Stabuli) were officially appointed to the custody of the royal castle. They usually possessed the grant for three years, sometimes for life, but generally during the king's pleasure, 'cum pertinentiis habendum quamdin Regi placnerit;' or in the terms of the ensuing entry upon a Miscellaneous Roll in the Tower, No. 50, 9th and 10th Edward I., a document which will serve to shew both the manner of holding, and also the connection that existed betwixt the constableship of the castle, and the seneschalship of the forest of Rockingham.
De castro de Rokingham et officio Senescalciæ forestarum, et diversis maneriis commissis.
Rex commisit Ricardo de Holebrok custodiam castri Regis de Rokingham et officium Senescalciæ forestarum Regis infra pontes Oxon et Staunfford cum redditu Regis de Whitele et cum maneriis Regis de Saham, Oneston et Silveston, habenda cum omnibus pertinentiis suis a festo Sancti Michaelis anno regni Regis nono usque ad finem trium annorum proximo sequentium completorum. Nisi de castro prædicto Rex aliud interim duxerit ordinandum. Reddendo inde Regi per annum ad Scaccarium Regis de exitibus castri prædicti et Senescalciæ prædictæ quaterviginti libras. De manerio de Saham quinquaginta et sex libras, de manerio de Selveston quindecim libras, videlicet unam medietatem ad festum Sanctæ Trinitatis, et aliam medietatem in festo Sancti Martini proximo sequenti. Ita tamen quod prædictus Ricardus nihil capiat in forestis prædictis vel in parco Regis de Selveston, nisi rationabile estoverium ad domos castri prædicti inde faciendas et ad easdem domos et alias que sunt in maneriis Regis prædictis sustentandas, et cum necesse fuerit reparandas. Et quod habeat herbagium in parco prædicto, salva sufficienti pastura ad feras Regis ibidem. Et si contingat quod Rex interim castrum illud resumat in manum Regis, præfatum Ricardum indempnem conservabit. Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium xvi. die Novembris[1].
The duties of a constable consisted in seeing that the royal grants in his district were not abused[2]; such as the transfer of mills[3], and of land[4]; in assisting at the execution of traitors[5];
