County Louth Archaeological and History Society

Castletown and RocheAuthor(s): Charles McNeillSource: Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Dec., 1925), pp. 1-2Published by: County Louth Archaeological and History SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27728207 .

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JOURNAL OF THE COUNTY LOUTH

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

No. i. DECEMBER, 1925 Vol. VI.

Ca?tletoton anb Eocije. By Charles McNeill.

N the year 1472 Edward Bellew, Esquire, son of Sir John Bellew the younger, knight, of Roche, obtained an Act, n & 12 Edward IV, c. 15 (which, by the

way, has a modern interest as one of several Acts to assist building after a

period of civil warfare and destruction) in which it is recited that he intends

by the grace of God and the material support of the inhabitants of County Louth, to build a new tower or pile (in more recent times the word has been

spelled ' peel '), at the Castleton by Dundalk on the frontiers of the march of Co.

Louth, to be of the statutory dimensions (15' x 12' within, and 40' high at the least), and a sum of ?10 is granted to be levied off the county and paid over to him on his

giving security that he will complete the tower within a year from the date of pay ment. The date 1475 may accordingly without hesitation be assigned to Castie town Tower, and buildings with the same distinctive features may be dated in the second half of the fifteenth century.

Richard Bellew here mentioned was son and heir of Sir John Bellew the younger, who had died in the reign of Henry VI. He appears to have had a stormy youth. The English Wars of the Roses occasioned civil strife amongst the Palesmen, and some of them, particularly along the Irish border, more or less set up for them

selves. Richard Bellew's manor of Roche was seized into the King's hand at his

father's death and was not immediately delivered to him as heir. By an Act of

1456 it is evident that he did not at that time stand too well with the government, for he was called upon to appear in King's Bench and give security for his good

behaviour ; he alleged that he was not able to do so, as there was war between

him and other subjects of the King and O Neill, an Irish enemy. Next year parlia ment went farther and named him as one of many malefactors guilty of extortions,

robberies, treasons, felonies, etc., in Co. Uriell, and required him to surrender at

Dublin Castle. He stood out at first ; but soon made his peace (v/hether in the usual way, at the expense of some former associate, or otherwise does not appear), for in the following year, 1458, these Acts were repealed, in consideration of his

good conduct and disposition ; he was pardoned all treasons, felonies, trespasses,

murders, homicides, coynes, liveries, gossipreds, etc., and all outlawries, subject to a certificate from John, Abbot of Mellifont, and Thomas Bath, Lord of Louth, to be produced in the next parliament, that meanwhile he has been of good conduct and behaviour, and is using the English habit. It is clear that he had been among the Irishry, and could not, with prudence, have presented himself in the King's

Bench or Dublin Castle without some previous understanding. The Act of 1458 also makes special provision for delivering to him the manor of Roche, for continual

war on the march had so impoverished him that he could not sue out his livery in common form of law.

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2 COUNTY LOUTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL

In 1464 he makes his appearance again in parliament with a petition from the Commons of Louth, which is interesting for the history of the Castle of Roche. Le Chastell de Roche, they say, seated on the frontiers of the march, is their very great succour in resisting the Irish enemies dwelling in those parts, the wThich Chastell is so ruinous that it is very necessarily to be repaired. And thereupon parliament enacted that Richard Bellewe, Jentilman, should have 10/. by way of a subsidy to be cessed and levied by the Sheriff of Louth ; the Chancellor was to deliver to Richard as many writs as he needed for the repair of the Castle, security was to be taken to do the work within two years, and the io?. was to be cessed and collected by the collectors of the said subsidy.

This Act explains the curious and rather mean condition of the gate tower of Castle Roche, which I take to be a reparation of this date. Even if money were

fifty times more valuable than it is now, and I do not think it was, 10/. would not have gone far in restoring Roche. But presumably parliament sought only to make the place defensible against a hasty attack.

11 & 12 Edward IV. (1472), c. 15. Statute Rolls, Item, al Requisici?n des co?s, Que come Richarde Bellewe, Ireland, III. Esquier, entende par la grace de dieu & supportacion de les en

pp. 742-3 habitauntez del Counte de Loueth de comens & ?difier vne towre ou pile al Castelton iuxte dundalke en lez frontures del marche del

dit Counte conteignaunt en luy mesme longoure laisr & hautesse accordaunt al

estatute en cele case prouide, le quele toure ou pile issint c?mense, ?difie & pforme voet estre vne singuler refute & succor a toute foiale liege people le Roy illeosq; enhabitauntez, & vne resistence & defense encount' irrois enemies eaux pourpos auntez pr destruer lauandit Counte :

Sur q' lez p'misses consid?rez enactest, ordeine & establie p auctorite du dit

parliament que le dit Richarde eit x.li. pr la construcci?n del dit toure ou pile de estre cessez sur les enhabitauntez del dit Counte p les Chiualers del mesme ap

parauntez en cest dit parliament, et de estre levez p le viscount del mesme le Counte

pr le temps esteaunt, de estre deliu'ez al dit Richard pur lez causez auantditz, il

trosuaunt siurte en la Chanc'ie le Roy de sa t're dirlande de ?difier & pfourm' le dit towre ou pile en forme auantdit deins vne ane ap'r q' lez ditz x.li. soient deliu'ez

a ses mains : p'uieu q' cest Act ne soit my p'iudiciale q'e extende my al Abbe de Mellifonte ou Covent de mesme ni a lor tenantes.

Likewise, at the request of the Commons, That whereas Richard Bellew, esquire, intends with the grace of God and the support of the inhabitants of the County of Louth to commence and to build a tower or peel at the Castelton by Dundalk on the frontiers of the march of the said county, containing in the same the length, width and height according to the statute in that case

provided, which tower or peel thiis commenced,

built and completed will be a singular refuge and help to all the King s faithful liege people there inhabiting, and a resistance and defence against Irish enemies setting before them to destroy the aforesaid county.

Whereupon, the premises considered, it is enacted, ordained and established by authority of the said parliament that the said Richard have 10U. for the construction

of the said tower or peel, to be assessed on the inhabitants of the said county by the knights of the same appearing in this said parliament, and to be levied by the Sheriff of the same

county for the time being, to be delivered to the said Richard for the causes aforesaid, he finding surety in the Kings Chancery of his land of Ireland to build and complete the said tower or peel in the form aforesaid within one year after the said 10U. shall be delivered to his hands : Provided that this Act shall not be at all prejudicial or at

all extend to the Abbot of Mellifont or the Convent of the same, nor to their tenants.

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CASTLETOWN CASTLE, DUNDALK

*'-, *

> ft r /

l7

EXCURSION TO BARNAFEDDOGE STANDING STONE EXAMINING THE OGHAM INSCRIPTION

MAY, 1924

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