The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for South Mymms Castle granted on 1141 July

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In 1141 July, Com Gaufredo Essexiae (Geoffrey de Mandeville) was supposedly granted, by Matilda, a Royal licence to crenellate super Lviam; Super Luiam (South Mymms Castle)

M(atildis) imperatrix H(enrici) regis filia et Anglorum domina, archiepiscopis episcopis abbatibus comitibus baronibus justiciariis vicecomitibus ministris et omnibus fidelibus suis Francis et Anglis totius Angliae et Normanniae salutem. Sciatis me reddidisse et concessisse comiti Gaufr(edo) Essexe omnia tenementa sua sicut Gaufredus avus suus aut Willelmus pater ejus aut ipsemet postea unquam melius vel liberius tenuerunt aliquo tempore in feodo et haereditate sibi et haeredibus suis, ad tenendum de me et de haeredibus meis.
...
Concedo etiam eidem Gaufredo quod novum castellum quod firmavit super Luiam stet et remaneat ad efforciandum ad voluntatem suam. Concedo etiam ei quod firmet unum castellum ubicunque voluerit in terra sua, sicut ei per aliam cartam meam concessi, et quod stet et remaneat.
... (Cronne and Davis)

Granted at Oxford.

Although this document has been considered by some as a licence to crenellate it is rejected as a licence.

Comments

A charter between Empress Matilda and Geoffrey de Mandeville, part of his 'king making' activities during the Anarchy, an similar grant (Round, p. 142) by King Stephen may predate Matilda's. The identification with South Mymms castles has been made but is not certain, an alternative might be the site of a possible motte at Bow, Middlesex. Although this charter gives regal blessing for a new castle it is not really, in a meaningful sense, a licence to crenellate, as does not use the terms licencia, or crenellate.

Original source is;

Great Coucher (But in missing volumes)
Lansdowne MS. 229 (fol. 109)
Cronne, H.A. and Davis, R.H.C. (eds), 1968, Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannorum Vol. 3 p. 101-103 online copy

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms. Licentia is best translated as 'freedom to' not 'permission'.)

Significant later sources are;

Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol. 38 p. 104n50
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 273n2
Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 26 p. 95n2 online copy
Round, J.H., 1892, Geoffrey de Mandeville (Oxford) p. 168, 174-5 (dated 1142) online copy

Mandeville, Geoffrey de, first earl of Essex (d. 1144)

Biographical source include;

C. Warren Hollister, 2004, ‘Mandeville, Geoffrey de, first earl of Essex (d. 1144)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online copy (subscription may be needed)

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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