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In 1533 Jan 30, Sir William Fitzwilliam was granted, by Henry VIII, (In year 24 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Cowdray (Cowdray House)

The wording of this licence is;

"to build, make and construct walls and towers with stone, lime and sand, around, upon and within their manor of Cowdray... and to enclose that manor with such walls and towers and also to embattle or fortify, crenellate and machicolate those walls and towers.
L&P - Sir Rob. Norwiche, C.J. of the Common Pleas, Sir John Gage, Sir John Spelman, one of the justices of the King's bench, Christopher Hales, Thos. Armorer, and John Colbecke. Licence to impark 600 acres of land meadow, pasture and wood, in Essborne and Midhurst, Sussex, to be called the park of Cowdry, to have free warren and fishery within the same, and to build fortifications therein."

Granted at Westminster, by s.b..


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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