The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Eslington Tower granted on 1335 Feb 20

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1895, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1334-38) p. 78 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;

Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol. 1 (Cambridge) p. 159
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 375n357
Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 9
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 part 2 p. 410 online copy

Robert de Eslington

Gatehouse unable to identify Robert Eslington.

Eslington was the villa and manor of the ancient family of the Eslingtons; of Alan de Eslington, 23 king Henry III of whom it was held by certain local services of the species of serjeantry of his son John de Eslington who had also the manor of Framlington as was found by an inquisition taken at the castle of Newcastle 49th of the same reign and by another taken at Rothbury 21 king Edward I of Robert de Eslington his son announced in the latter inquisition to be his heir and to be up wards of the age of twenty In the 14th of king Henry IV a mediety of it was possessed by Thomas de Heselrige son of William and brother of Donald de Heselrige ancestor of the Heselriges of Noseley in Leicestershire. (Mackenzie p. 27)

A C13 charter records a 'Johannes Eslingtone, miles' and this may be the same person 'John de Eslington' recorded as itinerant justice of Alexander III.

Biographical source include;

Hodgson, J.C., 1910, 'On the medieval owners of Eslington' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser3) Vol. 6 p. 1-33 online copy
Mackenzie, Eneas, 1825, An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County of Northumberland And of Those Parts of the County of Durham Situated North of the River Tyne, with Berwick Upon Tweed, and Brief Notices of Celebrated Places on the Scottish Border

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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