The Secrets

of

Hylton Castle

"The old stone tower of Hilton still stands grim and grey with the age of nearly 1000 years upon it; but what of it’s builders, what of the the children born within it’s walls, the mothers who nursed them, the fathers who told them tales of daring in field and flood?. Those old Lords of Hilton, once daring, boisterous, and hard fighters, have struck their last sleep under the "massive tomb in the church’s dusty aisle" or resting unnamed under the stars. The bustle of life goes on as be fore, but they heed it no more for ever.These stones of their old keep in which they lived, and the chapel in which they worshipped are nearly all which connects our present with their past"

- Rev Proctor Swaby, Monkwearmouth, 1884.

Like the Reverend Proctor Swaby, the local preacher in 1884, I was fascinated the first time I visited Hylton Castle. It had a special air of mystery about it that haunts your very soul. Who were the people who built this magnificent Gatehouse of what must have been a magnificent castle in it's day?, and why did they carve all of these coats of Arms in stone on the front of the Castle?  Why put everybody else's coats of Arms above your own front door? What did it mean? What secrets did Hylton Castle hold?

Coats of Arms were originally designed as a way of identifying knights in armour, who without their distinctive shields and surcoats would have all looked alike on the battlefield or on the tournamount ground.

Originally each knight would have probably chosen or invented his own Coat of Arms. Later the right to bear the Arms became hereditary.

During the 13th Century, the appearance of a new knight at a tournament would be greeted by a Herald, sounding a trumpet. The Herald would explain the devices and symbols on the competing knight's shields and Coats of Armour to the assembled audience, and this knowledge has become known as Heraldry.

For centuries archaeologists and antiquarians have pondered over exactly whose Coats of Arms they were? Why  were they put there when the castle was built?  Were they in a hierarchical order? Did they represent alliances through marriage? What were the arms of the Washington family doing there? Recent research is starting to reveal a fascinating story................

The date the castle was built can be identified by the heraldry of King Henry IV at the top (the large flag above the shields),  which shows the castle must have been built between 1390 and 1410. We know that a building existed here from 1072 A.D., from local records, non of which survives. King Henry VI arms would not have been placed on this castle building until after 1399 when he was crowned King of England. It was one of the most fascinating events in English history immortalised by Shakespeare in his Henry IV Parts I and II. King Richard II had ruled England until 1399 when he was deposed by the nobles of England and replaced by the son of John O Gaunt, a cadet branch of the Plantaganets, from the House of Lancaster based on the opposite side of the country.

Had the Hyltons helped depose the King of England and put their own man on the throne?

The top line of Shields helps to provide some answers; reading from left to right the coats of Arms represent;

1. Thomas Weston, chancellor to Bishop Skirlaw, Prince Bishop of Durham

2. Walter Skirlaw, Prince Bishop of Durham 1388-1406

Durham at this time was a Palatinate, ruled by the Prince Bishops - “The king’s writ did not run in these domains, but the Bishops; the King’s peace was not kept or threatened here, but the Bishops. He had his own judges, his own Council and courts, his own army, his own vassals, his own mint. He had rights of Admiralty over his shores. Forfeitures for treason were paid to him, not to the Crown”

Walter Skirlaw was born in Swyne near Hull on the mouth of the River Humber in Yorkshire where a cadet branch of the Hylton family lived. Was Bishop Skirlaw related to the Hyltons? Did this mean the powerful, and immensely wealthy Prince Bishop of Durham had teamed up with the Baron of Hylton and the rest of these families whose coats of arms were displayed on the front of Hylton Castle to depose Richard II, King of England?

More clues are revealed, when you realise that directly below King Henry IV arms are;

3. The coat of Arms of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland are positioned next to Bishop Skirlaws. More important still, is the fact that these arms are the Percy coat of Arms quartered with those of Maud de Lucy. The marriage of Henry Percy, 1st Earl on Northumberland to Maud de Lucy had united much of the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland with Northumberland, making the Earl of Northumberland the most powerful man in the north of England.

His coat of arms positioned next to the Bishop of Durham represents a powerful alliance between the House of Northumberland and the Palatinate of Durham.

Next to the Earl of Northumberland arms are the arms of his son Henry Percy, known as "Hotspur"

4. The Coat of Arms of Sir Henry Percy, son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland and known as "Hotspur", immortalised by Shakespeare. But the arms on the front of the castle are those he used prior to 1398 when he quartered his arms with those of Lucy ( 3 luces (fish))"in recognition of the receipt of the honour of Cockermouth on his (step)mother's death." This was before King Richard II was deposed as King of England.

The second row of shields, represent the coats of Arms of the next echelon of northern families;

6. a lion rampant - could be any one of a number of northern families

7. - Hilton/quartering Vipont - thought to be the Westmoreland branch of the Hylton family.

8 Lumley - the coat of arms of the Lumley family of nearby Lumley Castle

9. Grey - an important Northumbrian family

10 Eure - an important Durham Family

The next row of shields represents some of the best of Northern Knighthood

Fitz Randall of Middleham

Washington

Ogle

Lilburne

Vescy

Felton

Heron

Surtees

defaced - thought to be Lambton

Bowes

This represented a mighty alliance of the Knights of northern England having their coats of Arms placed on the front of the Hylton Castle. This shows the standing of the Hylton family in northern England in 1390 A.D.

It probably seemed a good idea at the time, but in 1403, the 1st Earl of Northumberland led a rebellion against the newly crowned King Henry IV to take control of England north of the river Trent. Aided and abetted by the Douglas from Scotland and Owen Glendower from Wales the rebellion was defeated when Hotspur, son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland was killed and his army defeated at the battle of Shrewsbury. The Earl of Northumberland was forced to flee into Scotland. Baron William Hylton who built Hylton Castle was outlawed in London in 1403, which shows he was involved in the rebellion.

The heraldry on the front of Hylton Castle remained as a reminder to the future Kings and Queens of England of the power and importance of the Northern Knighthood to ruling England.

Baron William Hylton who built the castle was known as the "old survivor". He lived through the reign of five English kings and died in 1435 at the grand old age of 79 years of age.

His effigy, somewhat the worse for wear, lies in a monumental tomb in St Peter's Church at Monkwearmouth in the City of Sunderland, England

Copyright-All rights reserved. E.W. Lamberton Jan 2004

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The Hyltons of Hylton Castle