Saltwood

Who he is

Name

Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury

Title

Lord of Saltwood

Since

1193

Confidence

medium

Saltwood was held of the archbishop by Henry of Essex until his fall in 1163; Henry II then gave it to Ranulf de Broc, who received Becket's murderers there on 28 December 1170. It was back in the archbishops' hands later in Henry II's reign. The archbishop's honour owes the king knight service, which the archbishop meets through his knights, lay tenants holding fees across Kent (the Clares hold Tonbridge of him). The constable of Saltwood in 1200 is not pinned.

Overlord

King John

What it holds

• Saltwood castle and manor, with the borough of Hythe (see Hythe)
• The archbishop's knights' fees across Kent and beyond (the Church map has the archbishop's estates)

How it was acquired

Archiepiscopal property since before the Conquest.

Allies and rivals

The archbishop's tenants; the monks of Christ Church, at odds with the archbishop.

How things stand that morning

The archbishop's, at peace.

Wealth

Part of the archbishop's estates. No figures.

Military

Saltwood castle; the archbishop's knights.

Places of note

• Saltwood castle: The archbishop's castle

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The castle's story is known; its constable and the list of the archbishop's knights in 1200 are not attempted.

On the map: The castle and manor only; the archbishop's estates are on the Church map.

Primary sources for England

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
• Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
• Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
• Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
• Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
• English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
• Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
• Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online

22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.