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In 1403 Aug 15, Jacobus de Radclif, armiger (Sir James Radclyffe; James Radcliffe) was granted, by Henry IV, (In year 4 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Radclif (Radcliffe Tower)

The wording of this licence is;

"Licence for the king's esquire James de Radclif to enclose his manor of Radclif, held of the king in chief as of the duchy of Lancaster, with walls of stone and within them to make a hall with two towers of stone and to crenellate the walls, hall and towers and hold the manor as a fortalice.
manerium ... Cum muris de petris et calce de novo includere et infra eosdem muros quandam aulam cum duabus turribus de petris et calce similiter de novo facere et eosdam muros aulam et turres sic factos kernellare et batellare ... quod de ducatu Lanc. tenetur"

Granted at Pontefract Castle, by King.


King writes "an unusually detailed licence."


Original source is

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms.)


Significant later source are;


More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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This record last updated on Wednesday, December 6, 2006

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