DUDLEY-CASTLE, (Staffordshire) just by the T. above-mentioned, and 4 m. from Wolverhampton. Its old castle was demolished
by Hen. II. when in possession of Gervase Paganel, who founded a priory here. The manor going by marriage to John de
Someri, and his heirs, one of them had a licence, in the R. of Henry III. to make a castle of his manor-house here. It
passed, in the R. of Edw. II. by marriage to John de Sutton, in whose posterity it continued, till after the extinction of
the family, it went by marriage to Hum. Ward, the son of Sir Will. Ward, a rich goldsmith of London, who thereby became
possessed both of the manor and castle, as his successors, the Lds. Dudley and Ward, have been since. This castle is a
good old spacious building, with great trenches about it, hewn out of the rock, and stands on a high hill, having an
extensive prospect into five shires, and a great part of Wales. One part of it is in ruins, but the other part was not
very long ago repaired. In the hall is a table, all of one plank, of above 17 yards long, part of an oak from the New Park
at Dudley, which measured 7 yards 9 inches more, that were cut off to fit it to the hall, and contained 100 ton at least
of neat timber.