Moretoin (The Gatehouse Record)

In the historic county of Shropshire.
Modern Authority of Shropshire.
1974 county of Shropshire.
Medieval County of Shropshire.

Moretoin has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are uncertain remains.

Description

Mentioned 1215. Apparently not Moreton Corbet.
Moretoin. This name appears once only, in a list of castles committed to Thomas do Erdinton in 1215 (Rot. Lit. Claus., i, 199; Eyton, x, 327; xi, 130.), together with Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Shrawardine, Clun, Montgomery and Morton i.e. Moreton Corbet, which would be the natural identification for Moretoin; and after reading Dr Brown's rejection of other Mortons and Moretons in this part of England (Brown 273n4) and myself having considered and rejected Marton a too unimportant, I am inclined to think it is the correct reading, and that Moreton Corbet has got into the catalogue twice. This sort of thing does happen even in the best regulated offices. (King 1983)

The reference (Rot. Litt. Claus. i. 199) to this castle suggests either Shropshire or Staffordshire, both then in the hands of Thomas de Erdington, as a probable county for it. It cannot be Moreton Corbet which is separately mentioned in the same writ. No castle is known to have existed at Moreton or Moreton Say in Shropshire nor at Moreton, Staffordshire. The Foliot castle at Castlemorton in Worcestershire does not, in this context, seem a likely identification. (Brown 1959)

On May 6, 1215, King John, then at Reading, orders his Barons of the Exchequer to reimburse Thomas de Erdinton for all his expenses in respect of the Castles of Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Shrawardine, Morton, Clun, Montgomery, Moretoin, and other Castles, which were (or had been) in his custody. (Eyton 1860)

Comments

Neither King nor Brown were aware of the ringwork at Fordhall (SJ651326) in the civil parish of Moreton Say, although this is some distance from the village church; Jackson suggests Fordhall as the site. Most convincingly Renn identifies More Castle (SO33949140), although the reason for King not mentioning Renn's work (of which he was aware) is obscure.
Questionably as an unidentified lost castle. Certain as a reference to a known castle.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record.

Books
- Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p. 26
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 434, 563-4
  Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 240, 249
  Eyton, R.W., 1860, Antiquities of Shropshire (London) Vol. 11 p. 130 online copy
  Eyton, R.W., 1860, Antiquities of Shropshire (London) Vol. 10 p. 327 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124
  Brown, R. Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' The English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Hardy, T.D. (ed), 1833, Rotuli litterarum clausarum in turri Londinensi asservati (Record Commission) Vol. 1 p. 199a online copy
  The Memoranda Roll of the tenth year of the Reign of King John (1207-8) : together with the Curia Regis Rolls of Hilary 7 Richard I (1196) and Easter 9 Richard I (1198). A roll of plates held by Hugh de Neville in 9 John (1207-8), and fragments of the close Rolls of 16 and 17 John (1215-16) (Pipe Roll Society 69) p. 131

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