Melbourne Castle was an incomplete medieval castle, founded in 1311 by
Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, in Melbourne, Derbyshire. It was built on
the site of an earlier royal manor house that had provided accommodation
for noblemen hunting in a nearby royal park in the reign of King John.
After the earl's execution in 1322 for opposing Edward II, the castle
was mainly in the possession of the Crown or the Earls and Dukes of
Lancaster. Improvements and repairs were made by John of Gaunt and
others, and the building was in generally good condition throughout the
fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. John I, Duke of Bourbon, was
kept at Melbourne for 19 years after his capture at the Battle of
Agincourt in 1415, and it was considered as a possible prison for Mary
Queen of Scots. The castle was in decline by the end of the reign of
Elizabeth I. It was purchased in 1604 by Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of
Huntingdon, who had his own castle in nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and was
gradually demolished for its building materials. All that remains is a
short section of wall and some foundations. The ruins are grade II
listed and the site is a scheduled monument, with no public access.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Castle>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1685:
Monmouth Rebellion: The Duke of Monmouth declared himself King
of England at Bridgwater.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Scott,_1st_Duke_of_Monmouth>
1789:
French Revolution: Meeting in a tennis court near the Palace of
Versailles, members of France's Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath,
pledging not to separate until a new constitution was established.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath>
1921:
Workers at the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in the city of
Madras, India, began a four-month strike.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921_Buckingham_and_Carnatic_Mills_strike>
1960:
The Mali Federation gained independence from France, but lasted
only two months before dividing into Senegal and Mali.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Federation>
2007:
Sammy Sosa of the Texas Rangers became the fifth player in
Major League Baseball history to hit his 600th career home run.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Sosa>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
cravat:
1. A wide fabric band worn as a necktie by men having long ends hanging in
front, like an ascot tie.
2. (historical) A decorative fabric band or scarf worn around the neck by
women.
3. (surgery) A bandage resembling a cravat, particularly a triangular
bandage folded into a strip.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cravat>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Lives were being ruined and few hands were raised in help. Since
when do you have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?
--Lillian Hellman
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lillian_Hellman>
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