In 1327 March 6, Thomas Wake, dilectus consanguineus et fidelis noster (Thomas, Lord Wake) was granted, by Edward III, (In year 1 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Cotingham (Baynard Castle, Cottingham)

"to strengthen his dwelling house (manerium) of Cotingham, co. York, with a wall, and to crenellate the same."

Granted at Westminster, by privy seal.

Castle licensed 1201 and 1327.
Nearby Kingston upon Hull had had its licence to crenellate confirmed the previous day. Part of this licence may be about mollifying the concerns of the townsmen.

Original source is

• Calendar of Patent Rolls (1327-30) p31

(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;

• Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p421
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p536n24
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p408

Wake, Thomas, second Lord Wake (1298–1349)

A fairly distant cousin of the king.
Wake clearly supported the invasion of England by Queen Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, in September 1326. He joined Isabella and Mortimer at Gloucester and was one of the barons who agreed on 25 October at Bristol that the king's eldest son should be made keeper of the realm. The benefits of office soon followed. Wake was justice of the forests south of the Trent from 10 November 1326 to May 1328 and keeper of the Tower of London from 9 December 1326 to April 1328; he was also appointed keeper of Hertford Castle on 9 December 1326. In the parliament that met at Westminster in January 1327 he was appointed as one of the members of a council set up under the presidency of his father-in-law to guide the administration of the realm during the youth of the new king, Edward III. It is possible that he also held the office of king's chamberlain for a short period during the early stages of the new reign. (Ormrod)

Biographical source include;

• W. M. Ormrod, ‘Wake, Thomas, second Lord Wake (1298–1349)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28408, accessed 25 Nov 2007]

More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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