422 MedicBval Military Architecture. person who may be trusted to deliver over the castle from the bishop to the king. Hubert de Burgh seems at one time, with the wardship of Hawise de Lanvalai, to have held the Constableship of the castle ; so that though not actually hereditary, some regard seems to have been had to descent. De Burgh was dispossessed in 1232, and was succeeded by Stephen de Segrave, and he by Thomas de Clare, who was Constable in 1265-6, when 12 June, 1256, Henry IH. granted the castle and the fee-farm of the town to Guy de Montfort for life, he maintaining the castle in repair. He was one of Henry's unpopular foreign favourites, and was deprived in 1258. William de Wayland followed, who, 18 December, 1273, resigned it to John de Burgh, the last who held the office with any shadow of hereditary claim. In 1275 it was held by Richard de Holebrook, and immediately afterwards the castle became the county prison, in charge of the sheriff, and ceased to possess any military value. In 1347 some of the prisoners taken in France were lodged at Col- chester ; no doubt in the castle. The Constable of the castle was also steward of the hundred of Tendring, and bailiff of the same, holding courts for the several manors composing it. The castle was perfectly independent of the town, and like most castles so situated was extra-parochial, and had a separate jurisdiction. Seventeen manors were appendant to it, and paid suit and service at its court. In matters spiritual it was con- nected with St. John's. It appears from an Exchequer judgment in T290, that the abbots of St. John, who received the tythes forming the endowment of the castle chapel, were wont to provide a chaplain, who celebrated the offices three days in each week, either in St. Helen's Chapel or in the King's Chapel in the castle, as the Constable might direct. Long afterwards the abbot was fined 1 2 marcs for having neglected this duty. St. Helen's Chapel stood, and indeed, though desecrated, still stands about 100 yards north-east of the keep, and just outside the Hne of the castle wall. As the castle ceased to possess any military value it was from time to time granted away to various persons. Henry Duke of Lancaster, son of Henry IV., had it in 1404. Henry VI. gave it to his queen, and Sir John Howard had it for life from Edward IV. In those days about 160 acres of land passed with the castle. In 1496-1509 it was held by John Earl of Oxford. Its final alienation was by James I., who gave it in fee, in 1629, to Hay, Earl of Carlisle. The immense thickness of its wall and its central position led to its being held for Charles in the war with the Parliament, when its commander was Sir Charles Lucas, a member of a local royalist family, and the descendant of the grantee of St. John's Abbey lands. The siege and capture by Fairfax and the subsequent military executions are well-known matters of history. The enceinte wall was probably then pulled down, and the castle rendered un- tenable. Soon afterwards what remained was sold to a person named Wheeley, who attempted to pull down the keep, with only
