POLITICAL HISTORY Blanche, the heiress of the great house of Lancaster. Newcastle under Lyme was another. To each of his castles Gaunt appointed a constable who was responsible for its military efficiency, whose duty it was to provide it with artillery and bows and arrows, see that the walls were in repair, and super- intend the new work of his master, the greatest builder of the age. In time of war no one could pass the gates without a mandate under the duke's seal, and in time of peace the constable might have the custody of civil prisoners, debtors, and other evil doers until the justice in eyre came on his circuit. 143 Needwood Chase was one of Gaunt's innumerable hunting grounds. It was at this halcyon period in the history of Tutbury Castle that the famous minstrels' court and the king of the minstrels were instituted. For Gaunt did not spend much of his time there with his wife, as his attachment to Catherine Swynford had alienated his affections, and it was to distract the attention of his neglected wife as well as to satisfy her great love of music that the court was established. Indeed, it had become necessary, for Constance of Castile had introduced so many musicians, including some from her own land, that her husband appointed a governor over them with the title of king of the minstrels, and soon afterwards a court was established to hear plaints among them, which were carried out with strictness and regularity. 144 The reign of Edward III cannot be dismissed without a reference to the great number of crimes of violence which the Plea Rolls and similar records of the time mention. 145 So frequent were they that a petition was made 146 to his successor in 1379 by the people of Staffordshire and other counties that men from Cheshire were continually coming by day and night in great numbers to make war, and riding through the county, robbing, burning, and ravishing, and ' suddenly beating and maiming divers men ' of the county, returning to the county of Chester without being arrested, so suddenly did they come and go, to the great mischief and annoyance of Staffordshire and the other counties. And because Cheshire was a palatine county and there was no forfeiture for such crimes done outside their county they did not fear to commit any misdeed, so that many men dared not dwell in their houses. In spite of complaints to Parliament these grievances had not been remedied, and the men of the said counties petitioned that these criminals should be restrained. The king promised in answer to remedy this state of affairs. There is another petition in the same Parliament 147 from the men of Staffordshire as well as Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Salop bearing equal testimony to the inefficiency of the law. Therein it is stated that Welshmen who had purchased lands in those counties came often with their kindred and friends in bands of from one to three hundred or more, armed and in warlike manner to kill, rob, and ransom, and take beasts, goods, and chattels, and convey them away to Wales, where the sheriffs and other officers of the king dare not exercise jurisdiction ; thus the said counties have been wasted, and in a short time would be utterly 143 Armytage Smith, "John of Gaunt, zl8. " 4 Mosley, Hist, of Tutbury, 77. 144 One of the grave evils at this period was that justices of assize acted in their own counties, and being friends or often relations of the local magnates, allowed them to set the law at defiance with impunity. Stubbs, Const. Hist, ii, 640. This was put an end to by statute in 1384 ; Rot. Par/. (Rec. Com.), ii, 334. 146 Rot. Par/. (Rec. Com.), iii, 81. " 7 Ibid. 237
