Identifier: countiesofenglan01ditc (find matches)
Title: The counties of England, their story and antiquities
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson), 1854-1930
Subjects: Great Britain -- History England -- Antiquities
Publisher: London : G. Allen
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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s houseswere founded to give knowledge to the people, alms tothe poor, and rest to the weary. This county played a large part in the Civil War ofStephens reign; both the castles of Nottingham andNewark were in the Kings hands, though the formerchanged sides several times, and in the process the town,whose prosperity and beauty Florence of Worcesterbelauds, was burnt. Henry II. had no intention of having NottinghamCastle held against him should occasion arise, and in 1155he took possession of it himself, and at the same timeordered all adulterine castles to be dismantled. ProbablyCuckney Castle was one of these latter, and there werealmost certainly others, but the matter is obscure. Henry II. gave the castle of Nottingham to hisfavourite son, John, in 1174, and it remained thisdespicable princes chief and most frequented residence,and here he made his rebellious stand against hisbrother Richard until he was ejected in 1194. It was inthis year that Richard discovered the suitability of
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Nottinghamshire 185 Sherwood Forest for a royal hunting ground, andon April 17th he met the King of the Scots at Clip-stone. After the conference at Runnymede had driven Johninto a corner, that treacherous monarch determined tomake a last stand at Nottingham Castle, which heordered Philip Marc, the constable, to prepare for a siege.Newark, too, was faithful to John, though the surround-ing country was suffering much at the hands of hisenemies. It is fitting that, as John had loved thiscounty and been loved by it, he should end his worthlesslife here, and perhaps here alone was he regretted whenhe passed away at Newark. To all intents and purposes the history of Nottinghamitself is the history of the whole county. The characterof this history undergoes a change early in the thirteenthcentury. Henceforth Nottingham the town attracts ourattention instead of Nottingham the castle, as formerly.To quote Mr. J. R. Green : The interest of its historylies in the quiet picture that is given of

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