sisted of a strong tower or donjon, which was the habitable part of it, with other offices for provisions, ammunition, &c., enclosed within a wall of no common strength. The battled towers, the donjon keep, The loop-hole grates where captives weep, The warriors on the turrets high, 1140. William Cumin, chaplain to bishop Rufus at the time of the bishop's last sickness, perceiving the bishop's dissolution was approaching, gained the confidence of those about his person, and particularly such as had the custody of the castle of Durham, who entered into a confederacy to deliver up the palace and town to him immediately on the bishop's death. He concealed his project with the greatest assiduity from the prior and archdeacon, and made a journey to the court of Scotland, to consult his sovereign's pleasure, and obtain his assistance in gaining the bishopric. During his absence the bishop departed this life; and, in the night following his death, (it not being possible to keep the corpse otherwise,) the bowels were drawn, and the body embalmed. In order that the prelate's death might not be suspected abroad, when the prior and archdeacon came to the castle, in their usual manner, to pay their visit, they were refused admittance. His death was kept secret until the Friday following, at the end of which time the clamour of the people being great, the rumour of the prelate's death having gone abroad, they prepared for his funeral as if he were just dead, and he was interred on Sunday. On the Sunday following Cumin returned to the castle, armed with the powers of the king of Scotland, who favored his project; and, by every influence he could exert, he induced the people to submit to his authority; Fordun expressly says, "he took possession of the castle by the command of the empress." He experienced no great difficulty in gaining over several of the most powerful of the barons; notwithstanding that before the battle of North Allerton, on David's refusing to retire on the terms they had proposed in order to save the horrid carnage, Robert Brus and Bernard Baliol had deserted the Scottish standard, and fought under Stephen's banner; yet these two, to protect the palatine, were the first who appeared on behalf of the empress Matilda, whose nominee they esteemed Cumin. They were joined by Eustace de Baliol and Hugh de Moreville. With every persuasion, argument, or threat, they could use, they endeavored to influence the prior and archdeacon to elect Cumin to the bishopric; which they steadily refused, as being inconsistent and irregular. All efforts proving vain, it was proposed to consult the legate; and persons were appointed by Cumin's party who were sworn to act impartially in this business. But the legate gave judgment against such intrusion, and pronounced an interdict against Cumin, if he should assume the episcopal function without a due election. Notwithstanding these oppositions, Cumin prepared to receive the pastoral staff and ring from the empress on the day of St. John the Baptist; and he would have assumed the same accordingly, had not the troubles of the state obliged the empress, with the king of Scotland and their partizans, previously to leave London. Robert, an archdeacon of Cumin's creation, with the barons of the bishopric, returned to Durham, bearing the empress's letters, directed to the chapter, requiring them to nominate Cumin. He was with the empress at Winchester, and a party in the miseries of her flight; so that it was near Michaelmas before he returned to Durham, where he found the king of Scotland, who had arrived a short time before him, entertained by the convent. He therefore immediately entered the castle, and found the prior and convent, together with the old archdeacon, still remaining inexorable to every argument. The king of Scotland, therefore, left Cumin in possession of the castle, as custos of the temporalities of the see for the empress; the king pledging himself to the convent, that they should suffer no injury under the authority of Cumin. But Cumin after the king's departure, not regarding himself as custos, but as possessing the authority of bishop, received the homage of all the barons, except Roger de Coniers, and made the burgesses of Durham swear fealty to him. At length, a monk of the Cistercian order arrived at Durham, and straightway was admitted into secret confidence by Cumin. He was soon sent abroad to accomplish a project they had concerted between them, and which afterwards came fully to light. A proper time being elapsed, the monk returned, bringing forged letters of the pope, with a counterfeit seal, resembling the apostolical seal, by which the holy see expressed satisfaction at Cumin's election, and commanding Henry, bishop of Winchester, the legate, no further to molest him in his episcopal function. Cumin then sent him to David king of Scotland, with other forged letters, wherein the pope expressed his approbation of the oath the king had taken to the empress Matilda, and that Cumin should hold the bishopric of Durham by her appointment. The fraud was soon afterwards discovered, the monk confessing he was instigated by Cumin. Innumerable injuries were devised against the convent by the usurper. He had the custody of the city gates, so that he prevented all messages being sent to the monks. He had possession of the chapter seal, and used it as his pleasure dictated; and he is said to have built the castle at North Allerton, which he gave to William his nephew, who espoused the niece of the earl of Albemarle.