306 Mr. Wilkins's "Defcription of

cafterjV], fon of earl Edmund, obtained licence for a market every week upon the Wednefday, at his manor of Melbourne in Com. Derb. ; but this long fmce hath been difcontinued, the earldom of Lancafter being afterwards erected into a duchy by Edward the Hid. the manor of Melbourne continued to be a part of the great inheritance belonging thereto ; and in right thereof became the poiTeffion of the crown. King James the Ift. in 1604, by a grant under the feal of the duchy of Lancafter, alienated the caftle and manor of Melbourne to Charles earl of Nottingham, who foon after fold the fame to Henry earl of Huntingdon, anceftor of the late earl of Huntingdon, for four thoufand feven hundred pounds ; and the manor is now the inheritance of the earl of Moira, his lordihip's nephew. The ancient caftle was fuffered to go into ruins after it came into the pofleffion of the earls of Huntingdon ; but fufficient of the walls and foundations thereof are now remaining to mark out the fcite and extent, and to mew the great ftrength of the building [</J. By order of her majefty queen Anne a furvey of the manor was made in the year 1703, by Thomas Fanfhawe, then auditor of the duchy, in which he notices, that " her majefty hath a faire ancient caftle ftanding there, which her majefty keepeth in her own hands:*' and that Gilbert, earl of Shrewfbury, was then conftable of the fame, and bailiff there by letters patent during his life, with the annual fee of ten pounds. f>] This laft earl of Lancafter, who probably erected the noble caftle formerly here for his refidence. [d] The Antiquarian Society have favoured the public with an engraving of this caftle, from an original drawing preferved in the duchy office of Lancafter, taken in the time of queen Elizabeth, which {hews the venerable ftyle of building of this an- eient royal manuon. The