on the final suppression of the rebellion by the king's victory at Evesham, a general pardon for past transgressions, and more especially for having defended the town against the royal army, an act to which they had been compelled by the forcible occupation of it by the adherents of Montfort. Similar letters of grace were granted by Henry to many other towns; the original grant to the men of Northampton, under the great seal, is still preserved among the muniments of the corporation[1]. In the year following the battle of Evesham, 1266, a parliament was held at Northampton, when many of the nobles who had been forfeited for their participation in Montfort's rebellion were restored to their estates; sentence of banishment was pronounced on the younger Simon de Montfort, and the bishops of Worcester, Winchester, and London, were excommunicated by the papal legate for their adherence to the popular party. From this period downwards, the notices occurring relative to the castle of Northampton decrease in value as they descend in the order of time.
It continued however to be, as before, one of their principal residences whenever the English kings visited the county, but improved methods of warfare gradually began to lessen its importance as a fortress. The energies of Edward I. were called into exercise upon a different field; his anxiety was directed towards the northern borders, as well as to subdue the Welsh; he had consequently but little comparative need of military defences in the central districts of England. His successor had enough to do in protecting himself against the incursions of the Scotch, yet the general troubles of his reign rendered it necessary that the royal castles should be restored,
- ↑ See also Rot. Pat. 52 Hen. III.; the document is as follows:Henricus dei gratia Rex Angliæ Dominus Hiberniæ et Dux Aquitaniæ omnibus Ballivis et fidelibus suis ad quos presentes littere pervenerint, salutem. Volentes majori et probis hominibus nostris de Norhampt. gratiam facere specialem remisimus et pardonavimus eisdem et toti communitati ville ejusdem omnem indignacionem et animi rancorem quos erga ipsos conceperamus occasione detentionis ville nostre Northampton contra nos et captionis ejusdem, et eciam occasione transgressionum et excessuum si quos contra nos fecerunt tempore turbacionis habite in regno nostro et eis transgressiones et excessus hujusmodi quantum in nobis est similiter perdonavimus et ipsos ad graciam et pacem nostram admisimus, nolentes quos ipsi per nos heredes nostros justiciarios ballivos seu alios ministros nostros occasione predicta decetero graventur in aliquo seu molestentur. Ita tamen quod stent recto in curia nostra si quis de transgressionibus aliquibus versus eos loqui voluerit, et erga nos et heredes nostros bene et fideliter se habeant in futurum. In cujus rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Teste me ipso apud Windes. sexto die Maii anno regni nostri quinquagesimo secundo.—Seal in green wax; broken.The Jews of Northampton, who had been expelled during the disturbance there, on the restoration of peace are ordered to return to the town and be under the protection of the burgesses.—Patent Rolls, 48 Henry III.
