Medieval Castle

Life in A Medieval Castle was written by Joseph and Frances Gies in 1974. The couple was very committed to their books. Both did extensive research on the topic of medieval life for this book, which shows in the huge bibliography contained in its pages. Joseph and Frances also received help from Professor C. Warren Hollister of the University of California. Most of their research was done at the Northwestern University Library, the British Museum, and the British Department of the Environment (Gies). They also realized that the average person may not be familiar with the topic and were benevolent enough to include a glossary of feudal terms as well as a map of Chepstow Castle. The Gies’ are also responsible for such books as Life in a Medieval City, Leonard Pisa and the New Mathematics of the Middle Ages, and Merchants and Moneymen: The Commercial Revolution, 1000-1500.

The book was broken into twelve chapters, each describing different aspects of medieval castle life. Chepstow Castle on the banks of the river Wye on the Welsh border in Monmouthshire, was the main focus of the book. The first chapter describes how the castle was brought to England by Norman invaders in the tenth century. This first structure was made of timber and mud and placed on a hill with a ditch dug around it. The chapter describes how eventually the castle evolved to be made of stone in the eleventh century and reached its peak development in the thirteenth century (Gies 8-27).

The second chapter detailed the many lords of Chepstow Castle. William the Conqueror defeated King Harold and gave land to his friend William Fitz Osbern after becoming king. Fitz Osbern was responsible for the construction of Chepstow with his determination to build a castle out of stone. Fitz Osbern dies in 1071, leaving his lands to his son Roger de Breteuil. Unfortunately, Roger led a rebellion against the King and was imprisoned for life under the charge of treason. Chepstow was confiscated by the king until 1119 when King Henry I gave it to Walter de Clare. Walter was succeeded by his son Richard Fitz Gilbert who left the castle to his daughter, Isabel, and her husband, William Marshal. However William was cursed by a bishop whose land he conquered and each of his five sons died after a inheriting the castle for a just a short time. His daughter, Maud inherited the castle and her husband Roger Bigod became lord of the castle. Roger was succeeded by his nephew, Roger, who rebelled against the king and he signed the castle over in his surrender. Chepstow was royal property as of 1302 (Gies, 16-38).

The third through eighth chapters of the book described life in the castle such as entertainment, living arrangements, the vassels, and the lady’s role in the castle. The ninth chapter went in to great detail describing the knights and how they came to be. The tenth chapter describes the castle in war and the many tactics used to penetrate the castle walls. Stone castles were difficult to conquer. Enemies would try to take the castle using tunnels, catapults, ballistas, crossbows, sieges and ruse. Ruse was the method of tricking the enemy to make them more vulnerable to attack, the most famous example being the Trojan Horse (Gies, 186-203). The eleventh chapter described the year in medieval times and how many of their Christian holidays were based on Pagan festivals. The twelfth and final chapter was entitled "The Decline of the Castle." The castle ceased to be of military importance with the invention of gun powder. More luxurious and comfortable living arrangements were built and no one desired to live in a dark and drafty castle anymore. Many castles later served as prisons, archives, and museums (Gies, 218-224).

According to Gies, Duke William of Normandy sailed seventy miles across the English channel in one night, arriving at Pevensey Bay on September 28, 1066. He brought with him seven thousand armed men, three thousand horses, and a prefabricated fort to be reassembled when they reached England. However, Slocombe states that William encountered rough weather conditions and it took him sixteen days to sail the English channel. The latter also claims that William only brought fifty thousand knights and made no mention of horses or forts. These books also disagreed on the Conqueror’s motives for the invasion. Slocombe claims he was enforcing Norman control over the land, while Gies portrays it as a personal conquest for power.Gies did not recall the rather humorous incident that occurred when the Normans first landed on English soil. William was the first man to step on to the shore and in his eagerness, he tripped and fell flat on his face. Fortunately, this was not a foreshadowing of the battle against King Harold’s forces at Hastings. Both books agreed that William the Conqueror had a swift victory, and with Harold and his two brothers slain, an undisputed claim to the crown (Gies, 13. Slocombe, 139). Slocombe, however, went in to more detail about the battle and Harold’s failure. Apparently, Harold had just won a huge victory against Norway and was feeling a bit arrogant. He procrastinated gathering his forces to fight William and was only able to gather half the size of his usual army (Slocombe, 139). The Normans also tricked the English by pretending to flee, drawing the English down from their vital hillside position (Gies, 13).William was crowned King of England on Christmas day, 1066 (Gies, 13). The Conqueror was eager to return to his wife Matilda who was overseeing his Norman lands in his absence (Slocombe, 128). Towers and early forms of castle were hastily built all over England to secure Williams power as King. Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and William’s half brother, was placed in charge of Kent and Dover, while the King’s trusted friend, William Fitz Osbern, Earl of Hereford, was placed in charge of Winchester and Canterbury. Fitz Osbern also built castles and forts in Hereford, Chepstow, and Monmouth to protect the country from rebellion. Unfortunately, both these men oppressed the English people in William’s absence and rebellions became more and more frequent. When news of these rebellions reached Normandy in 1067, William returned to take command of his country. (Gies, 14. Slocombe, 166).William Fitz Osbern died a few years after The Conqueror’s return during a battle in Flanders (Slocombe, Gies). Slocombe went in to far more detail describing this battle than Gies. Apparently, Count Baldwin V, King William’s father in law, died in 1067, leaving his land to his son Baldwin VI. The latter Baldwin died in 1070, appointing William Fitz Osbern and King Philip of France to govern Normandy. Robert the Frisian, who was banished by his father, Baldwin V, threatened to invade Flanders and take his brother’s widow for himself. William Fitz Osbern, who was partly in charge of these lands and wanted the Countess for himself, went into battle with Philip at his side. Both were killed and Robert of Frisian won the lands, but the Conqueror never acknowledged him as a leader (Slocombe, 207).Fitz Osbern left his land to his son, Roger of Hereford(Gies, Slocombe). Unfortunately, Roger led a rebellion against the King and was imprisoned in the Rouen tower for life along with Odo of Bayeux who had also tried to overthrow William (Slocombe). His lands were confiscated and were royal property for years. During one particular Easter celebration, William sent Roger a gift out of memory of his friendship with his father. Roger was insulted by the gift, which was a selection of luxurious garments and threw them into the fire (Gies, Slocombe). William was enraged by this and swore that Roger would never leave the tower, and so Roger remained in the tower until his death (Slocombe).

