586. This building used to accommodate the judges, attorneys and clerks who needed to stay at the castles whilst the Council was in session.

This coat of arms and inscriptions were erected in 1581. They mark the completion of the Judges' Lodgings. The lower coat of arms belongs to Sir Henry Sidney, and is surrounded by the garter. Above this coat of arms is the Sidney crest which shows a chained porcupine. The latin inscription reads:

Hominibus Ingratis Loqvimini Lapides 

"To ungrateful men we stones do speak"

The Tudor apartments were built next to the Great Chamber Block in the 16^th century, and replaced older buildings. These were also used to accommodate attorneys, clerks and messengers to Elizabeth I.

Administration and Law and Order

Shropshire had a sheriff called Warin after the Conquest of 1066 who held a compact group of manors around Oswestry. Between 1155 and 1201 the Fitz-Alan family held the sheriffs office. After 1201 the barons of the Welsh Marches declared themselves independent and free of the Kings judicial systems. This was because of the need to concentrate military strength against the Welsh in this county. This was termed liberties and remained in place until Henry VIII had the borders of England and Wales redrawn in 1536.

When the Fitz-Alan lords of Clun and Oswestry inherited Arundel Castle in Sussex in 1243 and were created Earls of Arundel in 1289, their influence in Shropshire declined. As they had operated as the administrative office since 1155, the responsibility then passed to the other baronial families and was shared among the Le Stranges, Corbets, de Audleys, de Somerys and Charltons.

Acton Burnell Castle also performed an interesting function in the summer of 1283. Whilst the King was staying at the castle, he summonsed one of the first Parliaments which was attended by the Commons and the Lords. It said that this Parliament took place in the great barn, the remains of which can be seen in this picture. The Parliament passed a law for the regulation of trade and was signed by the King himself at Acton Burnell. This law is called the Statute of Acton Burnell.

Leland comment how Acton Burnell was a goodly manor place and castle, four myles from Shrewsbury, where a Parliament was kepte in a great barne.

Castles were also used as prisons. However, the castles role in imprisonment, torture and political executions are associated more with the Tudors and Stuarts than the medieval period. This is perhaps why there are very few references to the use of Shropshire castles as prisons; and those that do exist are confined to the 15^th and 16^th centuries. An exception to this is the imprisonment of Hugh de Mortimer in Mortimer's Tower at Ludlow Castle by Joce de Dinan in the 12^th century. Caus Castle was used as a prison and administrative centre in the 15^th century, and it is likely that the keep at Bishop's Castle was also used as a prison in the late medieval period. However, this can only be inferred from a reference by Leland in 1540, when he describes it as le prison tower. John Leland was Henry VIII's antiquary, who made a tour of England between 1536 and 1543.

There is no doubt that imprisonment did take place, and the castle as a stronghold is the most likely place to hold prisoners; but it would seem that this castle role has been some what exaggerated, certainly for the medieval period.

Religious Functions

Some castles were also engaged with religion and often had their own private chapels. Ludlow Castle has two chapels within its walls. St. Peter's Chapel was built by Roger Mortimer to celebrate his escape from the Tower of London on St. Peter's day - the 29^th June 1324. It was built to provide daily services for the souls of the King, Queens Isabel and Phillipa, Henry bishop of Lincoln and Roger and Joan his wife. This chapel was much altered in the late 16th century, when an upper floor was inserted for use as a courthouse for the Council of the Marches. Today, the decorated style window which can be seen in the outer bailey is the most obvious indication of the original chapel.

Ludlow Castle also has an important Norman chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene. As it has a round nave, it is only one of four that still survive today. It is also unusual as it appears to be the only stone structure within a castle to have been erected with any certainty throughout the whole of Shropshire in the 12^th century. Round naves were inspired by the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This was built in 1048 on the supposed site of Christ's tomb. It is likely that the Crusader Knights saw this in 1099 and decided to introduce the design in this country.

Reference to a chapel at Castle Pulverbatch in 1427, also suggests this site was engaged with religious practices in the 15^th century. An earlier chapel is also thought to have existed at Corfham Castle, where a document dated 1384 makes reference to the chapel and its chaplain.