Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle is in Arundel [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1102. In this year at the Nativity was the king Henry (age 34) at Westminster, and at Easter in Winchester, Hampshire [Map]. And soon thereafter arose a dissention between the king (age 34) and the Earl Robert of Belesme (age 46), who held in this land the earldom of Shrewsbury, that his father, Earl Roger, had before, and much territory therewith both on this side and beyond the sea. And the king (age 34) went and beset the castle at Arundel [Map]; but when he could not easily win it, he allowed men to make castles before it, and filled them with his men; and afterwards with all his army he went to Bridgenorth, and there continued until he had the castle [Map], and deprived the Earl Robert (age 51) of his land, and stripped him of all that he had in England. And the earl (age 51) accordingly went over sea, and the army afterwards returned home. Then was the king (age 34) thereafter by Michaelmas at Westminster; and all the principal men in this land, clerk, and laity.

Florence of Worcester Continuation. Oct 1139. The Empress and the Earl, her Brother, land in England. In the month of October, the earl of Gloucester (age 40), son of king Henry, late king of England, but a bastard, with his sister (age 37) by the father's side, formerly empress of the Romans, and now countess of Anjou, returned to England with a large army, and landed at Portsmouth, before the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, on the calends [the 1st] of August, while the king was besieging Marlborough; and their arrival filled all England with alarm. On receiving this intelligence, Stephen, king of England, was much disturbed in his mind, and in great wrath with those whose duty it was vigilantly to guard the sea-ports. He is the king of peace, and would that he were also the king of vigour and justice, treading under foot his enemies, determining all things by the balance of equal justice, and in the power of his might protecting and strengthening the friends of peace. When, however, he learned that the ex-queen (age 36)2 had received the ex-empress, with her large band of retainers, at Arundel [Map], he was much displeased, and marched his army thither. But she, being awed by the king's majesty, and fearing that she might lose the rank she held in England, swore solemnly that no enemy of his had come to England on her invitation; but that, saving her dignity, she had granted hospitality to persons of station, who were formerly attached to her. The king, on hearing this, dismissed her, and ordered the bishop of Winchester to conduct the ex-empress with honour, as she was his cousin, to her brother, at Bristol castle, while he himself went in pursuit of the earl. But hearing nothing certain about him, for he had taken to certain by-roads for a time, he led his troops to another quarter, as he had planned. Milo, the constable, having abjured his oath of allegiance to the king, went over to the earl of Gloucester (age 40), his liege-lord, with a large body of troops, promising him on his fealty to lend him help against the king. The calamities which flowed from this quarter, namely, the city of Bristol, and spread over all England, are beyond the knowledge or eloquence of man to describe; for of those who opposed him, or obeyed the royal authority, as many as could be taken were made prisoners, and all the captives were thrown into chains, and subjected to horrible tortures. New varieties of cruel punishment were invented; mercenary troops were enlisted in every direction for carrying on the work of destruction, to whom was given, or sold for their pay, the inhabitants of the villages and farms, with all their goods and substance.2

Note 1. Alice (age 36), widow of Henry I., who had Arundel Castle [Map] for her dower.

Note 2. See an account of these atrocities in the "Gesta Stephani," p. 353.

On 07 Apr 1330 John Plantagenet 3rd Earl Kent was born to Edmund of Woodstock 1st Earl Kent (deceased) and Margaret Wake Countess Kent (age 33) at Arundel Castle [Map]. He a grandson of King Edward "Longshanks" I of England.

In 1347 Joan Fitzalan Countess Essex, Hereford and Northampton was born to Richard Fitzalan 10th Earl Arundel 8th Earl Surrey (age 41) and Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Arundel and Surrey (age 28) at Arundel Castle [Map]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

Around 1350 Alice Fitzalan Countess Kent was born to Richard Fitzalan 10th Earl Arundel 8th Earl Surrey (age 44) and Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Arundel and Surrey (age 31) at Arundel Castle [Map]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 05 Feb 1381 Henry IV King England (age 13) and Mary Bohun (age 13) were married at Arundel Castle [Map]. She the daughter of Humphrey Bohun 7th Earl Hereford 6th Earl Essex 2nd Earl of Northampton and Joan Fitzalan Countess Essex, Hereford and Northampton (age 34). He the son of John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster (age 40) and Blanche Plantagenet Duchess Lancaster. They were second cousins. He a grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward "Longshanks" I of England.

In or before 1462 John Dudley (age 35) and Elizabeth Bramshott were married at Arundel Castle [Map].

