Berwick Castle, Northumberland is in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland [Map], Castles in Northumberland.
Westminster Chronicle. On the twelfth day of November the king held a parliament at Westminster, in which, according to the usual custom, subsidies were requested to be granted to the lord king, chiefly for the defence of the realm. At last, after much deliberation on this matter, two tenths were granted to him by the clergy, and two fifteenths by the lay people, on this condition, that the lord king should cross into France with a strong hand in the following year. Otherwise, he was to have only half of all that had been granted. After he went into Scotland, as will be described below, he took all that had been granted to him, the condition being set aside. In this parliament, however, nothing useful was done for the advantage of the realm, because the temporal lords, whose duty it is to speak for the estate and advantage of the realm, were always at that time at odds with one another, and, when it had ended, they departed in discord. During the parliament the Scots deceitfully took the castle of Berwick [Map]. And although the earl of Northumberland [aged 43]1, keeper of the aforesaid castle, was then in London for the parliament, as he had been commanded by the king, he could not be excused, for the temporal lords, and especially the duke of Lancaster, judged that he ought justly to recover the aforesaid castle solely at his own expense, because it had been lost through his fault. And unless it were recovered within the appointed time, they decreed that he and all his goods, movable and immovable, should be subject to the king’s will. For the aforesaid earl received annually from the king five hundred marks for the custody of the said castle. Seeing that he could have no other aid from the king, he quickly girded himself for the journey and came to Berwick. There he found his paid soldiers daily making heavy assaults upon the enemy garrison in the castle and inflicting daily losses, but because of the strength of the place they were by no means able to prevail against them. The aforesaid earl, considering that the recovery of the said castle would be wholly impossible for him without a greater force of men and arms, therefore, after taking counsel on this matter, in order to avoid a greater evil, and as the better course, bought it from the Scots for two thousand marks. This condition was added that the Scots might freely return into Scotland with their possessions. And this was done.
Duodecimo die Novembris tenuit rex parliamentum apud Westmonasterium in quo more solito petuntur subsidia domino regi concedi pro defensione regni præcipue. Tandem post magnam super hoc deliberationem concessæ sunt sibi a clerico duæ decimæ, ac duæ quintædecimæ a populo laicali, eo pacto quod dominus rex manu robusta transiret in Franciam anno sequenti, alias non haberet nisi medietatem omnium concessorum. Posteaquam transivit in Scotiam, prout inferius deseribetur, accepit omnia sibi concessa conditione rejecta. In isto vero parliamento pro commodo regni nihil utile fuit actum quia domini temporales quibus competit loqui pro statu et commodo regni adinvicem adversantes semper eo tempore discordes fuere ac co finito in discordia recesserunt. Durante parliamento Scoti dolose ceperunt castrum de Berewyk et licet comes Northumberland, custos castri prædicti, erat tunc Londoniæ causa parliamenti, prout a rege habuit in mandatis, non potuit excusari quod domini temporales et præcipue dux Lancastriæ decernebant ipsum juste debere prædictum castrum suis propriis expensis tantummodo recuperare, quia propter sui defectum illud erat amissum. Et nisi fuerit infra dictum tempus recuperatum decreverunt illum et omnia bona ‘sua mobilia et immobilia subjacere regiæ voluntati. Accepit namque comes prædictus pro custodia dicti castri annuatim a rege quingentas marcas ; qui videns à rege aliud subsidium non posse habere celer accinxit se ad iter et venit Berewycum; ubi invenit suos stipendiarios graves insultus indies hostibus castellanis et damna quotidiana inferre, sed propter fortitudinem loci contra eos minime prævaluerunt. Præfatus vero comes considerans quod dicti castri recuperatio sine majori potentia virorum [et] armorum fuisset omnino sibi impossibilis, unde super hoc librato consilio ad evitandum majus malum et pro meliori emit illud a Scotis duobus millibus marcarum. Sub ista conditione adjecta quod Scoti possent libecre in Scotiam cum qu redire. Quod et factum est.
Note 1. Henry Percy, 1341-1408, created Earl of Northumberland in 1377. He married in 1381 Maud Lucy and had issue. He rebelled against King Henry IV and was killed at the Battle of Bramham Moor, his head spiked on London Bridge. His son Henry "Hotspur" Percy, also in rebellion against King Henry IV, was killed in 1403 at the Battle of Shrewsbury. Hotspur's son Henry, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, was killed in 1455 at the First Battle of St Albans. His son, Henry, 3rd Earl, was killed at the 1461 Battle of Towton.
In 1412 Ralph Eure was born to William Eure [aged 16] and Maud Fitzhugh [aged 21] at Berwick Castle, Northumberland [Map]. He married Eleanor Greystoke, daughter of John Greystoke 4th Baron Greystoke and Elizabeth Ferrers Baroness Greystoke, and had issue.
Around 18th February 1440 William Eure was born to Ralph Eure [aged 28] and Eleanor Greystoke [aged 24] at Berwick Castle, Northumberland [Map]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England. He married his sixth cousin Margaret Constable and had issue.
