Historic%20Yorkshire

22
LEEDS BEFORE THE CONQUEST.
Stephen as he marched northward against the Scotch,
but he tookit after a short siege. In 1222 it was but one
of the 1,115 castles which ground down the people of
England. From 1139 to 1399 there is scanty mention of
it in the annals of the country, but in the latter year a
circumstance took place within its walls which has
rendered its name memorable. This was the imprisonment
of the unfortunate RichardII.,whowas incarcerated
herebefore being finally removedto Pontefract, the scene
of hisprobablemurder. Thesojourn of the kinglycaptive
is noted in " Hardynge's Chronicle," printed by Grafton
in 1543 in the following quaint lines: —
The Kyng then sent Kyng Richard to Ledis,
There to be kepte surely in privitee;
Fro thens after to Pyckering went he needis,
And to Kna'nesbrurgh after led was he,
But to Pontefrete late wherehe did dee.
Excepting the moat above-mentioned, there has been
found little to indicate the Castle. The date of its
destruction is unknown, it probablyfalling into gradual
disuseuntil finally abandoned.