bands, the last of whom was Edward the Black Prince.t

There were other collateral branches of this family about the year 1244, as Thomas Wake, who held lands under the abbot of Peterborough. Wydo Wac held balf a knight's fee in Deeping, Bereshem and Stow, of the heirs of Hugh Wake, the same year.

THE CASTLE.

The name of the founder of Bourn Castle is not known nor the time of its foundation; it has been said that it was built by the Wakes, but a Castle existed in the year 1062, * and this was prior to the Wake's being in prossessiou of the place. It is extremely probable that the Castle was built by the Romans, as has been before observed; and, having been kept up successively by the Saxons and Normans, it at length fell to

By Edward she had King Richard II and carried this manor, with several other lands to the crown.

* Ingulphus, in his history of Croyland, after mentioning several benefactors to Croyland abbey, says, that Leofric lord of the Castle of Brunne Kinsman to Kanulf or Radin the great Count of Hereford, gave many possessions to this abbey, and assisted the monks with his council.

decay and ruin, as Bourn fell away from its primitive splendor. It appears from what Leland says (Itin, vol. I pa. 27.) to have been in a dilapidated state in his time. "There appear grete diches, and the Dungeon Hill of an ancient Castle agayne the West eude of the priory, sumewhat distant from it, as on the other side the streate backwards: it longgid to the Lord Wake, and much service of the Wake fe is done to this Castelle; and every feodarie knoweth his Station and place of service.”

The building is entirely destroyed, but the earth-works, and foundation walls on the west side, are nearly entire. The area within the outer moat contains about 8 acres; within the inner, about one acre, not like a keep, but flat and covered by a rampart within the ditch. Between the moat and ditch on the north and west sides, the works are very irregular, consisting of raised banks of about 20 yards in length, and 10 in breadth, with a ditch between every one of these, pointing to the grand moat. †

There is a house and baru, near the place where

Altogether they look like a peice of ground drained, and are said to have supported Cromwell's, artilery against the town.

the Castle stood, which were built out of the old materials. Among the records of this parish, it is said, that, "Oct. 11. 1645. The Garrison of Bourn Castle began," whence it appears that the Castle was not entirely demolished un-" til the time of the Common-wealth. The inhabitants have a tradition that it was destroyed by the forces under Cromwell, for adhering to Charles I; but however this may be, it has cerainly never been made mention of as existing subsequent to that period, nor are there any records relative to the time of its demolition.

The only decription of this Castle is in Peak's M. S. account of the towns in Kesteven; where he says. "The castelle of Brun ys a verrye an cyent portlic castelle seytewate neare Peterspoole, it contaynes thre principal wardes. On the north side ys ye porter's lodge wch ys now reuinoose, and in decaye by reasone ye floores of ye upper house ys decayed and very necessarie to be repayred. The dungeon ys sett of a little moat made with, men's bandes, and for the moste part as yi were square. It ys a fare and prattie buildinge, with IV square toures, Rounde about ye same dungeon upon ye roofe of ye said toures, ys tryme walkes and a fare

prospect of the fenes. And in ye said dungeon ys ye halle, chamberes, and all other maner of houses of offices for ye lord and his traine. The southe syde thereof servethe for ye lordes. and ladies lodgeinges, and underneighe thom ys ye prisone and wyne cellar wth ye shollorie. Qver ye moat yt surrounds ye castelle ys a drawe bridge, ye moat is verie fresh and deipe. Ther ys also a fare parke belonging ye castelle." In the inner ditch was the gate house, it consisted of a round tower thirty feet high, embattled on the top, and ascended by a flight of stone steps. In the walls, which were upwards of six feet thick, were several niches, and the door of entrance was through a circular arch, apparently saxon, in height about eight feet, and closed by a massy door. It was taken down by Lord Exe ter, to build a barn and repair the roofs. The situation of this lodge was at the north end of what is now called the castle barns, at the south end of which, on a mount of earth "cast up with mene's hands," stood the castle.

Nothing of the Castle now remains-the outer and inuer moat are, however, still visible, and there is a house and barn near the place where the Castle stood, which were built out of the old materials.

THE ABBEY.

An abbey was founded here before the conquest, and, if we give any credit to a date some time ago on one of the pillars, as early as the year 161. But as the first stone monastery was built at Weremouth, in A. D. 671, the date here referred to cannot have any connexion with the erection of this structure.

It is supposed to have been built by the Saxons about the latter end of the 8. century, or the beginning of the 9th. According to Dugdale, the abbey at Brun, for canous regular of St. Austin, was founded by Baldwin, grandson of Baldwin Fitz Gilbert, who endowed it with the churches of Helpringham, Morton, East-Deeping, West-Deeping, Barholm, Stowe, Trapston &c.-with all their rights and appurtenances, also with divers lands and other gifts, A. D. 1138, and which were confirmed by King Ed. III. on the 1. of July following. By a mandate from Edward II Reg. 17. directed to Matthew Brun, it was provided that he should have the custody or Guardianship of this abbey in all vacations, that he should elect a new abbot, and confirm him &c. This Matthew was Escheator to the