Collectanea by John Leland [1502-1552]. The XXIXth Day of the sayd Monneth [29th July 1503] the said Qwene departed from Alnewyk, for to go for Barrwyk, and at Half of the Way, named Belleford, she bayted. For SyrThomas Darcy, Capittayne of the said Barrwicke, had maid rady hyr' Dynner at the said Place very well and honnestly.
For that the said Maister Henry Grays abouffe named is Sheryffe of Ellaund Shyre and Northumberland Shyre, he bore his Rod before the said Qwene, sens the Entrynge of the said Lordschips, to Barrwyk.
Betwyx Alnewyk and Barrwyk cam to the Qwene Maister Rawff Wodryngton, having in hys Company many Gentylmen well appoynted. His Folks arayd in Liveray, well horsed, to the Nomber of an hundreth Horsys.
At the Comyng ny to Barrwyk was shot Ordonnounce, the wiche was fayr fer to here. And ny to the sayd Place the Qwene drest hyr. And Ichon in fair Aray, went she on after the other in fayyr Ordre.
At the Entrynge of the Bryge was the said Capitaine well apoynted, and in hys Company hys Gentylmen and Men of Armes, who receyved the said Qwene into the said Place.
At the tother End of the Bryge toward the Gatt, was the Maister Marshall compayned of hys Company, Ichon bearing a Staffe in hys Haund.
After hym was the College revested with the Crosse, the wiche was gyffen hyr for to kysse by th Archbifshop as before.
At the Gatt of the said Towne was the Maister Porter, with the Gard and Soyars of the said Place, in a Row well apoynted. Ichon of those had an Haiiebarde or other Staffe in his Haund, as the others. And apon the said Gatt war the Mynslraylls of the sayd Capltayn, playnge of their Instruments.
In the Midds of the said Town was the Maistre Chamberlayn, and the Mayre, acompayned of the Bourges and Habitaunts of the said Place, in rayre Ordre, and well apoynted.
In such fayr Ordre and Company she was conveyd and brought to the Castell [Map], wher she was receyved by the Lady D'arcy honnestly accompayned.
In 1539 William Eure 1st Baron Eure [aged 56] was appointed Governor of Berwick on Tweed.
Tudor Tracts Chapter 4. Tuesday the 30th of August [1547]. This day, his Grace, having journeyed in the morning a ten mile, dined at Bamborough Castle [Map]; whereof one Sir John Horsley Knight is Captain. The plot of this castle standeth so naturally strong, that hardly can anywhere, in my opinion, be found the like. Inaccessible on all sides, as well for the great height of the crag whereon it standeth; as also for the outward form of the stone whereof the crag is, which, not much amiss perchance, I may liken to the shape of long bavens [a brush faggot bound with only one withe] standing on end with their sharper and smaller ends upward. Thus is it fenced round about: and hath hereto, on the east side, the sea, at flood, coming up to the hard walls. This castle is very ancient, and was called in Arthur's day, as I have heard, Joyous Gard.
Hither came my Lord Clinton [aged 35] from shipboard to my Lord.
In the afternoon, his Grace rode to Berwick, fourteen miles further; and there received with the Captains, garrisons, and with the officers of the town, lay in the Castle [Map], with Sir Nicholas Strellby Knight, the Captain there.
On 25th August 1568 Henry Carey 1st Baron Hunsdon [aged 42] was appointed Governor of Berwick on Tweed.
In 1598 Peregrine Bertie 13th Baron Willoughby [aged 42] was appointed Warden of the East Marches and Governor of Berwick on Tweed.
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. In which time of his latter days, this realm was in quiet and prosperous estate: no fear of outward enemies, no war in hand, nor none toward, but such as no man looked for; the people toward the Prince, not in a constrained fear, but in a willing and loving obedience; among themselves, the commons in good peace. The lords whom he knew at variance, he himself in his deathbed appeased. He had left all gathering of money (which is the only thing that withdraws the hearts of Englishmen from the prince), nor anything he intended to take in hand by which he should be driven thereunto, for his tribute out of France he had obtained before, and the year foregoing his death he had obtained Berwick Castle [Map]. And although throughout his reign he was with his people so benign, courteous and so familiar that no part of his virtues was more esteemed, yet that condition in the end of his days (in which many princes by a long continued sovereignty decline into a proud port from their debonair behavior at the beginning) marvelously in him grew and increased so far forth that, in the summer, the last that ever he saw, his Highness, being at Windsor hunting, sent for the Mayor and Aldermen of London to him-for no other errand but to have them hunt and be merry with him. Here he treated them not so stately but so friendly and of so familiar cheer, and sent venison from there so freely into the city, that no one thing in many days before got him either more hearts or more hearty favour among the common people, who oftentimes more esteem and take for greater kindness a little courtesy than a great benefit.
John Conyers 3rd Baron Conyers was appointed Governor of Berwick on Tweed.