Decorative graphic “Oh, Whittington, among thy tow’rs    Pleas’d did my early Childhood stray, Bask’d on thy walls in sunny hours And pull’d thy moss, and pluck’d thy flow’rs,          Full many a truant day.” Poem of “ Fitz - Gwarine .” BY WILLIAM DAVIES, L.M.W.S. And Head-master of Carnarvon School. OSWESTRY : PRINTED AND SOLD BY E. EDWARDS, and all Booksellers in the United Kingdom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO R. POOLE , Master of Malden School , Essex , THIS HISTORY IS INSCRIBED, By his sin

In the time of Roderick the Great, king of all Wales, Ynyr ap Cadfarch, a British nobleman, built the Castle of Whittington; to which he was succeeded by his son Tudor Trevor, who altho’ possessed of many palaces, with rich and extensive domains, made this his chief residence.  By right of his father he obtained the lordships of both Maelors, Whittington, Chirk, Oswestry, Ewais, and Urchenfield; and by right of his mother Rhiengar, the earldom of Hereford.  His mother was grand-daughter to Carad

At the Conquest, Whittington became the property of Pain Peverel, who having no issue, on his decease it was seized by Roger earl of Shrewsbury.  This place was called in Doomsday Book, Wititone; and consisted at that time of eight corn farms, twelve ox-stalls, and a very extensive wood; the cows yielded five shillings per annum, and all Welsh residents were obliged to pay twenty shillings rent among them. The castle and lordship of Whittington next passed into the hands of Hugh, and afterwards

He had two daughters, the youngest of which was named Mellet: she with the spirit of an Amazon, resolved to wed no one but the knight of most consummate valour.  Her father published this declaration, and promised the Castle of Whittington as her dower.  Several distinguished combatants assembled at Peverel’s place in the Peak, Derbyshire, to contend for the fair prize; and among whom were, a son of the king of Scotland, Baron Burgoyne, and a noble Lorrainer, Guarine De Metz, (sheriff of Shropsh

Fulk Fitz-Gwarine acted the hero in all his enterprizes with such vigour, capacity, and celerity, that Henry I. knighted him, made him steward of his house, and conferred on him the arduous office of Lieutenant of the Marches; it was this that gave him the name of Fulco or Fulk, signifying Lieutenant.  In this department his sword did not long remain undrawn; the Cambrian Prince, Gryffydd ap Cynan, according to the general practice of his countrymen, made a descent upon the lordship of Whittingt

Richard I. just before he went on the Crusades, made him Lord Marcher of Wales, an office that required all the exertion and capacity that could possibly exist in one man. In the beginning of king John’s reign, Whittington was in the hands of Maurice, brother to the person to whom Owen Gwynedd presented it.  Fulk Fitz-Gwarine made application to John for this place, the ancient property and residence of his family; but Maurice by means of his opulence and well-timed presents had sufficient influ

The next laudable action of Fitz-Gwarine, of which we have any authentic account is, his going on an expedition into Ireland, in the service of the English king.  He behaved with such intrepidity and loyalty, that after his return to England, he received the title of The Great : an appellation more frequently conferred on the destroyers of the human race, than on those who contribute to the real welfare of mankind, by the discoveries in the arts and sciences. [19]...

Upon the dissatisfaction and rebellion of the Barons against king John, Fulk joined with them; for we find his name among the number that were excommunicated by the Pope, for extorting from John that firm basis of English liberty, called Magna Charta ....

In the succeeding reign, viz. that of Henry III., Fitz-Gwarine procured a grant of his estates, to him and his heirs for ever; for which he gave the king two coursers, and two hundred and sixty-two pounds, an enormous sum in that age, and which gives us an idea of the wealth of Fitz-Gwarine.  The same monarch also granted him the liberty of a fair on St. Luke’s day, and a market on Wednesday, at Whittington; but on account of its proximity to Oswestry and Ellesmere, both market and fair are now

Fulk the fourth having arrived at years of maturity, made proof of his age to Edward I. who invested him with all his patrimonial estates except Whittington, which he also obtained upon his accompanying the English monarch on his expedition against the Welsh.  He behaved with such intrepid bravery, that Edward, in reward for his meritorious conduct, allowed him the liberty of a Free Warren on his lands in this manor, and likewise forgave him two hundred pounds that Fulk owed to the exchequer....

This year the king used his influence in reconciling Fitz-Gwarine and Richard, earl of Arundel, in consequence of a quarrel prevailing at that time between these two powerful and predominant barons; but the breach was amicably adjusted by the interposition of Edward’s good offices. Fitz-Gwarine died in the reign of Edward leaving a son, at that time engaged in the war prosecuted by that king against France: his lady Eleanor, had permission to use livery for this manor, until her husband could re

Edmund earl of Kent, uncle to the king, being suspected of circulating reports, that Edward II. was then alive, he accused Fitz-Gwarine of promising him aid, in case Kent could bring about a rebellion, for which our hero was deprived of the castle of Whittington; but some of his friends, who had influence with Edward obtained it back for him in the following year, the king being perfectly convinced of his loyalty....

In this year, or the twenty-third of Edward III., Fitz-Gwarine the fifth departed this life; and was succeeded by his son, Fulk the sixth; who, four years before had the honour of signalizing himself at the memorable battle of Cressy, the first great action that convinced the French of that undaunted courage which existed, and still continues to exist, amongst the inhabitants of this fair isle.  Fitz-Gwarine, likewise, accompanied the Black Prince into Gascoigne, when that young prince carried h

and was at the illustrious battle of Poictiers, where the whole army gained universal applause:—headed by a general, whose noble and generous conduct shone with meridian splendour, not only in this, but in every other campaign he was engaged in; and whose whole life was one continued scene of invincible courage, adorned with all that clemency and nobleness of soul, so much to be admired in a prince....

Fitz-Gwarine, for the important services he rendered to his country, was, upon his return there, created Baron Marcher of Wales; this is the last well-grounded anecdote that we have of him, except the date of his death, which took place in the forty-seventh of Edward III. The next Fulk was only seven years old at the death of his father.  He became possessed of a greater extent of property than any of his ancestors, but did not long enjoy it: he was cut off at the early age of twenty-five; and b

The village is on the great London and Holyhead road, and also, on the turnpike road leading from Oswestry to Ellesmere.  It consists of a considerable collection of houses thinly scattered, a church, a school for each sex, and the remains of the castle before mentioned.  In ancient records we find it called Chwytunton , Wititone , Whittentonne , and Vica Alba .  It is situated in latitude 52° 55′ 30″ north, and longitude 2° 57′ 30″ west.  The church is a rectory, valued in the king’s books at £