In late C13, John Gervase was possibly granted, by Edward I, a Royal licence to crenellate (Chideock Castle)

There is insufficient evidence to be certain about this possible licence to crenellate.

There is a typescript of a thesis in the NMRC library - Upton, KL, 1978: “The Moated Sites of Dorset” pp11-12 which suggests an earlier date. The dissertation gives the date of 1248 as the year when Thomas Le Brithun was given the manor, but does not give an exact date for the later official licence to crenellate, except to say that it was during the reign of Edward I. The dissertation allegedly drew upon material then held in the Dorset Record Office (the Dorset file was apparently P6 T.10/1).
Robin Page
English Heritage
Projects Team Officer
Datasets Development
Heritage Data Management
National Monuments Record Centre
It should be noted there was a licence granted in 1370 (late C14) by Edward III.

Significant later source are;

• Upton, K.L., 1978: “The Moated Sites of Dorset” p11-12 [unpublished thesis]

More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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