William the Conqueror died in 1087, leaving Normandy to his son, Robert, and England to his son, William Rufus. Roger of Hereford’s lands, including Chepstow castle were still royal property at this point. Henry I, William the Conqueror’s son succeeded his brother in 1100 and granted Chepstow castle to Walter de Clare in 1119. Walter was succeeded by his son, Gilbert Fitz Gilbert de Clare who rebelled against the King at first, but later made peace and married the King’s mistress, Isabel of Leicester. Unfortunately, Fitz Gilbert’s only son died in childhood and Chepstow was left to his daughter Isabel. Her husband, Sir William Marshal became the lord of Chepstow (Gies, 32). William Marshal improved the castle’s defenses by rebuilding the east curtain wall with two round towers and slits for archers to shoot arrows at attackers (Gies, CastleWales.com).Marshal was succeeded by all five of his sons, but all five died shortly after inheriting the castle. Apparently, William Marshal had been cursed by the Bishop of Fames in Ireland after taking a significant portion of his land. His sons, however, had managed to further improve the castle’s defensive capabilities and internal accommodations (CastleWales.com). In 1245, Maud, Marshal’s daughter inherited the castle. Her husband, Roger Bigod became lord of Chepstow (Gies. CastleWales.com). Bigod built a new hall block in the castle, a giant tower, and more comfortable living quarters (CastleWales, Gies). Bigod was succeeded by his nephew, Roger, who rebelled against the King and turned over the castle in his surrender in 1302. Chepstow has remained property of the English government ever since (Gies, 38).Chepstow Castle was one the most important castles in Norman-Welsh history. With the river flowing nearby, it was easy to receive supplies in times of war (CastleWales.com), however Chepstow was never under siege (Gies). During the Tudor period, Chepstow was altered yet again. The castle was an important mark in the English Civil War, but was defeated by cannon fire. Chepstow Castle also served as a state prison and Henry Marten, whom Marten’s Tower is named after, was imprisoned there for twenty years (CastleWales.com). The castle now serves as a tourist attraction as being one of the oldest surviving castles and one of the only surviving Norman castles (CastleWales.com, Gies).

Life in a Medieval Castle, by Joseph and Frances Gies, gave a detailed depiction of life in the middle ages. The authors covered all the major aspects of the life in a castle and even a few minor ones. The first two chapters were probably my favorites because they told the story of how the castle came to be and the many lords who inherited Chepstow through hereditary, war, and marriage. The middle chapters were really quite boring. They just rambled on about architecture and what the people ate. I also liked the chapter about the lady’s role in the house. Most historical accounts don’t mention the importance of the women in society. The ninth chapter about knights was also interesting, but got a little boring when they went into too much detail about the knighting ceremony. Chapter twelve, the castle at war, was also an interesting chapter in their vivid depictions of castle battles. The last chapter was an excellent conclusion because it simply stated why castles are now, for the most part, tourist attractions.Not only did this book give the reader a vivid depiction of life in a medieval castle, it also helps the reader understand the middle ages better. Some chapters went into great detail about feudalism, chivalry, and manorialism. The reader learns historical fact as well as philosophies, and architecture. There could have been more detail in areas such as the Norman invasion of England and the families of the lords, but it is quite impossible for a book to tell the reader absolutely everything about the middle ages. I would certainly recommend this book to those who wish to learn more about the middle ages.

The book William the Conqueror that I used for my comparison was more descriptive of the lives of the knights and kings, but that was what the main topic was. Life in a Medieval Castle was supposed to focus on the castle and it did that quite nicely. However, a lot of the architectural notes were tedious and difficult to read. The battles are really what kept this book alive. Without William the Conqueror, William Fitz Osbern, and William Marshal, this book would have been quite uninteresting. In the future I believe I would like to read a book more about the people, and less about the building.

Works Cited

Castles of Wales. "Chepstow Castle". Http://www.castlewales.com/chepstow.html

Gies, Joseph & Frances. Life in a Medieval Castle. Harper & Row Publishers, New York, 1974.

Slocombe, George. William the Conqueror. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1959. p128-254.