"Grant, at the instance of Queen Eleanor, to William le Moyne that he may close and strengthen his house at Ogre, Co. Dorset, with a good dyke and stone wall, but without making crenellations."
Granted at Cambridge, by at the instance of Queen Eleanor.
Although this document has been considered by some as a licence to crenellate it is not actually such licence.
Specifically not a licence to crenellate but important as a example of licence to fortify with this rare exemption.
Original source is
(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. Licentia is best translated as 'freedom to' not 'permission'.)
Significant later source are;
Sir William le Moyne (d. before 1293) was elected to serve as one of the knights of Ramsey Abbey in 1245 and was sheriff of Cambridge and Huntingdon in 1258. (VCH Hunts Vol2 p198). Moyne holdings were widespread but seem centered in East Anglia. Moyne was certainly of a class who could expect to demonstrate his status with a crenellated house and the reasons for him not being 'allowed' to do so here are obscure, I can find little biographical detail and he seems not to have played any particular role in the Baron's War and not have been a courtier. He received a respite from royal service in 1256. Nor can I find any relation or connection between Queen Eleanor and William or his wife Juliana.
More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.
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