Brampton Bryan Castle, 1066 to 1646: (No.65 Herefordshire Archaeological News S.)

A Detailed Analysis Of The History Of Brampton Bryan Sub-Lordship To 1309 And Then Of The Civil War Sieges Together With Footnotes To The Original Sources. Includes Discussion On The Foundation Of Wigmore Castlery And The Genealogy Of The Bramptons And Harleys. Detailed Description Of The Castle Ruins And Their Siting. 21 Black And White Photos, 2 Maps, 5 Plans And 1 Genealogical Table. Overview; Covers the foundation of Wigmore lordship and the history of the castle's owning families, the Barres, Fitz Unspacs and Bramptons. History; Surprisingly the castle was not named after one of the many Brian Bramptons who held this sub-lordship, but from the Domesday lord of the vill, Richard Barre; the castle and lordship originally being known as Brampton Barre to distinguish it from several other Bramptons in the area. The Bramptons of Brampton Bryan were usually in the thick of the wars during the twelfth and thirteenth century as the major honorial barons of the Mortimers of Wigmore. The first Brian Brampton of the thirteenth century was a veritable old warhorse, finally being ordered home by Edward I from the muster at Worcester as too old to go into battle against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1277. By this time Brian had been campaigning for at least 60 years and must have been in his 80's! Indeed he appears to have been fatally ill in the November of 1262, only a Welsh uprising in Maelienydd raising him from what appeared to be his deathbed for another fifteen years of campaigning which included the battles of Abergavenny, Clun and Evesham. The death of his grandson, Brian Brampton, during the Welsh uprising of 1294 brought the castle with a one year old heiress to the family of Harley. During the Civil War Lady Brilliana Harley gallantly defended the castle, which was eventually destroyed with much of the Harley library. The Harley library was later the core of the British Library. Genealogy; The early genealogy of the Fitz Unzpacs, Barres and Bramptons are unravelled. Archaeology; The present castle site is examined in detail. Remains include an intriguing barbican, gatehouse and hall block and unusual deductions are made concerning both the early origin and present structure of the ruins.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1; The Early History 3; The First Unspacs of Brampton Bryan, 1066 to 1158 9; Brian Brampton of Brampton Bryan, 1162 to 1193 12; John Unspac of Brampton Bryan, 1193 to 1221 17; Brian Brampton, Crusader, the Early Wars, 1215 to 1246 20; Brian Brampton, Crusader, the Royal Years, 1246 to 1263 29; Brian Brampton, Crusader, the Barons' Wars, 1263 to 1266 36; Brian Brampton, Crusader, the Last Years, 1267 to 1277 46; The Last Three Bramptons, 1277 to 1294 47; The Harleys of Brampton Bryan 51; Brampton Bryan Castle and the English Civil War, 1642 to 1646 52; The Castle Setting 60; The Church 60; The Mound 62; The Masonry 65; The Barbican 65; The Gatehouse 72; The Gate Passageway 76; The Sixteenth Century 'Additions' to the Gatehouse 77; The Hall Block 78; The House 82; Conclusion 85; The Bramptons of Brampton Bryan 87; Index 88; Ground Plan of Brampton Bryan Castle 102

About the Author :
Paul Martin Remfry, B.A., M.Phil., studied history at Aberystwyth University College of Wales between 1981 and 1984 and in 1989 obtained a Master of Philosophy Degree by Thesis on the Welsh Dynasties of Central Wales (Rhwng Gwy a Hafren) and their Middle March castles. He has long been embarked on the project of surveying and reporting the history of the myriad of castles along the Welsh frontier.