In 1201 March 2, Willo de Stuteville (William de Stuteville; William d'Estoteville) was granted, by John, (In year 2 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Totingham [Cogingham] [Choghingram] (Baynard Castle, Cottingham)

Granted at York,

Licensed, with Buttercrambe, in 1201 and again in 1327. King writes "Called 'Totingham', but the identity with Cottingham is clinched by Hoveden, iv, 117, who calls what is evidently the same castle 'Coghingham'.".

Original source is

• Hardy, T.D. (ed.), 1837, Rotuli Chartarum in Turri Londinensi asservati 1199-1216 (Record Commission) p89b
  Chronica Magistri Rogeri de Houedene [Stubbs, W. (ed),1868 (London) Vol4 p117 - dated 1200]
  Roger de Hoveden (Translated by Riley, Henry T.,) 1853, The Annals of Roger Hoveden Vol2 p482 (c. 1200)

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms.)

Significant later source are;

• Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p106n55
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p536n23

Stuteville, William de (d. 1203)

Stuteville, William de (d. 1203) Sheriff of Yorkshire and other northern counties.
'Late in Henry II's reign Stuteville began his occasional service as a royal justice and he went on to serve the governments of both Richard and John in a variety of tasks. At the beginning of Richard I's reign he was sheriff of Northumberland for half a year (1189–90) and in 1191 he served as sheriff of Lincolnshire for a short time. During Richard's absence on crusade he was a strong supporter of William de Longchamp until the latter's fall. In 1193, during John's rebellion, Stuteville helped Geoffrey, archbishop of York, to fortify the castle at Doncaster, but refused to help him besiege one of John's castles, saying that he was John's man. This notable piece of equivocation paid off once John came to the throne, for Stuteville, with the help of a number of large proffers became sheriff of Northumberland (1199–1200), Yorkshire (1200–02), Westmorland (1200–02), and Cumberland (1199–1203), and obtained custody of various royal boroughs, castles, and manors. Stuteville received rich rewards for his services to the crown.' (Thomas)

Biographical source include;

• Hugh M. Thomas, ‘Stuteville, William de (d. 1203)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26754, accessed 19 Nov 2007]
  

More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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