"Grant, of special grace to John de Cartyngton of licence to enclose crenellate, machicolate, and provide with towers and battlements his manor of Cartyngton, and to hold the same to him and his heirs without impediment."
Granted at Westminster, by privy seal and of the said date by authority of parliament.
The small tower was expanded into a sizable and strong house.
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.)
Significant later source are;
In 1400 John Cartington bought the whole of Cartington manor from the Percy, Earl of Northumberland and a small tower was built by 1415. John acquired other estates, such as Thropton, and in 1428 and 1433, he was a Member of Parliament.
Biographical source include;
More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.
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