| Forum: | General Genealogy |
| Topic: | Castle Cary |
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------------------ ------------------ From Robert W. Dunning’s – Somerset Castles – Somerset Books, First Edition, 1995rgcary As I understand it, Castle Cary no loner exists. I would like to know if there is a drawing or rendering of this castle in a publication or museum.
Philip Davis I don't know of any pictures directly. However, the place to try is The Royal Commission for Historic Monuments England at http://www.rchme.gov.uk/nmr.html
Neurotics build castles in the air, psychotics live in them,
Psychiatrists charge the rent, art therapists do the interior design
and nurses clean out the garderobes!
wurdsmiff There is a Castle Cary near Cumbernauld in Scotland, however this was built by the Livingstones, rather than a family of your name.
krago There is a castle cary in somerset on a371.
mazdaAJR According to the Domesday Book, the estate called Cari belonged to William of Douai, Lord of vast estates in the West Country. His son, Robert of Bampton, whose castle at Bampton in Devon can still be seen, probably also built other strongholds, both at Cary and at East Harptree. Robert, according to one chronicler, was not a pleasant character: in peacetime he was said to have been “devoted only to gluttony and drunkenness”; after the death of King Henry I he assumed “a spirit of rebellion”. As a consequence, he was exiled in 1136 by King Stephen and his castles passed to other hands.
In the Civil War which followed, The new owners, William FitzJohn at Harptree and Ralph Lovel at Cary, both took up arms against the King, and sided with Robert, Earl of Gloucester. From these two strongholds they ravaged the countryside as the King laid siege to Bristol. King Stephen thus abandoned the siege and “very quickly … with vigour and determination” attacked Cary with fire and showers of stones from his siege engines, until rations ran short inside and the defenders surrendered.
Thereafter, all was apparently peaceful until 1143, when King Stephen seems to have lost control of the West Country after the Battle of Wilton. Four years later, after the death of Robert of Gloucester, Henry de Tracy built another stronghold in front of the older castle, thus effectively keeping the garrison inside. However, the new Earl of Gloucester “arrived suddenly with a mighty host, levelled to the ground what Henry had begun, and compelled him and his men to a shameful retreat”. Thus it seems, ended the military history of Cary Castle.
The Lovels eventually secured the return of the fortress and held it until the middle of the 14th century. During that time it was, in feudal language, the head of an “honour”, successive members of the family owing an agreed number of knights for royal service or their cash equivalent.
Whether the castle continued in use is not certain. When farm buildings were altered in the 1970s, a few fragments of pottery were found from the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. The only excavation of the site, undertaken in 1890, uncovered a large and very substantial stone keep, almost 78ft (24m) square, with walls 15ft (4.5m) thick. Sling stones, a spear head and animal bones were found, but nothing to suggest later history. Worked stone, either in situ or found re-used in walls and houses in the town, was quarried at Doulting and on Ham Hill, some evidence of an expensive undertaking. A very wide and deep ditch was noticed in the 1970s.
From the Lovel family, the town and castle passed to the Seymours, and later to the Zouches. The Zouches are said to have built a house within the castle precinct. John, Lord Zouche, was attainted for his support of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and Castle Cary passed to Sir William Willoughby (who died in 1513) and then to his nephew Robert, Lord Willoughby de Broke (who died in 1521). The property then came back to the Seymours in the person of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and to his descendants. However the house was occupied in the 1630s by an Edward Kirton. It was largely demolished at the end of the 18th century, but “several fine old arches” then still remained.
Access to the castle site is by a footpath from the main street, towards private farmland.Peter I recall visiting the site many years ago. There then used to be an excellent bookshop in the town. I did ask the same question then, and at that time the shop owner knew of nothing.
The site earthworks are quite impressive, and very easy to access.
Peter
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