The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Easton Neston House granted on 1499 June 22

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In 1499 June 22, Richard Empson was granted, by Henry VII, (In year 14 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Estneston (Easton Neston House)

Licence for Richard Emson, king's servant and councillor, and his heirs to impark 400 acres of land and 30 acres of wood in the towns, fields and parishes of Estneston and Hulcote, co. Northampton, and grant of free warren in all his lands and in the towns and parishes of Estneston, Hulcote and Laurens Merston, co. Northampton, and of a several fishery in all his waters in the said towns and parishes; and licence for him to build walls and towers of stone, lime and sand round and within his manor of Estneston and crenellate the same; and grant that these things be done without fine or fee in the hanaper or elsewhere. By K. (CPR)

Granted at Westminster. Grant by King.

Comments

No fee to be paid for this licence.

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1916, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1494-1509) p. 163-4 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;

Riden, Philip and Insley, Charles (eds), 2002, 'Easton Neston' VCH Northamptonshire Vol. 5 p. 98-126 online copy
Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol. 2 (Cambridge) p. 183

Empson, Sir Richard (c.1450–1510)

Empson, Sir Richard (c.1450–1510), administrator and speaker of the House of Commons. Treasurer to Henry VII. Empson held many important and powerful positions under Henry VII. He was arrested the day after Henry VIII's accession. Along with Dudley he was a scapegoat for resentment about the previous regime and was executed, on trumped up charges of treason, in 1510.
He was included in the treason commissions in the midland counties in 1493, and in the west after the uprisings of 1497; during the latter Perkin Warbeck's proclamation named Empson as one of the king's ‘low-born and evil counsellors’. Of the king's council by 1494, and of the council learned from its inception about 1498, by 1499 he was one of a small group of councillors, mostly lawyers, taking bonds in the king's name, or entering in feoffments on lands mortgaged to the king's use. (Condon)

Biographical source include;

M. M. Condon, Sept 2004, ‘Empson, Sir Richard (c.1450–1510)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online edn, Jan 2008 online copy (subscription may be needed)

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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