On 23 Jan 1544 William Fitzalan 18th Earl Arundel (age 68) died. He was buried at Arundel Castle [Map]. His son Henry Fitzalan 19th Earl Arundel (age 31) succeeded 19th Earl Arundel Sussex, 9th Baron Maltravers, 9th Baron Arundel. Mary Arundell Countess Arundel by marriage Countess Arundel Sussex.

On 19 Apr 1630 Anne Dacre Countess Arundel (age 73) died at Shifnal Manor, Shropshire. She was buried at Arundel Castle [Map].

After 18 Nov 1642 Edward Ford (age 37) surrendered Arundel Castle [Map] after a seventeen day siege.

On 19 May 1648 Colonel William Legge was imprisoned at Arundel Castle [Map] for having supported King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 47) in his escape from Hampton Court Palace, Richmond [Map].

St Nicholas Church, Arundel Castle

Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle

In 1488 William Fitzalan 16th Earl Arundel (age 70) died. He was buried at Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle [Map]. His son Thomas Fitzalan 17th Earl Arundel (age 38) succeeded 17th Earl Arundel Sussex, 7th Baron Maltravers, 7th Baron Arundel. Margaret Woodville Countess Arundel (age 34) by marriage Countess Arundel Sussex.

On 19 Oct 1595 Philip Howard 20th Earl Arundel (age 38) died of dysentery at Tower of London [Map]. He was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map], reburied at Arundel Cathedral, Sussex [Map] and then reburied in the Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle [Map]. Earl Arundel Sussex, Earl Surrey, Baron Maltravers, Baron Arundel, Baron Mowbray, Baron Segrave forfeit.

He had been imprisoned for ten years and had never seen his son and heir Thomas Howard 21st Earl Arundel 4th Earl Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk (age 10) who had been born three months after he was imprisoned.

On 02 Apr 1701 Henry Howard 7th Duke of Norfolk (age 46) died of apoplexy. He was buried in the Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle [Map]. His nephew Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk (age 17) succeeded 8th Duke Norfolk, 26th Earl Arundel Sussex, 9th Earl Surrey, 6th Earl Norfolk, 3rd Earl Norwich, 19th Baron Mowbray, 20th Baron Segrave, 17th Baron Furnivall, 21st Baron Strange Blackmere, 18th Baron Talbot, 16th Baron Maltravers, 16th Baron Arundel, 3rd Baron Howard of Castle Rising.

Effigy of Thomas Earl of Arundel and his Countess Beatrice. In 1404, he espoused Beatrice, an illegitimate daughter of the King of Portugal. The King and Queen were present at the wedding feast, which was kept at London. In 1411 he was sent into France, accompanied by certain nobles, knights, and men-at-arms, to aid the Duke of Burgundy against the Duke of Orleans, and performed good service in the cause of the formera. He died on the 13th October, 1416, having directed by his last will that his body should be buried in the choir of the collegiate church of the Holy Trinity at Arundel [Map], under a tomb to be there erected to his memory. On his monument are the effigies delineated in the Plates. He directed £130 to be expended on his funeral, and in celebrating masses for the good of his soul. He gave other sums to religious and pious uses, between which terms a distinction in the days of superstition is obviously to be drawn.

Beatrice his wife survived, and in 1432 license was granted for her marriage with John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, afterwards Duke of Exeter; but this alliance does not appear to have taken place. She died at Bourdeaux in 1439.

Note a. See Stow's Annals, 4to. edit. p. 541.

The Earl wears the collar of SS. a decoration introduced by his sovereign Henry the Fourthb.

Note b. See our observations on the collar of SS. in the account of the effigy of Henry the Fourth, who seems to have made this emblem of his sovereignty an honorary mark of distinction; we find it employed as such by his son Henry the Fifth at the battle of Agincourt. "He exhorted such of his train as were not noble to demean themselves well in the fight, he promised them letters of nobility, and to distinguish them he gave them leave to wear his collar of SS." "Il leur donna conge de porter un Collier seme de lettres S de son ordre." Chronique des Ursins, as quoted by Favines in his "Theater of Honour and Knighthood." Translation, edit. 1623, Book 5, p. 67.

On 16 Mar 1842 Bernard Howard 12th Duke of Norfolk (age 76) died. He was buried at Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle [Map]. His son Henry Charles Howard 13th Duke of Norfolk (age 50) succeeded 13th Duke Norfolk, 31st Earl Arundel Sussex, 14th Earl Surrey, 11th Earl Norfolk, 21st Baron Maltravers, 21st Baron Arundel. Charlotte Sophia Leveson-Gower Duchess Norfolk (age 54) by marriage Duchess Norfolk.

On 22 Mar 1886 Augusta Mary Minna Catherine Lyons Duchess Norfolk (age 64) died at Norfolk House, St James' Square. She was buried at the Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle [Map].