* His part, however, in the construction of the castle was probably little more than repairing the structure already raised by Galfrid, with perhaps some extension of the fortifications. On the 14th March, 1143, the convent having escaped from Durham to York, elected William de St. Barbara, dean of York, to the see of Durham. After * Contin. Sym. Dun. 263. Ang. Sac. † Consecrated 20th June, 1143, at Winchester, from whence he returned to York; privately enthroned 18th Aug., 1143, enthroned duly 18th Oct., 1144; died 14th Nov., 1152. He is described as a person of good stature, with venerable grey locks, remarkable for his hospitality and liberality to the Q long resistance and bloodshed, the legal bishop, accompanied by the archbishop of York and the bishop of Carlisle, entered the city of Durham on the festival of St. Luke; Cumin in deep contrition for his offences, prostrated himself at the bishop's feet, and voluntarily delivered up the castle, together with the whole territories of the palatinate. Some authors allege, that on Cumin's surrender, the bishop granted the honor and castle of North Allerton, with their appendages, to Richard, another nephew of Cumin's.* It appears that Cumin soon began the war again, but whether from not meeting with his usual success, either from his being now broken with age and infirmities, or from the death of his nephew William,† which happened about this time, or from other causes, he soon afterwards made submission to the bishop, took an oath to make good the damages the see had suffered, and left the bishop to enjoy the see in 1144. 1173. Hugh de Pudsey,§ the sixth of the Norman bishops, nephew of king Stephen, greatly enlarged the castle at North Allerton about 1173, for the security of the town and his estates in Allertonshire; and at many other places he repaired or rebuilt the residences of his predecessors, "raising stately buildings," says the Durham historian, "thinking it the most honorable course to leave his successors no ground of complaint poor, of exemplary manners, true piety, much wisdom, and great perspicuity of judgment. He was endowed with profound knowledge in the several branches of the literature of that age, and graced it with persuasive eloquence. Ever intent on works of charity and the service of God, his memory went down to posterity, distinguished by uniform virtue and propriety. * Jo. Hagulst. Sim. Dun. Gale's Historical account. + He died at Merrington, as he was endeavoring to convert into a fortress the church of St. John. It was not unusual to make church towers serve as fortresses Bedale tower has a fire-place, portcullis groove, and even a forica of stone throughout. § Treasurer of York, and archdeacon of Winchester. Elected 13th Feb., 1152, consecrated 20th Dec., 1153. He was bishop nearly forty-two years, and did many good and memorable deeds, though, Godfridus de Coldingham says "his magnificent works were monuments which pride raised to his memory, inscribed with the perpetuation of those sins he committed on his distressed province." He died at Howden, 3 Mar., 1194, æt. 70; leaving many valuable presents to the church. His bible in four large volumes, in the dean and chapter's library, is one of the finest MSS. there, though the illuminations have suffered from Dr. Dobson's lady or nurse, who on rainy days amused his child in the library and cut out the "bonny shows" for it to play with. against his memory. He strongly fortified the castle of Norham, and repaired at great cost the castle at Durham, and the city walls. 1174. After the defeat and capture of William king of Scotland, the king (Henry II.) lost not a moment in pursuing the correction of his diffident barons; and in less than a month, compelled them to surrender their castles and persons. Bishop Pudsey appeared before the king at Northampton to make his submission. He was the only prelate in the realm who had given cause to suspect his loyalty. He had, in the previous year, permitted the Scottish army to march through his territories without opposition; and lately had sent for a body of Flemings, consisting of 40 knights and 500 foot soldiers, to come over into England, under the command of his nephew Hugh, count de Bar. They landed at Hartlepool on the very day the king of Scotland was made prisoner; the news of which event induced the bishop immediately to send back the foot, but he retained the knights, and committed the care of his castle at North Allerton to his nephew, with that force for its defence.t The bishop, under the present situation of state affairs, was glad to accommodate his offences with the king upon any terms he could obtain; to which end he paid a large sum of money into the royal coffers, and surrendered his castles of Durham, North Allerton, and Norham. The manor was obtained, but he could not rescue his castle of North Allerton, which the king ordered to be razed to its foundation.§ A.D. 1177. Eodem anno Ds. rex fecit demoliri castellum & monia Leicestriæ, & castellum de Grosby, & castellum de Tresk, & castellum de Malesart, & castellum novum novum de Allerton, & a castellum de Fremingham, & de Bungey, & fere omnia castella fere omnia castella a Alverton novum castellum ab Hugone, ut ego colligo, episcopo Dunelmensi constructum. Angl. & Norman. quæ fuerint contra eum tempore guerræ. (Lel Col. I. 133.) Hist. Dun. c. vii. + Hoveden. Lel. Col. Gale's Historial account. |